Jin City Central Hospital.
Song Zhizhi brought Xin Zaozao to the hospital.
After examining and dressing her wound, the doctors suggested she should stay in the hospital for a day for observation since she had sustained an injury to the back of her head, in case there was any damage inside the skull.
Song Zhizhi stayed with Xin Zaozao.
Xin Zaozao’s face was paler than ever, almost devoid of color.
Song Zhizhi said, "Eat sothing."
She had the household servants bring so porridge. She figured this woman hadn’t had a drop to drink, let alone anything to eat, ever since receiving news of her father’s death.
Upon hearing the voice, Xin Zaozao’s eyes twitched slightly. She felt as if she were detached from the world. Her dry lips moved as she spoke, "We are strangers."
The implication was: we have no ties, there’s no need for you to be so kind to .
Song Zhizhi responded with a asured smile.
Perhaps precisely because she herself had been hurt before, she could understand anyone’s instinct to guard against everything.
She understood.
Just as when she found out how Yi Wenhan’s family had treated her, after her rebirth, she found everyone suspicious.
She said, "I have gone through what you are going through now."
But Xin Zaozao showed little reaction.
"I understand what it’s like to lose a loved one."
"But you haven’t," said Xin Zaozao, focusing her gaze on Song Zhizhi.
"I have, in the past. You may think I’m lying," laughed Song Zhizhi before deciding not to explain further. "Doesn’t matter, I understand how you feel right now and I won’t pressure you. I just want to tell you that if you refuse to accept this, you cannot let yourself go. In this world, no one can help you except yourself."
Xin Zaozao looked at her.
"I won’t disturb your rest now." Song Zhizhi got up to leave.
Xin Zaozao suddenly grabbed her.
Song Zhizhi looked at her pale, thin wrist.
She said, "I don’t know who to trust."
Song Zhizhi nodded.
She understood.
Xin Zaozao let go of her.
Song Zhizhi didn’t leave right then. She knew that at this mont, Xin Zaozao was longing for company.
When one has been alone for too long, no matter how much they endure, they still crave so companionship.
"I actually didn’t have much of a relationship with my father," Xin Zaozao said casually. "There was even a period when I despised him. I couldn’t understand why he would marry my mother, whom he didn’t love, or why they had since their marriage was rely a business arrangent. There shouldn’t have been so many entanglents."
Song Zhizhi listened quietly.
All Xin Zaozao wanted at the mont was a confidant.
"I was actually happy when my father remarried. I was fed up with the alternating phases of quarrels and silences between my parents. I thought my father marrying a woman he loved would bring peace to our family. I never expected that the archetypal wicked stepmother would appear in my household."
Song Zhizhi pursed her lips.
"She didn’t like . She would hit behind my father’s back and when he was away on business trips, she would starve or feed expired food. She threw away all the things I liked and even had the servant frighten with rats," continued Xin Zaozao.
Song Zhizhi looked at her.
At how Xin Zaozao was handling the situation with calm and composure.
"My dad loved her, loved her very much. So much so that even when she abused , he turned a blind eye. There was a ti when I hid in the closet, afraid to co out, for fear that she would beat or scare if she ca across . For a long ti, I was terrified of her; I would wake from sleep frightened by her image in my dreams. Then ca her son, Mu Cidian, who brought comfort into my life."
At this point, Xin Zaozao seed sowhat affected, but she quickly regained her composure.
"He would buy delicious cakes, take to amusent parks and ticulously help with my studies. He even told bedti stories and helped fall asleep," said Xin Zaozao. "No one had ever been so nice to before, not even my birth mother, because I wasn’t born out of love. I thought Mu Cidian loved , until... the stormy night when I turned 18. After telling a bedti story, he didn’t leave. I didn’t regret losing my virginity to him right after I ca of age. I didn’t cherish my body very much. After all, no one had ever taught to love myself, or loved ."
"But I couldn’t have imagined that after everything happened, Mu Cidian changed. He stopped playing with , stopped buying delicious food, and stopped helping sleep. I didn’t understand why he had beco so indifferent all of a sudden until one night... I mustered the courage to confront him. I went to his room and from behind the half-open door, I overheard him and his mother. She told him, ’Xin Zaozao is just for fun, don’t let her interfere with our business.’"
Xin Zaozao paused, seemingly repressing sothing. She regained control of her emotions and continued in the sa matter-of-fact tone, "Next, Mu Cidian answered, ’Do you think I like her? I don’t want to waste any ti on her. Isn’t it you who asked to do this? It’s nothing more than revenge! If it weren’t for Xin He’s relentless crippling of our family business back then, causing it to face bankruptcy and forcing my father to commit suicide, we wouldn’t be in this situation! I clearly rember everything!’"
"So..." Xin Zaozao told Song Zhizhi, "their purpose of coming into our house was clear. His mother openly and secretly mistreated while he pretended to treat well just so he could betray in the end. Everything was out of revenge, and they chose to take it out on . Back then, they didn’t have the ability to deal with my father so I beca the scapegoat. I wanted to tell them that my father never loved . Their treatnt of wouldn’t affect him."
"Obviously, they didn’t care. They just wanted to vent."
"Didn’t you tell your father about their intentions?" asked Song Zhizhi, unable to hold back.
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