After Her Death, They Begged for Forgiveness - Chapter 24

When Song Guanjin woke again, her vision was hazy. In the living room, daylight had long faded, dusk quietly enveloping everything, the outlines of furniture blurring into indistinct shadows in the dim light.

The cat blinked, her emerald-green pupils still dazed from just waking. Instinctively, she looked for Xu Bingqi.

All around was silent.

The kitten leisurely rose from the warm, cozy cat bed brand new and as comforting as a gentle embrace, its soft texture rubbing against her fur all the way to her heart, warm and tingling. So, she contentedly rubbed her chin against the edge of the bed once more.

Slowly, the kitten stepped out of the bed and made a graceful, cautious patrol around the living room, finally confirming that Xu Bingqi was indeed no longer in the room.

The day’s torment was finally over!

She swore she would never let that domineering woman Xu Bingqi invade her territory again!

Song Guanjin lazily stretched her body, her arched back forming an elegant curve, her long limbs extending until, in an instant, she transformed back into the poised and stunning actress.

The first thing actress Song Guanjin did upon standing up was decide to block Xu Bingqi on all platforms.

She never wanted to be taken to a pet hospital again, not even by Xu Bingqi.

Picking up her phone, Song Guanjin noticed over twenty messages from Xu Bingqi.

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[The items on the floor are the cat bed, automatic litter box, and automatic feeder.]

[On the coffee table are cat food and canned food.]

[Keep the health check-up report safe, and remember to take the kitten for regular vaccinations.]

Bored, Song Guanjin scrolled through the list of messages, skipping straight to the last one.

[The kitten is very well-behaved and adorable, be good to it/]

Song Guanjin raised a hand to gently stroke her cheek. Though it was winter, she felt the weather might be warming up, or perhaps the heater was turned up too high, making her cheeks flush.

Given Xu Bingqi’s thoughtful care, Song Guanjin thought she could temporarily set aside the idea of blocking her consider it giving that enthusiasm a chance.

Her phone vibrated again.

[One more thing, the kitten can be spayed in another month. Don’t forget!]

Stay calm. She mustn’t help her phone practice its parabolic trajectory in the air; she didn’t have the money to buy a new one.

Song Guanjin tried to calmly turn off her phone, though the veins on her pale wrist gripping it were faintly visible.

What chance? Better to just block her outright.

When Xu Bingqi returned home, she checked her phone periodically but still hadn’t received a reply from Song Guanjin.

It seems Guanjin has been really busy lately, Xu Bingqi thought.

And as her friend, she ought to do her best to help share the load.

For instance, taking care of the lonely kitten at home while Song Guanjin was away filming.

Xu Bingqi typed into the chatbox: Guanjin, if you’re heading to the set soon and won’t have time, I can help look after the kitten for a while.

Before she could finish the sentence with a period, Xu Bingqi heard a clear, rhythmic knock at the door.

She didn’t even need to approach the door and check through the peephole; the image of the person outside had already formed in her mind.

No one else knocked like that.

But that this person would seek her out here surprised Xu Bingqi a little.

Xu Bingqi swiftly pressed the power button on her phone, and as the screen went dark, she hurried to the bedroom door and closed it.

Sure enough, the moment Xu Bingqi confirmed the door was shut, the distinct sound of a key turning reached her ears.

Xu Bingqi closed her eyes briefly. After more than twenty years of living together, she knew the person outside all too well.

Once that person set their sights on a goal, they would stop at nothing and use every means possible to achieve it.

“Bingqi, you’re home. I thought you had gone out.”

Xu Qingci’s tone was gentle, and her expression showed no surprise as she looked at Xu Bingqi. She continued slowly, “After all, I’ve been knocking on the door for quite some time.”

“Less than half a minute.”

Xu Bingqi was unsurprised to see the key in Xu Qingci’s hand and replied flatly, “What brings you here?”

Xu Qingci stepped in naturally, scanning the cramped living room that, in her eyes, had no space to even set foot. She then furrowed her brows tightly. “I thought my daughter had made it big, but it turns out you’re living in a place like this.”

Her gaze then fell, as expected, on the two cups on the coffee table. “And you’ve made friends with someone just as obscure as you are.”

She paused briefly, her tone tinged with mild sarcasm, “a good friend.”

Xu Bingqi allowed Xu Qingci to scrutinize the entire apartment. Ever since Gu Xiaozhou’s visit, she had mentally prepared herself for Xu Qingci or Jiang Ruo to drop by this “hovel.”

After all, come early spring next year, she would be moving into a home that was truly her own.

Xu Qingci might have gotten the key from the landlord, but she would never get her hands on the key to Xu Bingqi’s new home.

Xu Bingqi remained silent, letting the atmosphere shift around her.

This had once been a habit carried over from her past life Xu Qingci disliked hearing her speak, and over time, she had withdrawn into herself.

But now, she genuinely had nothing to say to Xu Qingci.

Xu Qingci had come straight to the address reported by her secretary upon returning to the city, without even stopping elsewhere. She looked weary and, after a moment of hesitation, sat down on the sofa she would have once deemed unworthy of even a glance.

“Bingqi, there’s a limit to how far you can take this recklessness.”

