Chapter 1934: Empathizing with Others, Not Playing the Victim

Shi Youxuan's eyes lit up: "Twins?"

Qi Shishi nodded: "Mm, the doctor said it's a pair of girls."

It didn't actually matter to Shi Youxuan whether the child in Shishi's womb was a boy or a girl; what she cared about was whether Zirui and Shishi could be together.

"Shishi, you are a smart girl, so I won't beat around the bush and will speak plainly: do you hate me?"

Qi Shishi smiled: "No hate. Actually, I have never hated you all. It is our family that has owed the Sheng Family, always."

The more magnanimous she was, the more guilty Shi Youxuan felt.

Shi Youxuan said: "Let's not mention the past. Regarding you and Zirui, if we hadn't stood in your way, perhaps you would have been together long ago."

Qi Shishi kept the same smile as before and replied calmly: "If hate could solve problems, then this world would be simple. But the reason things in this world are complex is precisely because they cannot be distinguished by simple emotions."

"The fact that Zirui and I didn't end up together is only a small part due to your opposition; the main problem still lies with the two of us. So I shouldn't hate you—from beginning to end, I shouldn't."

Just from this short passage, Shi Youxuan could tell that Qi Shishi was a different person from her parents and brother!

She had a broader perspective than them, and she viewed things more rationally and thoroughly.

If one were to talk about intelligence, they were all, in fact, smart people.

But there is a difference between one kind of intelligence and another.

Old President Qi was steady, but he sought advantages and avoided disadvantages, looking only at immediate benefits without a long-term vision.

Compared to his father, Qi Heng was too emotional—possessing excess sentimentality but insufficient rationality—while Qi Shishi perfectly avoided all their shortcomings.

She was born to be a politician.

She had hot tea and juice brought in, then asked the bodyguards and servants to withdraw, leaving only the two of them in the large living room to facilitate their conversation.

Qi Shishi said to Shi Youxuan: "Auntie, I know why you came to find me today. You have accepted me, right?"

Although Qi Shishi was already the president of a country, her way of speaking made people feel very comfortable; by saying "you have accepted me," she placed herself in a humble position.

Shi Youxuan corrected her: "It's not us accepting you, but whether you are willing to accept us and forgive us? Forgive our past prejudices and opposition."

Qi Shishi: "I have never blamed you. If I were in your shoes, I would have made the same choice as you, and perhaps my reaction might have been even more intense."

"Then, will you be with Zirui now?"

"No."

Shi Youxuan:...

They already had children together; shouldn't they be together?

Qi Shishi explained to her why they wouldn't.

Because neither of them could let go of their own careers or their own countries, so those who loved each other were destined not to be together.

Shi Youxuan had always been open-minded, but now she could not understand their approach.

If you don't understand, ask.

She asked: "Since you cannot be together, why have children? Or, is the child in your womb not Zirui's?"

Qi Shishi: "The child is Zirui's."

Shi Youxuan: "Since you two already have children, why can't you be together?"

Qi Shishi: "We are us, and the children are the children. Just like love and career, they cannot be lumped together."

Shi Youxuan:...

Fine, she couldn't understand it.

Although she still possessed a youthful appearance, she had to admit that a generation gap still existed.

It was not just a gap in age, but also a gap in vision and perspective.

Shi Youxuan was very smart and wise, but her living environment and the things she had experienced were not the same as what Qi Shishi had experienced.

Because their experiences were different, their views on things were also different!

Although she didn't understand, Shi Youxuan would not impose her own thoughts and perceptions on others; she would respect the other party's opinion, no matter who she was.

Shi Youxuan asked: "Can I understand your decision?"

This request was not excessive. Qi Shishi hesitated for a moment, mainly fearing that she wouldn't be able to accept it, but it would be the same whether she said it sooner or later; she would have to know eventually.

Thus, she stated her thoughts: "After the children are born, you take one, and the other will stay by my side."

Shi Youxuan:...

If they really couldn't be together, this seemed to be the best arrangement!

One child for each, with the other's flesh and blood by their side as a memento; it could also be considered a resolution to this relationship.

It was just that, coming from the mother's own mouth, while reasonable, it was heartless!

Shi Youxuan did not try to persuade her to change her mind; for someone like Qi Shishi, the decisions she made would not be changed by a few words from someone else.

However, she still wanted to try to make her change her mind, so she told Qi Shishi a story.

It wasn't someone else's story, but her own.

She and Jin Wan'er were twins, forced to be separated from birth, and the sisters didn't meet again until they were in their twenties.

In their childhood, they both had missing years.

Without the companionship of parents, that kind of longing and bitterness was something only they knew.

Her foster father was good, but her foster mother, out of greed for her parents' pension, tried to kill her several times, and she had no choice but to pretend to be a fool to save her life...

That past, Shi Youxuan never easily showed to others.

But she told it to Qi Shishi today, and Qi Shishi listened very seriously, with full concentration, even ending up with tears in her eyes later.

She did not shed tears easily, nor did she reveal her true feelings.

But now she was genuinely moved, because what Shi Youxuan said struck directly at the most vulnerable part of her heart.

Shishi touched her belly and fell into deep thought.

She was not someone whose mind could be easily changed, but this time, she hesitated.

Shi Youxuan took an exquisite jewelry box out of her bag and handed it to Qi Shishi: "Inside is a Gold Inlaid Jade Bracelet; every daughter-in-law in our family has one, and this is the last one, which I am giving to you."

The corners of Qi Shishi's mouth turned up as she smiled, smiling very happily—a smile from the heart, not a polite one.

"Thank you, Auntie."

Shi Youxuan: "When you were just born, you actually recognized me as your godmother."

Qi Shishi understood and immediately changed how she addressed her: "Thank you, Mom."

Regardless of whether they could become true mother-in-law and daughter-in-law, Shi Youxuan already regarded Qi Shishi as family!

As long as she accepted the bracelet, it meant that she also regarded them as family.

Qi Shishi accepted it; not only did she accept it, she even wore it openly on her wrist, even when attending important occasions.

——————————————————————————————

L Country, a hotel specifically for hosting foreign guests.

Presidential Suite.

The representatives of R Country and D Country were red-faced and thick-necked, erupting into a fierce argument.

Before this, the representatives of the two countries were so close they could have shared a pair of trousers, and every time they met, they were courteous, polite, and enthusiastic.

But now, both sides were arguing until they were red-faced and thick-necked.

The cause of the matter was that the representative of R Country discovered that the President of L Country had an extra Gold-Inlaid Jade Bracelet on their wrist, and this bracelet was exclusive to the daughters-in-law of the Sheng Family in Jiangzhou.

Did that not prove that L Country really intended to hand this project over to Jiangzhou?

Now, the representatives of both countries could no longer keep their composure.

D Country representative: "Are you playing me? It's been so long; if we drag this out any further, this project will really become Jiangzhou's."

R Country representative: "You cannot be unreasonable; it was our mutual agreement not to lower the price, so how is it that now that the business is about to fall through, it has all become our fault?"

D Country representative: "In any case, everything you say is wrong; the President of L Country has already put on the bracelet that symbolizes a Sheng Family daughter-in-law, and we have been eliminated..."

R Country representative: "A bracelet cannot represent anything; let's do this..."