Chapter 375 - I did not mean it that way
Even if that was the case, Su Qingsang still tried her best to convince her. “Well, you’ve heard it too. There are two weeks left. Once I get back, it’ll be the New Year, and we’ll be leaving at that time.”
Li Qianxue had actually planned to leave the hospital already; she had indeed been rash in her actions today.
In truth, she should never have been here to look for Su Qingsang at all. She should never have come and conducted herself poorly at the risk of tainting her reputation.
However, looking at Su Qingsang’s disposition at this moment caused her to feel fed up. “Look, you had explicitly stated before that you’ll leave immediately, yet now you have changed plans and will only depart in half a month’s time? Then do I assume that after half a month, you’ll say that you’ll consider whether you want to leave or not after you spend New Year’s here.”
“Auntie, I did not mean it that way at all.”
“Then what is your intention? Half a month…isn’t that enough time for your father and that…and your mother to rekindle their love?”
When the words ‘rekindle their love’ left Li Qianxue’s lips, her voice seemed to be coming out between her teeth like hisses.
Li Qianxue’s demeanor reflected that she was seething with rage, and this attitude caused Su Qingsang to shiver involuntarily. She started to speak after a second thought. “Auntie, you’re over-thinking. It is impossible for my parents to rekindle their love for each other.”
Li Qianxue responded with silence. She did not believe Su Qingsang’s claim the least bit.
Su Qingsang sighed inwardly once again. She realized that the number of times she had sighed today was substantially more than during the previous year.
“Auntie, I am aware that you don’t believe me, and I understand why. I am also aware that you take no liking to my mother, and find it difficult to believe that my mother returned without any motives. However, I still want to tell you that any relationship between my parents is impossible.”
“You’re not your mother. How do you suppose you can make promises in her place?” Li Qianxue could not help herself from rebuking her.
“I’m indeed not my mother, but I stand behind my words because my mother is not just someone from my father’s past. She is also a mother.”
Su Qingsang had been a silent observer during this period of time since Xiang Caiping’s arrival. She had long learned to read Xiang Caiping’s mind with clarity and accuracy.
“Even if my mother loves my father again, she will not be together with him. The reason being she had acknowledged me as her daughter and realized how I have been treated by Su Family all these years we have been asunder. When she was living in Rong City, she was always under the impression that I am living well here.”
“She thought that I had a good life until she found out that I face the social stigma associated with being an illegitimate daughter, that I was labeled as a bastard, that I have been neglected and disregarded by my father for so many years. Auntie, I’m not accusing anyone, nor am I putting the blame on anyone. In truth, it pains my mother to know how I had been treated. She will never reconcile with my father.”
“She blames my father and hates him with a vengeance. How would she be willing to rekindle any kind of relationship with him? She cannot forgive my father and is not even willing to speak to him.”
“Auntie, actually I have no reason to lie to you about these things. I just want to let you know that there are things that are not like how you are picturing them. Anyway, regardless of whether you believe me or not, it is impossible for my mother and my father to get back together.”
Li Qianxue remained silent as she listened to Su Qingsang. She gave a cold laugh when Su Qingsang finished speaking.
“You’re trying to say that our family did not take good care of you? You’re saying that this is the reason why your mother hates us?”
No wonder she went to make things difficult for Su Peizhen. This was the reason behind it.
“Auntie,” Su Qingsang was starting to feel exasperated. Her main point was not how the Su Family had treated her. “As I’ve said before, I am not trying to put the blame on anyone. Honestly, I really don’t blame anyone at all.”
If the blame had to fall on something, it would be on fate or destiny.
She was all grown up now, so she would let go of what had happened in the past. Moreover, an official wife and an old flame would never be on cordial terms. She did not want to be embroiled in a feud between people of the previous generation at all.
“It’s good that you don’t blame anyone. I think you don’t have the right to blame me anyway.”
There was a considerable number of families in Lin City with illegitimate daughters. How many of those would take in an illegitimate daughter and bring her up?
How many people did she have to put up with who had secretly mocked her for the situation she was in? How many grievances did she have to bear because of Su Chenghui? Because of Xiang Caiping, she had been experiencing Su Chenghui’s cold shoulder towards her for much of her life.
In this kind of situation, she would be a magnanimous person if she did not make things difficult for Su Qingsang. It would be too much to ask of her for her to get along with that pesky child.
That was totally impossible.
Su Qingsang listened to the pompousness in her tone and nodded. “Yes, Auntie, I have said that I don’t blame you. However, I also ask for your trust. No matter how my mother had neglected me in the past, she will definitely make up for that in the future. She will take good care of me, so no matter where I suggest going to, she will definitely come with me.”
“As for me, you do not ever need to worry that I will not leave, because Huo Jinyao is originally from Rong City.”
She spoke earnestly and sincerely. She meant every single word she had said.
Li Qianxue looked at Su Qingsang for a long time. She had no plans to linger there any longer. However, she still threw out a cold response.
“I’m not worried at all. I just hope that you’ll do as you say.”
In fact, she had never wanted Su Qingsang to stay in Lin City. She had never wanted Su Qingsang to be within her line of sight.
Now that Su Qingsang was willing to leave of her own will, she felt like she could not have hoped for anything more.
Su Qingsang was a little exasperated by her tone of voice. Why had she not realized it before? Why had she not realized that Li Qianxue’s pompousness and hostility were so blatant?
“Then… Auntie, I’m going to go for a meeting. You can…”
Li Qianxue glared at her. Was she chasing her off? If it were not for the fact that she wanted to vindicate her daughter, did Su Qingsang think that she would be willing to come to this place that reeked of the smell of disinfectant?
Li Qianxue looked slightly hostile as she whirled around and headed for the door.
Su Qingsang did notice that her concluding words did not seem appropriate. However, she had already let them slip. When she returned to her work desk to take a folder and a notebook, she spotted the box that was still on it.
After some thought, she subconsciously picked the box up and presented it to Li Qianxue just before she opened the door.
“Um, Auntie, this is a little souvenir I have bought in Japan. It’s for you.”
Li Qianxue almost laughed out in exasperation from Su Qingsang’s action. She scanned the box, which had a blue ribbon on it, with her eyes.
“Did you buy too many gifts? Don’t you have enough people to give your gifts to, so you’re giving it to me? Are you trying to deter me from pursuing the issue of your mother’s presence?”
Su Qingsang forced herself to remain composed. She spoke with extreme calmness, “How is that possible? I have meant to give this to you in the first place. It is true. I had previously planned to give this to you personally at the family house after work.”
Li Qianxue watched as Su Qingsang lied without so much as a blink and let out a snigger. She did not take the box and instead gave her personal secretary a look. Her secretary took the box from Su Qingsang with a scornful look.
Because of this little sudden initiative, Li Qianxue stopped in her tracks.
“Su Qingsang, don’t try to act clever around me. You will come to know that that is a mistake.”
“How would I?” Su Qingsang blinked and looked absolutely sincere. “I really meant it as a genuine gift for you.”
Even if she did not feel this way, she could only carry on with her pretense after Li Qianxue’s little warning.
Li Qianxue completely ignored her and left with an icy expression and a click of her heels.
Su Qingsang let her head drop forward after Li Qianxue had gone. Talking to her stepmother was completely exhausting.
However, she definitely had to give careful thought to leaving Lin City.
There was still a month left until the New Year. After going to Rong City for the exchange program for two weeks and coming back after that to pack up her belongings and settle her work matters, she would leave for Rong City.
She would tell Huo Jinyao about this matter tonight.