Xiang Caiping ignored Li Qianxue who was standing next to her. Her eyes were fixed solely on Su Peizhen.
“Who were you calling mom just now?”
The third time she asked, it almost sounded like an interrogation.
Su Peizhen stood rooted in place, unable to move at all. The first thought that flashed through her mind was, it’s over. Xiang Caiping had heard it.
How much did she hear? Did she hear everything, or —
Su Peizhen felt a trace of panic flash through her heart. She recalled what she had said just now —
“Mom.”
“Who are you calling your mom?”
Xiang Caiping didn’t give her a chance to fool her. She took a step forward and stood by the door.
This way, the position Li Qianxue and her would possess hidden subtleties.
Xiang Caiping faced inwards while Li Qianxue faced the outwards. The two of them stood side by side.
Li Qianxue frowned slightly in response to Xiang Caiping’s words. Her brows furrowed at Xiang Caiping’s aggressive tone of voice.
She had turned to the side and was about to walk out. It might have been a coincidence, but Xiang Caiping’s figure had blocked her passage.
Li Qianxue turned to look at her. At the same time, Xiang Caiping turned around and stared at Li Qianxue.
Their eyes met. This time, subtle hostility could be seen in their eyes.
Xiang Caiping was jealous of Li Qianxue. It wasn’t because of her superior family background, nor was it because she was more beautiful. It was because she had an ideal daughter. “…”
Li Qianxue was disgusted with Xiang Caiping. It wasn’t only because she had occupied Su Chenghui’s heart for more than 20 years, but it was also because Su Qingsang was still concerned about her.
The two of them stared at each other, and neither of them looked away.
Su Peizhen stood there. She never imagined that such a situation would happen one day.
Xiang Caiping was two years older than Li Qianxue, but the difference between the two of them did not seem to be as simple as two years.
Xiang Caiping had spent many years missing her daughter, while living with the regret of sending her away. Her hair was already half white. Her clothes were not old-fashioned, but the dark coat made her look two years older than her actual age.
On the other hand, Li Qianxue had her own obsession. She could not see past Su Chenghui’s matter.
For more than 20 years, she had lived a life of luxury, which made her appear like a refined and noble person. She wore a bright yellow handmade coat, which was prim and proper.
Her long hair was tied up, and the diamond earrings on her earlobes made her look more elegant.
Xiang Caiping had always a prideful person. Over the years, she always relied on herself no matter what she did. Every step she took was the result of her own hard work.
But the moment she faced Li Qianxue, the negative emotions that she had previously ignored suddenly surfaced. She forced herself not to look away, but when she saw the radiant Li Qianxue, she felt an inferiority complex that was beyond her control.
In order to not lose out, she stared at Li Qianxue’s face. However, her eyes shifted to Su Peizhen.
“Peizhen, who were you calling mom just now? Can you tell me?”
The hostility in her eyes was clear. But Li Qianxue didn’t give in. She had already lost Su Chenghui’s heart, she couldn’t lose her dignity again.
Xiang Caiping looked at Li Qianxue and felt a fire burning in her heart. That fire almost made her lose her rationality.
She had always known that Su Peizhen was unwilling to acknowledge her as her mother. But she did not expect that she would hear Su Peizhen say something like that.
In order to return to the Su family, she actually went to beg Li Qianxue? She begged that woman whom she had hated for the entirety of her life?
She could not help but glare at Li Qianxue, her eyes filled with anger and resentment.
“Peizhen, you really want to go back to the Su family, don’t you?”
“Since you don’t treat me as your mother, and since you still treat her as your mother, then you can go back. I can’t afford to accommodate a high and mighty person like you.”
Su Peizhen looked at Xiang Caiping twitched her lips. She had been relishing Xiang Caiping’s care and obedience unscrupulously.
In her mind, even if the whole world abandoned her, Xiang Caiping would not abandon her. They were a blood-related mother and daughter.
But now, Xiang Caiping was saying that she did not want her.
“Mom?” she felt her legs go soft. “What are you talking about?”
