Zhong Xiaoqin Says She Doesn't Regret It

At the hospital entrance.

"Xiaoqin, what can I say about you?" Zhong Xiaoqin's mother sighed.

Her father also shook his head beside her.

"Oh, Mom and Dad, please don't worry about me. I'm doing very well now."

"You're divorced and remarrying, what will you do in the future? How can we not worry? There will be a day you regret this." Zhong Xiaoqin's mother said, frustrated.

"Don't worry, I will absolutely not regret it. I've had enough of that kind of life long ago."

Seeing that she was about to say more, Zhong Xiaoqin quickly added, "Okay, Mom, Dad, please stop worrying. I'm an adult now, don't I know what I want?"

After comforting her parents for a while longer, she called a car to take them away.

Watching the car's taillights disappear, Zhong Xiaoqin sighed.

She knew her parents were worried about her future, but she felt she was living well now and believed her choice was not wrong. She had no regrets.

Back at her rented apartment, Zhong Xiaoqin talked with Zhong Xiaoyang for a while, sharing what happened today.

Zhong Xiaoyang responded intermittently, and then ended the conversation. He wasn't in the mood for romance anymore; it was good enough that they could maintain daily contact.

Zhong Xiaoqin didn't know the specifics, but she knew Zhong Xiaoyang's family was in trouble. With the sudden family upheaval, Zhong Xiaoqin understood and even comforted him.

Another month passed in the blink of an eye.

Many things happened during this time.

Wang Yan, Gu Jia, and Xu Ziyan spent another period of happy and wonderful time in Henglu Village as a family of three.

Henglu Village underwent significant construction and its appearance changed drastically.

Gu Jia was not short of money. Not to mention what Wang Yan gave her, she also received several million from the sale of her former Junyue Mansion apartment. Therefore, she wasn't relying on the tea business to get rich.

She set aside funds for normal operations, and the remaining money was largely used to develop Henglu Village.

The elderly and lonely in the village, who were living in hardship, had their homes repaired, and a special fund was left for the village to care for the elderly.

In fact, the villagers were very simple and kind, and they usually took good care of the elderly. However, their own conditions were not good, so they couldn't help too much. Gu Jia's money basically solved the problem.

The mountain path was slippery when it rained and was unsafe. It was leveled and reinforced.

The stone slab paths in the village were not altered, only simply repaired to avoid inconvenience for the elderly with mobility issues. After all, the accumulation of years along these stone paths was the midnight dream of generations who grew up here, the longing of wanderers away from home.

Wang Yan thought that their memories would surely include "the uneven, moss-covered stone path leading up the hillside, beside the willow tree in front of the family home."

The children's schools were wooden and had decayed over the years. They were also renovated. More books were bought for the children's extracurricular reading, and new desks and chairs were provided.

Other minor repairs were also made. Overall, Henglu Village had changed significantly.

People wore happy smiles, looking forward to the next tea harvest.

Because Gu Jia had said that all remaining profits would be used to develop Henglu Village after each sale.

The excited old village chief didn't know what to say and just kept thanking Gu Jia. Then, the entire village held a grand banquet to celebrate their improving lives. After spending more time together, the initial awkwardness disappeared. They also learned that Wang Yan was a generous person, and they plied him with drinks relentlessly.

Refusing to drink meant not accompanying them well, looking down on them, or not giving them face.

Wang Yan felt awkward refusing, as it would dampen the mood. He drank from one meal to the next. He wasn't a wine vat, and drinking too much meant vomiting his guts out. Finally, he couldn't take it anymore. He was truly scared. His purpose for this trip had been achieved, and he had stayed long enough. He quickly took the reluctant Xu Ziyan, who hadn't had his fill of fun, and the laughing Gu Jia, and made a hasty retreat back to Shanghai.

Since the incident with Wang Manni last time, Jiang Chen had been spending time with Wang Manni almost every day.

Wang Manni knew Jiang Chen's feelings for her, but she didn't say anything.

Jiang Chen knew Wang Manni knew his feelings for her, but he didn't say anything either.

After starting her job, Wang Manni would also visit Jiang Chen's coffee shop from time to time to chat.

It was unclear if she had fully moved on, but Wang Manni had started smiling again. However, she spoke more to Jiang Chen about the bitterness of her eight years of wandering ending in nothing, and to Zhong Xiaoqin about her weariness with her current life.

