Free Web NovelChapter 227: Chapter 227: Choice
Su Li averted her gaze, unable to look at Tang Yuanxiao’s expression any longer.
She looked at Orchid by the door and slowly began to speak.
"You probably haven’t had a chance to hear about what happened these past few days. Let me give you a brief summary..."
Su Li briefly recounted the events of the past few days, including being a suspect, Little Tang Mo being snatched, and what her supervisor had said.
"...What my supervisor said was a wake-up call. The way I am now is a complete mess. It’s not good for you, not good for Little Mo, and not good for me. So..."
Su Li looked at Tang Yuanxiao seriously. "From now on, please bring Little Mo to see me as little as possible. If you don’t have to come, then don’t. He needs to get used to this situation."
Su Li took a deep breath. "In a month, your promotion will be confirmed, and the news of our divorce can be made public. After that, I’ll have no reason to see him, and I won’t."
"I know it will be hard for him at first, but he’ll slowly get used to it. After all, we haven’t spent that much time together... It’s better to rip the band-aid off. Dragging this out would be worse for him, and... not good for you either."
It took Tang Yuanxiao a long moment to find his voice. "Su Li, no. It’s not bad for me and Momo. The way things are now is fine..."
Su Li shook her head, cutting him off. "No, it’s not fine. It’s not fine at all."
Su Li raised a hand to wipe her face. "I don’t even dare to think back on it. I don’t know how my life ended up like this. It... it wasn’t supposed to be this way."
"It all turned out this way because I was indecisive, soft-hearted, and couldn’t let go."
Su Li forced a smile that was uglier than tears. "Tang Yuanxiao, we both know there’s no future for us, no possibility. You should... just let go."
’After the divorce, I should have been firmer in my refusal. But because I was soft-hearted, because of everything Tang Yuanxiao did, because of Little Tang Mo, it’s dragged on to this point.’
"They say you don’t turn back until you’ve hit a wall, and you don’t shed a tear until you see the coffin. After everything that’s happened, I’ve hit my wall and seen my coffin. It’s time to turn back and shed my tears."
Tang Yuanxiao’s face was stiff as he shook his head. "No, it hasn’t come to that. Su Li, I won’t let go."
Su Li looked at him and sighed. "Why won’t you let go? What’s the point? I know that deep down, you understand why I’m doing this."
"No, it hasn’t come to this. Su Li, don’t push both me and Momo away all at once."
Tang Yuanxiao refused to accept her words. "I know you’re in pain because of my mother. I’m so sorry, and it breaks my heart. I’m so ashamed I could die, but I still don’t want to let go... As long as we try, we can overcome this..."
Tang Yuanxiao spoke loudly, but if one listened closely, they would find he lacked conviction.
Su Li could hear it.
’How could he be full of conviction? After all, he’s dealing with the mother who gave birth to him and raised him.’
’Mrs. Tang’s attitude was already crystal clear.’
’As a mother-in-law in ancient times, she could have directly divorced her daughter-in-law. In modern times, mothers-in-law don’t have that power, but how many marriages have been called off or ended in divorce because of parental disapproval?’
Lost in thought, Su Li sighed. "Do you know why I told you to leave quickly at the hospital after your mother came and made a scene?"
The corners of Su Li’s mouth twitched. "Because I didn’t want to take my anger out on you. I know you are you, and she is she. So I held back from blaming you, held back from getting physical, and held back while I handled everything."
’I don’t want to be some sanctimonious Mary Sue, but I couldn’t actually hit Mrs. Tang.’
’Behind Mrs. Tang are Tang Yuanxiao and Little Tang Mo. Hitting her might have felt good for a moment, but what about afterward?’
’Because of the divorce’s impact, Tang Yuanxiao’s promotion is still up in the air. If I hit her and it ended up causing a scandal about a daughter-in-law hitting her mother-in-law, or if our divorce was exposed at such a critical time, what would happen to his future?’
’Everyone wants to live freely and do as they please, but you still have to have principles.’
