These words, along with her itinerary, were something Meng Qi had prepared for long in advance. Her replies were well-reasoned and delivered with ease.
Qin Siye found no immediate loopholes in her statements. After a pause, he replied, "I hope not. If it turns out to be you, don't expect me to be polite."
With that, he forcefully hung up the phone.
Meng Qi put down her phone, a sly and triumphant smile playing on her lips.
It seemed Bai Lin had some brains after all. This move was masterfully designed.
She figured even Qin Siye would find it hard to pin anything on her.
Those photos were a spur-of-the-moment idea. She had arranged for paparazzi to capture them specifically, intending to use them to her advantage one day.
It seemed she had succeeded.
Qin Siye sat on the sofa, pondering for a moment before calling Zhao Ze and asking him to check Meng Qi's recent activities.
In another room, Yin Xi lay on the bed, staring blankly at the ceiling, unable to sleep.
She wondered if she had been too resolute earlier.
Ever since Qin Siye was injured, she had been the one taking care of him.
She wondered what he was busy with at the moment, if he had showered, if he had accidentally touched his wound.
Just then, her phone screen began to flash with messages.
Yin Xi's heart skipped a beat. She sat up in bed with a start and opened the message. As she had suspected, it was from Qin Siye.
On WeChat, he had written:
"Xixi, let's cancel the remaining three stars we haven't collected yet. We'll start over."
Yin Xi quickly asked, "Do you mean you forgive me for that incident?"
Qin Siye replied, "Yes. Looking at the entire situation, you are the biggest victim. I was too rigid and couldn't get past my own mental block.
However, I've come to understand now. No one can change the past. All we can grasp are the present and the future.
As you said, emotions shouldn't be entangled with other things. We should interact on an equal footing.
It's not about who owes whom, or who should make what kind of amends."
After reading his words, Yin Xi's hands began to tremble, and tears streamed down her face.
After a long while, she replied, "Okay. Good. Over these five years, you've done so much for me, and I need to settle things with you.
For example, I'll have the Yin family villa appraised and transfer the purchase price to you according to the market value."
Qin Siye quickly responded, "No need. I told you long ago, that was a gift I gave you."
"I'm already very grateful that you could help me buy it and prevent it from being damaged. But this gift is too heavy, and it's causing me a significant psychological burden," Yin Xi replied.
After a brief pause, Qin Siye wrote, "Alright. Since you feel that way, we'll do as you say."
Yin Xi added, "Calculate how much it cost for Yin Zhe's surgery back then, and all the care you've given him over the years. I'll transfer it all to you."
Qin Siye hadn't expected her to want to settle this account. After thinking for a moment, he replied, "No need. You raised three children alone for five years and endured so much hardship.
As their father, I haven't fulfilled any of my responsibilities. As for my care for Yin Zhe, let it be a mutual offset for this matter."
Perhaps only by saying it this way could that woman stop dwelling on it.
Indeed, a few seconds later, Yin Xi replied, "Okay. Then we are even, and everything starts anew."
As Yin Xi sent these words, she felt a pang of guilt.
If the accounts from five years ago were settled, what about now?
Since her return to the country, how much had this man done for her, and how many times had he been injured?
And those things couldn't be measured in money at all.
It seemed their relationship was a jumbled mess of accounts that would likely never be clearly settled in this lifetime.
While she was lost in thought, another message from the man popped up on the screen.
"Okay.
Xixi, actually, I don't want you to be so clear-cut with me, nor do I want you to feel guilty.
Many things are done out of affection. I did them willingly. As long as you can feel it in your heart, I seek no reward or compensation.
I hope we can be honest with each other from now on and truly start over."
Yin Xi couldn't help but sniffle again and quickly typed on the screen, "Mmm. I understand."
After a slight pause, the words she had been worrying about for a long time finally came out, "Did you shower just now? Did you touch your wound?"