Chapter 210

“I… I don’t understand you.” As if overwhelmed by the sorrow lingering around her, the frenzied madness that was about to erupt within Xie Shiqing inexplicably calmed down, like a wisp of cotton drifting gently down from midair.

“Aren’t you the one who taught me? I’ve already changed…” Xie Shiqing flailed around trying to find something to prove it, but after searching in a circle, her hands remained empty. “Not this kind of change now—before we broke up, I really did change. You saw it, you felt it, didn’t you?”

“It’s not that I didn’t help, Ning Ning. I did change.”

She lunged forward and grabbed Zhong Ning’s arm. “Look at me, I’ve really changed!”

“If it were before, I wouldn’t even be able to fake this kind of expression, because I couldn’t understand it at all. But now I can. Ning Ning, it’s all thanks to you. I just didn’t change fast enough, that’s all.”

“But didn’t you say it’s okay to take things slowly, that we needed patience? You said that—so why can’t we continue? Just give me a little more patience, alright? Just a little more. I love you!”

“I love you, and you love me too—why can’t we give it another try?”

In Xie Shiqing’s deep black pupils, the blood-red sky was reflected in full, along with Zhong Ning’s tear-streaked face.

“Just one more try, okay? The last time. If it still doesn’t work, if I still can’t do it, then you can leave, alright? I promise I’ll never bother you again.”

She cupped Zhong Ning’s face in her hands, her words spilling from her lips in a near-hypnotic plea. “The last time. Just try one last time. Are you really willing to give up like this? To admit you can’t do it, admit you’ve failed? Are you really ready to accept those two labels and stick them onto yourself?”

Like approaching a butterfly that would fly off at the slightest movement, Xie Shiqing slowly inched closer to her, as if time had frozen.

Their noses almost touched. If either of their hearts beat too heavily, they would have truly made contact.

“Try one more time… I’m not an abyss, and I’m not a trap. If you feel hurt with me, why not fight to conquer it, to completely change me, instead of choosing to run away?”

Xie Shiqing’s voice whispered gently into Zhong Ning’s ears.

“If you leave now, how long will it take to heal the wounds inside, to overcome the shadow of this failure? Why not choose to fight again? If it doesn’t succeed, the worst outcome is just what it is now—what’s there to fear?”

“Ning Ning, why not reconsider? You can choose not to be a coward. You can choose to face it.”

“If you know your shortcomings, shouldn’t you try to fix them? Isn’t that right? The way to do that is right here, Ning Ning… it’s right in front of you. As long as you nod your head, the label ‘coward’ will never be able to cling to you again.”

“I… I…” Zhong Ning was so dazed by her words that she actually started to think it all made sense. She opened her mouth, then closed it again, not knowing what to say.

Deep down, at her core, she still loved Xie Shiqing. That love was like the stickiest glue, binding the two of them together.

Zhong Ning had used every ounce of her will and determination to tear herself away—only one final thread remained.

At that moment, Xie Shiqing lunged forward and hugged her tightly, trying to reattach the skin that still held a trace of stickiness.

If this person were to descend into hell, even the devils would be out of a job—for no demon could ever again steal a human soul with silver-tongued deceit. Those achievements had long since been claimed by Xie Shiqing.

“What are you still worried about? Ning Ning, what else are you confused about?” Xie Shiqing blinked slowly. “Look into my eyes. Is there even the slightest bit of falsehood in them?”

“I’m willing to swear on the companies under my name—if I can’t change, if I can’t actively face my psychological issues, then let them go bankrupt!”

“In your heart, I’m someone who only loves wealth and power, right? Then I’ll use those to swear. Does that make it a little more believable?”

“Just give it a try. You’ve got nothing to lose!”

Zhong Ning took a step back, then another. “I need… I need to think about it. I can’t just decide like this. I need time to think.”

She broke free from Xie Shiqing’s grasp and backed away, her face filled with struggle and inner conflict.

Xie Shiqing quickly stepped forward. “Ning Ning!”

“Don’t come any closer!”

Zhong Ning darted two steps back like a rabbit avoiding a wolf. “Every time you speak, I can’t think clearly! Let me think on my own!”

As if some monstrous beast were chasing her from behind, Zhong Ning took off running. She dashed out of the Xie family villa and along the road, running for what felt like forever until her chest ached. Only then did she stop, panting heavily and drenched in sweat, leaning against a bus stop sign for support as she gasped for breath.

Sweat dripped from her forehead as she bent forward, leaving faint, scattered marks on the gray pavement. Zhong Ning’s mind was completely blank, possibly from the long run and a bit of oxygen deprivation.

At this point, she truly had no thoughts left—she just wanted water.

Suddenly, a tissue appeared in her field of vision. Zhong Ning straightened up and followed the arm upward to see the kind face of an elderly grandmother. “Look at you, running like that. Here, wipe your sweat.”

“…Thank you.” Zhong Ning accepted the tissue a bit awkwardly and wiped the sweat from her face.

A bus pulled up at the curb. The elderly woman boarded along with the others waiting. The stop emptied out.

Zhong Ning sat down on the now-vacant bench and rested for quite a while before she finally noticed how sore her legs were.

Her throat felt as if it had caught fire, unbearably dry—she didn’t even have enough saliva to swallow.

With no other choice, she stood up again and looked around. She spotted a 24-hour convenience store across the street. After waiting for the green light, she crossed the street and went inside to buy a bottle of mineral water.

She had just finished intense exercise, so she couldn’t drink too quickly.

Unscrewing the cap, she took small sips of water. With the bottle in hand, she wandered aimlessly down the street once again.

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