Chapter 148: Owe Her an Apology

Chapter 148: Chapter 148: Owe Her an Apology

Feeling the many gazes on her, Xu Qingsui pursed her lips. ’I really shouldn’t have meddled. Now I’m the center of attention again.’

Helpless, Xu Qingsui could only play dumb, shouting "Excuse me!" as she fled the scene.

Xu Qingsui didn’t breathe a sigh of relief until she was out of the laboratory building.

Thinking about what happened in Zone 9, and now running into this kind of romantic mess right after arriving in the 27th District, Xu Qingsui couldn’t help but feel a headache coming on.

’There are still four contract partners left. Is it going to be like this every single time?’

’The system told me to win over my contract partners, not help them sort out their romantic baggage!’

’This is practically a hidden quest, but unfortunately, there’s no extra reward.’

Xu Qingsui took a walk around the entire compound and couldn’t help but marvel at how large the laboratory grounds really were.

All the hardware and facilities were state-of-the-art, much more complete than at the Heiyu Alliance base.

She had been wandering around for the better part of the day and still hadn’t seen everything.

Just as she was about to head back and rest, Shen Yan appeared before her again.

"How did you know I was here?" Xu Qingsui asked, looking at Shen Yan with a hint of suspicion.

Shen Yan smiled faintly. "You’re something of a celebrity in our lab now. People notice you wherever you go. I just had to ask around a little to find out where you were."

Xu Qingsui was skeptical, but she couldn’t be bothered to press the issue.

"How is Liang Xiaoxiao? Is she awake? Did you just leave her in the infirmary by herself?"

Hearing the barrage of questions, the corner of Shen Yan’s mouth curved into a smile. "You sound a bit like a jealous wife right now."

Xu Qingsui rolled her eyes. "She’s not here, so I don’t need to play a role for you."

Shen Yan wasn’t annoyed. "I took her to the infirmary. I was worried she’d overthink things again, so I notified her family. I left once they arrived."

After hearing what Shen Yan said, Xu Qingsui stared at him. "Did you make things clear this time?"

Shen Yan nodded. "I’ve already spoken to her elders. Hopefully, she’ll be able to let go this time."

Listening to Shen Yan’s tone, Xu Qingsui gave him a contemptuous look.

’His tone implies it was all Liang Xiaoxiao’s one-sided infatuation and that he was just helpless in the situation. But when it comes to two people, it’s never just one person’s fault.’

"If you weren’t interested in her, why didn’t you make that clear from the very beginning?"

"The longer you drag something like this on, the harder it is to cut ties. The way she is now... isn’t it because you never gave her a straight answer from the start?"

Shen Yan had never imagined Xu Qingsui would point the finger at him.

Faced with Xu Qingsui’s accusation, his smile froze on his face.

"If you had shown the same resolve you did today from the very beginning and decisively cut ties with her, I believe she wouldn’t have become so obsessive."

Shen Yan was speechless, because he knew Xu Qingsui’s words were not without reason.

When he was younger, he had indeed enjoyed the feeling of being admired and followed by younger girls.

By the time he understood the ways of men and women, he had already realized that in his heart, he only saw her as a sister.

He originally thought that one day, Liang Xiaoxiao would have a sudden epiphany, just as he did, and see their relationship for what it was.

So he never brought it up, just waited for that day to come.

Perhaps because of that, just as Xu Qingsui said, Liang Xiaoxiao fell deeper and deeper, right up to this very day.

Her obsessive personality had already taken root, making some things even harder to explain.

"You owe her an apology for this. Speaking from a woman’s perspective, I hope you can help her find closure and truly move on. Otherwise, you’ll be indebted to her forever."

Shen Yan nodded. "Point taken. I’ll be sure to handle this matter properly."

After saying so much, Xu Qingsui completely lost the mood to continue her tour.

Shen Yan was also mulling over Xu Qingsui’s words. The two walked silently toward the dormitory building, not another word passing between them.

But just as they reached the dormitory, several staff members wearing ID badges approached them.

"Boss, the spot check on the Berserk Mutant samples is complete. It’s just as we predicted..."

The staff member was excited, eager to report the results.

But when his gaze swept over to Xu Qingsui, he abruptly swallowed the words that were on the tip of his tongue.

Knowing they were being guarded around her, and since she didn’t understand their experiments anyway, Xu Qingsui couldn’t be bothered to listen to all the technical jargon.

So, before Shen Yan could speak, she took the initiative and said, "I’m tired. I’m going to head back and rest. You guys talk!"

Shen Yan wanted to say something, but Xu Qingsui only left him with her back. Helpless, he had no choice but to leave with the staff members.

Xu Qingsui felt the gaze on her back disappear and knew Shen Yan had left. She couldn’t help but sigh.

Reaching her door, just as she was about to open it, she suddenly whipped her head toward the stairwell.

Sure enough, a figure emerged from the stairwell.

"I’d like to have a chat with you."

Xu Qingsui’s brows furrowed tightly as she sized up the person in front of her.

"You don’t need to be nervous. I mean no harm. I just want to have a calm and peaceful chat with you."

"I don’t think we have anything to talk about. After all, I don’t even know who you are!"

The middle-aged woman across from Xu Qingsui heard her words and chuckled, covering her mouth.

The gesture struck Xu Qingsui as familiar; it reminded her of someone.

"How rude of me. I forgot to introduce myself."

"But this isn’t the right place to talk. Could we go somewhere else, or perhaps into your room, where I can properly introduce myself?"

Xu Qingsui slowly shook her head. "We don’t need to find a special place just for an introduction, do we?"

"If someone doesn’t even have the courage to introduce themselves, then I have nothing to talk about with them."

The woman raised an eyebrow, a hint of admiration appearing in her eyes as she looked at Xu Qingsui.

"I quite like your temperament. I am Mrs. Shen, Shen Yan’s mother. Now, can we have a proper chat?"

When Zhang Yuqing revealed her identity, the way she covered her mouth to laugh suddenly overlapped perfectly with Xu Qingsui’s image of Shen Yan.

For a moment, she was stunned, not understanding why the woman had come looking for her.

’Did she hear about what happened today and come to size me up? Or is my soap-opera fortune finally arriving—is she here to threaten and bribe me into leaving Shen Yan?’

After a moment’s hesitation, Zhang Yuqing couldn’t help but ask, "Now can we find a place to talk properly?"

Xu Qingsui nodded, a little unsure of what to do. Finally, she glanced at her own room. "Let’s talk inside, then."

Zhang Yuqing nodded, gesturing for her to open the door.

Then, the two of them entered Xu Qingsui’s room together.

「Meanwhile」

Shen Yan followed the staff members to the laboratory.

At that moment, the data from the experiment was projected onto a large screen, with new conclusions continuously scrolling by.

"Boss, this time we can be certain."