Chapter 1514 I“m Not You 1
Qi Lei understood Liang Jing’s good intention, so he just laughed it off.He did not think about marriage anymore because he felt that he probably would never be as lucky as the others his whole life. Marriage would be a lifetime commitment, and he felt sorry that he was not brave enough to take the risk now. Neither did he know if he had the courage.
After Liang Jing left the ward, Qi Lei stood by the bed and looked at Qi Qiming for a long time. He spoke to the nurse before leaving the hospital and immediately rushed back to the office.
For the past few months, he never had time to rest and would always be busy from dusk to dawn. He devoted himself to work and had no time for breaks. Now that the company’s operations were finally on track, he could finally relax a little.
At the same time, in Dongfang Liuyun’s simple and elegant villa located at No.17 Beach Villa District, she was standing calmly on the stairs while staring condescendingly at the woman who was looking at her by the door.
The woman looked like she was in her 30s or 40s. She was dressed in a formal black dress, had a short and clean haircut, and a pair of piercing eyes that could spot everything. Although she had a fair complexion, a slender figure, and seemed full of life, she exuded the vibes of being rather domineering.
She was Dongfang Liuyun’s mother, Song Siting, a star lawyer in the legal sector. She also knew how to fight and was good at it. In the legal sector, it was normal for lawyers to often cause offense to many people, so it was necessary to learn some moves for self-defense. That was also the reason why Dongfang Liuyun was agile too. It was mostly her influence.
Song Siting became famous when she was very young at the age of 26 or 27. When she was Dongfang Liuyun’s age, she was already a well-known lawyer in the sector. She only started working with Dongfang Gan after being headhunted by Dongfang of the Dongfang Group. They then became a power couple, and Song Siting was still the senior lawyer consultant of Dongfang Gan and the chief consultant of the Dongfang Group. Her achievements were extraordinary, but she never interfered much in matters other than the company’s legal affairs. She and Dongfang Gan had clear boundaries when it came to work, but it was just portrayed as such. When they were behind closed doors, she would turn into a tigress and Dongfang Gan would be submissive, leaving everything up to her.
“Why are you here?”
Dongfang Liuyun was wearing a fitting navy blue nightgown with her waist tie hanging loose and she made her way down the stairs step by step.
Song Siting walked toward the sofa in the living room and put down the handbag in her hand. “Since you never go back, I decided to come here instead. Your father has just been discharged from the hospital two days ago and the doctor said that he needs to rest for a month. Don’t you care?”
“What should I care about?” Dongfang Liuyun glanced at her calmly as she walked to the water dispenser beside her and poured her a gla.s.s of water.
“27. You’re already 27. You know what you promised me back then.” Song Siting’s tone was very calm, somewhat robotic.
When Dongfang Liuyun heard that, the corners of her mouth curled into a faint cold smile. She pa.s.sed the gla.s.s of water in her hands to Song Siting before sitting down on the sofa opposite her and crossed her hands. “I’ve quit my job at the university, and De Bao House has also been handed over to Uncle Ming. You don’t have to be that concerned. Are you worried that I’ll hold you back? Ever since I was a child, everything that I’ve done was to bring you honor, wasn’t it?”
“I know you’re fed up with me and think that I’m too strict with you, but I’m a lawyer and I’ve seen so many cases. I know that—”
“You know what a woman should do and how she should do it in order to avoid getting hurt in the future. You want me to be resilient and independent, to endure hardships, and be a strong woman just like you!” Dongfang Liuyun cut Song Siting off before she could finish, “I know you wanted to say this, and I’ve heard enough over the years, but I’m not you. Your path may not be for me. You’ve got your own opinions, but so do I.”
“Your own opinions? Are they as dubious as your father’s? Just thinking about makes me angry!” Song Siting looked cold when she said that.
“That’s just how Father is like. He’s kind and gentle. He also values the people around him. Not every family is like what you’ve experienced so if you could stop looking at things with your judgemental eyes, and start looking with eyes that are open to learning, maybe you’ll feel much better,” Dongfang Liuyun said lightly.
Song Siting glanced at Dongfang Liuyun and said with displeasure, “You’re just like your father, always so good at talking. You can stop all your antics. I have my own concerns. You’re not always at the office, so obviously, you’ve no idea what’s going on. Did you really think your father was hospitalized for days over a simple stomach ulcer?”
“What else could it be?” Dongfang Liuyun glared at Song Siting.
Song Siting took a breath and had a few sips of water before she answered coldly, “He got injured some time ago when he went to Myanmar to see the newly mined jade. He was afraid that it might affect the company, so he rushed back to China overnight despite his injury. Your father and I were very worried about you. You’re our only daughter and the most competent heir of the company, so you’ll become their target. Moreover, you’re not familiar with the company, and you don’t have much experience either, so as a long-term plan, don’t you have a sense of crisis? Don’t talk to me about choices. This is your obligation, understand?”
As Song Siting went on, her tone became more serious. “Do you think I want to force you to hold these responsibilities? For years, I’ve fought hard for your father, and I have to manage his relationships for him. Otherwise, how could he hold his ground with his temperament? We’ve had issues with them, but our interests are above everything else. However, even if we took a step back, it would still be impossible to turn things around. Dongfang Rouer may be engaged to the eldest son of the Jin family soon, and the circ.u.mstances may be unfavorable for us. Well…Fujiwara’s coming in a few days…”
“So, that’s why you’re eager for me to come back. Do you want me to entertain him?” Dongfang Liuyun asked calmly.
Song Siting’s eyes sparkled as she looked back at her. “That’s right.”
“I remember telling you multiple times that it’s impossible between me and Fujiwara, but you seemed to be more involved than me.” Dongfang Liuyun’s tone was cold and icy, and no emotion could be heard. “I’ll investigate Father’s matters, but if you want to use my marriage as a bargaining chip, don’t blame me for turning against you. You know what my temper’s like.”