Transmigrating Into the Beautiful CEO’s Doomed Substitute - Chapter 107

Qi Zheng’s answer plunged the atmosphere from freezing point straight into dead silence. Shen Zhibing felt like she had been hit hard with a blunt object, the shock leaving her almost incapable of any reaction. A sincere heart, bravely presented to the other person despite her apprehension, was just ruthlessly rejected.

This was more thorough preparation than the previous two times she came to see Qi Zheng, and a more eager anticipation than the previous two times. Shen Zhibing thought she had come with hope, but unexpectedly harvested the most fatal despair.

Her eyes instantly heated up, the burning sensation forcing her to blink more frequently.

The carefully applied, elaborate makeup stood in stark contrast to her current mood of desperately trying to remain calm, yet she felt like crying without tears.

She truly couldn’t cry. The sorrow was stuck in her throat, causing a sharp pain. Her long eyelashes fluttered rapidly, her eyes stinging, but not a single tear fell.

She wouldn’t cry. Qi Zheng had said, don’t become humble.

Shen Zhibing silently repeated in her heart, she wasn’t humble, she was just sad.

After a long time, she finally managed to compose herself, but when she spoke, her voice was utterly dejected: “I thought our relationship had eased up quite a bit compared to before. I also thought there could at least be one more chance.”

She lowered her gaze, unwilling to look at Qi Zheng anymore.

After the shock and embarrassment of being directly rejected, what she felt now was mostly sadness. Sadness that she had lost the chance to be with Qi Zheng, and lost the reason to continue holding onto hope.

These past days, interacting with Qi Zheng at a distant yet not too distant level, they never returned to the closeness of the past. But Shen Zhibing still held a glimmer of hope: at least Qi Zheng hadn’t completely vanished from her world.

She was still there, allowing her to know how she was doing now, allowing her to see her changes and growth. But Shen Zhibing forgot that Qi Zheng no longer belonged to her; her growth was for the sake of soaring.

“I said, not now. I thought you, CEO Shen, understood what I meant.”

Shen Zhibing certainly remembered which time she was referring to. She had thought the “now” meant those few months. It turned out the “now” Qi Zheng spoke of wasn’t like that.

Qi Zheng was not a fickle person. Her words were few, but she always followed through. Shen Zhibing had learned a lot from various aspects during this period, and upon hearing this answer alone, she knew it would be difficult to turn things around today.

“Even now, you still only see me as CEO Shen. I guess I really don’t understand what you mean.”

Shen Zhibing’s back remained straight. Even in this unassuming corner shop, her radiant presence could not be concealed. Yet, she distinctly heard the sound of her sincere heart smashing onto the ground, and she truly experienced the feeling that drove Qi Zheng’s resolute departure that night.

If it were her, she might have slapped the other person right away. But Qi Zheng remained that gentle. Shen Zhibing hadn’t understood her forbearance and tolerance then.

But now, she understood, yet it was too late.

Shen Zhibing was not someone who would cling desperately. The previous two cautious attempts had led her to believe today would be a good opportunity, but she had misjudged. She raised her hand to rest on her bag, preparing her final words of farewell.

Qi Zheng spoke again, temporarily keeping her there.

“Between us, we never truly understood each other, nor did we seriously discuss the future of this…” Qi Zheng paused, “the future of this relationship.”

She didn’t say ‘feelings,’ but merely defined it as a ‘relationship.’ Shen Zhibing heard her reservation and smiled helplessly.

But she didn’t leave; she sat there quietly listening. She thought this was likely the last time she would hear from Qi Zheng about their past.

“The reason that forced you, CEO Shen, to push me away initially hasn’t changed much now. If we went back to the past, in time, it would only be history repeating itself.”

Shen Zhibing pursed her lips, occasionally defending herself: “The most fundamental reason has changed. I genuinely like you and would definitely do everything to protect you.”

At that time, Shen Zhibing hadn’t realized how indispensable Qi Zheng was to her, so her priorities in making decisions were naturally different.

Qi Zheng smiled helplessly: “But other external factors are still present. If next time your family or the media pressures you directly, will I have to be hidden again?”

She knew Shen Zhibing wouldn’t abandon her casually again, but she couldn’t guarantee that she wouldn’t become the one who was strictly hidden away, and that still wasn’t what she wanted.

“I…”

Shen Zhibing indeed didn’t have absolute certainty about this yet, but she was already setting up a plan to deal with her second uncle. This was a long process. Without three to five years and meticulous deployment, a win could not be guaranteed.

“CEO Shen, you once taught me that when you can’t see the direction, feel confused, and think there is no solution, you should step back and look at it from an outsider’s perspective to be more objective and comprehensive.”

She certainly remembered. When Qi Zheng first started in the secretary’s office, her reports were always confined to one corner, her views were not grand enough, nor comprehensive enough.

It was she who taught Qi Zheng the big picture, taught her how to objectively weigh pros and cons, and taught her the art of making choices.

“We both clearly know that feelings are not the entirety of life. I don’t want a day to come when, without love, I lose even the ability and courage to continue living. I want to live my life well first. I cannot and dare not stake my entire future on love.”

Qi Zheng spoke candidly and sincerely. She didn’t dwell on past hurts, nor did she retaliate against Shen Zhibing in kind, even though now was the best time.

She was merely stating her concerns and her decision objectively and calmly.

