Returning - Chapter 187

Chapter 187: Hate Me?

Zhao Yu hadn't expected to see Zhuang Ruyun at the hospital.

The application for release on bail pending trial hadn't gone through, but perhaps as a reward for reporting Zhuang Yiqing's bribery, Zhuang Ruyun had actually managed to gain the opportunity, escorted by police, to visit Ji Sui in the hospital.

Before this, Zhao Yu had always believed that Zhuang Ruyun's so-called infatuation with Ji Sui was nothing more than coveting his equity shares. But now, seeing her tears streaming down her face with her own eyes, Zhao Yu realized just how terribly wrong she had been.

Zhuang Ruyun said, "When I was first brought back to the Zhuang family, everyone despised me. You were the only one willing to acknowledge my existence."

Zhuang Ruyun said, "Brother Ji Sui, thank goodness you're alright. If you had died, I would have definitely followed you in death."

She wept and laughed before the hospital bed where Ji Sui lay. She was clearly facing imprisonment, yet Zhao Yu could see that she was genuinely, truly happy that Ji Sui was alive.

Watching this girl—whom she had once mocked as foolish and despised as arrogant and willful—sincerely worry for Ji Sui, wholeheartedly in love with him, Zhao Yu felt with increasing intensity just how despicable she herself was.

Simply because her own motives for approaching Ji Sui had been impure, she had used the same petty-mindedness to judge others, assuming they were as scheming and devious as she was.

But in truth, even this girl she had always looked down upon was far more open and honorable than her.

Before leaving, Zhuang Ruyun glanced at Zhao Yu and suddenly said to her with a smile, "Thanks."

Zhao Yu looked puzzled. Zhuang Ruyun continued, "Although he doesn't like me, at least he doesn't like that old witch anymore either. I still find that... immensely satisfying."

For a moment, Zhao Yu didn't know what to say. But then Zhuang Ruyun raised an eyebrow at her: "So, how did you like the big gift I sent?"

She was referring to reporting Zhuang Yiqing for bribery.

Originally, when Cui Lan's case saw the light of day again, it had only implicated Zhuang Yiqing's involvement with organized crime; the bribery wasn't easy to investigate. Now, because of Zhuang Ruyun's report, another solid charge would be added to Zhuang Yiqing's record. Although the Zhuang family's glory days were gone, they were still doing everything in their power to protect themselves and sever ties with Zhuang Yiqing.

Zhao Yu had to admit, she had underestimated the woman standing before her. She was certain Zhuang Yiqing had similarly underestimated this younger sister she had viewed as an idiot. Even Zhuang Ye and Ji Sui probably didn't know how Zhuang Ruyun had learned so many things about Zhuang Yiqing that they themselves hadn't known.

From sabotaging the relationship between the Xu and Zhuang families, leaving the Zhuang family isolated, to then seizing the opportunity to strike at Lanxi, acquiring the company, stripping Zhuang Yiqing of her support and the power to fight the law—plummeting from the clouds into the abyss.

Although the entire revenge process had deviated from Zhao Yu's original plan, with matters having progressed to this stage, she had essentially won.

For someone as proud as Zhuang Yiqing, being imprisoned would be more agonizing than death. And to make her watch helplessly as the bastard Zhuang Ze—whom she hated most—became the one in the Zhuang family to have the last laugh, while she, the legitimate eldest daughter, was discarded by the family... that was an even greater torment and humiliation.

Yet Zhao Yu still couldn't find a shred of satisfaction in this outcome.

It shouldn't be like this. This was nothing like what she had envisioned.

After scheming and laboring for so long, calculating and manipulating so many people time and again, it had taken all that for someone as powerless and unconnected as her to defeat a powerful family. This should have been the most triumphant and exhilarating feeling. But why couldn't she feel any jubilation?

Every time she had imagined the scene of revenge in the past, she'd felt the blood boiling throughout her entire body. Every single minute and second of these past four years, she had been unbearably impatient. Yet now that the day was truly here, there was absolutely no satisfaction.

Was it because she hadn't, as she'd originally imagined, walked right up to Zhuang Yiqing and slapped her viciously across the face, berating, cursing, and humiliating her without mercy?

Was it because she hadn't seen enough of Zhuang Yiqing's shocked, panicked, despairing, and agonized expressions, hadn't personally tormented her before the police took her away?

Was it because she hadn't forced Zhuang Yiqing to remove her uterus, hadn't forced her to experience what it was like to fall down a flight of stairs, hadn't made her witness a loved one die beside her?

Or was it because the plan had deviated from her original revenge scheme, because Zhuang Yiqing hadn't even made a move against her yet, because Zhuang Yiqing's sentence might be lighter than she had hoped for?

There seemed to be so many reasons she could cite, but Zhao Yu also faintly sensed that none of these were it.

All these days, she had never experienced the thrill of revenge. Instead, she felt utterly exhausted, often even dazed, not knowing what she was doing, not knowing what she wanted.

It shouldn't be like this. After four years of painstaking preparation, it shouldn't end this way.

A warm hand touched her face, a thumb gently wiping a tear from her cheek. She jolted back to her senses and stared blankly at the man in the hospital bed.

Ji Sui hurriedly withdrew his hand, awkwardly hanging his head as he asked, "Are you alright?"

He no longer needed the oxygen mask, but his body was still very weak, his voice remaining low and hoarse.

Tears continued to roll down. She just stared at him numbly, her lips moving slightly but unable to form any words.

Realizing something was wrong with her state, Ji Sui forced himself to sit up straighter: "You... what's wrong?"

Zhao Yu didn't answer. After a moment of silence, she suddenly asked him, "Do you hate me?"

Ji Sui froze. He paused, then said softly, "At first, I did."

He had offered her all his sincerity, and it had turned out to be nothing but a ludicrous scam. How could he not have hated her?

"But after I learned the whole truth, I didn't anymore." He lowered his head and smiled, somewhat self-deprecatingly. "What right do I have to hate you? You should be the one hating me. I'm from the Zhuang family, and I'm... not exactly a good person myself."

After another long silence, Zhao Yu finally said, "Ji Sui, I'm sorry."

Although she had been keeping vigil at the hospital, these were words she hadn't yet said.

Ji Sui was stunned for a moment, then gently shook his head. "I'm the one who should be apologizing. Last time at the hospital, I shouldn't have blamed you. You've endured so much pain. No matter what you did, it was completely justified."

"Do you really think it was completely justified?"

Ji Sui finally sensed something. "What did Zhuang Ruyun say to you outside just now? She's been through a shock. Whatever she said, don't take it to heart."

Zhao Yu smiled and shook her head. Zhuang Ruyun hadn't actually said anything special to her. It was just that she was too tired, as if she had walked into a labyrinth and couldn't find the direction or the exit.

"Ji Sui, what if..."

Seeing her start a sentence and then leave it hanging, Ji Sui couldn't help but ask, "What?"

Zhao Yu shook her head again. "It's nothing."

Just like Zhuang Ye said: If there is a next life, I hope you never meet me again.

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