Chapter 15: No Real Progress

What she had anticipated did not happen. She heard Ye Hongxiao’s teasing laughter beside her.

Deling opened her eyes to see the man before her smiling faintly as he said, “You think that by showing weakness to me, I would take pity on old ties and hand the project over to you? Deling, years have passed, yet it seems you’ve made no progress—you’re still as foolish as ever.”

Deling’s face turned pale. She opened her mouth to speak but found herself utterly speechless.

“Deling!”

A sudden shout interrupted their conversation. Ye Hongxiao glanced toward the source of the voice, his brows gradually knitting together.

Deling turned around to see Wang Siyang standing at the hotel’s entrance steps, looking up at her and Ye Hongxiao on the stairs with an awkward expression.

Ye Hongxiao withdrew his gaze, shot Deling a mocking glance, and scoffed, “So you’re willing to go this far just for such a coward.” With that, he shoved Deling aside and strode through the hotel doors.

Deling, her expression listless, descended the steps.

Wang Siyang hurried forward, explaining, “Deling, I came to pick you up.”

Deling nodded softly. “Mm. I’ll drive you home first.”

“Deling, what’s wrong? Did something happen?” Wang Siyang followed closely behind, speaking quietly, “I just saw you with President Ye. What... were you two talking about?”

The late summer breeze blew, carrying a chill that scattered Deling’s muddled thoughts. She abruptly stopped, feeling a coldness spreading from her heart outward.

Wang Siyang, confused, also halted. “What’s wrong?”

Deling turned, her expression growing cold. “How did you know I was here?”

“I... I...” Wang Siyang stammered, unable to give a clear answer, wringing his hands and lowering his head.

“You were here before, weren’t you?” Deling’s chest tightened with unexplainable anger, suffocating her breath. “You weren’t really here to pick me up. You were just playing cards in the lobby, weren’t you? You saw those people bullying me, didn’t you?”

When Deling left the hospital, she hadn’t told Wang Siyang where she was going, so there was no way he could have come to pick her up as he claimed. At that moment, Ye Hongxiao’s sarcastic words echoed in her mind, and she finally realized the truth.

Wang Siyang stood there, helpless, quietly apologizing, “I’m sorry, Deling.”

“Wang Siyang, how many things are you still hiding from me?”

“None, Deling. Really, none.”

Deling was deeply disappointed. She let out a bitter laugh and asked, “What about the fifty thousand from the financial loan?”

Wang Siyang’s face visibly paled as he stammered an explanation, “Deling, you... you... listen to me. I... I wanted to give you a better life. I...”

“A better life? Is this the better life you wanted to give me?” The tears she had held back all night finally welled up at the corners of her eyes. Taking a deep breath to stop them, she still couldn’t prevent the tears from streaming down.

“Deling, I was wrong. I truly know I was wrong. There won’t be a next time. I swear I won’t play anymore. Please, Deling, forgive me, won’t you?”

Deling turned to walk away.

The man suddenly collapsed to his knees with a thud. “Deling, please forgive me. I really know I was wrong. I won’t play anymore. I beg you.”

Voices erupted as a crowd spilled out from the hotel entrance, with Ye Hongxiao leading the way.

Not wanting Ye Hongxiao to see her in such a pitiful state, Deling reached out to tug Wang Siyang, but he wouldn’t budge. The man on the ground suddenly burst into tears, sniffling and begging for her forgiveness.

She tried to leave, but it was too late—her legs were tightly held by Wang Siyang, and the crowd had turned toward them, drawn by his cries.