Chapter 1635: Testing the Human Heart

Feisu Chinese.

An ordinary residential house.

Huo Zhenteng was extremely cautious, ensuring no one was following him before he went inside.

However, the room was already empty, the curtains were still drawn, and there was a thin layer of dust on the tabletop, indicating that it had been abandoned for at least several days.

But a letter was left on the table.

He opened it; the letter was printed, with no signature, only a single sentence.

Do not make any moves during this period; there is a long road ahead.

Just as Huo Zhenteng left the room, someone else entered silently.

The person who entered later searched the room in detail, but the result was disappointment; nothing of value was found, not even a single fingerprint!

……

Jiangzhou University.

"Qi Shishi, someone is looking for you outside!" said a classmate from the same dormitory.

"Thank you."

She thought it was Zirui, so she ran out excitedly.

He had been watched by the bodyguards at home these past few days and had no freedom at all.

Zirui had said more than once that he would definitely get rid of his parents' surveillance and told her to believe in him.

She believed him, but the person looking for her outside was not Sheng Zirui, but Zirui's mother—Shi Youxuan!

"Hello, Auntie, are you looking for me?"

Qi Shishi was both disappointed and surprised, but she did not lose her manners.

Shi Youxuan smiled and looked her over: "Shishi has grown into a young woman; I almost didn't recognize you."

A girl changes eighteen times as she grows; Qi Shishi had changed even more.

It wasn't just that she had grown taller and prettier; the temperament she carried was completely different from before!

She couldn't quite put her finger on it right now, but it felt very familiar; soon, Shi Youxuan remembered—yes, it was the aura of a ruler!

Shi Youxuan's heart skipped a beat.

Her husband had this kind of temperament; it was more obvious on important occasions, while he usually kept it restrained.

Yet this young girl, seen again after several years, faintly carried the aura of a ruler; they had been separated by thousands of miles, so what had happened to her?

When it was discovered that she and Zirui had reconnected, her husband Sheng Hanyu had flown into a great rage, determined to break the two of them up.

Although she agreed, she had thought at the time that if they really couldn't be separated, letting Qi Shishi into the family would be fine.

She was just a young girl, after all, and having grown up in Jiangzhou, she wasn't deeply influenced by her parents and brother.

But now, just after meeting, she changed her mind.

She felt that her husband was right after all; this girl was not simple.

While Shi Youxuan was looking her over, Qi Shishi also allowed her to look with great composure.

She kept a polite smile on her face, hiding her true thoughts!

Finally, Shi Youxuan spoke again: "Shishi, this isn't the place to talk; let's go somewhere else to chat."

"Alright."

The two went out of their way to sit down at a coffee shop outside the school.

A waiter came over to hand them the drink menu; Shi Youxuan ordered a latte, and Qi Shishi ordered an extra-strong black coffee.

Soon, the coffee, with steam rising from it, was brought over.

The cup in front of Qi Shishi was pitch black; even just by smelling it, one could sense the bitterness.

Moreover, she added neither milk nor sugar.

Although she hadn't drunk it for many years, Shi Youxuan still remembered the taste.

She stirred the coffee in her cup with a spoon nonchalantly and said: "Only those who are very bitter at heart are willing to drink black coffee. I was the same as you for a period of time, drinking black coffee without sugar or milk, but later, when my circumstances changed, I didn't like it anymore."

"Many people would wonder, why would anyone like this stuff? It's simply too bitter."

"They just don't know that the bitterness of life is far more bitter than the bitterness of coffee..."

Qi Shishi listened silently.

There was no expression on her face.

But in her heart, she admitted that Shi Youxuan was right; the bitterness of life was indeed more bitter than coffee.

Those who have much bitterness do not need sweetness to soothe it, but rather need other bitterness to distract from the bitterness of life.

The taste of it can only be understood by oneself.

After listening silently for a while, she echoed: "Yes, you are right."

Qi Shishi lowered her eyes and looked submissive.

Shi Youxuan asked: "Have you been doing well out there these past few years?"

"With the care of you and Uncle, I have been living very well."

"It is not easy for a girl to be out on her own; you have been wronged. Actually, we also had our own selfish motives for not letting you stay in Jiangzhou; you have every right to blame us."

"You are too polite. Back then, it was our family that let your family down. That you and Uncle could still set aside past grievances to provide for me and adopt Shi Yuan—I am already too grateful to you, how could I blame you?"

As she spoke, she looked into Shi Youxuan's eyes; her gaze was open and honest, not like she was lying.

Shi Youxuan got straight to the point: "Whether you blame us or are grateful, I hope that you and Zirui will not have any further contact in the future, can you do that?"

Qi Shishi: "Are you worried that I will take revenge on the Sheng Family?"

"It's not just that."

There is no need to beat around the bush when talking to a smart person; Shi Youxuan made it clear: "You two are destined not to be a couple. There are many reasons, and it is very complicated. I don't need to explain it too clearly; I believe you can understand."

"Although the turmoil on the internet a while ago has been resolved, it did indeed bring our family quite a bit of trouble. We haven't found the mastermind behind it yet, and we really hope it has nothing to do with you."

Qi Shishi said, "Yes, I know. Please rest assured, I won't see him again in the future. I know we won't have a future together."

She knew about the matter on the internet, but it wasn't her doing!

She did not explain, because there was no need.

It was just that empty, verbal refutation was too pale; why would Madam Sheng believe her?

Even if she believed her, what could it change?

There were many obstacles standing between her and Zirui, and it was definitely not just this one.

Moreover, it was not convenient for people on the outside to know what she was doing now; the time had not yet come.

Since it was known that it was impossible to be together, one should not let two young people who had feelings for each other continue to associate.

The longer it went on, the more painful it would be.

Even if Madam Sheng had not come to find her today, she would have done this anyway; she and Sheng Zirui were destined to have love but no future!

Qi Shishi lowered her eyes and stirred the coffee in her cup, then picked up the cup and drank it all in one breath.

This was the bitterest cup of coffee she had ever drunk, bitterer than any other; clearly at an age of youthful heart-fluttering, she was bearing a heaviness far inconsistent with her age.

Although Shi Youxuan obtained the result she wanted, she was not happy.

……

Zirui discovered that the people tailing him had disappeared; he was free, and he happily went to find Qi Shishi.

He brought the fried dough twists she liked to eat most.

Most girls did not dare to eat these high-calorie fried foods, but Qi Shishi was an exception.

She especially liked eating high-calorie things; this kind of food was very filling, and after eating it, she could go a long time without eating anything and not feel hungry.

She was someone who had been starved since childhood, and she would always have a sense of crisis regarding hunger!

"Shi Shi, hurry and eat, it's still hot." His face was full of smiles, and he handed it over as if presenting a treasure!

"Thank you, how much is it? I'll give you the money."

The smile on Zirui's face froze: "Why do you want to give me money?"

"It's better to keep things clear; I don't like owing others."