“It’s my fault for hurting you, for making you lose faith. I don’t even have a reason to convince you anymore.” The bitterness on Shen Zhibing’s lips deepened; she knew she had brought this upon herself.

“Building trust is a long process, but destroying it is quick and easy. Maybe it’s a single sentence, maybe a single choice.” Qi Zheng looked at Shen Zhibing. “I’ve been abandoned twice. I don’t want to go through a third time, and I can’t afford it.”

Shen Zhibing clasped her hands, maintaining her composure while enduring the waves of heartbreak and pain that assailed her.

“Neither of us, as we are now, has the ability to 100% protect such a relationship, and we both know that when faced with obstacles in the future, given our current abilities, we would most likely still choose to compromise.” Qi Zheng analyzed calmly, as if she were no longer a participant in this relationship. At this moment, she was very much like the person she was when discussing work with Shen Zhibing.

She tried hard to hide her sadness and helplessness. She hoped that Shen Zhibing, while being rejected, could receive as full an explanation as possible.

She didn’t want this fruitless relationship to become a lingering regret for anyone.

“You don’t believe I can protect you and this relationship, so you chose to stay here and start anew.” Shen Zhibing didn’t need to ask further; she could already deduce the conclusion.

The strength in her body was gradually being drained away. She desperately held on, but it was like sand slipping through her fingers; she could do nothing but let them escape.

“Perhaps the timing of our meeting was wrong. At the time I most wanted to be reckless and replace reason with emotion, I was educated by reality.”

That night was like a sharp blade, cruelly severing the dream from reality.

Since the conversation had reached this point, Shen Zhibing had nothing left to say. She thought for a moment, took the gift from her bag, and presented it to Qi Zheng.

“This is your graduation gift. I hope you’ll accept it.”

Just as Qi Zheng’s gaze fell on the packaging, she heard her add: “It’s nothing expensive, but you’re starting a business now, and sooner or later, you’ll need something that matches your status.”

Qi Zheng reached out and unwrapped the gift herself.

The fountain pen was exquisite, cleverly designed, and flawlessly crafted. She gently rubbed the kite pattern on the pen cap.

Shen Zhibing watched her, wanting to engrave this image firmly in her memory. This might be the last chance to give Qi Zheng a gift in person. She was afraid of not seeing enough, of missing the details.

She had also prepared for the possibility of the gift being returned, even preparing the smile that would indicate she was fine. But she waited a while before seeing Qi Zheng place the fountain pen back in the box.

“Thank you, I really like it.”

Shen Zhibing smiled. The words “I understand” were on the tip of her tongue, but instead, she heard: “CEO Shen, you shouldn’t have.”

Then she watched Qi Zheng place the gift into her own bag.

She accepted it. Shen Zhibing finally revealed a genuinely happy smile.

Just as Qi Zheng put away the gift, she looked up and saw Shen Zhibing’s heart-stirring smile, and her heart trembled slightly.

“This bowl of small wontons today is on me, as thanks for CEO Shen’s gift.”

The most painful words had been spoken, and the wontons had long gone cold. Qi Zheng couldn’t find the boss couple, so she got up, walked around, and finally went into the kitchen herself to cook two fresh bowls.

“I come here often; I’m quite familiar with the owners. They won’t be angry, so please eat.”

After finishing the wontons, it was finally time to say goodbye.

The reluctance and faint sadness in Shen Zhibing’s eyes were obvious and moving. Qi Zheng averted her gaze, stood up, and proactively extended her hand: “I hope we can both become better selves.”

Only by becoming a better self is one qualified to love others.

Shen Zhibing reached out and shook her hand. When they released, her fingertips slid from Qi Zheng’s hand, leaving a lingering warmth.

“Take good care of yourself in America.”

Shen Zhibing ended her trip early the next day and returned to Haicheng. Yu Xinyan and Yun Fei couldn’t gather any information from her, but they knew the outcome was certainly not what she had hoped for. Shen Zhibing was indeed downcast for a period because of it. She repeatedly thought about what Qi Zheng had said in the wonton shop that day.

It was the most honest day of revealing their feelings for each other since they met, and the most sincere day of interaction.

Neither she nor Qi Zheng deleted the other, but they also stopped interacting.

No deletion, no contact, no disturbance.

A month after returning from America, Shen Zhibing discussed the subsequent treatment plan again with her psychological doctor.

“Miss Shen, if you’ve truly decided to accept comprehensive treatment, then I suggest you start reducing your medication dosage now.”

“Alright, please let me see the complete plan.”

To quickly control her emotional issues, Shen Zhibing had previously adopted an aggressive approach, relying on increased dosages of medication to achieve physical control.

Now, she had finally decided to accept reality and correctly face her condition.

Some things truly couldn’t be rushed. She needed good treatment to truly become a better self.

Perhaps by then, she might still have a chance to strive for Qi Zheng’s affection.

Qi Zheng’s tuition fees were fully repaid a year later, which let Shen Zhibing know that her career was progressing smoothly. Occasionally, when having a meal with Jiang Youyou, she would also hear updates about her recent situation. Shen Zhibing always listened with a smile, no longer as eager as in the past to know every detail.

She seemed to have taken a step back, composed and reconciled.

Only she herself knew that the distant concern had not disappeared due to distance and time; she had just changed the way she expressed it.

Qi Zheng had once said that the Earth is round. If fate still wills it, they will both return to the original point.