After Her Death, They Begged for Forgiveness - Chapter 55

From the moment Xu Bingqi stepped into Xu Qingci’s hospital room, the tension in her heart gradually began to fade.

Before this, she had been extremely resistant to seeing Xu Qingci again.

After being falsely accused of plagiarism, she had desperately hoped that Xu Qingci would believe in her, only to be abandoned without hesitation by her own mother.

Even before her death, she still remembered the expectations Xu Qingci had for her when naming her, and she had longed to see Xu Qingci one last time.

After being reborn, Xu Bingqi had once deeply resented Xu Qingci.

She despised Xu Qingci’s favoritism and hated her for abandoning her, for not even bothering to visit her once before she died.

During the day, Xu Bingqi tried to fill her life with work, but at night, her hatred for Xu Qingci lingered like a shadow, leaving her no peace even in her dreams.

It wasn’t until later, when Jiang Ruo told her that Xu Qingci might have been a good mother and that she herself could have grown up in a happy environment, that things began to change.

After learning the truth, Xu Bingqi thought a lot.

She recalled that before Xu Qingci adopted Jiang Ruo, she had indeed been a happy child, comfortably nestled in Xu Qingci’s arms, listening to fairy tales as she fell asleep.

Perhaps if Jiang Ruo hadn’t chosen this world as the setting for her novel, she could have grown into a sunny and optimistic person, sharing the same intimate bond with Xu Qingci as any normal mother and daughter.

But was that the only possibility?

That day, Jiang Ruo had also mentioned that if one’s will was strong enough, their personality and emotions wouldn’t necessarily transform into those of the characters in the novel.

She remembered Jiang Ruo saying that adjusting the parameters could only amplify traits in people’s personalities that aligned with the characters in the novel, but it couldn’t create such traits out of nothing.

Xu Bingqi shook her head, no longer dwelling on other possibilities.

Everything had already happened, and there was no point in imagining what could have been.

Excessive imagination would only become a burden.

Still, the neglect and harsh treatment over the past twenty years were real, and so were the beautiful memories of her childhood.

She could no longer hate Xu Qingci as she had before learning the truth, nor could she forgive Xu Qingci on behalf of the version of herself who had suffered and died alone in a rented apartment.

As a result, she became even more evasive about facing Xu Qingci.

But often, the problems we avoid must eventually be confronted, just as a fuse must eventually be lit.

Xu Qingci’s assistant and secretary quietly left the room, making the already spacious and luxurious hospital suite feel even more empty and silent.

“Bingqi, Jiang Ruo told me a lot about what happened before,” Xu Qingci sighed. “It wasn’t until today that I realized you were the one taking care of me while I was unconscious.”

After saying this, her right eye fixed intently on her daughter, her usually calm gaze now filled with guilt. “Bingqi, I’m truly sorry.”

It took Xu Bingqi a moment to realize what Xu Qingci was referring to. She had experienced such situations too many times before, and Xu Qingci’s earnest apology now struck her as somewhat laughable.

“All of that is in the past,” Xu Bingqi replied calmly, shaking her head. “I don’t care about it anymore.”

“I will make it up to you!” Xu Qingci said, her voice slightly agitated. “I’ve already asked Jiang Ruo to move out. From now on, you will be my only daughter, and everything I have will be yours!”

“You asked Jiang Ruo to move out?” Xu Bingqi asked in surprise. “How did she react?”

She never expected things to turn out this way. Jiang Ruo clearly had a vindictive nature, and she couldn’t imagine what Jiang Ruo might do because of this.

Xu Qingci misinterpreted Xu Bingqi’s expression, thinking her daughter was excited and overwhelmed with disbelief that this was actually happening.

“I’ve given her two months to move out,” Xu Qingci said, a faint smile playing on her lips. “It doesn’t matter how she reacts, I won’t let her come back.”

She looked at Xu Bingqi with hopeful eyes, anticipating that her daughter would change her mind and decide to live with her again.

“Jiang Ruo isn’t as simple as she seems,” Xu Bingqi shook her head. “She might retaliate.”

Xu Qingci’s smile widened.

This was the first time Xu Bingqi had spoken ill of Jiang Ruo in front of her, but unlike before, she didn’t feel annoyed or suspicious of her daughter’s motives.

After all, her daughter’s display of jealousy toward Jiang Ruo showed that she still cared.

Xu Qingci let out a soft sigh. No matter how much Xu Bingqi resisted her, she was still just a child. And children could never fully hide their emotions in front of their mothers.

“I’m just reminding you,” Xu Bingqi added, frowning as she noticed Xu Qingci’s knowing expression. She realized her mother had misunderstood her meaning.

“I have no intention of moving back,” Xu Bingqi explained seriously. “And I don’t need your compensation. I’ve already said it those things are in the past.”

Having experienced death once, she couldn’t accept Xu Qingci’s belated apology without reservation, nor could she pretend nothing had ever happened.

She had her own career now, friends who genuinely cared for her, and a future entirely different from the one she had before her rebirth.

“Is it because of that injured friend of yours?” Xu Qingci struggled to accept this reality, grasping for a reason why Xu Bingqi wouldn’t return. “Is it because she doesn’t want you to come back?”

