Chapter 374 - How Can I Trust You?
Chapter 374: How Can I Trust You?
Su Qingsang’s tone was earnest. She repeatedly gave her word that Xiang Caiping and she would be nowhere near Lin City.
Looking at her expression, Li Qianxue immediately knew that what she was saying was trustworthy. She stood there motionlessly, the belligerent look in her almond-shaped eyes aimed directly at Su Qingsang in an unflinching manner.
What she had said made sense, but that was all there was to it.
“You mentioned that you were quite reluctant about relocating to Rong City before. Why are you willing to do that now? Do you think that I’ll believe you just because you told me that you’re willing to move? How would I know whether you will go back on your word if I let this matter rest now? What if once I walk away, you will immediately go and look for Huo Jinyao or your father to settle the score for you?”
“Auntie, if I had the intention to look for them, I could do that right now. If I am not really willing to move to Rong City, you will, after some time, also realize that I had lied to you. After all, you can find out where I am quite easily. Isn’t that so?”
Li Qianxue remained silent. The fact was that she indeed did not like Su Qingsang. Su Qingsang’s presence, to her, was like a thorn in her flesh. Su Qingsang was like a constant reminder of the reason Su Chenghui became her husband.
Su Qingsang was also a perpetual reminder of the fact that her husband did not love her, and loved another woman instead.
Shutting her eyes for a moment, Li Qianxue could feel her heart throb. She was afraid. She turned pale. She was not yet fifty years old, yet she was drawn to revisiting past memories.
Like in a recurring dream, she had questioned herself again and again: if time could be rewound and she could start over, would she have made the same decision?
It was a pity that there was no answer to that question because the time that had passed could never come back again.
She did not speak, and Su Qingsang did not know what the silence implied. She wondered if Li Qianxue planned to try her.
Honestly, if Li Qianxue insisted on physically assaulting her today, she would not be surprised.
Li Qianxue stared at Su Qingsang. The extent of her love for Su Chenghui was equivalent to the extent of the hate she had for Su Qingsang. However, no matter how much she despised Su Qingsang, she could not deny how this girl had excelled in life.
Over the course of more than twenty years, the negligence that Su Chenghui and Li Qianxue had subjected Su Qingsang to did not cause her to become rebellious or choose the wrong path.
Moreover, she became a professional in her field of work. Even if Li Qianxue chose to ignore the fact that Su Qingsang was successful in her career, privately she was grudgingly willing to acknowledge Su Qingsang’s excellence.
No matter how capable Su Qingsang was, however, compared to her own daughter, she felt that she still had some way to go. After all, Su Peizhen had joined the company at a very young age and had been assisting her with the management and handling of the company’s official ventures.
There was silence in the office. Su Qingsang took a glimpse at the time and recalled that she had a department meeting coming up in a short while…
“Junior?” There was knocking on the door and Zuo Hongchen’s voice rang out outside the office.
Su Qingsang was distracted. She gave Li Qianxue a smile, “Auntie, I’ll open the door.”
Li Qianxue remained motionless. Su Qingsang hurried to the door.
Outside the door, Li Qianxue’s personal assistant still persisted in blocking Zuo Hongchen from entering the office. Precisely due to the personal assistant’s presence outside the office, Zuo Hongchen, who was initially merely passing by, decided to find out what was going on in there.
“Junior, is everything alright with you?” Zuo Hongchen briefly scanned the personal assistant and then Li Qianxue. He felt that Li Qianxue looked somewhat familiar, but at that moment, he could not remember who she was.
“You are Dean Zuo’s son?” On the contrary, Li Qianxue was able to recognize Zuo Hongchen immediately.
Dean Zuo and Old Master Li had a deep-rooted friendship. Normally, they also got along fabulously. When they did not have any commitments, they would often go fishing together or engage each other in a game of chess.
“Yes.” At this moment, Zuo Hongchen also recognized Li Qianxue. “Oh, so it’s Auntie Li. Greetings, Auntie Li.”
“I did not expect you to already so grown up.” Li Qianxue looked at him, and then at Su Qingsang.
Zuo Hongchen addressed Su Qingsang as ‘junior’?
