Chapter 210: Give Me a Chance
Chapter 210: Chapter 210: Give Me a Chance
That slap woke Zhang Yuqing up. Her voice was firm and resolute, her eyes filled with determination. After so long, she had never been able to warm his cold heart. She was done trying. She was giving up.
"But only now do I understand—it was all for Shen Yan, your only child in this lifetime!"
Zhang Yuqing’s words were tactful, but Shen Zhiqiu understood her underlying meaning and couldn’t help but clench his fists. After all, for a man, this matter concerned his pride and dignity.
"But that doesn’t matter anymore. I’ve thought it through. Since I can’t hold on, I should just let go!
"I’m out. Shen Yan is sensible enough now. If you refuse to let him go, I can step aside for you, but I have the right to visit my child anytime, and you must not stop me. In front of him, I hope we won’t speak ill of each other. We are still Shen Yan’s parents, after all, and we need to provide him with a healthy environment.
"However, if you’re still hung up on that incident, I hope you’ll investigate what actually happened back then. If you find real proof against me, I will accept any punishment. But if you discover things weren’t as you thought, please never appear in front of me again and stop making trouble for me."
Having said her piece, Zhang Yuqing wiped her tears, threw down the medicine in her hand, shoved past Shen Zhiqiu, and left the room.
Zhang Yuqing’s resolute voice still echoed in Shen Zhiqiu’s ears. For the first time, doubt crept into his heart. He wondered if he had really misunderstood her.
Just as she had said, with his status and position, investigating what had happened that day would be a simple matter. With this thought in mind, Shen Zhiqiu immediately arranged for someone to look into the past incident. Even though a lot of time had passed, thanks to his influence, the old video footage was soon delivered to his hands.
Just as Zhang Yuqing had claimed, he had been the one to pull her into the room while she had been following him. Since the investigation had begun, the matter of his drink being drugged naturally wasn’t overlooked either. Yet, when he learned the truth, it was even harder for him to accept. The drug had actually been slipped into his wine glass by his own childhood sweetheart.
The documents scattered across the floor. Shen Zhiqiu couldn’t fathom why she would do such a thing. Moreover, it was she who had led people to burst into the room the very next day, using that as an excuse to break up with him and leave the country. His mind raced. Combining this with the fact that she had married someone else shortly after, a horrifying thought suddenly formed in his head. He wondered if he had been cuckolded, and if this entire scheme was just to clear the way for her and her lover.
The truth was a heavy blow, especially when he recalled how long he had wallowed in despair over it—to the point where his prolonged distraction had eventually led to the injury that cost him his manhood. The crushing realization threw Shen Zhiqiu back into a state of chaos, one even more severe than before.
He sat in the living room with a blank stare until Zhang Yuqing appeared, dragging her suitcase. She hadn’t brought Shen Yan with her, knowing clearly that staying with the Shen family would be better for the boy’s future. Seeing Shen Zhiqiu staring blankly in the living room, she didn’t want to say anything more and prepared to leave. But as her figure passed by him, Shen Zhiqiu finally snapped out of his daze and noticed this woman he had harbored so much resentment against. Thinking about how he had treated the genuinely loving Zhang Yuqing with such coldness all for the sake of his so-called childhood sweetheart, he finally realized how terrible his recent actions had been.
Although his heart was still filled with hatred toward his childhood sweetheart and he hadn’t fully processed it yet, he stood up and grabbed Zhang Yuqing. He could no longer fail this woman who had wholeheartedly treated him well, who had been deeply misunderstood by him, yet still gave birth to his child.
"I’ve investigated and figured everything out. I misunderstood you. Give me a chance. I’ll make it up to you from now on," he said.
Feeling the warmth from Shen Zhiqiu’s hand and hearing his apologetic words, Zhang Yuqing felt confused. She wondered, "Is it real this time?"
Seeing the conflict in Zhang Yuqing’s eyes, Shen Zhiqiu steeled his resolve and spoke again, "I will completely forget her from now on. You are my wife and the mother of my son. I promise to treat you well."
Mentioning his ex again still twisted a knife in his heart, but he knew very well that it was because of her that he kept hurting Zhang Yuqing. For Zhang Yuqing, the other woman was a major hurdle. If he wanted to seek Zhang Yuqing’s forgiveness, he at least needed to help her get past it. Sure enough, upon hearing him bring that woman up to make his vow, Zhang Yuqing’s previously unsettled heart instantly calmed down. Seeing this, Shen Zhiqiu pulled her into his embrace. The barrier between the two of them finally melted away.
After that day, although Zhang Yuqing could sense that something was still weighing on Shen Zhiqiu’s mind, he had truly changed a lot toward her. They began interacting like a normal married couple, even experiencing a period that felt like a honeymoon phase. Even though Shen Zhiqiu’s hidden ailment hadn’t improved, feeling his transformation and his thoughtfulness, she felt that none of it mattered anymore.
Shen Zhiqiu was actually a very warm-hearted lover. Over the years, just as he had promised, he treated Zhang Yuqing extremely well. He made her leave all her past grievances and resentment behind, allowing her to look forward to a lifetime of happiness. Unfortunately, things didn’t go as planned. A problem eventually arose, and the root of it all was the reappearance of that woman!
In truth, while Shen Zhiqiu had seemed entirely devoted to Zhang Yuqing over the years, appearing to have long cast his childhood sweetheart to the back of his mind, he had been deceiving himself. Using the excuse of investigating why she had betrayed him, he had continuously had people secretly keep tabs on her. When no one was around, he would still look at all the updates about her, lost in thought.
Zhang Yuqing had actually noticed it. But considering that a first love was always the hardest to forget, and keeping in mind how well Shen Zhiqiu had treated her all these years without doing anything out of line, she turned a blind eye to it. However, upon returning home that day, she saw that familiar silhouette. When Chu Qing’er turned around and greeted her, all the shopping bags in Zhang Yuqing’s hands dropped to the floor. She wondered why Chu Qing’er had returned, and what it meant for her.
Zhang Yuqing hurriedly looked at Shen Zhiqiu. As expected, his gaze was fixed squarely on Chu Qing’er. Her heart tightened. Like a territorial cat protecting its food, Zhang Yuqing rushed in front of Shen Zhiqiu, using her own body to block his view. But Shen Zhiqiu acted as if he had been triggered by something. His gaze remained unmoving, staring blankly ahead as he froze in place, completely spaced out.
Seeing that he was completely lost in a daze, Zhang Yuqing had no choice but to turn back to Chu Qing’er. Looking at the face that used to constantly be by Shen Zhiqiu’s side, Zhang Yuqing unexpectedly felt a twinge of guilt, as if she really were the other woman who had swooped in and stolen him away. Catching her own timidity, she forced herself to toughen up, straightened her back, and tried her best to assume the posture of the lady of the house.