“It doesn’t matter what I say. What’s important is what you are thinking. Since you don’t want to acknowledge me and treat me as your mother, then go with her.”
“You… are you chasing me away?”
“I’m not chasing you away, but you are the one that doesn’t want to stay.” Xiang Caiping finally shifted her gaze away from Li Qianxue and turned to look at Su Peizhen.
“Since you don’t want to be my daughter, then go.”
Xiang Caiping had been living a very depressing life during this period of time. She never had such feelings when she was with Su Qingsang.
She always had to deal with Su Peizhen carefully. She was always worried that she would say or do something wrong and subsequently make Su Peizhen unhappy.
Although she used to care about Su Qingsang’s thoughts, Su Qingsang would never let her have such feelings.
She understood the gap in Su Peizhen’s heart, and she had been trying hard to make up for it and be a good mother.
Honestly speaking, the time she had spent with Su Peizhen was about the same as the few months she had known Su Qingsang.
She had given Su Peizhen as much as she gave to Su Qingsang. However, although she was able to warm Su Qingsang’s heart, she was unable to gain Su Peizhen’s acceptance.
Under normal circumstances, Xiang Caiping would not have said such things.
However, Li Qianxue was beside her that day. She treated the daughter that Li Qianxue did not want like a treasure.
The knowledge of this, coupled with the previous incidents suddenly made Xiang Caiping unwilling to endure on.
After so many years, she came here alone.
Without Su Qingsang, and without Su Peizhen. She could live well alone.
And she did not want Su Peizhen’s fake affections. If she really couldn’t forget Li Qianxue, then she would go back.
She would pretend that she had never given birth to this daughter.
“You can leave me now. I agree to you leaving. You don’t have to force yourself to call me mom anymore. You don’t have to pretend that you’ve accepted me anymore. There’s no need for such.”
And she didn’t have to be careful anymore. She didn’t have to worry about saying or doing anything wrong to offend her one day.
Su Peizhen’s lips moved. She didn’t expect that the video she posted would cause things to reach this point.
This wasn’t the outcome she wanted. This wasn’t what she wanted.
Su Qingsang was the one who would be hated by her two mothers, right? Su Qingsang was the one who would be hated and despised, right?
Su Qingsang was the one who wanted to curry favor with both sides. How did she become the one that was despised?
Subconsciously, she turned to look at Li Qianxue, as she was in habit of doing for the past 20 years. She was hoping that Li Qianxue would give her some comfort and an answer.
Li Qianxue did not speak. When she received Su Peizhen’s expectant and almost pleading gaze, her heart trembled.
Su Peizhen’s lips trembled slightly. She did not say the word “Mother”, but her eyes already contained that meaning.
Li Qianxue understood that she was her way out. Su Peizhen saw her as a life-saving straw.
She should choose to go against Xiang Caiping and retain Su Peizhen. Let her go home with her. But she couldn’t!
She felt the Xiang Caiping’s stare at her from the peripheries of her vision. It felt as though she was waiting for her decision.
In the end, Li Qianxue’s hands clenched her fists as they hung by her side. She took a deep look at Su Peizhen. Then, she calmly averted her gaze.
She looked at Xiang Caiping, who had a determined expression on her face. The corners of her lips curled up slightly.
“You don’t have to say such things in front of me. Because, she is no longer my daughter.”
Su Peizhen’s body trembled. Xiang Caiping widened her eyes and looked at Li Qianxue fixedly. “…”
However, she didn’t seem to see the gaze they shared. She raised her head and puffed out her chest, before marching off in her heels.
Her actions were like a slap to Su Peizhen’s face.
“Mom?”
It was extremely soft, as if she was mumbling. She stared in disbelief as she watched Li Qianxue’s figure disappear behind the door. She couldn’t accept that she had really abandoned her just like that.
She was her daughter.
When she turned around, she realized that Xiang Caiping was also looking at her. Her gaze was complicated, and there was a hint of pity in it.
