His Addiction - Chapter 29
Hearing this, Liang Mushi shifted uncomfortably. “Grandpa, arranged marriages are outdated. The Qing Dynasty is long gone. This is the age of free love!”
Grandpa Liang refused to budge. “You’re free enough as it is. You think we don’t know you’re still secretly racing? Mu Zhi, you’re an adult. There are some things you need to understand. You can’t always have what you want. Your marriage with Zhi Zi was decided by me and your Grandpa Xu. Although he’s passed away, I’m still alive, and that engagement still stands.”
Liang Mushi was so angry he wanted to curse, but it was Grandpa Liang, so he had to choose his words carefully.
Suddenly, he remembered something and turned to Xu Zhi. “Xiao Zhi Zi, you say something too. Marriage is such a big decision; how can…”
He trailed off.
Xu Zhi’s head was bowed, tears streaming down her face.
Everyone looked at her.
Xu Zhi bit her lip, struggling to speak. “I’m sorry… Aunt Liang… I didn’t mean to lie… I’m… I’m sorry…”
Her mind was in turmoil. She felt wronged and humiliated, unsure why she was sitting here, why she had agreed to this dinner, why she had to face these accusations.
“You should apologize to your uncle and aunt, and to your Grandpa Liang,” Xu He Ping said, suppressing his anger. “Will you ever lie again?”
Xu Zhi hunched her shoulders, feeling like their gazes were piercing her skin.
Her voice was soft, choked with tears. “I won’t lie again. I… I really didn’t mean to…”
Liang Mushi was silenced, a sharp pain stabbing at his heart.
Xu Zhi was so sensitive. He didn’t care about being reprimanded, but she was always the obedient, well-behaved girl in everyone’s eyes. She had probably never been interrogated and accused like this before.
His mind went blank, his heart aching. He couldn’t speak.
Zhao Nianqiao tried to defuse the situation. “Lao Liang, Zhi Zi was wrong, but we’ll talk to her. This won’t happen again, okay?”
Liang Zhengguo wasn’t really trying to make things difficult for Xu Zhi. Now that the girl was crying, he couldn’t continue. “Alright, let’s not talk about it anymore. I know Zhi Zi is sensitive. I wasn’t trying to be hard on her. But I felt this needed to be addressed. Let’s eat.”
They were supposed to be eating, but no one had the appetite anymore.
Xu Zhi tried to stop crying, but she couldn’t. Her tears flowed uncontrollably.
This was the most humiliating experience of her life.
All the委屈 she had endured recently surfaced, and she felt like she was about to break down.
She wondered if she wouldn’t be so heartbroken if she didn’t love Liang Mushi. She hadn’t fully recovered from the pain of heartbreak and now had to face this.
And Chen Jing, the favored one, remained untouched, spared from scolding and accusations. She could act spoiled with Liang Mushi, and he would indulge her.
The shadow that had loomed over her since childhood returned, engulfing her completely. All of this just proved that she was unlovable.
Silence fell over the table. Although the others tried to pretend nothing had happened, Xu Zhi’s choked sobs broke the quiet.
Xu He Ping scowled and yelled at her, “Stop crying! You’re the one who did wrong. You have no right to cry!”
Zhao Nianqiao frowned, then forced a smile and said to Grandpa Liang and Liang Zhengguo, “We’ve almost finished eating. I’ll take Zhi Zi home now. You continue your conversation.”
She stood up and pulled Xu Zhi up. “Let’s go home.”
Xu Zhi, unable to control her emotions, wiped her tears with the back of her hand and stood up obediently.
However, her wrist was suddenly grasped.
Liang Mushi had grabbed her hand.
He opened his mouth, but before he could speak, Xu Zhi pulled her hand away.
After Zhao Nianqiao and Xu Zhi left, Liang Mushi stared at his empty hand.
Xu Zhi hadn’t even looked at him as she left.
Spoiled and arrogant, Young Master Liang had never known self-reflection.
He hadn’t thought he had done anything wrong, whether it was fighting for Chen Jing or asking Xu Zhi to lie for him. But now, he suddenly wondered if he shouldn’t have done that.
Xu Zhi had been crying so hard. He hadn’t seen her cry like that in a long time.
Actually, Xu Zhi used to be a crybaby. Only he knew.
Xu He Ping favored sons over daughters and had always been harsh towards Xu Zhi. Zhao Nianqiao would also sometimes blame her daughter for her own misfortunes. When she was young, Xu Zhi often cried because of this, feeling unloved by her parents.
He had always been the one who listened.
He would pat her back like a little adult, telling her that everything would be alright, that she had him, and that he would always be there for her.
He had said “You have me” so many times that it seemed to have worked. Xu Zhi had become dependent on him, gradually growing stronger, no longer dwelling on her parents’ mistreatment.
He couldn’t remember the last time she had cried like that.
Lost in thought, Liang Mushi didn’t realize when the dinner was actually ending. He abruptly stood up and strode out of the room.
“Mu Zhi, where are you going?” Fu Wanwen called after him.
He didn’t answer, didn’t look back. He ran out of the house, stopping only when he reached the Xu family’s gate. He rang the doorbell repeatedly.
Zhao Nianqiao remotely unlocked the gate. Liang Mushi ran into the house, slightly out of breath. He asked Zhao Nianqiao, “Aunt, where’s Xiao Zhi Zi?”
“She went straight to her room,” Zhao Nianqiao shrugged. “I think she’s still crying.”
“I’ll go see her,” Liang Mushi said, heading towards the stairs.
“Wait,” Zhao Nianqiao stopped him. “Mu Zhi, from what you said earlier, you don’t want to go through with the arranged marriage with Zhi Zi, right?”
Liang Mushi froze.
“Right?” Zhao Nianqiao pressed.
“I…” He hesitated. “I just think arranged marriages are an old-fashioned concept. My generation thinks differently.”
Zhao Nianqiao: “Don’t beat around the bush. You don’t like Zhi Zi, do you?”
The question was too direct, and Liang Mushi found it difficult to answer. After a moment, he said, “Xiao Zhi Zi is a very important friend. I see her as a little sister.”
Zhao Nianqiao stared at him, scrutinizing him.
Liang Mushi shifted uncomfortably. “Aunt, I want to go check on her.”
Zhao Nianqiao moved to block him.
“In that case, please keep your distance from Zhi Zi. You’re both adults now.” Her voice turned cold. “You’re not bl00d-related. Don’t call her your sister. It’s not good for Zhi Zi, and it will hurt your future girlfriends.”
Liang Mushi was stunned.
He hadn’t expected Zhao Nianqiao to forbid him from seeing Xu Zhi.