Xu Qingci’s lips were dry and cracked, but her usually considerate eldest daughter made no move to fetch her a glass of water. After a pause, she continued, “Bingqi, we’ve indulged you for so long. It’s time you learned to be sensible.”

Xu Bingqi had also just returned home. After pouring herself a glass of water, she continued to listen to Xu Qingci’s lengthy lecture.

In the past, Xu Qingci would have directly stated her demands, never resorting to such vague and empty talk.

Xu Qingci watched as her once-dutiful and considerate daughter silently poured herself a glass of water, completely indifferent to her mother’s parched lips.

In the past, Xu Bingqi would have pretended to be filial and attentive in front of her, all to compete with Jiang Ruo for the Xu family fortune. Xu Qingci fell silent for a long moment, unsure when exactly Xu Bingqi had changed so completely.

It seemed her daughter no longer cared about the Xu family fortune, nor did she care about her anymore.

Xu Qingci struggled to maintain her composure. Her daughter couldn’t possibly be indifferent to the Xu family wealth. Her current disregard must be because she had given up hope of competing for the fortune and had simply abandoned the pretense.

If she could just offer Xu Bingqi a little incentive, she was sure she would see that dutiful, pretending daughter once again.

“Bingqi, it’s not that Mom doesn’t care about you.” Xu Qingci leaned forward slightly, her eyes fixed intently on Xu Bingqi, who was leisurely drinking water, as she tried to soften her tone. “I treat you and Ruoruo the same.”

She wanted the daughter who used to quietly linger by her side to return, even if it was just a facade.

Xu Qingci thought to herself, after all, Xu Bingqi was also her daughter. Even if she was weak and incompetent, how could she truly abandon her?

After finishing her water, Xu Bingqi casually picked up an orange from the nearby fruit tray. Her fingers moved deftly across the peel, unhurriedly peeling it.

So far, she still hadn’t figured out Xu Qingci’s intentions, nor did she understand why Xu Qingci would stoop to coming to this ordinary neighborhood to find her.

But to prevent the terrible memories from her past life from flooding her mind, Xu Bingqi tentatively spoke up after peeling the orange.

“Are you here to have me sign a mother-daughter severance agreement?”

Xu Bingqi focused on the orange in her hands, completely unaware of the frosty expression that had settled on Xu Qingci’s face. She continued, “Then I can sign it anytime.”

Perhaps the recent trending topics had affected Xu Qingci’s shares, Xu Bingqi thought. After all, when the plagiarism accusations were debunked, many people speculated about her relationship with the Xu family. Maybe that had become Xu Qingci’s recent concern and the reason she had come looking for her.

She had already signed a mother-daughter severance agreement once in her past life. She didn’t know if she could truly remain calm signing it again now.

“Xu Bingqi, how dare you!”

Xu Qingci naturally assumed Xu Bingqi was subtly mocking her, and her anger flared. She couldn’t help but raise her voice sharply, “I’ve come to find you myself, what more do you want? You’ve been out playing long enough!”

Xu Bingqi’s fingers trembled, and the orange segment she had been holding slipped from her grasp, rolling across the floor until it came to a stop at her feet.

This was utterly absurd.

Xu Bingqi froze for a moment, and after a long pause, she heard her own voice, tinged with confusion and disbelief. “You think I’ve been out playing? And now you’re here to take me back?”

Xu Qingci’s expression softened, and she regretted having frightened her daughter earlier. Her tone gradually eased. “Look how thin you’ve gotten from being outside. Come back home, and we’ll nourish you properly.”

Although the medical report showed Xu Bingqi was in good health, the fact that she had gone for a check-up meant she must have been unwell. Xu Qingci would make sure to take good care of her.

“Cut ties with those unsavory people as soon as possible. Look at Xiao Ruo’s social circle.” Xu Qingci paused briefly before continuing, “The piano at home is being serviced. Depending on how you behave, I’ll buy you a new one later.”

While on a business trip, she suddenly remembered that when Xu Bingqi was young, she had promised to buy her a better piano.

She still recalled how Xu Bingqi’s eyes had lit up instantly, like little flames of anticipation, burning straight into her heart.

It had been a long time since she had seen such expectation in Xu Bingqi’s eyes.

Xu Qingci had already purchased a Steinway NOE, and Xu Bingqi would see it as soon as she returned home. She deliberately mentioned it this way because she wanted to see the joy on Xu Bingqi’s face when she came back.

This can’t be real, Xu Bingqi thought.

Whether in her past life or the novel’s plot, ever since Xu Qingci had adopted Jiang Ruo, Xu Bingqi had never experienced such unnatural yet warm concern from her mother.

Thus, there was only one possibility Xu Qingci was weaving a gentle illusion with her words, luring her back.

Perhaps the novel’s plot was desperately trying to correct itself, pushing her to return to the nightmare of being universally disliked.

“Thank you for your kindness,” Xu Bingqi stood up, lowering her gaze to prevent the other from seeing the vigilance in her eyes. “First of all, I don’t have any disreputable friends around me, nor do I envy Jiang Ruo’s social circle.”

“Additionally, I’d like to ask you a question: if I hadn’t responded to the plagiarism scandal and allowed public opinion to destroy me, would you still have been so gentle and magnanimous as to welcome me back to the Xu family?”

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