Because I Cannot Hurt You

Chapter 80 - Barged In

Zhiyuan's gaze darkened. "Quite bold of you to ask that after what just happened today."

She smiled. "I am the only source through whom you can know everything because Caihong and the others won't tell you anything no matter how much you try. You will be only wasting your time. This is beneficial for both of us."

He stared at her hard with an unreadable gaze.

"Alright. I will arrange for your release after you tell me everything."

She rejoiced inwardly and sneered.

Great. I got my free ticket.

"Now start talking."

An Meiying said, "Well the morning after the graduation party, Caihong returned to An residence in a messed up state and she said…"

---

Back at the hospital, Xinyi was in utter shock to hear what Caihong just said.

"Who told you that?"

Caihong said, "Nobody told me. Aunt Guang sent me a recording of you and Xiaosi talking when he came to meet you," she clenched her fist, "that conversation between you two made me think that...you two colluded with each other to drive me and Zhiyuan away."

Xinyi looked at her stupefied.

"That is crazy!"

She quickly lowered her voice as Siying was sleeping.

Caihong hesitatingly asked, "What do you deny? That you loved Zhiyuan? Or did you join hands with Xiaosi?"

Xinyi stiffened.

Could she say that Caihong was right about her feelings for Zhiyuan?

She lowered her voice further not to disturb Siying.

Caihong slowly said, "On the cruise...I kind of realized that you like Zhiyuan."

She said nothing.

"At that time, I didn't think much of it. You have been married to him for so long. I didn't find it surprising if you started having feelings along the way. But it mattered to me a lot, knowing that you might have liked Zhiyuan from the beginning. Suddenly, your marriage to Zhiyuan and my marriage to Xiaosi didn't seem like a coincidence to me."

Xinyi wondered.

Is this another one of Xiaosi's plans to cause trouble?

She wasn't so sure. Perhaps he already knew that Han Guang was recording so he purposely said all those things.

But that didn't sit well with her.

Xinyi said, "I would never think of doing anything against you and Zhiyuan. I don't know if you will believe me or not, and I can't prove it to you. The circumstances in which I married Zhiyuan were just as...unfavorable to me."

Even now she recalled that time as clear as a day when she visited Han Huizhong.

Caihong was taken aback.

Unfavorable?

"Even though you loved him?"

"Even I though I loved him," she faintly smiled.

At first, she was a little hesitant to admit the truth. But now, she felt a strange sense of relief in her heart. She had been bottling it for too long. Caihong came here to know her answer. Xinyi didn't find any point in hiding it from her now.

Caihong was slightly shaken up by her sudden admittance.

"When Xiaosi said it that way, even I thought of it as strange. But I can only say that I know nothing about it."

Xinyi silently stared at Caihong. "Only you know the answers to what really happened. But you are not willing to share it with anyone."

Caihong stiffened.

She looked at her closely and admitted that it didn't seem like Xinyi knew anything about that night.

Her heart was filled with guilt.

What was I thinking…? Did I really think that Xinyi would stoop so low?

Xinyi said, "I don't blame you for misunderstanding me. I know how it must have been hard for you to leave Zhiyuan and now my confession left you with doubts and suspicion. It's fine. I don't mind. But you shouldn't have compromised Siying's safety because of that."

Caihong jolted.

"If you had problems with me, you should have talked to me at the time when I dropped Siying. We could have prevented all this from happening."

Xinyi shuddered to even think about the worst-case scenario. Had they been a little late in admitting Siying in the hospital, things could have gotten way more serious.

Siying was just three after all. His body and immunity weren't that strong enough to take on a serious attack.

"I…"

Her shoulders were trembling and tears rolled down her cheeks.

"I am really sorry…"

She lowered her head and quietly sobbed. She didn't know what else to say. There was no excuse for her irresponsibility.

Xinyi pursed her lips and sighed. Caihong was really apologetic. Plus, she knew she didn't mean any harmful intentions towards Siying. How long would she stay mad at her?

"...En."

