Volume One, Chapter 87 Caught off guard, Xu Zhi

At this moment, Xu Zhi's mind was filled with the urgency to see Zhao Nianqiao. She asked Liang Muzhi directly, "Which room?"

Liang Muzhi pointed toward a room on the side. "I bought breakfast for Auntie, but she wouldn't eat it."

Xu Zhi hurriedly strode forward, about to walk past him, when Liang Muzhi suddenly stepped sideways without warning.

Caught off guard, Xu Zhi crashed right into him. She had been moving fast, and the collision threw her off balance; she was about to fall.

Liang Muzhi grabbed her arm and steadied her. "Your leg—is that the injury from the night you ran away?"

They were standing very close. Xu Zhi frowned deeply and looked down at her ankle. "Liang Muzhi, are you out of your mind?"

She glared at him.

Liang Muzhi seemed dazed. Xu Zhi had sometimes gotten angry with him before, but she was always too gentle—her anger soft and powerless, mostly coquettish, so he never took it seriously.

But this moment was different. The irritation in her eyes was real; she seemed genuinely repulsed by his actions.

Xu Zhi struggled, trying to shake off his hand, but failed.

She said, "Let go."

Her tone was blunt.

Liang Muzhi felt a chill in his chest. How had things between them come to this? Just a few months ago, it hadn't been like this—they’d had endless things to talk about, and when she looked at him, her eyes shone.

"Can’t you be a little nicer?" he said, feeling somewhat aggrieved. "If not for me, who would have told you about Auntie’s injury?"

Xu Zhi was silent for a few seconds; her tone softened slightly. "Thank you for telling me, but could you please let go first?"

Reluctantly, Liang Muzhi released her. "I want to talk to you later."

Xu Zhi wasn’t eager for a conversation, but she wanted to see Zhao Nianqiao quickly, so she agreed, "Fine, let me see my mom first, then we’ll talk."

Her perfunctory tone was obvious. A shadow flitted across Liang Muzhi’s eyes, but he stepped aside and let her pass.

He watched her go in, standing rooted to the spot for a long while before finally moving a few steps and leaning against the wall.

It felt as if there was a draft in his chest.

Xu Zhi was…quite indifferent to him.

He knew she was worried about Zhao Nianqiao, but her obvious disregard for him was hard to get used to.

Xu Zhi entered the temporary ward and closed the door. Zhao Nianqiao looked up at the sound, and seeing her, froze.

Xu Zhi caught sight of Zhao Nianqiao’s swollen face and felt a sting in her nose. "Mom…"

Zhao Nianqiao hadn’t expected Xu Zhi to come. She immediately tried to sit up, but Xu Zhi rushed over and pressed her back down. "Stay lying down."

"It’s not that serious," Zhao Nianqiao explained. "Just superficial wounds—maybe a bit infected, so I have a fever."

Xu Zhi sat in the chair beside the bed, tears already falling.

Zhao Nianqiao sighed. "Why are you crying?"

Xu Zhi wiped her face with the back of her hand. "Was this… Did Dad do this?"

Zhao Nianqiao was silent for a few seconds before nodding.

"Is it because of me? Did I drag you into this…"

She should have guessed—when Xu Heping couldn’t find her, he would likely vent his anger on Zhao Nianqiao.

Zhao Nianqiao said, "Don’t worry about all that. Where are you staying now?"

Family circumstances had made Xu Zhi afraid of causing trouble for others since childhood. She hadn’t expected Zhao Nianqiao to be beaten because of her, and so severely—it was hard to accept. She didn’t seem to hear Zhao Nianqiao’s question, still struggling to process it. "How could Dad hit you… He wasn’t like this before. This is domestic violence."

Zhao Nianqiao didn’t know what to say. It was the first time she’d been beaten, and her mind was in turmoil.

She said, "Maybe your dad just lost his head—desperate and out of options, clinging to the hope of your engagement with Muzhi as a lifeline. Now that he can’t hold onto it, he’s panicked. He even drank last night…"

Xu Zhi hung her head as tears welled up again.

The guilt weighed on her like a boulder, making it hard to breathe.

Suddenly, Zhao Nianqiao let out a quiet laugh. "This family…in its current state, not just you—even I want to run away."

Xu Zhi remembered something and looked up at Zhao Nianqiao. "Mom, maybe…you should divorce Dad."

She would never have said such a thing before, but now, this family had lost its meaning for her.

"You think I haven’t thought about it?" Zhao Nianqiao smiled bitterly. "The company’s debts were incurred during our marriage. If I divorce him now, our joint assets aren’t enough to cover it—I’d be crushed by millions in debt."

Xu Zhi bit her lip, feeling cold to the bone.

"Divorce or not… I’m finished. Your dad and I…" Zhao Nianqiao’s tone was eerily calm. "This life is over. I’ve never had a good day with him—when we were dating, I thought he was just a bit chauvinistic. Later, I realized he actually looked down on women… I have no hope left, Zhi. I want you to have a good life. We can’t all three of us end up stuck in this mire."

Xu Zhi felt her heart sinking into an endless abyss.

"I actually know…" Zhao Nianqiao’s eyes reddened as she spoke. "When you were little, I wasn’t good to you. Other kids clung to their mothers, but you never did—you were afraid I’d scold you…"

Xu Zhi clenched her fists. "Mom… Don’t say anymore."

"Sometimes I think life is just mistake after mistake. I chose your father, and it ruined not just me, but you… I know it’s not your fault I couldn’t have a son, but I don’t know who else to blame. When I had a stillbirth, it hurt me too… Your dad only knows how to scold me, and I don’t know who else to scold…"

Zhao Nianqiao closed her eyes, a tear sliding down her cheek.

Xu Zhi couldn’t help but cry again.

Zhao Nianqiao rarely spoke to her like this. The memories stirred up were overwhelming—her pain was for herself, and for Zhao Nianqiao as well.

After a long while, Zhao Nianqiao opened her eyes, no longer crying, her gaze hollow as ashes. "My life is over. My daughter can’t follow in my footsteps and marry a man who doesn’t love or respect her."

Xu Zhi cried uncontrollably. "Mom, it won’t happen. We’ll find a way, we’ll find a way…"

She said the words, but what way could there be? She didn’t know either.

Zhao Nianqiao quickly pulled herself together and looked at Xu Zhi, her tone heavy. "Stop crying. Your dad told me you’re entangled with Liang Jinmo. What’s going on?"

Xu Zhi was still crying, her mind sluggish, unable to come up with a response.

She didn’t want to lie to Zhao Nianqiao, but she could imagine Zhao Nianqiao wouldn’t approve of her being with Liang Jinmo—getting involved with her half-brother would ruin her reputation.

Seeing her silence, Zhao Nianqiao already had an answer in her heart. She sighed deeply. "I want you to leave this family so you can be free and find happiness. But you and Liang Jinmo…do you really think there’s a future?"

Xu Zhi grew anxious. "Mom, he’s a good man. I don’t want to miss him just because I care about what others think."

"You’re still too naïve," Zhao Nianqiao frowned. "I’ve heard rumors—Liang Jinmo, to take revenge on the mother who abandoned him, sent her to a psychiatric hospital to suffer. Think about it—why would he do that? That mother means nothing to him, he could just ignore her, so why go out of his way?"

Xu Zhi was stunned by what she heard.