Because I Cannot Hurt You

An Guoting stiffened.

Han Zongying had tears in her eyes as she clenched her jaw.

"She left you, or you dumped her, and now what? You are still targeting a rich woman, aren't you? Sister-in-law was just an excuse, right?"

He blankly stared at her.

"Why are you here, An Guoting!?" She burst into rage. "After cruelly betraying me by sleeping with a bitch like He Lijuan, what face do you have to come here!? Or did you think that I might have let it go since nine years have passed? Did you think I forgave you?"

An Guoting kept quiet.

Then a wry smile lifted his lips. "I see," he finally spoke, "After all these years, you still believe that I betrayed you."

She laughed as a tear slipped by. "What do you mean by 'still believe?' I saw it with these eyes. E-everybody did, and you are talking as if it was all a mistake? You are still denying everything even though you were caught red-handed!" Han Zongying broke down.

An Guoting took a slow, deep breath and shut his eyes. A minute later, he opened them and looked at her.

"I am leaving."

Han Zongying rapidly blinked her eyes. "What?"

"I said I am leaving. I don't expect you to believe me, but I will still say it. I didn't know that the woman Liqin wanted me to meet was you."

She gritted her teeth. "You are lying again. You knew. That's why you came. You and sister-in-law are good friends. Of course, she told you about me."

He paused.

"Alright. Maybe I came here because I knew about you. But why did you agree to this meeting? Liqin is your sister-in-law. Naturally, she must have told you the identity of the man you are going to meet."

She stiffened.

"So why did you agree if you knew it was going to be me?"

"I had no clue! She kept it all a secret from me."

"It's the same here. I asked who my date was, but she said I would know during the meeting only. I didn't even know she married your brother. She said she would reveal it today. So I was just as clueless as you. But I don't expect you to trust me," he smiled. "Just like you didn't trust me before."

Han Zongying was blank. "Are you accusing me even though I was a victim of your betrayal?"

"I don't want to go into all that now, Zongying. I am not going to try to prove myself innocent again. I already did that years back, and once was enough to make me feel tired."

She froze.

"Considering our history, I wouldn't have agreed to this meeting. But Liqin was being all excited and mysterious about it. She didn't know our past. It is a misunderstanding. You don't want to bear my face, and neither did I want this to happen. So we can call off this date."

Something in his voice…

Han Zongying didn't know what, but his voice, his demeanor, his gaze and his aura... everything had changed.

An Guoting walked past her and left the room. 

Han Zongying was too stunned by his change that she couldn't react at all.

A few minutes later, Han Liqin stepped in. She bit her lip and shut her eyes, feeling guilty and embarrassed.

An Guoting told her about his past with Han Zongying in short. She was shocked to the core. She never thought that the boyfriend her family was cursing all these years would turn out to be An Guoting.

"Zongying…" She put her hand on her shoulder. "I am really sorry. I didn't know about you and Guoting. Trust me. I would have never set up this meeting if I knew about you. I should have told you who he was…"

Han Zongying trembled. "H-He told you about us?"

"Yes," she pursed her lips. Then she hesitated but eventually said, "Zongying. Please don't take me wrong or be biased. I like you as much as I like Guoting. As his friend, I feel it's my duty to say that... Guoting could never cheat on anybody. I know him well. He is not that kind of a man. He is way too sincere and loyal to cheat."

Han Zongying glared at her. "You…Even you!"

"I am just saying that I find it too unbelievable. Guoting can never hurt anybody's feelings. Sometimes, he has even hurt his own by caring too much about others."

"Enough! I saw it with my eyes, and you say I was mistaken? They were naked inside the blanket, for God's sake! Wrapped in each other's embrace! Are you defending that?"

"No! Zongying, I don't mean like that-"

"Disgusting! I cannot believe that you would side with him. Aren't you a woman too? Would you be able to bear it if bro did something like this?" She cried.

"Tian would never cheat on me. Just like Guoting would never do on his girlfriend. I am just trying to say-"

"Say that I was wrong," she smiled, "First Guoting did and now you…I have been suffering for nine years now, and how easily you switched sides, sister-in-law. You used to say that you would beat the hell out of that man who hurt me. But now you are speaking up for him."

"Because he isn't some stranger. He is a friend I know well, Zongying. I can vouch for his innocence. That's why I feel that what happened was really bizarre."

She exclaimed in a fury. "That's it! As if I haven't suffered enough! I am leaving. Would you please do me a favor? Please don't set any more dates for me and make my life miserable."

Han Liqin stiffened.

"Zongying I-I just want good for you-"

"I don't want you to want good for me, so you can stop here, sister-in-law."

Han Liqin felt hurt. Even so, she faintly smiled. "I am sorry, Zongying…"

But she didn't pay attention and stormed off the restaurant with tears in her eyes.