Chapter 43
Zhong Ning was very pleasantly surprised by Xie Shiqing. She had never expected Xie Shiqing to help her clear her name and uncover the truth.
Beyond the surprise, there was also a trace of hidden joy, Xie Shiqing does care for her!
If not, would she have noticed the changes in her emotions?
How wonderful. She was truly fortunate to have met Xie Shiqing and to possess such a sincere bond.
As for Fu Nanshuang and the others—these friends—Zhong Ning also felt especially grateful. After going through this incident, she genuinely regarded them as her dearest friends.
Their unconditional trust in her, their efforts to run around gathering various clues just to prove her innocence—no amount of words could fully express her gratitude.
Zhong Ning informed them of the news, and she immediately heard several cheers from the other end of the line.
"I knew it wasn’t you! How did Xie Shiqing find out? That was so timely!"
Fu Nanshuang paused briefly, then changed her tone. "But it’s a good thing. She must truly want this engagement. Otherwise, she wouldn’t have gone to such lengths to resolve this."
Given Xie Shiqing’s methods, it was only natural that she could uncover the truth faster than any of them.
The Xie Corporation was an entertainment company. Dealing with various public relations crises and uncovering the truth layer by layer was their specialty.
They were professionals.
How can her friends, heirs of family businesses and small company owners could even begin to compete with the Xie Corporation.
The key was not how she found out, but her attitude after learning the truth.
She chose to protect Zhong Ning and chose to proceed with the engagement. Once that stance was clear, no amount of slander would hold any weight.
That was why Zhong Li had called it surprising.
It was not surprising that Xie Shiqing possessed such abilities, but it was surprising how she chose to protect Zhong Ning and the engagement.
However, this was a welcomed outcome for Zhong Li.
Zhong Ning was not thinking about these analyses. She was simply happy. "It was Zhang Min who did this. Shiqing and I will return to the hospital shortly to explain everything to Liu Rushi and see how she wants to handle it."
Fu Nanshuang said, "You’re still getting involved? Alright, I’m at the hospital now. I’ll speak to her first, so she’ll be mentally prepared."
She had hated this person for so long, only to find out she had hated the wrong one. She truly did not know how she would cope with that.
On the way to the hospital, Zhong Ning held Xie Shiqing’s hand and suddenly let out a laugh.
Back at the Zhong family, she had thought it would be the last time she would hold this hand. Her heart had been aching so terribly. Life truly had its ups and downs, full of uncertainty.
"Although this thought isn’t very nice, I’m really so happy that Miaomiao isn’t my daughter." She turned her head and whispered into Xie Shiqing’s ear like a thief.
"She’s very cute and very pitiful. It’s not that I want to shirk responsibility or gloat, it’s just…"
"Is your moral baseline a bit too high?" Xie Shiqing felt a bit speechless.
Was this some kind of extreme pendulum swing? The former Zhong Ning had been a scoundrel, and now she was an overly good person.
"Not really." Zhong Ning said awkwardly. "Shiqing, I really want to thank you."
Xie Shiqing said, "…You’ve been thanking me the entire way here."
Just as Zhong Ning was about to speak again, Xie Shiqing quickly covered her mouth, let out a soft laugh, pinched her lower lip, and felt its soft texture under her fingertips, like kneading a piece of jelly.
She spoke gently. "If you really want to thank me, why not show it properly tonight."
Zhong Ning immediately shut her mouth.
Her cheeks flushed red. Sunlight bathed her figure, like a thick stream of honey flowing over her. She seemed to smell a sweet scent in the air, though she clearly knew this was only an illusion created by her happy heart.
When one was happy, even the air felt sweet.
She gently rubbed her fingertip against the back of Xie Shiqing’s hand, leaned closer, and whispered by her ear, "I will try my best."
This time, it was Xie Shiqing who looked a little surprised.
It was as if she had just seen white bread turn into golden toast.
They arrived at the hospital together but did not go inside. Instead, they found a nearby teahouse with private rooms. Liu Rushi and the others soon arrived.
The young, haggard mother looked even paler than she had the first night Zhong Ning met her.
She looked at Zhong Ning, and Zhong Ning looked back at her. It seemed as if they could hear the chaotic turmoil in each other’s hearts—after all, Zhong Ning had just felt the same way.
This woman who had gone through so many hardships thought her life was already bad enough, yet fate had played another cruel joke on her, as if her suffering had not been enough.
"I…"
"I…"
Zhong Ning and Liu Rushi spoke at the same time. The latter gave a sad smile and said in a hoarse voice, "I feel like a joke. I’m sorry. I know that apologies are the most powerless words in this world, but I still have to say it—I'm sorry."
She took a light breath. "I really didn’t know it wasn’t you."
Liu Rushi’s nearly translucent face showed no expression, like a robot that had lost power. "I called the police. They answered and said it was just an emotional dispute. They told me to leave quickly and not interfere with official duties."
“I really didn’t know that I was talking to Zhang Min the whole time.”
"I have no one to rely on, no one to show me the real situation." She pulled at the corner of her mouth. "No wonder they all looked at me so strangely."
"I also watched that video. I’m sorry. I should have watched it sooner…" Liu Rushi’s dry eyes held no tears. "The video content was fabricated. Zhang Min barged straight into my room. I did not open the door. I was asleep when she assaulted me, and I didn’t even see her face."
"From beginning to end, all I ever had was a single name. And I was played for a fool."
She gave a bitter smile and spoke each word clearly. "This matter has caused great trouble for all of you. I am willing to accept legal punishment. If you want to press charges against Zhang Min, I am also willing to testify in court. I still have the chat records on my phone—they are all evidence. It’s just that Miaomiao… she is innocent, she…"