Her assistant had mentioned how closely Xu Bingqi had been standing with that friend they didn’t seem like just friends, but more like…

“If it’s because of your friend, that’s fine too,” Xu Qingci said with a strained smile. “You can bring her along to live with us. I’d like to meet your friend.”

Xu Bingqi shook her head. “It’s not because of her.”

“There’s no other reason. I just don’t want to go back,” Xu Bingqi pressed her lips together and added, “And I don’t want to see you anymore.”

“Bingqi, Jiang Ruo said you died once. Is that true?”

After a moment of silence, Xu Qingci finally voiced the question that had been weighing on her mind.

She had a feeling Jiang Ruo was telling the truth. The dreams she’d been having had felt all too real, and Xu Bingqi’s cold demeanor now seemed to confirm it.

Ever since Jiang Ruo’s birthday banquet, the look in Xu Bingqi’s eyes had completely changed. If it were just because of her previously harsh attitude, it wouldn’t have escalated to this.

After all, Xu Bingqi had endured over twenty years, it couldn’t have been just one birthday party that pushed her over the edge.

Xu Bingqi looked at Xu Qingci in surprise, unable to understand why Jiang Ruo would reveal this to her.

What good would it do for Jiang Ruo’s mission as a transmigrator?

“I’ve also dreamed of you… not being here anymore,” a tear rolled down from Xu Qingci’s right eye. “But I don’t understand why I would ignore you back then. Is it true?”

“It’s true.”

Upon seeing Xu Qingci’s tears, Xu Bingqi sighed. She raised her hand but ultimately did not reach out to wipe them away.

She rarely saw Xu Qingci cry because of her.

Her vague memories still lingered on their childhood when Xu Qingci would anxiously shed tears over her high fever, gently comforting her by pressing their foreheads together before the family doctor arrived.

“But you haven’t done anything like that now, and I don’t have a malignant brain tumor either.” Xu Bingqi paused. “None of this has happened, so there’s no need for you to blame yourself.”

Before her death, she had indeed imagined Xu Qingci’s regretful reaction, but that was the reaction of the Xu Qingci from before her rebirth, not the Xu Qingci of now.

She didn’t need Xu Qingci to repent for things she hadn’t done.

“I just don’t want to see you because the sight of you reminds me of the past,” Xu Bingqi said. “So don’t come looking for me anymore in the future. I don’t need your wealth either.”

Xu Qingci wanted to argue, but when she opened her mouth, she couldn’t find any words to refute.

If she were Xu Bingqi, she probably wouldn’t want to see a mother who only came to her senses in middle age either.

“Well…”

Xu Qingci hesitated, unsure of what to say. She could still feel the pain in her left eye, but she didn’t want to use it to elicit her daughter’s sympathy anymore.

Of course, Xu Bingqi might not even care about her left eye at all.

The little girl who once leaned anxiously by her bedside had long been reshaped by the relentless flow of time into someone entirely different.

Xu Qingci could almost envision her lonely future.

She still possessed vast wealth and lived a life envied by others, but her only daughter would never return to her side.

“Take good care of yourself from now on,” Xu Bingqi said as she walked toward the door. Turning the doorknob, she glanced back. “The doctor said the blood vessels in your eye ruptured due to emotional stress. Rest for a while, and it’ll heal. Be mindful of your eye usage in the future.”

“If there’s no particularly urgent situation, I don’t think we’ll see each other again,” she added after a moment’s thought. “Though you might think I have ulterior motives, I must remind you one last time to be careful of Jiang Ruo.”

Whether Xu Qingci believed her or not, she had fulfilled her duty.

With that, Xu Bingqi turned the doorknob and walked out.

At that very moment, she felt she had finally let go of the past completely.

“Sis! What took you so long?”

Song Guanjin had been waiting in the hospital bed for what felt like an eternity. Unable to hold back any longer, she went to find Xu Bingqi.

Now that she had regained her memories, she couldn’t let her sister be deceived by those villains’ sweet talk again!

Song Guanjin felt a line from a cartoon made perfect sense: a rotten orange is just a rotten orange! She didn’t care what excuses they had harming her sister was harming her sister!

If everyone could be forgiven just by shouting “I had no choice,” there would be hardly anyone left in prison.

Her sister was so soft-hearted; who knew if a few honeyed words would make her feel sorry for them again?

Xu Bingqi hurriedly closed the door, only to be embraced by a pouting Song Guanjin, who wrapped her arms around her waist.

“Sis, you must have forgotten all about me because you were having such a good time talking,” Song Guanjin murmured, leaning against Xu Bingqi’s collarbone. “I’ve been waiting for you all this time.”

After speaking, she lifted her head, her eyelashes dotted with tiny teardrops. “Sister, you mustn’t let those bad people deceive you again!”

“What are you talking about?” Xu Bingqi truly had no way to handle this kitten-like girl. “I just wanted to have a thorough talk with her.”

The kitten still clung tightly to her sister’s waist, refusing to let go.

Her sister hadn’t said she would let go, so of course, she would keep holding on.

Feeling utterly content, the kitten wrapped her arms around her sister, casting a triumphant sidelong glance at Gu Xiaozhou, who had come to visit Xu Qingci with a bouquet of flowers.

She wanted this scoundrel to know that she was the one closest to earning the title of her sister’s girlfriend.

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