Su Peizhen’s heart ached. She suddenly took a few steps forward and walked in front of Xiang Caiping.
“Mom, you were joking just now, right?”
“Mom, you won’t abandon me, right?”
Xiang Caiping looked at Su Peizhen. She didn’t know what to do with this daughter of hers.
“Peizhen, it’s not that I don’t want you. It’s that you don’t want me.”
“I, that’s not it… Mom, that’s not it… I’m just –”
“You’re just thinking about Li Qianxue. You’re just thinking about your rich life in the Su family. You’re just unable to forget the mother-daughter relationship that existed between you and Li Qianxue for the past 20 years.”
“I…”Su Peizhen wanted to shake her head, but she couldn’t defend herself.
Xiang Caiping sighed in her heart. “Peizhen, admit it. You don’t treat me as your mother at all. You don’t want me as your mother. Since that’s the case, why force yourself?”
Su Peizhen was at a loss for words. She had always been eloquent, but at this moment, she actually couldn’t find any words to defend herself.
Xiang Caiping didn’t need her to defend herself. She let out a long sigh and took a step back.
“Peizhen, I won’t blame you if you don’t want to acknowledge me. I won’t take back what I gave you. As for the future, take care of yourself.”
She turned around and wanted to leave, but Su Peizhen stepped forward and grabbed her arm.
“Mom, Mom, don’t go. Mom, Listen to me. I was wrong. I was really wrong. I acknowledge you. I really acknowledge you. I accept you. You can’t abandon me. You can’t abandon me.”
Xiang Caiping’s body stiffened. She couldn’t see Su Peizhen’s expression behind her. But she could feel the strength she had used to pull her hand.
She stood there and listened to Su Peizhen’s voice behind her. She raised her hand and calmly pried her fingers off.
She turned to face Su Peizhen. Her expression was the same as when Li Qianxue was about to leave. She was calm and indifferent, but she wasn’t moved.
“Peizhen, I’m not your life saving piece of driftwood. You came to me when you had no one to rely on. When you had someone to rely on, you threw me aside. I’m not a passerby, I’m your mother. If you don’t understand this, don’t come back to find me.”
After all, it was her own flesh that had fallen from her body. Xiang Caiping did not want to see Su Peizhen suffer too much.
“Peizhen, if you’re really willing to acknowledge me as your mother, and if you want me to be your mother, the door of the house is always open, and you’re welcome to come back. But consider carefully whether you really want me as your mother.”
After Xiang Caiping finished speaking, she left as well.
The office suddenly became quiet. Su Peizhen’s figure collapsed onto the ground. She did not get up either. She sat there the whole time, and her entire being appeared to be in a daze.
Her gaze was somewhat empty as she stared at the hollow corridor.
After an unknown period of time, she suddenly stood up and walked back to her desk. With a strong push, she swept all the things on the desk to the ground.
“Go. All of you, go. Who cares? Who cares about you?”
She didn’t care. She didn’t want these people and such a mother.
Don’t you like Su Qingsang? Go on and like her.
You don’t want me? Then one day, I will make you regret it.
Yes. She must make them regret it. Let them know that she, Su Peizhen, was not a dog they raised. She was not an object they could take or throw as they please.
Su Qingsang, Su Qingsang. Everything was because of Su Qingsang.
Ah —
… ..
Su Qingsang changed out of her doctor’s robe and left the office. When she saw the familiar figure along the corridor, she was shocked.
“Dad?”
Did… did they have an agreement? Yesterday, it was Li Qianxue. Today, it was Su Chenghui.
She took a few steps forward and called out softly. Su Chenghui was staring at the photo on the wall.
Su Qingsang was wearing a doctor’s robe and looked energetic. Her eyes were full of confidence and her smile was bright and beautiful.
It seemed that he had never seen such a daughter before. When he heard Su Qingsang calling him, he turned around and smiled at her.
“You’ve finished work?”
“Yes.” Su Qingsang nodded and scrutinized Su Chenghui’s figure. It was already past the dragon boat festival. The weather in Rongcheng was getting warmer.
