Because I Cannot Hurt You

Xia Liqin coldly narrowed her gaze at him. Han Tian clenched his fists at her silence. He let out a mocking chuckle. "Even after everything that happened, you still choose to have sympathy for him. Even though my sister killed herself because of that bastard, you have no qualms thinking about that man and even…" he sadly laughed, "preparing a gift for him."

She said nothing.

"So I guess all these years, you continued to maintain your 'friendship' with him, didn't you?"

"Tian, I don't want to talk about this," she stood up.

"Of course. Why would you want to talk about it? If not for you, my sister would still have been alive!"

She shook hard as her eyes turned wet. 

"But there isn't a trace of guilt in your gaze. I cannot believe that you still choose to side with that man who should suffer in hell. He destroyed everything for us and you... Guess old feelings die hard."

Xia Liqin glared at him. A tear slipped past her cheek as she trembled. "Han Tian! How many times will you say the same thing!? Guoting and I had nothing between us! We separated exactly because of this! I cannot believe that you still accuse me of having feelings for him."

"You…" Han Tian's irises were just as wet and misty as hers. "Do you think I am happy accusing you of this? I am the most desperate to cling to anything that will prove otherwise. And you say that our marriage ended because of me? Really? Even after Zongying died, you cried for that murderer instead of feeling sorry for my sister! Even though he…" he trembled thinking of the past.

Xia Liqin broke down. "You are stupid! Do you think I was happy that Zongying died?"

He chuckled. "Of course not. Because her death brought a stain on your 'good friend's' reputation that you couldn't bear at all. You actually tried to convince me that Guoting is heartbroken over what he did. He cried over her death. He blamed himself for what happened."

"Because that was true! That is still true!" She exclaimed.

"Do you think his so-called guilt will bring my sister back!? Even in those circumstances, you fought for Guoting instead of standing against him. Do you think I am blind to fall for your lies? Come on, Liqin. We are already separated now. At least…" tears streamed down his cheeks, "at least admit it now that you always loved him."

Xia Liqin clenched her fists. Even after their separation and even after all these years, his words still crushed her heart. She thought that she wouldn't be affected at this point. But in the end, she still did. 

His prickly words and his accusatory gaze still felt to her as if somebody had stabbed her heart. His refusal to believe her still left her heartbroken.

"That is not true...I am tired of telling you this. Guoting and I were only friends. I am not excusing his actions. I never did. I was the first to slap on his face for his mistake!" Her slightly red eyes glowered at him. "I was the one who was disappointed the most precisely because we were such good friends! Zongying was like my sister. Do you think I am so cruel to look away from his blunder?"

"It doesn't matter because, in the end, you begged for him, didn't you?"

"Because he was truly guilty! His mistake cannot be forgiven. But he was just as devastated and all the more because he was the reason. Tian...he is already paying for his sins. Even now when he doesn't even know the truth."

Han Tian's nostrils flared. "He doesn't deserve it either!"

"I know...I know it very well. But do you think he deserved the pain that Zongying left him years back?"

"For God's sake, he cheated on her! Do you blame Zongying for breaking up with him? And do you think that she deserved her misery as payback?"

"Of course not! There is no putting curtains to Guoting's mistake. But you cannot be biased towards Zongying. He never cheated on her, but she never believed him! Just like... just like how you don't believe me, Han Tian."

He gritted his teeth.

"I am tired of telling you that there was nothing between us. Why? Can a man and woman just not be friends? Is it so difficult to digest?"

"Yes, it is when you never did anything but protect him!"

"Haha…" she laughed at him in disdain, "You didn't change a bit, Tian. I am sorry to say that you siblings were the same. Neither you believed me nor Zongying believed Guoting. He kept screaming and screaming that he didn't sleep with that woman, but she left him without giving him any chance to speak. He built An Corps for her. He worked his ass off to stand as her equal. But what did he get? Nothing…not even her trust for whom he did everything. But how will you understand? Because you couldn't trust me either!"

"You…"

*Knock knock*

They stiffened upon hearing a knock on the door.

Xia Liqin quickly wiped her tears and so did he. She opened the door and found Xinyi standing in front of her.

"Xi-Xinyi…"

Xinyi quickly smiled. "I just came to tell you that it's time for Siying to cut the cake…"

"Of course," she awkwardly smiled back. "I-I am coming. Sorry, you had to take the trouble…"

"It's no trouble. Dad…"

Han Tian smiled. "Of course, I am coming too. How can I miss my grandson's special moment?"

They lowered their heads and walked away, keeping their distance from each other.

Xinyi stared at their backs. She had heard some of their conversations, and it matched what they knew until now. They still didn't mention what exactly happened.

But she was stunned to realize that Han Tian talked about Xia Liqin having feelings for An Guoting. Though she adamantly refused it.

Mom and Uncle An…

She found it too incredulous.

But there was another thing that bothered her.

What truth were they talking about that Uncle An still doesn't know? 

Or he doesn't deserve to know....