’I can’t completely forget Tang Yuanxiao’s feelings for me, all the good things he’s done.’
’Mrs. Tang doesn’t care about Tang Yuanxiao or anyone else, but I can’t be like that.’
’That’s why I endured it, even when Mrs. Tang caused such a huge scene.’
’But... this is where it ends.’
Tang Yuanxiao looked into Su Li’s eyes, feeling so suffocated he could barely breathe.
"I’m sorry, Su Li. I’m truly sorry about my mom..."
"I accept your apology. So, let’s just part on good terms." Su Li let out a breath. "I want to start a new life."
’I don’t want to be trapped in this quagmire with Mrs. Tang, never able to escape.’
’Su Li already had a clear idea of what kind of person Mrs. Tang was. Everything that had happened before was like a warning bell.’
’Enough. It’s gone far enough.’
’Whether it was Tang Yuanxiao or Little Tang Mo, the experiences of this period were all telling her, forcing her to make a choice.’
’Only by staying away from Tang Yuanxiao and Little Tang Mo could her new life truly begin.’
’Whenever Mrs. Tang appeared, all those memories from her past life would come flooding back.’
’She had put so much effort into forgetting her past life and starting over, but it was all in vain.’ freewёbnoνel.com
After everything that had happened, Su Li finally understood one truth.
’It’s impossible to forget a past life. Calling it a ’past life’ is just a turn of phrase. For a reincarnator, it’s simply things that happened in the past.’
’Scene after scene, all as clear as day. Calling it a past life... it’s really just the past.’
’She couldn’t forgive Mrs. Tang. She and Mrs. Tang were destined to be incompatible, so there was no need to force it.’
’Stay away from the Tang Family, away from Tang Yuanxiao and Little Tang Mo. Let Mrs. Tang go back to being that somewhat timid and kind person. Let that madness deep in her bones be suppressed. It would be better for everyone.’
Su Li took the ring she had removed earlier from her bag and placed it on the table.
"I’m leaving now."
Su Li stood up, but Tang Yuanxiao grabbed her hand.
"Do I really not have a single chance?"
Su Li’s gaze was calm as she nodded frankly. "That’s right. There’s no possibility for us. As of today, this is the end."
Tang Yuanxiao unconsciously tightened his grip on her hand.
Su Li frowned and pulled her hand back. "You’re hurting me."
Tang Yuanxiao quickly let go. "I’m sorry..."
As he apologized, his gaze finally fell on Su Li’s wrist.
’His ring was gone, but the watch on Su Li’s wrist was still there... So, in the end, did he still lose to Wu Sheng?’
Emotions churned in the depths of Tang Yuanxiao’s eyes.
Su Li didn’t look at him. After saying goodbye, she walked toward the exit. Just as she opened the door to leave, she heard Tang Yuanxiao suddenly speak.
"Su Li, if you choose Wu Sheng, how can you guarantee that his family, his parents, will all be satisfied with you..."
Tang Yuanxiao took a deep breath as he looked at Su Li’s back. "Is Wu Sheng’s family background really going to be any better than mine? You..."
’Nothing can ever be perfect, Su Li.’
Su Li paused, turning back to look at Tang Yuanxiao with a soft chuckle.
"Thank you for the reminder. I’ll be sure to pay attention to all that."
’Even if Tang Yuanxiao hadn’t said it, Su Li understood.’
’She had long known that marriage wasn’t just about two people, but two families.’
’She wasn’t some naive little girl who believed love was everything.’
’She would take everything into account.’
Su Li left, found Little Tang Mo, and spoke with him for a long while before forcing herself to leave, suppressing her reluctance.
Su Li was gone, but Tang Yuanxiao remained frozen in the room, not moving for a long time.
"In the end, you really chose Wu Sheng..."
Tang Yuanxiao’s ominous premonition had finally come true.
His last words were part genuine concern, part bitter resentment.
But the outcome still couldn’t be changed.
