After Her Death, They Begged for Forgiveness - Chapter 30

Gu Xiaozhou’s mind was blank, a vast expanse of white chaos. All thought came to an abrupt halt; she seemed to have lost the ability to process information.

She had originally thought Xu Bingqi was only using this matter to threaten her.

It turned out Xu Bingqi would actually take action.

“Miss Gu, you may leave now.”

Seeing Gu Xiaozhou standing there in a daze, Xu Bingqi had no interest in dragging things out any further.

“Impossible, you weren’t like this before…”

Gu Xiaozhou moved her feet as if in a trance, blocking the space between Xu Bingqi and the door.

A faint glimmer of hope rekindled in her heart perhaps Xu Bingqi had only swiped her phone a few times. She and Xu Bingqi had grown up together since childhood; how could Xu Bingqi be so cruel?

“What was I like before?” Xu Bingqi pushed aside the unsteady Gu Xiaozhou. “Haven’t I always been someone who never forgets a grievance?”

Before, Gu Xiaozhou had always accused her of holding grudges, but now that she was truly acting on it, Gu Xiaozhou claimed she hadn’t been like this before.

But Xu Bingqi couldn’t be bothered to dwell on the other’s logic. Trying to understand the psychology of a character from a nonsensical, universally adored novel was a pointless endeavor.

Gu Xiaozhou was momentarily speechless.

Memories of the past surged toward her like a breached dam, overwhelming and relentless. She felt as though she were caught in a whirlpool of recollections, with countless harsh words she had once spoken echoing in her ears.

Each one felt like a sharp blade stabbing back at her.

As if waking from a deep dream, Gu Xiaozhou suddenly came to her senses.

She had always believed their friendship had reached this point because the current Xu Bingqi was too heartless. But now, with everything turned upside down, she finally saw her own faults.

It seemed that before this, their friendship had been barely sustained by Xu Bingqi’s efforts alone. Now that Xu Bingqi had let go, their already fragile bond instantly collapsed like a falling building, leaving her standing helplessly amid the ruins.

Gu Xiaozhou’s mind was not occupied with thoughts of whether the uploaded recording would ruin her reputation. All she could think about was the shattering of her relationship with Xu Bingqi.

Back in their youthful days, Xu Bingqi would share every secret with her. But as time passed, the present Xu Bingqi was no longer willing to say even one more word to her.

After pushing Gu Xiaozhou aside, Xu Bingqi unlocked the door with her key. Confirming that Gu Xiaozhou was still in a disoriented state, she quickly closed the door.

She wasn’t responsible for guiding the emotionally immature Gu Xiaozhou toward growth.

Ever since confirming that Gu Xiaozhou had framed her, every time she saw Gu Xiaozhou, she felt nauseated.

In her previous life, even until her dying breath, she had never suspected that Gu Xiaozhou was the one behind it all.

Even after closing the door, Xu Bingqi could still hear Gu Xiaozhou pounding on it repeatedly.

Gu Xiaozhou felt her heart thundering, each beat pounding heavily against her chest, intertwining with the frantic sound of her knocking to create a chaotic, urgent roar.

She no longer thought about that smug, pretty face, nor did she dwell on the past. Her mind was consumed by a single, frantic thought: to make Xu Bingqi open the door.

Xu Bingqi was thin-skinned; if she knocked frantically like this, Xu Bingqi would surely be unable to bear it and open the door. Her thoughts had never been so crazed yet rational at the same time.

Soon, the neighbors’ complaints mingled with the sound of Gu Xiaozhou’s knocking.

Gu Xiaozhou paid no heed, and if anything, she grew even more exhilarated, her pounding on the door spiraling further out of control.

Xu Bingqi used to care deeply about what others thought, especially hating to lose face in front of people she knew. Now that her neighbors had gathered to watch the commotion, she was sure to crack and open the door to let her in.

But Gu Xiaozhou was wrong.

On the other side of the door, Xu Bingqi calmly called the police.

“Hello, I’m being harassed by a madwoman. She’s violently banging on my door right now,” Xu Bingqi stated calmly, providing her address before adding, “She appears to be in a very unstable mental state.”

After patiently listening to the operator’s reminder to “stay safe while waiting and avoid opening the door rashly,” Xu Bingqi hung up.

The police cars arrived quickly.

The complaining neighbors immediately fell silent upon seeing the officers approach the door, though their eyes still flickered with barely contained curiosity, eagerly anticipating the drama about to unfold.

Only the obsessive Gu Xiaozhou continued pounding on the door without a care.

“Miss Gu, your behavior constitutes disturbing the peace. Please stop immediately.”

Everyone knew Gu Xiaozhou, the young mistress of the Gu family, and no one had ever seen the always dignified heiress in such a disheveled state.

Gu Xiaozhou slowly stopped knocking.

Not because of the police officer’s warning, but because she had realized something terrifying.

“Someone called the police.”

She scanned the crowd. “Who was it? Who called the police?”

No one answered. Every face showed nothing but poorly concealed curiosity, with no other expression to be found.

Gu Xiaozhou lowered her head, her disheveled hair falling on both sides of her cheeks, covering her eyes that were gradually becoming bloodshot.

She never expected Xu Bingqi to be so heartless.

Ignoring everyone’s curious stares, Gu Xiaozhou leaned weakly against the doorframe as if trying to maintain this last bit of connection with Xu Bingqi.

She finally faced the truth: Xu Bingqi would rather call the police than see her again.