Caihong wiped her tears and smiled. "I guess you should tell Siying that we cannot continue our classes anymore…"

Her heart hurt a little saying that. Even if only for a few hours, she loved the time she spent with Siying. But now there was no way they would allow that.

Xinyi softly nodded. She felt a little sad for Caihong because she knew how much she loved Siying and maybe...the time spent with Siying was the only time that Caihong genuinely smiled and laughed, forgetting all her pain.

At least Xinyi's marriage with Zhiyuan wasn't as bad as Caihong's. And she loved her son too.

But for Caihong, neither she was happy with Xiaosi nor Chyou. She felt all alone.

Maybe Xinyi would have given her one more chance, but she knew that Han Huizhong would never allow one. Never.

There was silence for a few beats "Um…"

Caihong looked up at her.

"Don't tell Zhiyuan a-about me...I mean my…" Xinyi fiddled with her fingers nervously.

Caihong furrowed her brows. Then she widened her eyes in shock.

"Wait. Do you mean that Zhiyuan doesn't know about your feelings?"

"Of course not."

"Huh? I don't understand. You two are married. You have a son so…"

Xinyi awkwardly smiled. "I…"

Caihong stiffened on realizing something.

"D-does he…"

She couldn't complete it. She couldn't muster up the courage to ask it.

Does he still think about me? Is that why they didn't move on ahead in their relationship?

Xinyi shook her shoulders. "Caihong, Caihong! Let it be. It is nobody's fault. I just couldn't find the right time to say…" she lied.

Caihong obviously didn't believe it.

Didn't find the right time for seven years?

"Xinyi. You might think that I still think about Zhiyuan with the way I reacted when I saw that recording. But trust me. I was only angry because things took such a drastic turn. I was furious because I thought that you and Xiaosi fooled Zhiyuan and me.

But since the moment I became Mrs. Zhu, I threw away all my feelings for Zhiyuan. There was no turning back. If being Mrs. Zhu was what was written in my fate, then I grudgingly accepted it. I have no desire to go back and Zhiyuan shouldn't have that either."

She smiled. "You are a fine woman, Xinyi. And such a fine woman loves him. It must have been tough for you too, isn't it? To see your love not being reciprocated."

Caihong truly couldn't imagine her pain.

Xinyi married the man she always loved, yet in these seven long years, they still stood at the same place.

Xinyi's eyes stung in tears. "Thank you Caihong... but you are misunderstanding Zhiyuan. I have seen it in his eyes. He has never lied to me. Just like you, he doesn't have that desire to go back. But at the same time, he also feels that nobody should be kept in the dark of what happened in the past. And I don't think he is wrong in thinking that way."

Caihong averted her gaze.

Xinyi was about to say when her phone rang. It was Zhiyuan's assistant.

"Madam, there is a big problem!" Xinyi felt the anxiousness in his voice.

"What's wrong?"

"Sir went to meet Mrs. An in jail, but I don't know what happened after that. He suddenly stormed into the Zhu Corps to meet Zhu Xiaosi and he seems very angry for some reason."

---

Xiaosi was busy in a meeting with the high-level management executives of his company when the door suddenly barged open.

Everybody was stunned to see Zhiyuan storming in and dragging Xiaosi up from his seat by his collar.

Xiaosi smiled. "Yo Zhiyuan. Why such a warm welcome today-"

But the rest of his words remained unsaid when Zhiyuan suddenly punched a strong fist in his stomach. Xiaosi coughed up a little blood as he staggered.

"Hey! What are you doing to Sir!?"

The executives were horrified to witness the scene. The CEO of Han Corps had suddenly turned violent. The receptionist came running in. "I tried to stop him but he just barged in…"

Even her eyes widened in shock.

"Sir please stop!"

Xiaosi raised his palm. "All of you. Leave."

"But sir-"

"I said leave!"

They jolted and quickly left the room.

Amidst the sharp pain in his abdomen, Xiaosi looked up at Zhiyuan. "May I know the reason for this punch?"