Chapter 688 - 687: I’m Sorry

Tang Yuanxiao froze completely.

Su Li watched as Tang Yuanxiao’s pupils contracted, her mind filled with the two words he had just said: "stomach cancer."

Su Li’s body trembled. She swallowed hard and took two deep breaths before finding her voice.

"Tang Yuanxiao, what... what did you just say? You... say it again. What stomach cancer... Explain yourself."

Tang Yuanxiao was impossibly stiff. It took him a long while to find his own voice.

"I... I was just so nervous I started talking nonsense." Tang Yuanxiao’s grip on Su Li’s hand tightened and loosened, then tightened again. He wanted to let her go, to find some excuse to move past this.

But he couldn’t let go. He was incapable of letting go.

His mind was filled with the image of Su Li in their last life—an old woman.

A Su Li who had aged prematurely, who was nothing but skin and bones, who had suffered and endured an unknown amount of hardship.

A line from Yu Zhengqing’s letter in their last life had left a deep impression on him: Su Li had suffered terribly from stomach cancer, and because she had grown accustomed to the pain, her tolerance was so high it was as if she had no nerves left to feel it.

The Su Li of this life also seemed to have that same trait of being unafraid of pain. Tang Mo had mentioned it to him before.

Tang Yuanxiao hadn’t thought much of it before, but now, with the memories of his past life, this reality was heart-wrenching.

He had lived his last life in agony, but he couldn’t begin to imagine how Su Li had gotten through her days.

She had suffered so much in her early years, then was tricked and lost an eye, becoming blind in one eye. She spent half her life in a pain that most people could never endure.

And yet, this was the woman who persisted in searching for Tang Mo, who kept studying, who held onto her dreams and her kindness, always moving toward her goals.

But it was this very Su Li whose life had been cruelly snatched away by illness.

The moment he thought of it, Tang Yuanxiao was overwhelmed by a fear so great the world started to spin.

In their last life, his Tang Family had wronged Su Li so badly. Could it be that in this life, she was doomed to repeat the same fate and get stomach cancer again?

’No, that can’t happen. It absolutely can’t.’

In the end, Tang Yuanxiao didn’t let go of Su Li. Instead, he lifted his head and looked at her again.

"Su Li, go get your stomach checked."

’She can’t get stomach cancer again. No matter what, it can’t happen again.’

Su Li clenched her jaw, staring fixedly at Tang Yuanxiao without a word, but her body couldn’t stop its slight trembling.

’Stomach cancer, stomach cancer... Are those two words you can just say casually?’

’She died of stomach cancer in her past life. Only she herself knew that, unless Tang Yuanxiao... was also reborn.’

’Was he reborn because he was so severely injured?’

’Or did he regain his past life’s memories while he was unconscious?’

’If he knows she died of stomach cancer, then Tang Yuanxiao must remember everything.’

’If that’s true, then the strange feeling she’d had about him earlier would make sense.’

’Why did she suddenly find Tang Yuanxiao so odd? Because he now had his past life’s memories.’

’That’s why he gave off such a strange vibe, and that’s why he suddenly apologized...’

"My stomach... it just hurt a little. It’s nothing."

Su Li finally spoke, her gaze fixed on Tang Yuanxiao. "Tang Yuanxiao, what... what’s going on with you?"

Tang Yuanxiao knew Su Li had noticed. His heart filled with vexation and regret.

He hadn’t planned on letting Su Li know about this, but he’d lost control for a moment and let it slip.

Once bitten, twice shy.

The simple act of Su Li clutching her stomach had thrown him into a complete panic.

Tang Yuanxiao struggled to compose himself. "I... I was just worried about you."

As he spoke, he finally, slowly let go of Su Li’s hand, letting his own, slightly trembling hand fall to his side.

"A lot of serious illnesses start out as minor problems that get ignored. You have to be careful."

Tang Yuanxiao ignored the pain in his shoulder, lowering his gaze slightly as he spoke.