Su Chenghui was wearing an extremely formal three-piece dark-colored suit. His hair was combed back meticulously. From the looks of it, he seemed to have just come over after a meeting.
“Dad, why are you here? What are you –”
“You’ve finished work, right? Then let’s have a meal together?”
Su Chenghui suggested. Su Qingsang thought of Li Qianxue at home. She was a little conflicted, but in the end, she nodded.
Su Qingsang picked a good Cantonese restaurant nearby. Su Chenghui had lived with Old Master Li for many years. Hence, his taste was relatively bland.
After ordering the dishes, he called home and didn’t go home for dinner every night. She told Li Qianxue again.
She was afraid that Li Qianxue would overthink. Hence, she only told her that something had happened at the hospital. Li Qianxue’s voice didn’t sound right either. Su Qingsang wanted to ask her about it, but Su Chenghui was sitting opposite her.
She had no choice but to hang up the phone. Then, she picked up the teapot on the table and poured Su Chenghui a cup of tea.
“Dad, have some tea.”
Su Chenghui glanced at her and took the cup of tea with a trace of emotion in his eyes.
“Were you on the phone with your Mother just now?”
“Yes.” Su Chenghui came to Rongcheng and met Li Qianxue. It was impossible to lie to him that Li Qianxue was not at her place.
“Your Mother… How is she?”
Yesterday it was obvious that, Li Qianxue was quite angry. It seemed that the weather had not improved today.
Her personality had always been like that. She only believed what her eyes saw and what her heart had decided.
In the past, he was very proud of her personality. It was as if Li Qianxue had decided on him. No matter how he treated her, she would love him and would never leave him.
But now, he was starting to worry about her personality. Because of this Li Qianxue, Su Chenghui had no idea where to start. He didn’t know how to move her.
Su Qingsang didn’t answer his question. “Dad, what brings you to Rongcheng?”
“Can’t I come to see you if I have nothing to do?”
“Of course.” she was surprised and flattered.
“Dad, have you seen Auntie?”
“No.” Su Chenghui knew what Su Qingsang wanted to ask. He replied her, “Why? Do you think I came to Rongcheng to see Caiping?”
Wasn’t it?
“I came to Rongcheng to discuss some business-related matters. You should have heard from Yuxin that I have just opened a small company. It has just started, so it looks okay at the moment. But because I don’t have the support of the Li Family, and because I don’t plan to use my old connections, many things have to be done by myself.”
Su Qingsang didn’t speak. She didn’t understand business matters. Even if Su Chenghui told her about it, she wouldn’t be able to help.
“I finished discussing the collaboration with a client today. I was going to treat him to a meal, but he just happened to have something on. I heard from Yuxin that you were at the first hospital. From the GPS address on the map, I realized that it was very close, so I came to see you.”
Su Qingsang nodded and poured Su Chenghui a cup of tea. However, she didn’t say anything.
Although the two of them had been father and daughter for many years, due to the previous reasons, her relationship with Su Chenghui was not very close. Most of the time when they sat together, it was like this.
“How is your Mother? I know she’s at your place.”
This was the second time Su Chenghui asked about Li Qianxue. Su Qingsang looked up at him and realized that she didn’t quite understand this man who was her father.
“Dad, are you concerned about my mom?”
“Of course, can’t I be concerned about her?”
“That’s not what I meant. What I meant was –”
She thought of Li Qianxue’s words yesterday and the way she talked about Su Chenghui with a face full of hatred.
“Dad, in Rongcheng, I once encouraged you to win my mom’s forgiveness. But when I saw my mom yesterday, she seemed to have some misunderstanding about you –”
It was polite to say that there was some misunderstanding. In fact, from Li Qianxue’s reaction, how could it have been a mere misunderstanding?
She was already prejudiced against Su Chenghui. She hated him from the bottom of her heart and completely rejected him.
“I know.” Su Chenghui nodded. Li Qianxue’s words on the plane yesterday made him understand what she meant.
