Shao Zhenggang frowned, "Xiao Xu, that's not what I meant. President Jin and Linlin have already..."
Jin Ye interrupted directly, "Mr. Shao, regarding past matters, I believe the Jin family has compensated enough. Now, the one I want to marry is her."
Jin Ye pulled Su Ding's hand up, his gaze exceptionally firm.
Su Ding pursed her lips, gritting her teeth, and kept this sincere affection deep in her heart.
"This..." Shao Zhenggang looked at the silently weeping Shao Lin, and finally shook his head, "Please, sit down."
"Sister," Shao Lin went over and took Su Ding's arm, crying, "Sister, please, I'll give Brother Jin to you. Can you persuade Dad not to divorce Mom?"
Su Ding shook off Shao Lin's hand and said coldly, "That's your family's business."
Just as she was about to leave, she heard Shao Lin directly kneel down to her, caught off guard, her face covered in tears.
"Sister, I'm sorry, truly sorry..."
Shao Lin raised her tear-filled eyes, looking at Su Ding sincerely, and slapped herself hard!
"I was ignorant before, I was greedy, I wanted Dad to love me and Mom more, so I deliberately spoke ill of you in front of Dad. I was so bad... Sister, I truly know I was wrong!"
"Your daughter's disappearance was really not done by me, truly not. Can you believe me? I'll do anything you want, it really wasn't me..."
Shao Lin cried and sobbed, constantly kowtowing on the ground. Her forehead was already bruised and bleeding, yet she continued.
"Enough, let the past be the past. Xiao Xu, Dad also implores you, please don't hold onto it anymore!" Shao Zhenggang's old eyes were full of weariness, and he shouted.
Shao Lin still kowtowed incessantly, her forehead swollen and covered in blood.
Jin Ye also found it hard to watch, frowning at Su Ding, but said nothing to prompt her.
Just as Shao Lin was about to faint, Su Ding finally spoke, her fists clenched tightly, her gaze as sharp as a knife fixed on the dying Shao Lin on the ground.
"I want you and Wang Meilan to apologize at my mother's grave."
Shao Lin raised her face, blood trickling down her forehead onto her fair and delicate face, looking tragically pitiful.
Her tear-filled eyes looked up at Su Ding, who was standing above her, and she said with difficulty, "Sister, I promise you, I'm sorry..."
As soon as she finished speaking, Shao Lin fainted.
Su Ding watched her fall with cold eyes, making no move to help. Call her heartless or a vixen, her mother's life could not be repaid with just an apology.
Shao Zhenggang saw Shao Lin collapse on the ground, her face full of tragic tears, blood mixed with tears flowing onto the floor. Her little face was pale and pitiful.
He shouted, "Linlin!"
Then he looked at Jin Ye, "President Jin, quickly, carry Linlin back to her room, hurry!"
Compared to Shao Zhenggang's heartache and urgency, Jin Ye seemed hesitant.
Su Ding maintained a cold expression throughout. Even when Shao Lin fell to the ground, her body remained still. Jin Ye silently asked her with his eyes if he could help.
She turned her face away, ultimately unable to utter words of agreement.
"President Jin, Linlin did give birth to Xiao Xi for you. Are you really going to be so indifferent? She is your son's mother!"
With an angry shout, Jin Ye finally moved, picked up Shao Lin, and hurried into the room.
Shao Zhenggang shot Su Ding a glance of disappointed resentment before angrily following them.
Su Ding was left alone in the entire living room.
Aunt Chen heard the commotion and came out with a cup of ginger tea, handing it with concern to the solitary Su Ding sitting on the sofa, "Young Miss, it's cold. Drink your tea."
Su Ding numbly accepted and faintly said thank you.
Aunt Chen looked at the lonely and desolate Su Ding, sighed softly, and left.
How could the young miss who was once doted on by the master and madam become even less than an outsider in this home?
Su Ding gazed at the familiar yet unfamiliar surroundings, a suppressed heaviness in her heart.
The layout of the house had been altered, but the appearance from five years ago was still faintly discernible.
This was where she and her mother had lived happily. Her father wasn't this indifferent back then...
But it was all in the past, long gone.
After an unknown amount of time, she sat on the sofa until her body was almost stiff as a statue, and then the door to Shao Lin's room slowly opened...
Seeing the tall figure emerging from the backlight, Su Ding's sense of grievance surged to its peak.
He still couldn't let go of Shao Lin.
No matter how much he claimed to love her now, no matter how indifferent his attitude towards Shao Lin was, a night of marriage is a hundred days of kindness.
She suppressed her tears, lowered her head, and took a deep breath.
Jin Ye looked at her with a complex expression, some guilt, some heartache. The words on his lips turned into a long silence.
"Xiao Xu, even if Linlin was ignorant before, she has apologized to you now. Please forgive your father and your sister, and stop causing trouble."
Shao Zhenggang walked over slowly, his weary and weak tone making Su Ding notice his age for the first time.
Su Ding slightly raised her head, looking at her father before her with a dazed gaze.
His temples were completely white, and the wrinkles around his eyes were much deeper. His once handsome features in his youth now showed signs of aging.
She opened her mouth, but her voice was hoarse, "I said, you must apologize at my mother's grave."
After speaking, her body felt extremely cold.
Before Shao Zhenggang could speak, Su Ding stood up and said lightly, "Please bring me my mother's belongings."
Jin Ye placed his hand on her shoulder and squeezed gently.
The burning warmth from his palm was like a warm flame, quickly entering Su Ding's body, gradually warming her icy heart and making her feel no longer cold.
Shao Zhenggang finally nodded, "Alright, I do owe her an apology."
Saying this, Shao Zhenggang stood up, opened a cabinet beside him, took out a wooden chest from it, and turned to hand it to Su Ding.
"This is your mother's dowry. She always wanted to give it to you. Now is the time."
Su Ding took the wooden chest, which felt heavy.
Her heart filled with sorrow, she softly said, "Thank you."
Su Ding did not stay for dinner. She asked Jin Ye to take her home, wanting to rest well.
Upon returning home, Su Ding opened the wooden chest.
Inside were several childhood photos of her mother, showing her grandfather and uncle whom she hadn't seen for many years.
There were a few pure gold ornaments and an ancient jade pendant.
She then remembered that she hadn't seen her grandfather and uncle for many years, and her mother never spoke of them.
It was around that year that Shao Zhenggang had an affair.
Su Ding hung the ancient jade pendant around her neck, feeling as if her mother was always by her side, giving her peace.