Chapter 568: It Was Her Doing

Chapter 568 She Did It

"Shuibing~ Waaah... Why do I have such a miserable life? What sin did I commit in my past life for fate to treat me like this?"

"I'm just a woman, working hard to run a stall, out in all weather. Is it easy for me? I swear my food is absolutely clean. They’re just targeting me because I’m a woman, trying to extort money and pick a fight on purpose."

Ji Qingqing’s eyes brimmed with tears, her nose red from crying.

Gao Shuibing pursed his lips as he applied medicine to Ji Qingqing’s arm.

"You’re always getting hurt every few days. When it comes down to it, it’s because your man's worthless."

"A woman marries to be clothed and fed. If you’d known it’d be like this, why did you even... *sigh*..."

Ji Qingqing thought of her current life and felt truly heartbroken. "What’s the use of saying all this now? It’s already like this."

Gao Shuibing put away the medicine. "You’re only in your forties. There are still decades ahead. You really gonna put up with this forever?"

"This isn’t just a day or two—it’s half a lifetime..."

Ji Qingqing lowered her head, wiping her tears silently. She understood what Gao Shuibing meant, but in matters like this, the man had to be the one to beg. If she threw herself at him too eagerly, she’d come off cheap.

Sure enough, seeing Ji Qingqing stay silent, Gao Shuibing’s tone grew slightly urgent. "Qingqing, all these years, I’ve never remarried. You must know how I feel about you, right?"

Gao Shuibing took Ji Qingqing’s hand. "You don’t know how much it hurts me every time you show up in front of me with injuries. I regret it so much—regret not making up my mind back then and letting you slip away."

"If I hadn’t hesitated back then, you wouldn’t have suffered so much. It’s my fault. You must know how I feel about you even if I don’t say it. We’ve already wasted so many years. Let’s not keep going like this, okay? From now on, let me take care of you. I’m not like that loser Su. I’ll treat you well. I’ll cherish you."

After speaking, Gao Shuibing stared intently at Ji Qingqing’s face.

Ji Qingqing’s sobs quieted. She raised a fist and playfully thumped Gao Shuibing’s chest. "It is your fault. If you hadn’t kept hemming and hawing back then, why would I have ended up with him...?"

Seeing Ji Qingqing soften, Gao Shuibing’s expression relaxed. "You knew my situation back then. My daughter seemed to suspect something between us. She stayed home all the time watching over her mother. Even if I wanted to act, I couldn’t find a chance."

"*Sigh*, forget about that ungrateful girl. After her mother passed, she holed up at school and rarely came back. Now that she’s working, she’s practically never home all year. Without a woman, this house isn’t a home at all. Don’t worry. Once you’re with me, Su Lei will be like my own son. I’ll treat both of you well. You can give me a bouncing baby boy, and we’ll live a good life together."

Ji Qingqing replied coyly, "You’re terrible. I’m already so old."

Gao Shuibing’s tone turned affectionate. "No matter your age, in my heart, you’re just like those young girls—no, you’re even better than them."

Ji Qingqing seemed to soften at his words. She frowned slightly and said, "Even if I’m willing to divorce, Su Jianjun probably won’t agree. That deadbeat's got nothing left. His two ungrateful kids ignore him, so he’ll definitely cling to me and Lei’er for dear life. He won’t let us go."

Gao Shuibing’s eyes flickered. "Qingqing, you’re not still reluctant to leave that loser, are you? Is this just an excuse?"

Ji Qingqing placed her hand over Gao Shuibing’s. "What kind of talk is that? Don’t you know how often I’ve come to you these past two years? You don’t think I only come for the money you give me, do you? You have feelings for me, and haven’t I shown you the same?"

Gao Shuibing turned his head away. "Isn’t it because that Su is useless that you come to me?"

Ji Qingqing punched his arm and turned away, her voice trembling. "What kind of person do you take me for? Do you think I’m some cheap floozy?"

"Do you know why Su Jianjun suddenly became useless? It’s me. It’s because my heart belongs only to you. I didn’t want to give myself to him. I wanted to save myself for you. It’s because I’ve always kept you in my heart, so..."

Gao Shuibing’s eyes lit up, his heart swelling with joy. Pride welled up inside him—a woman had gone this far for him.

At this moment, Su Jianjun, who had just woken up under the bed, struggled to open his eyes. Seeing the two pairs of legs in front of him and hearing the conversation between Ji Qingqing and her lover, his eyes burned with rage.

He wanted to crawl out and murder the cheating couple.

That bitch Ji Qingqing—how dare she!

He had thought it was the eerie "hehehe~" outside the window four years ago and the ghoulish face pressed against the windowpane that had traumatized him.

It turned out, it was Ji Qingqing all along.

That bitch had even taunted and humiliated him over it repeatedly, only to reveal now that she had poisoned him.

Every meal and drink he consumed was prepared by Ji Qingqing, and she had just admitted it outright.

Su Jianjun clenched his jaw until his teeth ached at the thought of the humiliation she had subjected him to over the years.

Despite his fury, he quickly willed himself to stay calm. He couldn't act rashly.

Ji Qingqing and her lover were two people. If he let anger cloud his judgment and charged out recklessly, they might just team up to silence him for good—not worth it.

Ren Shan figured any man in this situation would lose his mind. She never expected Su Jianjun to be such a coward he'd endure witnessing his beloved Ji Qingqing cheating on him right under his nose.

Swallowing his fury and hatred, Su Jianjun remained motionless under the bed, his mind trying to figure out how he'd ended up here.

He remembered going to see Su Ping, then everything went dark after a sharp crack to his skull.

Was... was it Su Ping who hit him?

Slowly, he raised a hand to touch his swollen, burning cheek; the throbbing pain and heat left no doubt.

That ungrateful bastard actually dared to raise a hand against him!

But how had he gotten here?

Did Su Ping bring him?

That idiot wasn't clever enough to pull that off.

Could it be that the lover found him unconscious on the road, intending to harm him, then hid him under the bed when Ji Qingqing arrived?

Ice-cold sweat drenched Su Jianjun. If that were the case, he was in deadly peril right now.

Once Ji Qingqing left, the lover might finish him off.

Then Ji Qingqing would be a widow, free to openly carry on with him!

Su Jianjun’s paranoia made him shudder.

He even clutched at straws, telling himself maybe the man just wanted to kidnap him and force him to divorce Ji Qingqing.

Not daring to make a sound, Su Jianjun lay still, even as the bed above him groaned under the slightest shift.