Through the door, Xu Bingqi unavoidably heard Gu Xiaozhou’s hoarse, broken cries.

Xu Bingqi listened with calm composure, hoping Gu Xiaozhou would be persuaded to leave quickly.

But Gu Xiaozhou’s unusual behavior kept amplifying the doubts in her heart, like a balloon being continuously inflated, growing to an undeniable size.

Whether in her past life or the novel’s plot, the adult Gu Xiaozhou had always despised her. So why, after being reborn, was Gu Xiaozhou actively pursuing her instead?

She had deliberately cut ties with Gu Xiaozhou after her rebirth, yet Gu Xiaozhou repeatedly sought her out. This time, she had even lost all reason, banging on the door just to see her one more time.

It seemed that others, besides herself, were also deviating from the novel’s original plot.

Like the butterfly effect, where a butterfly flapping its wings in the Amazon rainforest could trigger a storm thousands of miles away.

Her suspicions swelled like bubbles. Xu Bingqi pressed her temples, feeling that things were far more complicated than she had imagined.

Outside the door, Gu Xiaozhou slowly stood up. The carefully applied eyeliner she had put on to see Xu Bingqi was now smeared by tears, tracing two winding black lines down her cheeks.

“Why is she banging on the door like that?”

“Haven’t you seen the trending topics? She set a trap for her former friend. Probably can’t accept that the other person wasn’t affected by it.”

“How can you call someone a former friend when they set a trap for you? It’s true what they say heirs raised in wealthy families are ruthless and cunning.”

“That Xu Bingqi is really unlucky. She came here to escape the false accusations of plagiarism, but even then, she wasn’t spared.”

“And that eldest daughter of the Xu family is so pitiful. How must she feel, knowing it was her friend who set her up?”

Gu Xiaozhou ignored the whispers around her, straightened her posture, and took out a tissue to slowly wipe away her tears.

What had Xu Bingqi felt when she realized it was Gu Xiaozhou who had set the trap?

Closing her eyes, Gu Xiaozhou revisited that moment. Xu Bingqi had been surprisingly calm, her gaze steady and unreadable.

But the sunlight had been warm that day, illuminating the faintly mocking smile at the corner of Xu Bingqi’s lips, making it unbearably radiant.

So, she had known all along that everything was Gu Xiaozhou’s doing.

That was why she had looked at Gu Xiaozhou with such icy detachment.

In truth, long before that, Gu Xiaozhou had been the one to end their friendship first.

Tears traced the dark lines of her eyeliner once more, blurring her vision.

Seeing that the usually proud Miss Gu remained unresponsive, the onlookers grew bolder, their murmurs growing louder.

Gu Xiaozhou lowered her head and smiled silently. So, this was what it felt like to be judged and criticized.

Yet, she had once pushed Xu Bingqi into an even more humiliating situation without a shred of remorse. Even after Xu Bingqi cleared her name, Gu Xiaozhou had regretted not completely ruining her.

In truth, Xu Bingqi had been far too merciful, only choosing to release the recording after Gu Xiaozhou had harassed her repeatedly.

But in the end, Gu Xiaozhou had ruined everything.

Every year on her birthday, Xu Bingqi used to play a piano piece composed just for her. But now, that would never happen again.

Gu Xiaozhou approached the policewoman and said softly, “Please tell Bingqi that I won’t bother her again.”

“And I hope she finds friends who are truly worth it.” She paused, swallowing back a sob. “She shouldn’t make friends with someone like me again.” Actually, that vase, Song Guanjin, was a good person far better than Gu Xiaozhou.” When Xu Bingqi was being cyberbullied, Song Guanjin had immediately reposted her clarification using her main account.

Gu Xiaozhou had once looked down on Song Guanjin, thinking she was all looks and no substance. But now, she realized she was the one who fell short.

Gu Xiaozhou smiled gently. Xu Bingqi’s judgment in people was slowly improving.

She wiped her tears again and slowly descended the stairs she had come from.

Everyone stared in shock at Gu Xiaozhou’s tear-streaked, bittersweet expression, watching as she made her way down step by step, as if all her strength had been drained.

Including Song Guanjin, who was hurrying up the stairs.

As they passed each other, Song Guanjin tensed, preparing for a confrontation. But Gu Xiaozhou only glanced at her before continuing down in silence.

Song Guanjin didn’t mock her either. Since sobering up, she had something important to tell Xu Bingqi. Relieved that she didn’t have to deal with Gu Xiaozhou, she let out a soft sigh and continued up the stairs.

She had to see her sister right away.

The onlookers, who hadn’t yet dispersed, perked up again when they saw someone else heading straight for Xu Bingqi’s door.

“Who’s this now?”

“Another one here to cause trouble?”

“The police are still here. She wouldn’t dare, right?”

Song Guanjin took a deep breath and spoke as calmly as possible, “I’m a friend of Bingqi’s sister. Please, everyone, disperse.”

She knew that although her sister appeared indifferent to the gossip, deep down, it still hurt her.

But her sister was strong-willed and never easily showed her feelings.

The onlookers were reluctant to leave, so Song Guanjin stood firmly on the stairs, her gaze sharp and unwavering, until they could no longer endure her determined stare and gradually drifted away.

Once she was sure the hallway was empty, under the female police officer’s watchful eye, Song Guanjin gently knocked on Xu Bingqi’s door. “Sister, it’s me.”

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