After hearing from Guan Jing that Wen Qing had come, Su Zhan sneered, “He thought he would be forgiven just like that?”
Zong Jinghao sat at his desk in silence. He did not expect that Wen Qing would take the initiative to admit his faults. This move was clearly trying to please him.
Wen Qing had a staid personality and he valued his reputation. Making advances by retreating was a clever move and he was stumped. It would seem unkind of him to just finish him off.
Shen Peichuan glanced at Su Zhan for he did not agree with Su Zhan. In his opinion, Wen Qing taking the initiative to admit his wrongdoings was clearly a sign of his desire for reconciliation. He looked at Zong Jinghao. “Why don’t you just meet him? After all, he’s Xinyan’s…”
Even if he doesn’t care about others, he should put himself in Lin Xinyan’s shoes.
“She left you in hopes of not putting you in a difficult situation. You should think of her before making a move.”
Regardless of how reluctant he was to admit it, the relationship between them could not be erased. Wen Qing was indeed Lin Xinyan’s uncle.
Zong Jinghao did not raise his head all this while. His voice was also very low. “You all just leave first and let him in.”
It was impossible for him to not have thought about something that even Shen Peichuan knew clearly. But still, he couldn’t overcome the hurdle deep within his heart.
How could the hatred he had toward someone who had killed his mother be so easily dismissed? It was because of Wen Qing he had to regret for life.
This was a dead knot in his heart. The trace would always be there and it would never disappear regardless of time.
Wen Qing walked in wearing casual wear with Li Jing holding him. It wasn’t long since they last met but it felt like it had been a century after everything that happened. Too many things had changed, and even the people too.
Li Jing helped Wen Qing to the sofa and said lightly, “When you want to leave, just call out to me. I’ll be waiting outside for you.”
Wen Qing agreed.
Li Jing lowered her head and went out from the office. In the current situation, she had nothing to say to Zong Jinghao, so she didn’t even say hello to him.
When the door was closed, the entire space fell into complete silence. It was Wen Qing who broke the silence first. “Ji has left the entertainment industry and joined the army. I guess he hasn’t come to see you yet.”
Li Zhan, who knew the ins and outs was ashamed to see anyone.
“I’m not here to make excuses or to plead with you. What I did deserves retribution and punishment and I will never shirk any of it.”
Li Zhan joining the army and him coming forward to admit everything was no coincidence. It was what he had planned for himself. His relationship with Li Zhan was never good so others were not clear about his identity. He had been in office for so many years and had a few confidants. It was not difficult to get Li Zhan in. Besides, he did not enter as his son, so It would not affect Li Zhan even if he made a huge mistake.
He did all this because he did not want the Wen family to collapse just because of him.
Li Zhan willingly joined the army because he knew Wen Qing had to be punished accordingly for the incident to be quelled. So he went to the army to strive for the Wen family so that Wen Qing would have no worries to come forward to admit and face everything.
Wen Qing knew that he had no one to blame or chide. Even though it was unknown to him, a mistake was a mistake. He only wanted to capture Cheng Yuxiu but he had no intention of taking her life but Cheng Yuxiu was indeed dead because of him.
It was his unavoidable responsibility.
“I have no complaints even if I have to go to jail or ruin my reputation. I only want to see her.” After saying so much, he didn’t look up. It was only by the end that he raised his head to look at Zong Jinghao.
He hated Cheng Yuxiu but he had never had the intention to kill her. If he really wanted to take her out, it would have been done over twenty years ago when he locked her up. He wouldn’t wait till now.
The only regret he had was he had prevented Wen Xian from being together with the person she liked. He didn’t know that she would be so persistent. After marrying Zong Qifeng, she still didn’t give up. He had no idea that Zong Qifeng would indulge Wen Xian, and even allowed her to find another woman, and absurdly gave birth to an illegitimate child she had with Zhuang Ziyi, hiding the truth from everyone. And neither had he expected that the person he had hated for half his life was the biggest victim in his sister’s plan.
Sorry was a word too light to make up for anything, so he would not say it.
Wen Xian had not only caused harm to others’ life but also his. But what could he say to that? What was he defense?