’He’d been so scared just now that he’d forgotten. Since Su Li also has her memories, she’ll definitely pay attention to her health. He actually... actually didn’t need to be this anxious.’

’Since she chose to get married now, it must be because she’s able to get married...’

"Remember to eat something that’s easy on the stomach, and take some medicine. You’re busy today, so I’ll head back first."

Tang Yuanxiao raised his head and gave Su Li one last, deep look. "Su Li, you... take care of yourself."

Tang Yuanxiao turned to leave but was stopped by Su Li.

"Tang Yuanxiao, wait a moment."

Su Li’s gaze fell on his shoulder. "Is your wound okay?"

Surprise flickered in Tang Yuanxiao’s eyes. The movement had pulled at his wound, and it hurt a lot, but none of that mattered.

"It’s fine. It’s already much better. It’ll heal with some rest. You don’t need to worry about me."

Tang Yuanxiao replied immediately, taking a deep breath. "Alright, I’m leaving now. You should get ready. It’s going to be a busy day, and it’s not good for me to be here. If someone saw me..."

Tang Yuanxiao rambled incoherently, about to turn and go.

Just then, Su Li suddenly spoke. Her voice wasn’t loud, but it cut through his words.

She said softly, "Tang Yuanxiao, I’m sorry."

Those two words made Tang Yuanxiao’s half-turned body freeze completely.

Su Li’s eyes were glistening with unshed tears. She fought to hold them back, tilting her face up slightly to look at Tang Yuanxiao’s profile.

"Tang Yuanxiao, I’ve also owed you an ’I’m sorry’ for a long time."

Su Li was now almost certain that Tang Yuanxiao had also been reborn, or at least had regained his memories of their past life.

He was likely well aware of her situation, and she was more or less aware of his.

There was no need to lay it all out in the open, but since they both knew, Su Li had to say she was sorry, too.

Tang Yuanxiao said he owed Su Li an apology from their last life. Well, she owed him one, too.

During their last meeting before she died in their past life, Su Li had said she hated Tang Yuanxiao, that she’d never felt she had wronged him. But deep down, Su Li knew that... those were just words said in anger.

She had felt she had wronged him.

Her hatred was only for how he had wronged her, but she had always carried self-blame and guilt in her heart. She just didn’t want to—couldn’t—admit it.

She knew the heavy burdens she had carried and the sins she had suffered in her past life. Now, she also understood the heavy burdens he had carried, and his hatred.

Between the two of them, they both owed each other an apology.

Years ago, on the day Tang Yuanxiao returned to his unit after the human traffickers were caught, she had guessed most of the truth, but she didn’t even have anyone to apologize to.

But today, she did.

Tang Yuanxiao’s "I’m sorry" had made Su Li’s tears fall uncontrollably.

And Su Li’s "I’m sorry" brought tears to Tang Yuanxiao’s eyes as well.

Tang Yuanxiao wanted to say something, but no sound would come out.

A lifetime apart, they had finally said their apologies. They had finally found release.

But for some reason, the sorrow in his heart was about to drown him.

Why? Why was fate so cruel? Why did this pain have to last for two lifetimes?

This apology, this release, had come far, far too late, whether in their past life or this one.

In his past life, he only learned the truth after Su Li had passed away. In this life, it was also too late—he only remembered everything on the day of her wedding.

He couldn’t think of any other words to describe it besides "a cruel twist of fate."

Tang Yuanxiao leaned against the wall again to steady himself. He quickly wiped the tears from the corners of his eyes, then slowly turned his head to look at Su Li.

"It’s okay, Su Li. It’s okay."

Tang Yuanxiao replied solemnly.

Su Li looked at Tang Yuanxiao, closed her eyes for a moment, and nodded, a slow smile spreading across her lips.

"Tang Yuanxiao, thank you for your well wishes. I also wish you an early start to your own happiness."

’Don’t live out your days alone like in our last life. This time, you’ve avoided Qin Shanshan, and you have a good girl by your side. Live a good, happy life.’