Ji Luofei had never seen such a questioning look on Shen Zhenghao's face.
She knew that if she claimed the old lady was framing her at this point, Shen Zhenghao wouldn't believe her anymore, so she stopped pretending.
She put away her concerned expression, placed the fruit on the table, and then looked at Shen Zhenghao indifferently, "Yes! Why wouldn't I take the money if there was money to be had?"
Ji Luofei's words deeply wounded Shen Zhenghao's heart. Hearing the old lady say Ji Luofei took money was one thing; hearing Ji Luofei personally admit it was another.
All along, he thought Ji Luofei's love for him was pure and sincere.
Now, he realized he had been deceived by her for so many years.
"Why?"
Seeing Shen Zhenghao's wronged and hurt expression, Ji Luofei chuckled, "You know my family is very poor, and your family is a prominent one in Jinghua City. Five million is nothing to you, but it's something I couldn't achieve in a lifetime of hard work. Since I had the opportunity, why wouldn't I take it?"
With every word Ji Luofei spoke, Shen Zhenghao felt his heart being wounded again. At this moment, his entire heart was bleeding, in immense pain.
"Then why did you lie to me? If you needed money, you could have told me. I could have helped you."
"Help? Heh... If I took your money, I would have been beneath you. My standing in your eyes would have been greatly diminished. Besides, I didn't lie to you. I just didn't tell you I took your mother's money. That's not deception."
His beliefs and the things he had always held dear crumbled. Shen Zhenghao desperately grabbed Ji Luofei's shoulders, his reddened eyes staring fixedly at her. "Since you left me, why did you give birth to Jun Shen? After we reunited, you said you loved me and wanted to be with me. Was that true or false?"
Ji Luofei expressionlessly slapped Shen Zhenghao's hand away. "Love you? What makes you so special that I would love you for so many years? To tell you the truth, the moment I decided to take your mother's money and leave, I stopped loving you. Giving birth to Jun Shen was merely to return to your side more effectively later on."
Shen Zhenghao was devastated. He staggered back a few steps in disbelief, as if he had suffered a great blow, his face completely devoid of color. "You... you don't love me anymore, why would you come back to me?"
"Guess."
Shen Zhenghao's mind was in chaos. He connected the events after their reunion and finally understood.
Ha...
He was too naive, thinking that after so many years, she still loved him. In the end, he realized he was merely a stepping stone for her to achieve her goal of getting Ding Sheng Group.
He collapsed onto the bed, clutching his head with his hands, overwhelmed by pain.
Ji Luofei looked at Shen Zhenghao coldly. She walked over and gently touched his head. "Zhenghao, you can't blame me for this. Blame your mother. She could have never told you this and we could have lived happily ever after..."
Before Ji Luofei could finish speaking, Shen Zhenghao shoved her away fiercely. "Even now, you still want to blame my mother for your mistakes, Ji Luofei, I really misjudged you!"
"Misjudged? Haha... Don't forget, after we reunited, you were the one who shamelessly insisted on getting back together. I never forced you to divorce Gu Zhiyan or leave the Shen family. Everything was your own choice."
Shen Zhenghao nodded. Yes, it was his choice.
Therefore, at this very moment, he was paying a heavy price for his decision.
Shen Zhenghao said nothing more. He grabbed his clothes and left.
Ji Luofei immediately chased after him. "Where are you going? Aren't you going to save Jun Shen?"
Shen Zhenghao's footsteps faltered. He didn't have the courage to look back at Ji Luofei, only saying faintly, "Since you never loved me, then let's end it here. From now on, you take your bright road, and I'll walk my plank. As for Jun Shen... I said, if he had never harmed A'yan, I would find a way to save him. But if he intended to kill A'yan..."
Shen Zhenghao didn't finish the sentence, but his meaning was quite clear.
Looking at his resolute back, Ji Luofei was furious. She swept the vase on the table to the ground. The flowers she had carefully arranged shattered with the vase, falling heavily to the floor in a mess.
Shen Zhenghao wandered the streets alone for a long time before gathering the courage to return to the old Shen family residence.
He knelt before the old lady, crying and admitting his mistakes, hoping she would forgive him.
It could be said that Shen Zhenghao hadn't done anything truly evil. He was simply too naive, used and manipulated by others. The old lady sighed and reached out to stroke his head. "Zhenghao, it's not too late for you to realize your mistakes. In the future, you need to keep your eyes wide open."
Just then, the relationship between Gu Zhiyan and Xie Luofeng suddenly became a trending topic.
Neither of them responded or offered an explanation. Gu Zhiyan thought about it for a long time and eventually decided to bring Xie Luofeng to the Shen family.
What Gu Zhiyan didn't expect was to encounter Shen Zhenghao at the old Shen family residence.
The three of them met, and Shen Zhenghao was the only one who felt awkward.
Shen Zhenghao spoke hesitantly, "Zhiyan, you guys..."
Gu Zhiyan was unaware of the falling out between Shen Zhenghao and Ji Luofei. She had pondered for a long time whether to bring Xie Luofeng back to the old Shen family residence, and finally decided it was necessary to give an explanation.
Gu Zhiyan ignored Shen Zhenghao and knelt before the old lady. As soon as she knelt, Xie Luofeng followed suit.
Seeing this, the old lady seemed to understand, and immediately pulled them up. "Oh, what are you doing? Get up quickly."
Gu Zhiyan shook her head and said to the old lady with red eyes, "Mom, thank you for your care and affection over the years. Being your family and living with you for so long has been the happiest thing in my life. But now... I have found someone who loves and cherishes me, and I want to be with him. I don't care what others think, I just want your blessing and approval."
After the Gu family's decline, Gu Zhiyan's parents passed away within five years. Gu Zhiyan had no siblings and was left alone.
The old lady did not treat Gu Zhiyan poorly because of this, nor did she show her a cold shoulder. On the contrary, she treated her like her own daughter.
Even when Shen Zhenghao insisted on divorcing Gu Zhiyan for Ji Luofei, the old lady firmly sided with Gu Zhiyan, expelling her own son from the Shen family. Gu Zhiyan, under the Shen family's protection, had been able to act in peace in the complicated entertainment industry.
To Gu Zhiyan, the old lady was a second parent. Even if she were to be with Xie Luofeng, this fact would not change.
Logically, Gu Zhiyan was already divorced from Shen Zhenghao, and it was none of the old lady's business who she was with. However, without the old lady's blessing and affirmation, she would certainly have regrets.