Chapter 46: Entanglement

After saying this, she paused, gesturing for Ning Shuyi and his partner to remain silent. She then crept toward the door, cracked it open just a sliver, and listened carefully to the sounds outside.

The muffled noise of a television drifted in, accompanied by the sounds of the elderly couple in the kitchen, chatting as they washed the dishes.

Zhang Guanghui finally let out a breath of relief. She carefully closed the door again and returned to sit at the foot of the bed. "So many years have passed, and my parents have been so wonderful to me—even children born to their own parents might not be as lucky as I am. They spent their whole lives away from home, working diligently and tirelessly, just to create a better life for me and ensure I received a good education. I wouldn't dare claim to be a great success, but at least I have a decent job and can hold my own. And now, Deng Qingrong just pops up, wanting me to acknowledge her as my mother and expecting me to support her in her old age!"

Zhang Guanghui was panting, as if she had just finished a marathon. It was clear that this situation had made her absolutely furious, and the effort of holding back her rage was evidently a difficult task.

"Of course, I couldn't agree to such an unreasonable demand. It would be unfair to me, and it would be unfair to my parents." She was clearly trying hard to sound objective and detached, though with little success. "So, I refused her and warned her not to bother my parents or interfere with my life. But Deng Qingrong didn't listen to a word I said. In the end, she snuck around and found my boyfriend—no, I should say my ex-boyfriend now."

The title clearly stung. Tears welled up in Zhang Guanghui's eyes, spilling over her cheeks before she could stop them. Ning Shuyi handed her a tissue. Having likely been suppressing her emotions for some time, the small gesture of concern from a stranger caused her composure to break instantly. She covered her eyes with the tissue, trying to stifle her sobs, but her shoulders shook, and the tissue was quickly soaked with tears.

Ning Shuyi sighed softly. Seeing that her distress was uncontrollable and knowing they couldn't let the elderly couple outside discover them, she couldn't offer vocal comfort. She simply kept passing her tissues, hoping Zhang Guanghui would vent her emotions quickly so they could resume a calm conversation. She was usually patient with these things, but she worried that Huo Yan, who was always so brisk and efficient, might grow impatient with this display of emotion.

However, glancing over, Ning Shuyi noticed that there wasn't a trace of impatience on her partner's face; instead, he seemed deep in thought.

After a while, Zhang Guanghui seemed to have cried herself out. The initial surge of emotion had ebbed away with her tears, and she stopped, wiping her eyes with a look of exhaustion. "I'm sorry. I've been so devastated by this lately that I haven't been able to keep my emotions in check. Please excuse me."

Her voice was thick and nasal from crying. "I had been with my ex-boyfriend, Cao Haiguang, for nearly three years. He was the one who pursued me at the beginning, and we got along quite well. But when we started talking about marriage, we ran into trouble. His family background was much better than mine, and he was also slightly younger than me, so his parents disapproved of our relationship. Because of this, we were under a lot of pressure, and cracks began to form. Cao Haiguang was indecisive; he couldn't let go of our three years together, but he didn't dare defy his parents. He was already struggling when Deng Qingrong decided to pour oil on the fire.

"I don't know how she found him, but she told him she was my biological mother. She said all sorts of nonsense, implying in every way possible that he, as the 'future son-in-law,' would have to provide for her later on. Cao Haiguang was already wavering, and after hearing that, he got scared. He chose to listen to his parents and broke up with me."

"So that's why you went to confront Deng Qingrong?" Ning Shuyi asked.

"I didn't go to confront her! I went to set things straight! She came to me first! She showed up at my workplace and told me that if I didn't acknowledge her, she wouldn't just wait at the gate next time—she would tell everyone she was my mother and walk right inside to find me! She said we looked so much alike that anyone with eyes could see we were related, and she didn't even need a DNA test for people to believe her."

Zhang Guanghui said, feeling wronged, "She also said that if I didn't acknowledge her, she would go to my boss and claim I was an unfilial daughter who refused to support her own mother. She said my boss was too busy to look into the truth. She even claimed she knew people were always online and that if she made a scene, it would go viral. She said she had nothing to lose, so she wasn't afraid of me. I didn't know the relevant laws at the time and was terrified. It was only after I looked it up later that I realized that since she abandoned me at birth, she has no right to demand support from me. That’s why I went to talk to her."

"It didn't go well, did it?" Ning Shuyi prompted her to continue.

Zhang Guanghui bit her lip and nodded. "We couldn't reach an agreement. We ended up arguing."

"And staying home since then—are you actually sick, or is there another reason?" Through their brief conversation, Ning Shuyi had realized that while Zhang Guanghui was mentally exhausted, she didn't seem physically ill.

"It’s a bit of both," Zhang Guanghui answered straightforwardly. "On one hand, the series of blows made me lose all confidence in my future, and I felt so disheartened that I couldn't sleep at night. I was in no state to teach. On the other hand, I’m uneasy. I’m afraid Deng Qingrong will actually show up at my house and spout nonsense to my parents and upset them. Since she could find Cao Haiguang and my workplace, I believe she’s capable of anything to get what she wants. So, I took sick leave to stay here in case she shows up. Even though I worked hard to get this job, if it’s going to be affected by this, then so be it. I can always start over somewhere else. My parents raised me and sacrificed so much for me; I haven't even had the chance to repay them yet. If I can at least shield them from someone like Deng Qingrong, that’s the least I can do."