It was as if after this experience, she had seen through everything, accepted her fate, and decided to lower her head.

Jiang Chen saw all this and felt pain in his heart, but despite his best efforts, he still couldn't bring himself to speak.

After a long period of apprehension, the outcome for Zhong Xiaoyang's family was finally decided.

His father was certainly going to jail. Their family's apartment and his apartment in Shanghai were saved, along with tens of thousands in cash. That was all.

A long time had passed, and he had long since gotten over the initial shock. He had also expected the outcome. Zhong Xiaoyang was in pretty good spirits. After all, there was nothing he could do if he wasn't. Life had to go on, didn't it?

His mother had also taken things step by step. Perhaps it was a woman's nature, but she couldn't accept the sudden downfall of a prosperous family and business. Initially, she was somewhat fearful, but now she was much better.

After settling his mother, Zhong Xiaoyang returned to Shanghai.

He was no longer the rich second-generation heir he once was, and he had to worry about making a living.

Of course, he still had things to do.

Zhong Xiaoyang put his belongings away and went to find Zhong Xiaoqin.

He knew the address; Zhong Xiaoqin had told him.

When Zhong Xiaoqin returned from work, she saw Zhong Xiaoyang sitting at her doorstep and was pleasantly surprised.

"Wow, why didn't you tell me you were back?"

Zhong Xiaoyang forced a smile. "I wanted to give you a surprise."

He stepped forward and hugged Zhong Xiaoqin tightly.

Zhong Xiaoqin felt the emotions Zhong Xiaoyang was exuding and didn't resist.

After a long while, unable to bear the stares of the passersby, Zhong Xiaoqin patted Zhong Xiaoyang. "Okay, everyone's watching. Let's go inside and talk."

Zhong Xiaoyang let go silently, not speaking.

But seeing his slightly red eyes, Zhong Xiaoqin felt an inexplicable pang of heartache.

Inside the house, Zhong Xiaoqin said, "You haven't eaten yet, have you? How about I buy some groceries and we eat together?"

Zhong Xiaoyang shook his head and pulled Zhong Xiaoqin to sit on the sofa.

"I missed you."

"You know, during this time, it was you who kept comforting me..."

As he spoke, Zhong Xiaoyang hugged Zhong Xiaoqin again. Perhaps thinking that he, a rich second generation, also had to worry about making a living, it was a genuine outpouring of emotion, and he burst into tears.

Zhong Xiaoqin quietly patted Zhong Xiaoyang's back, whispering words of comfort.

"There, there. It's okay, aren't I here with you?"

After a long time, Zhong Xiaoyang felt it was enough, released Zhong Xiaoqin, and wiped his tears.

Zhong Xiaoqin handed him some tissues and asked with concern, "What happened?"

With red eyes, Zhong Xiaoyang naturally couldn't tell the truth. Wouldn't that make him seem crazy?

He embellished the events of the past period and told Zhong Xiaoqin.

After listening, Zhong Xiaoqin said worriedly, "Ah? How is Auntie doing?"

"She's fine, don't worry, I've settled everything."

Seeing that Zhong Xiaoqin was about to say more, Zhong Xiaoyang quickly changed the subject, afraid he couldn't keep up the lie. "Okay, okay. Let's not talk about this anymore."

He said, cupping her face with both hands, looking into her eyes, "Do you love me?"

Zhong Xiaoqin hadn't reacted yet; after all, the shift was a bit abrupt.

Seeing Zhong Xiaoyang pretending to be strong, Zhong Xiaoqin became a little flustered. She didn't know if she loved him, she just remained silent.

The atmosphere built up, and Zhong Xiaoyang slowly, slowly leaned in.

Zhong Xiaoqin nervously closed her eyes.

Feeling the warmth on her lips, Zhong Xiaoqin instinctively responded...

The mood was perfectly set. If not now, then when? Zhong Xiaoyang tentatively wrapped his arms around Zhong Xiaoqin's neck, his hands slowly moving down.

This time, no one interrupted to talk about Chen Yu's silent contributions, nor was there any discomfort with physical contact like before. In her heart, Zhong Xiaoyang was the ideal she had imagined.

