Chapter 105

When Zhong Ning encountered Xie Shiqing, she was swept up in that overwhelming, fervent force until she felt utterly dazed. Those excessively passionate words of love turned into invisible ropes and thick fog, binding her feet and wings, obscuring her sight and direction, insisting on pulling her down, trapping her within someone else’s territory.

"I... I need to think about it." Zhong Ning forced her voice out with difficulty. The fact that she hadn’t surrendered outright was already a testament to her strong will.

This answer was somewhat disappointing to Xie Shiqing, but at the very least, it managed to placate her.

She lifted her tear-streaked face, her expression filled with surprise and disbelief. "Ning Ning, I will definitely change. I absolutely won’t let you down!"

"Our understanding of each other is still too shallow. This issue was merely a trigger, an explosion caused by accumulated tension. The real root lies in the lack of trust and unfamiliarity between us."

Although Zhong Ning was trying to steel her heart, she didn’t rush to offer forgiveness. She wanted to observe Xie Shiqing’s reaction before making her final decision. However, her tone still inevitably carried a note of softness.

Because Xie Shiqing was truly pitiful.

When a healthy person saw a disabled beggar on the street, their first reaction was often pity and sorrow, wondering whether the person had suffered some accident or misfortune that led them to such a state.

Very few people would immediately assume the worst and think that this person must have done something unforgivable and deserved to have their legs broken.

Kindness was not an instinct, but it existed in everyone’s heart.

Xie Shiqing was just too pitiful. She was heartbreaking. Zhong Ning couldn’t bear to see others cry. What’s more, Xie Shiqing’s tears were justified, full of genuine sorrow and anguish.

If she didn’t look at Xie Shiqing’s face, her heart could harden. But the moment she turned back and saw her suppressed sobs, Zhong Ning couldn’t stop the ache in her chest.

She didn’t believe that Xie Shiqing was lying.

Every tear that fell from her eyes had its own meaning—it was salty, it was bitter. Every word Xie Shiqing spoke came from genuine emotion. How could it be considered false?

How real Xie Shiqing’s feelings were—she had deceived her once, could she really do it a second time? This thought flashed through Zhong Ning’s mind, not even stirring a ripple.

Xie Shiqing knew how resolute she was when it came to lies and deception. She would never do such a thing again.

"I want to see your changes, your actions, before I have my answer." She said this seriously.

She still liked Xie Shiqing. That feeling hadn’t faded. And liking was tied to trust.

She wasn’t ready to forgive her so easily because she hadn’t yet received true reparation. The sadness she had endured hadn’t been soothed.

Tears and words served as a bridge for explanation, but only real actions could make up for true remorse.

"I will definitely change." Xie Shiqing’s eyes shimmered with scattered tears, and this time her crying seemed like tears of joy. "Ning Ning, I swear I’ll never speak another lie again!"

Zhong Ning swallowed the words “I believe you” and sighed as she wiped away the tear marks on Xie Shiqing’s face. "Get up."

This hurdle was considered cleared for now. As Xie Shiqing washed up, she thought to herself that crying until her eyes were swollen and even the skin on her face stung hadn’t been in vain.

Next, it was her turn to perform well.

Familiar with the process, she opened the cabinet and found the repairing and stabilizing face cream. She carefully applied it to her cheeks. When her fingers touched the cream, the wound gave a sharp sting, causing her to frown slightly.

A beautiful face was, of course, crucial. A beauty in tears could stir sympathy. Although her eyes were no longer able to see, at least she had a pretty face—it couldn’t be ruined by crying too much.

After tidying herself up, Xie Shiqing softened her voice and called out, "Ning Ning… I… I can’t change clothes by myself."

Her voice was still slightly hoarse, a result of crying too much the day before. She didn’t try to hide it, deliberately speaking in her raspy tone.

She would use whatever she could to her advantage in order to win Zhong Ning’s sympathy.

Zhong Ning didn’t think too much about it. After all, Xie Shiqing’s arm was injured, and her leg was still in a cast. It truly wasn’t convenient for her to dress herself.

She picked out a nightdress and walked into the bathroom. Xie Shiqing sat on the small stool in front of the vanity, her hands resting on her knees, looking both obedient and pitiful.

"I brought a nightdress. White, pure cotton," Zhong Ning said.

She placed the dress in Xie Shiqing’s lap and began unbuttoning her shirt. Back when they were deeply affectionate, she had undone those buttons many times, but never had it been as calm and emotionless as now.

Given their current situation, and especially Xie Shiqing’s condition, if she still had those kinds of thoughts, what would that make her?

Once the buttons were undone, Zhong Ning carefully supported her arm and helped her remove the shirt.

On that porcelain-white, delicate skin, there were numerous bruises—evidence of bumps and knocks. Xie Shiqing’s skin was soft and easily bruised, making the marks appear especially jarring on her body.

They were on her body, on her arms. Zhong Ning took another look and felt that they didn’t look like just accidental bumps—or at least, not only that.

There were many bruises, most of them small but numerous. She even saw bite marks on her wrist.

Zhong Ning fell silent.

Those marks on her body… some might have been caused by pinching.

She reached out as if to touch them, then said softly, "I'll get the medicated oil and rub it in for you. It'll help the bruises heal faster."

Speaking of that medicated oil, it was actually something the doctor had brought a few days ago after she had taken an elbow hit from Xie Shiqing.

She hadn’t taken it with her when she moved out of the Xie family residence.

She went to fetch the oil and came back to find Xie Shiqing still sitting properly in the chair, obediently waiting.

Zhong Ning sprayed a bit of the oil into her palm, warming it up with her hand before gently applying it to the bruises, softly rubbing it in with her palm.

"If it hurts, just try to endure it."

The dark-colored oil carried a pungent medicinal scent, leaving a tingling sheen on the skin. Her gaze was lowered, focused, and the pressure of her fingertips as she massaged was as soft as rising mist.

"It doesn’t hurt," Xie Shiqing said. Compared to the pain, her voice was filled with a joyful sweetness. Her fingers cautiously gripped the hem of Zhong Ning’s clothes. "If Ning Ning blows on it, it won’t hurt anymore."

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