Chapter 212: The Daughter-in-Law Candidate
Chapter 212: Chapter 212: The Daughter-in-Law Candidate
After all, they had been together for so many years, and their child had grown up. Even if they had only come together out of helplessness in the past, they had developed real feelings for each other by now.
Shen Zhiqiu also felt guilty about his recklessness. Facing Zhang Yuqing’s accusations, he immediately and firmly held her arms to support her.
"Yu Qing, it’s not what you think. I’m also very surprised by the timing of her arrival today. I was just still in shock and used too much force, accidentally pushing you down.
"Yu Qing, after all these years, don’t you know how I treat you? I was really just too shocked..."
Shen Zhiqiu tried his best to explain, his face full of sincerity. Seeing him like this, Zhang Yuqing’s expression softened slightly. She sized him up suspiciously and asked, "You and Liang Fei often chat and drink together. Have you never asked about his wife?"
Shen Zhiqiu shook his head helplessly. "I’m a grown man, how could I initiate a discussion about someone else’s wife? And you know the Liang Family doesn’t even have a single photograph. I truly didn’t expect that he had married Su Qing’er."
Shen Zhiqiu’s answer was impeccable, and for a moment, Zhang Yuqing could find nothing else to say. But the moment she thought of their past entanglements and forced separation, she felt a deep sense of unease.
From what Su Qing’er had implied, she would be living next door from now on. These two childhood sweethearts would inevitably run into each other often. Rekindling their old romance could happen in the blink of an eye. Even if Shen Zhiqiu was still lacking in a certain aspect physically, she absolutely could not accept it—even if it was only an emotional affair.
Seeing the conflict still written across Zhang Yuqing’s face, Shen Zhiqiu hardened his heart and suddenly said to her, "There’s something I haven’t told you all these years. I’ve already investigated it thoroughly. She was the one who personally drugged the wine glass back then."
Shen Zhiqiu’s words exploded in Zhang Yuqing’s ears. She stared at him in astonishment, her eyes filled with disbelief.
It wasn’t that she hadn’t thought about this question before, but she never imagined the culprit would be Su Qing’er. After all, back then, the two of them were seen as a match made in heaven in everyone’s eyes. Everyone assumed they would make it to the end. How could Su Qing’er personally ruin her own beautiful marriage!
But right now, looking at the desolate look in Shen Zhiqiu’s eyes, she had no choice but to believe it.
"Why?" The disbelief in her heart transformed into a question that Zhang Yuqing softly voiced.
Shen Zhiqiu shook his head helplessly. "I don’t know either. Maybe she got tired of it and wanted to start over!"
His tone was tinged with sorrow, but in a flash, he pulled himself together and took Zhang Yuqing’s hand once again.
"Yu Qing, the past is in the past. Even though the truth was hard for me to accept, the outcome gave me a complete family and a lover who only has eyes for me.
"After all these years, I’ve long since moved on. I even feel a bit fortunate, because now you are the one by my side.
"Believe me, I’m only slightly surprised by Su Qing’er’s return. I have no other thoughts about her. Now and in the future, you are my only wife."
Shen Zhiqiu was so sincere that a smile finally appeared on Zhang Yuqing’s face. With tears of emotion in her eyes, she nodded and threw herself into his arms.
After a long time, Zhang Yuqing pulled herself out of Shen Zhiqiu’s embrace, planning to go upstairs and organize the things she had bought today.
Watching Zhang Yuqing go upstairs, Shen Zhiqiu suddenly deflated like a balloon, slumping decadently onto the sofa. Meanwhile, at the corner of the stairs above, Zhang Yuqing leaned against the wall, silently staring at Shen Zhiqiu’s back with a deeply meaningful look in her eyes.
Shen Zhiqiu’s words were indeed moving, but she was no longer that naive little girl who knew nothing. Having spent so many years with Shen Zhiqiu, she understood him all too well. Even though his words were touching, his small habits still betrayed his true feelings. Zhang Yuqing was absolutely certain that this matter was far from simple.
Even if what Shen Zhiqiu said about the drugging incident was true, it didn’t mean he had truly let go of Su Qing’er because of it. After all, when it came to love, whether men or women, there were always those who couldn’t think straight and acted foolishly.
But she was very clear about one thing: everything she enjoyed now was brought to her by Shen Zhiqiu, so she could not just let go. Furthermore, throughout this entire ordeal, she was the true victim. She absolutely would not bow out easily. Instead, she had to secure her position and stop that adulterous pair from getting what they wanted.
Having made up her mind, Zhang Yuqing began to secretly investigate Su Qing’er and stealthily searched Shen Zhiqiu’s study.
When a woman faced a crisis, her sixth sense was the sharpest. It wasn’t that she hadn’t secretly checked Shen Zhiqiu’s belongings over the years, but she had never found anything. This time, however, as if equipped with the nose of a police dog, she quickly found a large amount of information about Su Qing’er that Shen Zhiqiu had collected over the years.
After reviewing the documents, she confirmed one thing: Shen Zhiqiu had known from the very beginning that Liang Xiaoxiao was Su Qing’er’s daughter. He had moved here on purpose.
When they first moved here, he had shown exceptional affection for Liang Xiaoxiao, who was still an infant in swaddling clothes. She had foolishly believed that Shen Zhiqiu simply liked daughters. She had even personally accompanied Shen Zhiqiu to see several renowned doctors to seek treatments to improve his health, hoping to bear him a daughter.
Little did she know, this was all her own wishful thinking. He was clearly seeing the shadow of an old flame in Liang Xiaoxiao and had become deeply infatuated with it.
Now that she thought about it, she recalled that she had often looked at Liang Xiaoxiao and found her somewhat familiar, always feeling that she bore a resemblance to someone. But Su Qing’er had been gone for so many years that her memories of her had become blurry. Only now did she realize that she had sensed it long ago, but just never looked deeply into it.
Immediately, she felt even more bothered by the whole situation. Shen Zhiqiu was so obsessed with Su Qing’er that, disregarding the fact that she had drugged him, he bestowed his affection upon her daughter when he couldn’t have Su Qing’er herself. What profound and genuine feelings! And now that Su Qing’er was back, who knew if he would try every possible means to secretly carry on an affair with her?
She made up her mind; she absolutely could not let them succeed.
Inside the private box, recalling all of this left Zhang Yuqing in a gloomy mood, and she ended up downing all the alcohol in the room. But even though her head was spinning, she still remembered what she needed to do!
Wasn’t it just a Xu Qingsui? If she didn’t know how to seize the opportunity and refused to do things the easy way, then Zhang Yuqing would simply find someone else. There were plenty of people who wanted to marry into the Shen family anyway, and she would absolutely never let Liang Xiaoxiao enter the Shen family.
Not long after Su Qing’er returned, Xu Qingsui appeared. Originally, Zhang Yuqing had watched Liang Xiaoxiao grow up and had hoped she would become her daughter-in-law. But when she learned her true identity, that thought completely vanished into thin air. In fact, after that, just seeing Liang Xiaoxiao made her uncomfortable, and the shadow of Su Qing’er would constantly flash before her eyes.