Zuo Hongchen recognized Li Qianxue and therefore grasped her status. He looked at Su Qingsang again. Even if he was worried that Su Qingsang would be at a disadvantage, he could not explicitly point that out at this moment.
“Junior? Do you have something to hand to me?”
“Something?” Su Qingsang was confused for a second. All of a sudden, she nodded. “That’s right. Please wait a moment.”
When Su Qingsang was in Japan, she bought a substantial number of gifts. Besides the people working for her department, she naturally got Zuo Hongchen a gift too.
She turned around to go to her cubicle and opened a drawer, retrieving an exquisitely wrapped box from it.
“Senior, this is for you. I had gone to Japan a few days ago. This is a little gift from me. I hope you like it.”
“How could I ever dislike a gift from you?”
Zuo Hongchen accepted the box from her. Even though he knew that Su Qingsang only viewed and treated him like a peer from the same school, he still felt somewhat joyful and excited.
“Thank you.”
“You’re being too formal.” Su Qingsang broke into a smile. “So are you here to claim your gift?”
“Of course not.” Zuo Hongchen was thinking about the notice that the hospital had given him. “I still have another matter which I wanted to tell you about.”
“What is it?”
“You are aware that our hospital and Song City’s main hospital have an ongoing partnership. During this period of time, they are planning to engage in some medical research. The area of research includes a subject you are interested in. I have already recommended you to our hospital’s management. You will be able to go to Song City as a doctor on exchange to learn from the local team, share your expertise and exchange ideas and knowledge with them.”
“Really?” Su Qingsang was immediately energized by this prospect. “When do I go? How long is the exchange program?”
“It’s approximately half a month.” Zuo Honcheng glanced at Su Qingsang when he spoke. “You don’t have to be in a hurry to make a decision. After all, you must know that when you return from this exchange program, it will be almost the New Year.”
Su Qingsang had a look of panic on her face as she suddenly thought of her current status as a married woman. If she were to travel to Song City for this work trip, she should discuss it with Huo Jinyao first.
“Yes, I understand that.”
“You can take some time to consider this offer. If there is no problem, you can submit your name to the management tomorrow. This decision ultimately lies with you.”
“Sure, thank you, Senior. I really appreciate this.”
“You don’t have to stand on ceremony with me.” Zuo Hongchen held up the gift box in his hand as he spoke. “I should be the one to thank you instead.”
After he had finished speaking, his eyes fell on Li Qianxue, who was standing nearby. “I guess Auntie Li still has something to say to you? I’ll take my leave first then.”
“Okay.” Su Qingsang gave him a nod, but she heaved a sigh of relief in her heart.
Based on her observation of her father’s wife throughout the years, Li Qianxue cared a lot about others’ opinions of her. Due to that fact, she predicted that Li Qianxue would not threaten to assault her again as she did just now.
After Zuo Hongchen left, the personal assistant closed the door again. The two of them were left alone again.
Su Qingsang gave an inward sigh. Facing the hostile look on Li Qianxue’s face, she really felt that she might not be able to hold her ground any longer.
“Auntie, aren’t you going to work today?”
Li Qianxue scanned Su Qingsang’s face coldly. She felt an overpowering sense of frustration and dislike.
“Doesn’t the company still have your father? Don’t worry, I’m just absent from work for a day. Li Corporation will not fall because of that.”
Su Qingsang had no idea how to respond to that statement. However, she knew that Li Qianxue obviously was still mad at her. She sighed inwardly and started to speak again.
“Auntie, I guarantee that I will take my mother and return to Rong City with Huo Jinyao as soon as possible.”
“Return to Rong City?” Li Qianxue scoffed coldly. “Your senior just recommended you to go for an exchange program you seem highly interested in. You don’t want such an opportunity?”
Su Qingsang was at a loss regarding what to say. As Li Qianxue was making things difficult for her on purpose, she suddenly realized that she could not really handle that.
Her fear of Su Chenghui did not have such an impact on her. However, she was substantially more affected by the fear that Li Qianxue instilled in her. It was a kind of fear that chilled her bones, and she was always wary of her stepmother, sometimes more than she was aware of.