Zhong Xiaoqin's body stiffened, yet she didn't refuse. She truly felt sorry for this boy who was once sunny and now forced a smile.

There was no sudden ringing of a phone, nor an unexpected visitor. Everything went smoothly, everything felt... natural.

Afterward, Zhong Xiaoqin hid her face in the covers with a maiden's shyness.

She felt both ashamed and anxious thinking about what had happened.

She was ashamed because she had secretly compared them, and Zhong Xiaoyang's youthful vigor was indeed much stronger than Chen Yu's.

She was anxious because she hadn't expected to give herself away so easily. Would he look down on her? Think she was a promiscuous woman?

The blanket was suddenly pulled away, and Zhong Xiaoqin yelped in surprise.

Seeing Zhong Xiaoyang staring at her, she quickly grabbed the blanket to cover herself, blushing. "Don't look, close your eyes."

Zhong Xiaoyang recovered after a moment, full of triumph, and forcefully flipped over, pressing down on her and kissing her mouth.

Zhong Xiaoqin also became compliant, no longer resisting, and instinctively responded.

Zhong Xiaoyang unleashed his pent-up frustrations and bitterness from the past period.

Zhong Xiaoqin indulged, determined to forget Chen Yu completely and love this sunny boy with all her heart.

Afterward, Zhong Xiaoqin was no longer shy. After two rounds, she was a bit tired too. The afterglow lingered, and she lay in Zhong Xiaoyang's arms, her pretty face flushed.

"Will you be good to me?"

"For a lifetime."

"Mmm."

After hugging for a while longer, Zhong Xiaoqin felt a bit hungry and didn't want to bother cooking. She picked up her phone and ordered takeout.

They ate a little, messed around a bit more, and then fell asleep.

Wang Yan's family of three returned to Shanghai and rested for another day as usual.

The next day, everyone went back to their routines: school for those who studied, work for those who worked.

After such a long time, the company had accumulated a lot of work, and Wang Yan had to deal with it for a while before he could be idle again.

Gu Jia had it much easier. After upgrading her social circle among wives, she arranged to meet Zhong Xiaoqin and Wang Manni again.

It had been nearly a month since their last meeting, and everyone had changed quite a bit.

"Manni, how are you?" <Gu Jia> knew what was going on and asked <Wang Manni> first.

"I'm okay, but after this, I've figured things out."

Seeing them both look at her, she gave a self-deprecating smile, "Eight years wasted for nothing. Perhaps this place isn't my final destination after all."

<Zhong Xiaoqin> asked from the side, "So you want to go back to your hometown?"

"I've been hesitating for a while, haven't decided yet. I'll see."

The two said nothing. This was her own business, and as locals, they had nothing to say.

After a pause, <Gu Jia> said, "Oh, right, Manni, I have something to tell you."

"Go ahead," <Wang Manni> nodded.

"This morning when I was having tea with those ladies from the太太圈, I heard them talking. I don't know if it's true."

"They said there was someone surnamed Liang who was expelled from his family. He was working in <Shanghai> when an old friend ran into him. Not long after, the Liang family collapsed, and now most of them have fled abroad."

"They are from <Hong Kong Island>. I don't know if it's <Liang Zhengxian>'s family. They didn't know his specific name, just mentioned it in passing."

It was like a bolt from the blue. <Wang Manni> froze, and scenes of <Liang Zhengxian>'s strangeness after returning from <Hong Kong Island> flashed through her mind. "That's right, that's right. It all adds up."

She remembered the night before he disappeared, <Liang Zhengxian>'s hesitation to speak.

"It must be <Liang Zhengxian>, it must be him."

<Wang Manni>'s face turned grim, a mix of shock and fear.

She recalled a conversation she had with <Liang Zhengxian> shortly after he returned from <Hong Kong Island>, after they had finished their business.

The question she had asked, about marriage.

"So close, just barely."

Even <Zhong Xiaoqin>, who was usually a bit slow, understood when she saw <Wang Manni>'s expression change back and forth. She asked with concern, "Manni, are you alright?"

<Wang Manni> was startled awake and said blankly, "Huh? Ah, I'm fine. Just thinking about some things."

