Chapter 177: 177 We owe each other nothing in this life.

As she reached this point, her voice had already become hoarse, and everything in front of her was blurring into one.

"Have you ever tried going without a meal for three days? Have you tried during the winter, only able to drink cold water, eat cold meals, and sleep on the floor? Have you tried being locked in a basement when your family was broken and everybody gone? Have you ever experienced working non-stop every day, only to be beaten and scolded? Have you tried..."

Chu Jin was almost sobbing uncontrollably.

Before her eyes, she saw the desolate and tragic scene of an innocent 7-year-old girl full of hope arriving at this grand villa, only to be tortured inhumanely in the end.

Initially, when she first came to the Zhao family, no one liked her. Despite the family having servants, she was always the one assigned the dirtiest and most tiring chores, and even the servants could bully her.

At first, she thought it was because she wasn’t well-behaved or good enough, so she worked hard to study and carry out her chores.

She couldn’t forget the time when, at 7 years old, she came to the Zhao couple full of joy, holding up an exam paper with full marks, hoping for their recognition, yet Li Ruyu didn’t even offer her a smile, but instead gave her a harsh slap.

It was then she understood, it wasn’t that she wasn’t good enough, nor that she lacked understanding. Rather, her very existence was a mistake.

Since then, she had become extremely cautious, toning down her presence, hiding all her talents, and gradually turning into a worthless person, well known to all.

Gradually, she became the butt of the joke in everyone’s mouth.

Because she knew, only then could she live a better life.

At the very least, she was alive. Compared to death, living required more courage.

Despite this, the 7-year-old Chu Jin was still grateful to her grandfather. She knew that, if not for him, she would now be an orphan.

Even though every member of the Zhao family bullied her, she harbored no resentment, for she knew that she was just a pitiful wretch living at the mercy of others and had no capacity to hold grudges or resist.

Her heart ached, deeply, so painfully that it seemed to tear her apart, making it hard to breathe. The scenes from 11 years ago played before her eyes.

Mo Qianjue stood by, shocked to his core, finding it hard to imagine how a child of merely 7 years had survived through those times.

He had seen her smile like blooming flowers, seen her concentrate while divining for others, and seen her engage in delightful conversations with others, but this heartbreaking appearance was the first he witnessed.

He thought she was strong, yet he hadn’t expected, hadn’t expected that, in fact, she was more fragile than any other person, and more desperate for love than anyone else.

The pain of being abandoned by the person you trust the most is incomprehensible to anyone.

Zhao Hai looked at his unfamiliar granddaughter, his eyes gradually reddening, his throat constricting as he tried to say something but couldn’t utter a word.

She looked at Zhao Hai, narrating word by word, each sentence stabbing at the heart, tearing her apart with grief. Even though tears streamed down her face, proud as she was, her spine remained straight and erect.

"So from that time on, I started to become useless, a good-for-nothing. I couldn’t get out of the mud, because I knew, only like this could I have enough food and clothing, because I knew, only like this would you notice me. But sadly, I was wrong. I was just a tool for you to harvest benefits right from the start. Without the Chu Group, without the vast inheritance my father left behind, Grandfather, would you have taken me back?"

Chu Jin turned her head, looking towards Zhao Hai, her misty eyes filled with a hint of expectation.

This was the last remnant of the previous life’s emotions, and everything she had said came from the depths of the previous life’s heart.

Looking at Zhao Hai, she seemed to see her former life, that overwhelming fire, where she gave everything for Shen Lingtian, only to end up dying in flames.

In her previous life, she died at the age of 29, a time when she was in the prime of her life, yet she fell prematurely.

"I..." Zhao Hai’s throat tightened, and he couldn’t bring himself to utter the hypocritical words. Looking at this unfamiliar granddaughter in front of him, he felt both immense guilt and heartache.

He admitted that he had selfish motives when he brought her back from the Chu family.

But as a human being, who doesn’t have some selfish desires?

