Chapter 178

She stood beneath a willow tree by the lakeside, gazing over from afar. It was unclear how long she had been watching.

Zhong Ning’s eyes met hers. She saw the girl take two steps forward, then stop abruptly, standing still in place, staring without blinking.

Xie Shiqing’s eyesight had truly recovered.

Zhong Ning shifted her gaze, lowering her eyes to the grilled cold noodles in her hand. As if she were looking at a passing stranger, she naturally looked away and continued eating her breakfast.

She had left Fengcheng because she couldn’t face it. She returned because it no longer mattered.

What was wrong with this city? Her friends were still here. A city held no inherent good or bad—it was only the emotions brought on by the people in one’s memories. She wouldn’t take it out on the city. Fengcheng was a beautiful place, and she still had a life to live, and studies to complete.

Her life was long. There was no need to waste it on someone who wasn’t right for her, no reason to let herself sink into melancholy.

Zhong Ning acted as if she hadn’t seen this person.

But Xie Shiqing was already entranced.

She hadn’t come alone—her grandmother, a relative from her mother’s side, had come to Fengcheng for a trip. Regardless of the distance between them, they were still blood-related immediate family. Although she had barely seen her a handful of times since childhood, Qi Wan had still taken a half-day off to accompany the elderly woman, leaving the rest of the day to Xie Shiqing.

Xie Shiqing felt nothing for the old lady. When the Xie family was in trouble, she had shown no support. In recent years, as the company gradually declined, it was no longer what it once was.

This visit, clearly an attempt to get close again, was easy to see through.

If it had been before, she wouldn’t have even bothered to meet her.

But then she thought of Zhong Ning. Zhong Ning cared deeply about family. So she suppressed her impatience and tried to imitate Zhong Ning’s behavior, following the old woman to the park and listening to her clumsy, awkward attempts to reconnect out of respect for her status as an elder.

It all went in one ear and out the other—she was bored out of her mind.

But what she never expected was to see Zhong Ning here.

Even from a distance, she couldn’t possibly mistake her.

It was her!

Xie Shiqing immediately left the old lady behind and ran over quickly. She ran all the way to the willow tree, stopping at a distance that wasn’t too close nor too far—just enough to clearly see what Zhong Ning looked like now.

The difference hadn’t been as obvious on video.

Zhong Ning seemed to have grown a bit taller. Her skin was tanned, but her energy was good. The smile on her face was faint—not the kind of distant smile.

It was like a cat lazing on the balcony on a sunny afternoon, nestled among flowers, napping in the shade of green leaves—a subtle and serene contentment.

She was enjoying the moment.

As their eyes met, Xie Shiqing instinctively took a few steps forward. She wanted to share the happy news that her vision had returned. But then, suddenly, she remembered—she was someone without a place, without an identity. She had neither the right nor the reason to share something joyful.

Then Zhong Ning looked away indifferently, ignoring her.

Xie Shiqing’s breath caught. A burning pain flared in her chest.

This was Zhong Ning—a person decisive to the point of coldness. She had been mentally prepared for this, yet in the actual moment, she still couldn’t face it calmly.

A thin layer of tears welled up in her slightly reddened eyes.

Xie Shiqing blinked rapidly, forcing the tears away.

Tears only had meaning when shed in front of someone who cared. For someone who didn’t, they were nothing but a source of irritation.

She no longer had the right to cry freely.

"Shiqing, why did you suddenly run off like that? What was so urgent that you couldn’t even say a word?"

An elderly woman, dressed in a gentle, amiable style, walked over. But her tone didn’t match her appearance. Though she tried hard to feign concern, the reproach in her voice was poorly concealed.

She might have fooled someone less perceptive, but to Xie Shiqing, it was as obvious as if the woman had a banner over her head.

She couldn’t be bothered to even glance at her and replied blandly, "That’s not something you should be asking."

The old woman’s expression collapsed. She was likely someone who rarely experienced disobedience in daily life, always surrounded by flattery. So even the mildest hint of defiance was unbearable, and she had no skill in pleasing others.

Several seconds passed before she managed to pull her displeased expression back into place. "I’m just worried about you, that’s all!"

Xie Shiqing tuned her out completely. It wasn’t until Zhong Ning walked into the woods and disappeared from sight that she slowly turned around and glanced at the woman. "What did you just say?"

The old woman’s face twisted again. "I said, you’re almost thirty. It’s time to start thinking seriously about your future. With such a large fortune and business to manage, you need an heir sooner or later."

"Those two are gone now. As your grandmother, I should help look after you. There are plenty of eligible single alphas in the circle. It won’t hurt to meet a few."

Xie Shiqing stared at her for a moment, then let out a cold laugh. She saw right through her intentions.

Maybe it was age, or a lifetime of pampered comfort, but the woman had lost even the ability to pretend. Her calculating, greedy motives were laid bare without the slightest attempt to cover them. It was frankly unbearable to witness.

Xie Shiqing didn’t give her a single word in response. "I’m heading back to the company. Find a driver yourself."

With that, she turned and walked off, without the slightest intention of helping her call for a car.

After just a few steps, Xie Shiqing made a call to a private investigator kept on retainer by the Xie family. "Follow someone for me."

If she wanted to know how Zhong Ning was doing now, this was the only way.

Fu Nanshuang and the others hadn’t removed her from their contacts, but they would never share any information about Zhong Ning in their posts—and there was no chance they’d reach out to her privately.

Zhong Ning had many friends, but none of them were people Xie Shiqing knew.

Only now did Xie Shiqing realize how inconvenient it was to have no friends—or more accurately, no mutual friends with Zhong Ning.

The Xie family’s private investigator was top-tier. Using someone of that caliber to follow a person like Zhong Ning, who had no sense of precaution, was frankly overkill.

Very soon, Xie Shiqing had her new address.

It wasn’t the apartment by the park where they used to live together, but another property.