“Your Mom has a misunderstanding about me. This is the other reason I came to look for you today.”
“Dad, you don’t want me to help you explain it to my mother, do you?”
Su Qingsang’s expression was a little conflicted. Her eyes were filled with disapproval.
“Of course not. I’ll explain it myself. I just want you to put me on the line and get your Mother to agree to meet me. She seemed to be very angry with me. She didn’t pick up any of my calls and didn’t reply to any of my messages. “I even changed my number to call her. As long as she heard my voice, she would hang up.”
Su Chenghui looked a little helpless and self-deprecating. “I just want you to help me see your Mother.”
Su Qingsang bit her lip, she appeared a little troubled.
Su Chenghui was her Father, so she should have agreed to his request. However, when she recalled of Li Qianxue’s reaction yesterday, she shook her head firmly.
“I’m sorry, Dad. I can’t help you with this matter.”
Su Chenghui was stunned for a moment, and his eyes seemed to be a little surprised. “Qingsang, last time you clearly said –”
“I was wrong. Dad, I was wrong.”
Su Qingsang admitted her mistake and apologized to Su Chenghui. She lowered her head and looked a little embarrassed.
“I’m sorry, Dad. I should have helped you. But I can’t.”
Looking at Li Qianxue yesterday, something seemed wrong. The problem between her and Su Chenghui was not something that could be solved by clearing a misunderstanding.
Li Qianxue was in an unstable mood these few days. If she helped Su Chenghui again, Li Qianxue might overthink again.
“Dad, if you really want to get my mom back, you’d better think of a way yourself. I promised my mom not to mention you in front of her.”
Su Chenghui’s face turned pale, and a bitter smile appeared on his refined face.
“Can’t even mention me? Does she hate me so much?”
Su Qingsang was a little embarrassed. She really couldn’t answer this question. Soon, the waiter began to serve the dishes, and she let out a sigh of relief.
Subsequently, Su Chenghui finally stopped asking Su Qingsang to help him.
The dishes were served one after another. Su Qingsang ordered the dishes according to Su Chenghui’s preferences in Lin City.
Su Chenghui had something on his mind. Hence, he didn’t care about what Su Qingsang ordered.
Now that all the dishes were served, he looked at the table of dishes, and his mood suddenly became a little strange.
At that time, he had changed his daughter’s identity, he felt guilty.
However, under these circumstances, Su Chenghui forced himself to suppress the guilt.
When their identities were revealed, Su Qingsang and Su Peizhen’s reactions and behaviour had clarified his position.
Su Qingsang didn’t even need to ask him what he wanted. The dishes she ordered were what he usually liked.
This made him think of the past when he went out to eat with Su Peizhen. Nine times out of ten, he would follow Su Peizhen’s taste.
Although this was a small matter, Su Qingsang’s actions had made Su Chenghui’s heart, which had been exhausted and adrift during this period of time, feel warmer and more stable.
“Qingsang, just pretend that I didn’t say what I said just now. Don’t worry about Dad. You’re right. I do need to rely on myself to get your mom’s forgiveness, not you.”
“Dad?”
This time, it was Su Qingsang’s turn to be surprised.
Su Chenghui smiled. He shook his head gently. “I’ve lived half my life. There are some things that I have to look past. If the person I love still needs to rely on others to get it, then how can it be considered true love?”
These words were quite philosophical. Su Qingsang smiled, and a flash of emotion flashed across her face.
“Dad, if you think like this, I believe that she will accept you. Mom’s heart is not made of stone.”
“Really?”
“Of course, it’s true.”
“Thank you for your kind words.” Su Chenghui smiled, and that smile was full of love. “Qingsang, thank you.”
“What for? I’m your daughter.”
Su Chenghui was slightly stunned, but he quickly reacted and spoke with some emotion.
“Yes. You are my daughter.”
A daughter that he had always neglected, owed, and ignored.
Now, she had become the daughter that moved him the most and gave him the most warmth.
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