The cause of the series of problems was Wen Xian. The sister he loved the most since he was a child. He deserved it and he had no one to blame.
Zong Jinghao was facing the French windows with one arm placed on the desk casually, showing only his side profile. No one could see through his expression, his thoughts, and his mind, even his tone was light and without the slightest emotion. “I don’t know where she is. She has left more than a month ago.”
Stunned, Wen Qing could not believe what he just heard. “And you just let her go? I thought you like her very much?”
How concerned he was about Lin Xinyan previously. That he had even come against me and was not afraid of the plot I’ve set up together with Chen Qing.
Zong Jinghao turned around slowly. The frosty air wafting from him could make anyone shiver even when there was no emotion shown on his face. “What more do you expect? Do you want her to see how we kill one another?”
Isn’t that cruel to her as well?
Wen Qing was suddenly left with nothing to say.
He couldn’t make a sound. That’s right. Even if she doesn’t admit her origin, my relationship with her was an undeniable fact and Zong Jinghao is her husband. Whose side is she supposed to take?
Whose death would she want to see?
Pressing against the armrest of the sofa, he stood up slowly. He looked at Zong Jinghao and enunciated each word with a pleading tone, “It’s all my fault. Please let her come back.”
He then added, “I’ll face the consequences of my actions. There’s no need for anyone to interfere.”
He would now surrender himself to save Zong Jinghao from the trouble of killing him. That way, there would be no killing between him and Zong Jinghao, and Lin Xinyan wouldn’t have to feel guilty in front of Zong Jinghao. These were the mistakes he had made and he would have to resolve them personally.
“I know you definitely don’t want to see me. This will be the last time we meet.” After that, Wen Qing made his way towards the door. He was sent to the hospital in time so there was no major sequela left, but his body was not as good as before and his legs felt weak and not as flexible as they used to be.
He opened the door. Li Jing, upon hearing the noise coming from the door, immediately came over to hold him. “Why don’t you just call me?”
“I’m not crippled. I can still walk.” Wen Qing had been strong-headed all his life and now he was left with nothing when he was old.
Li Jing sighed, knowing that Wen Qing was blaming himself. She resented Wen Xian. It was her selfishness that had caused misery to the lives of so many around her.
If it weren’t for Wen Xian, Wen Qing would not have come this way.
To Li Jing, everything seemed to be Wen Xian’s responsibilities. But she dared not mention this in front of her husband because, despite everything that happened, Wen Xian was still his sister. He still cared for her, just like how he cared so much that Lin Xinyan was Wen Xian’s child.
If he doesn’t care, he would not have come here.
As if to prove what he said to Zong Jinghao was true, Wen Qing surrendered himself after leaving his office, taking Gu Bei along with him. Wen Qing knew Zong Jinghao quite well. Anyone involved in the kidnapping incident would not be easily let go by him.
So he did this for Zong Jinghao, not to please him but it was for Lin Xinyan, in hopes that she would not be guilty when facing him.
Even though Wen Qing had submitted himself, he would not be brought to trial so soon. The result of the judgment had to be supported by evidence from the investigation.
Zong Jinghao did not feel lightened by what Wen Qing told him nor did he feel any satisfaction after seeing how Wen Qing surrendered himself and possibly ruined his reputation. His emotion was complicated and even conflicted.
He wondered whether Lin Xinyan and he could still give each other a hug without having to think of everything that had happened.
He was afraid that he had hurt her.
He was also worried if Wen Qing’s surrender would cause her to have spite on him.
This is a huge gap. No matter how things are resolved, there would still be a mark there, separating us from the middle. None of us would dare to bring it up and we could only be meticulous around one another.
During the period when Wen Qing was being investigated, he immersed himself totally in his works. He asked Guan Jing to bring some of his clothes from the villa to the company so he could just rest in the office without the need to go back to the villa when he was tired.
Though a little self-abusive, it was rather fulfilling. He could temporarily forget all the troubles he had and also the person who caused him heartache whenever he thought of her.
Everything was calm until he accidentally saw an invitation card that caused the calm in his heart to ripple. It was not that the card was special nor was it something he was interested in, but the name on it.