His actions were merely in keeping with human nature.

If not for Chu Jin’s considerable inheritance, he certainly would not have cared for a homeless orphan girl.

But now, he suddenly felt that his granddaughter was not as unworthy as he had thought.

He suddenly regretted not keeping this granddaughter by his side to nurture her properly.

Otherwise, she would not have ended up in such a state today.

Mo Qianjue clenched his fist and stood to the side, his lips tightly pressed together. He wanted to reach out and comfort her, but suddenly it seemed he thought of something, his outstretched hand freezing midair then slowly drawing back to his side, gripping into a fist once again.

What right did he have to comfort her now?

At this moment, he wished he could dismember every member of the Zhao family. His heart ached and felt uncomfortable, with her poignant words echoing persistently in his ears.

Unconscious tears reddened his eyes as he realized for the first time that even within these seemingly glamorous and grand manor walls, such vile intentions could be hidden.

How cruel could their hearts be to push such a spirited and intelligent girl to this brink?

He could hardly imagine how she had lived through these years.

He had never thought that her life had been this harsh.

Chu Jin exhaled softly, her voice a bit husky, as if relieved, "Okay, you don’t need to say more. I think I know the answer. There’s thirty million in this card. Consider it repayment for all the years of raising me. From now on, I and the Zhao family go our separate ways—we owe each other nothing in this life!"

With the Zhao family, her ties were now severed; if they met in the business world, they would be adversaries.

And she would show no mercy to them.

As she finished speaking, Chu Jin stepped towards the door, her clothes fluttering without wind, stirring up a chilling breeze.

Her resolute words fell, one by one, into Zhao Hai’s ears.

Zhao Hai clutched at his heart and staggered back several steps, collapsing onto the sofa behind him, gasping for breath, as if he had lost something vital within.

He began to regret. He wanted to reach out to his estranged granddaughter, but not a single word could emerge from deep in his throat.

He didn’t know what to say.

He knew it was too late. From the moment he chose sides without discernment, it was already too late.

If he could do it all over again, he would definitely keep this granddaughter by his side and raise her well.

She would have certainly brought immense glory to the Zhao family.

His mindset was too outdated. He should not have turned a blind eye to the past events.

He had caused her heart to be wounded this deep.

Watching her departing figure, Mo Qianjue’s eyes brimmed with regret and pain, and after a long while he finally uttered, "You..."

"Right, and you too," Chu Jin turned her head upon hearing Mo Qianjue’s voice, taking out a jade pendant tied with a red string from her pocket.

Without hesitation, she threw it in Mo Qianjue’s direction, "Saving you was a spur-of-the-moment decision. You needn’t feel any burden about it. Given another chance, I definitely would not save you. Here’s your jade pendant back. From now on, we’re even. When we meet again, we’re nothing but strangers."

Hearing her cold words, Mo Qianjue instinctively caught the jade pendant, his eyes filled with desolation and regret, even afraid to look at the retreating figure.

At Chu Jin’s words, Zhao Yiling’s whole being crumbled, her heart a tangled mess, greatly distressed.

What right did she have to claim she was Mo Qianjue’s lifesaver!

It was clearly herself who had saved Mo Qianjue; how could she allow someone else to take credit for her actions!

Little whore! It was all this little whore’s fault! Despite her severance from the Zhao family, she couldn’t let her be even on her way out!

She had to interfere in everything!

If it weren’t for this little whore, would she have been reduced to this state today?

No, she was the one who saved Mo Qianjue’s life, and she couldn’t let a little whore take that away.

She had to protect what was hers; she couldn’t let anyone take away what belonged to her.

Zhao Yiling surged to her feet, eyes bloodshot, face contorted with rage, and ran towards Chu Jin.

"Chu Jin! You little whore, stop right there, have you no shame? You stole the marriage that was mine and now you confuse Mr. Mo with your seductive lies, when it was clearly me who saved him. What nonsense are you spouting!"

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by Aunomay Read