Even though everyone knew, she didn't want to talk about <Liang Zhengxian> anymore. What was there to say? That her longing for <Liang Zhengxian> had halved after hearing the news? That her resentment towards <Liang Zhengxian> had not only vanished but she was also grateful he had let her off the hook?

Changing the subject, she said, "Never mind me, let's talk about you, Xiaoqin?"

"You're a bit different today, your complexion is exceptionally good."

"Any good news? Hurry and tell us."

<Gu Jia> also chimed in, "Yes, Xiaoqin, you really are different today."

When this was brought up, <Zhong Xiaoqin> became shy.

She said a little bashfully, "<Zhong Xiaoyang> and I are together now."

"Weren't you two already together?"

After saying that, <Wang Manni> realized and let out a meaningful "Oh."

Then she quickly added, "Tell us, what happened? You said he was back in his hometown just a while ago, and it's only been a few days?"

Although <Gu Jia> felt a bit awkward, she ultimately didn't say anything, just echoing <Wang Manni>'s "Oh." After all, she was in a similar situation, so what right did she have to criticize? Besides, <Zhong Xiaoqin> had such a sweet look on her face; if she said too much, they might not even be friends anymore.

<Zhong Xiaoqin> began to recount her sweet and romantic love story with a blissful expression, telling them about that day.

After listening, <Wang Manni> happily said to <Zhong Xiaoqin>, "I wish you happiness, Xiaoqin."

<Gu Jia> could only say "I wish you happiness" from the side. Everyone had their own path, and she had no right to interfere.

The conversation then lightened, and they started talking about <Gu Jia>'s matters in <Henglu Village>.

Even though <Gu Jia> knew that her current achievements relied heavily on <Wang Yan>'s resources, her own efforts and contributions could not be ignored. She was truly happy about her current accomplishments, especially seeing <Henglu Village> getting better and better.

<Gu Jia> told them about <Henglu Village> and the situation of some tea factories.

Naturally, she received a lot of praise, as well as envy and jealousy.

That night, <Zhong Xiaoqin> lay in <Zhong Xiaoyang>'s arms, happy and sweet.

<Wang Manni> lay alone in her bed, <Gu Jia>'s words echoing in her ears, tossing and turning for a long time, unable to fall asleep.

She had thought it through clearly. The reason <Liang Zhengxian> ran was because he already knew her thoughts, knew what kind of woman she was.

This meant that <Liang Zhengxian> had never taken her seriously from the beginning.

She really had to thank <Liang Zhengxian>. If he had agreed back then, <Wang Manni> knew she would have definitely filed for divorce.

And if <Liang Zhengxian> had been more despicable and refused to divorce, what would she have done?

And after getting divorced, as a woman who had been married before, what would she do then?

How would she face her aging parents back home? How would she face the gossip of the neighbors?

Unconsciously, she thought a lot, so much.

Thinking about everything she had experienced in <Shanghai> over the years, all the people she had met, she really didn't want to continue anymore. She couldn't hold on any longer; she was tired.

Her parents had already called many times, urging her to come back.

"Perhaps it's time to go back?"

For some reason, <Wang Manni>'s nose suddenly stung, and she burst into tears.

Because this place held her lost youth, her unfulfilled wishes, her unwillingness to settle, and her desire not to be ordinary.

But now she was older, she had been let down, her wishes shattered, and she had gained nothing, not even a little.

<Wang Manni> asked herself inwardly, "Do you regret it?"

With snot and tears streaming down her face, she gritted her teeth and said, "I don't regret it."

Crying, thinking, feeling sentimental, reminiscing, she eventually fell asleep.

The next day, <Wang Manni> submitted her resignation at work.

The process was smooth, and nothing unpleasant happened.

Her colleagues also expressed concern, asking why she was suddenly leaving.

<Wang Manni> simply smiled and said, "I miss home."

What her colleagues thought was unknown, but each of them wore a pensive expression, their faces unreadable.

Afterwards, she arranged to meet <Zhong Xiaoqin> and <Gu Jia> again that evening for a good drink, a wild drinking session, and a farewell.

<Wang Manni> didn't know what she was bidding farewell to. Was it the city of <Shanghai>? Perhaps it was also to her past self?

Strolling along the streets, bustling with traffic by day and ablaze with neon lights by night, she unconsciously arrived at <Jiang Chen>'s coffee shop.

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