Chapter 23.2
In a high-end coffee shop, an exquisitely beautiful woman was sitting by the window. After quietly instructing the waiter, her gaze fell on the young man sitting across from her.
There was no one else in the shop; it had been reserved.
The woman’s gaze wasn’t sharp, but it seemed like a blunt knife, trying to slowly cut away the calm mask on Fu Shen’s face.
She held a spoon, stirring the coffee in the cup slowly as she said softly, “You are good looking.”
Fu Shen didn’t respond.
“You also have a good demeanor.”
Fu Shen was beginning to lose patience.
“You have a promising future, so why are you being unreasonable and doing those things?” Zheng Qiuyi still used her slow and deliberate tone to put pressure on Fu Shen, “Is it for money?”
Fu Shen leaned back, not saying a single word.
Zheng Qiuyi frowned, “Why aren’t you talking?”
“Ms. Zheng, if you only want to say these things, I don’t think I am obligated to listen seriously.” Fu Shen didn’t have a good impression of her. If it wasn’t for the name Tang Zhou, he wouldn’t have come.
Zheng Qiuyi: “If you really like him, please stay away from him.”
During this time, she had heard too many rumors and knew that Tang Zhou’s affection for men had affected his position as the heir, something which made her depressed.
When she found out that Fu Shen was living with Tang Zhou, she couldn’t help but look for him.
Fu Shen sneered, “What about you?”
“What?”
“On what grounds are you saying these things to me?” Fu Shen really didn’t understand what this woman in front of him was thinking. Since she had never cared about Tang Zhou from childhood to adulthood, why was she making this kind of posture now?
Zheng Qiuyi’s expression cooled, “I am his mother.”
Fu Shen scoffed.
“What does he like to eat?”
“…”
“What does he like to wear?”
“…”
“What are his hobbies?”
“…”
“What does he want and what does he not want?”
“…”
Fu Shen stood up, his hand resting on the table as he looked down at her, “You know nothing, so on what grounds are you speaking?”
“Just because I gave birth to him!” Zheng Qiuyi’s voice was sharp.
Fu Shen didn’t agree or disagree. He saw no need to continue talking with such a twisted and obsessive person.
Zheng Qiuyi stood up abruptly, her voice deep, “Because of you, his heir status will be lost….”
“Ms. Zheng.” Fu Shen looked down at her emotionlessly, “What does that have to do with you?”
Zheng Qiuyi stared fixedly at him.
How could it not have anything to do with her! How could it not! If the child she gave birth to couldn’t inherit the Tang family, then what was the point of her endurance all these years? What was the meaning of her sacrifices and efforts over the years?
Reading her expression, Fu Shen couldn’t help but laugh.
“In your heart, your worth is only in bearing an heir for the Tang family?”
Fu Shen’s voice was low and carried an overwhelming pressure.
“You belittle yourself.”
The blood in Zheng Qiuyi’s body seemed to freeze instantly. She stood there as if spellbound, watching Fu Shen leave without uttering a word.
Yes, her value had been determined from birth. She needed to marry, to give birth to an heir, and it seemed she was nothing beyond that.
She couldn’t be like Tang Zhen, living freely, because the world was always harsher on women than on men. She couldn’t be indifferent to Tang Zhou’s heir status like Tang Zhen either, because only when Tang Zhou inherited the Tang family would she feel that her worth had been fulfilled.
Without value, what else could support her to go on?
It wasn’t that she didn’t love Tang Zhou.
How could she be willing to give up such a small child lying in his swaddling clothes? But Old Master Tang wouldn’t let her raise him, fearing that Tang Zhou would be spoiled if he was brought up under a woman’s influence.
Every time she saw Tang Zhou, she wanted to be close to him, but when she saw the calm and indifferent expression on his face, she retreated.
She thought her child was corrupted by the people of the Tang family.
And since her child was destined not to stay by her side, why should she have any lingering affection?
The betrayal of her husband, the indifference of her father-in-law and the alienation of her son, was enough to crush a fragile woman.
So Zheng Qiuyi chose to admit defeat.
Years passed and she became estranged from the Tang family, and feeling lonely, she adopted a girl and named her Zheng Xue.
She found other values in life. She made large donations to charity and could smile warmly at the children in the orphanage.
But when everything was quiet at night, the emptiness deep inside her still terrified her.
It wasn’t until the news came that Old Master Tang wanted to make Tang Tianyang the heir that she became anxious.
No matter how many years passed, she was still not resigned.
If Tang Zhou wasn’t allowed to inherit the Tang family, then why did she endure that disgusting marriage all those years ago?
Everything she did would become meaningless.
But just now, that young man ripped off her mask of calm without hesitation, broke her rotten sore, bloody and painful. Yet at the same time, it gave her a glimmer of hope.
“You belittle yourself.”
These words pierced through her glamorous exterior, tore down her defenses of over twenty years and finally made her understand.
She was too weak and incompetent! The first twenty years of her life she was like a marionette and the next twenty years she was a mess. She couldn’t even respect herself, so how could others do so?!
She had held her breath and endured over twenty years as Madam Tang, just to prevent Tang Zhen and another woman from getting their way. So now that this was the outcome, of course she wasn’t resigned!
So she came to find Fu Shen, because Fu Shen seemed like an easy target.
But how was she any different from the people who manipulated her?
Snapping back to reality, she wiped away the tears that kept falling and gradually looked resolute.
When Tang Zhou received Zheng Qiuyi’s call, he had just finished a meeting with Fu Shen and others. He asked coldly, “What’s the matter?”
He hadn’t heard Zheng Qiuyi’s voice in a long time, so when she spoke, he felt it was a bit unreal.
“I met with Fu Shen today.”
Tang Zhou was startled. His eyebrows suddenly furrowed and his voice was subtly cool: “Why did you meet him?”
Zheng Qiuyi was straightforward: “If you want to know, come and see me.”
Before Tang Zhou had a chance to respond, she hung up.
He glanced at Fu Shen, who was discussing technology with Liang Cheng and the others and a thought flashed through his mind.
Could it be that she had heard the rumors and wanted to warn Fu Shen to leave him?!
That was too dog blooded!
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Eh… she is quite pitiful, but in the same time selfish woman
Thank You for the new chapter (๑°꒵°๑)･*♡