Chapter 371: Chapter 371: Don’t You All Think It’s My Fault?

"It’s okay, it was me who dragged you down."

Zhiwei Cheng gave a bitter smile. If it hadn’t been for Mingzhu He, He Ye could have followed his plan and developed his career in Yucheng, but now his studio was gone.

Being with her marked the beginning of his misfortune.

His first studio had collapsed, and now, history repeated itself.

Cheng Zhiwei leaned against the wall and closed her eyes.

"Zhiwei, I will come back as soon as possible," He Ye promised solemnly. "Stay at home during this time, don’t go anywhere, just wait for me."

"Senior." Zhiwei Cheng clenched her fingers, her eyes still closed, as if only in this way could she steel her heart to say what she must.

"Zhiwei, I’ve contacted someone. I can take a flight back to the country tomorrow," He Ye continued to comfort her.

His sincere emotions were heart-wrenching yet powerless.

"Senior, is Wen Yi the marriage partner arranged for you by He family?" She forced her voice to sound cold and heartless, blaming him.

He Ye had never mentioned this to Zhiwei Cheng. It was not that he wanted to keep it from her, but because he had never agreed from the start. Wen Yi’s arrival wasn’t because of the He family’s arrangements, but rather due to Wen Ya’s influence.

He explained, "Wen Ya has helped me, I couldn’t refuse."

His explanation seemed reasonable.

But to Zhiwei Cheng, who was deliberately finding fault, it was just an excuse.

"But you could have told me so I could be prepared."

"Zhiwei."

"Do you know what Mingzhu He said about me because of Wen Yi? Senior, how could you treat me like this?"

He Ye’s voice was filled with apologies, continuously saying sorry.

Cheng Zhiwei gripped her phone, each word deliberate, "I think, maybe we’re not right for each other."

The breathing from the other end of the phone suddenly grew heavier. He Ye said in a low voice, "Zhiwei, let’s talk about it when I’m back tomorrow, okay?"

"What’s there to say? Do you really think you can stand up against Mingzhu He?" Zhiwei Cheng bit her lip, intentionally speaking sarcastically. "If you could, you wouldn’t be abroad right now."

"Zhiwei," He Ye’s voice was filled with pain, "I’m sorry."

"You’ve said ’sorry’ enough times, but nothing has changed, He Ye. Merely painting a rosy picture is useless," Zhiwei Cheng said with a smile, mocking He Ye’s naivety and her own helplessness. "Let it be, we’re breaking up."

Having said what needed to be said, she hung up the phone.

Leaning against the wall, tears still streamed down her face.

Regardless of everything, Zhiwei Cheng felt she owed it to He Ye—he had helped her twice and lost his studio because of her twice.

That was why she chose to break up.

She only hoped he could get back on his feet soon.

Not knowing how much time had passed, her phone lit up in the darkness.

Cheng Zhiwei looked down and saw that it was a call from Wen Yi.

She did not answer.

Soon, Wen Yi sent a message explaining that her visit to the studio had nothing to do with the arranged marriage, and she hoped Zhiwei Cheng wouldn’t be upset because of it.

Cheng Zhiwei had already decided to leave the studio.

She didn’t reply to the message.

She tossed her phone aside and sat in the evening breeze for a long time.

Yucheng, truly a place that brings heartache.

"Mommy," Cheng Yang came out in his pajamas and threw himself into Cheng Zhiwei’s arms, looking a bit upset. "Mommy, are you unhappy?"

Cheng Zhiwei stroked his hair and a gentle smile appeared on her face. "Of course not, Mommy just wanted to enjoy the breeze here."

Cheng Yang bit his lip. He was usually lively and seldom showed such a look. "Mommy, is Zhou Ruoki really my little brother?"

Cheng Zhiwei paused her hand. "What’s wrong?"

Cheng Yang buried his head in her embrace, unhappy, "He doesn’t like me."

Cheng Yang was saddened. He always thought of himself as the big brother who should protect his younger siblings, who in turn should listen to him.

But Zhou Ruoki was different.

He had yet to call Cheng Yang ’brother’ or even pay much attention to him.

Cheng Yang didn’t like Zhou Ruoki.

Cheng Zhiwei thought of Zhou Ruoki’s rejection and felt terribly uncomfortable. Naturally, she wanted her three children to live harmoniously, but she couldn’t always expect Cheng Yang and the others to yield to him.

After considering, she said, "If you don’t like it, you don’t have to be with him."

She hesitated before asking Cheng Yang, "If Mommy decides to take you and Xingxing to live somewhere else, would you like that?"

"Is Zhou Ruoki going?"

"If he’s willing, I’ll take him, but if he’s not, then I won’t."

Amidst all the changes, Zhiwei Cheng had come to a realization: some relationships couldn’t be forced, such as with the Cheng family, or even the mother-son relationship with Zhou Ruoki.

Zhou Ruoki was unwilling to forgive her, but she couldn’t stay here just for him.

Let him stay with Zhou Lin.

Cheng Yang, now a bit happier, hugged Cheng Zhiwei’s arm. "I’ll go wherever Mommy goes."

"Okay, go to sleep."

The next day, it was no surprise to Cheng Zhiwei that she was fired from He Ye’s studio. She packed her things and left straight away.

A few good colleagues stopped her, asking if she had been targeted and expressing their willingness to leave with her.

Cheng Zhiwei assured them, "The studio is still He Ye’s. He should be back soon. As for me leaving, it’s due to personal reasons. You can wait for him to return and then decide."

She wouldn’t selfishly take them away; after all, they needed their jobs.

"Miss Cheng, when exactly is He Ye coming back?"

"I don’t know." Cheng Zhiwei nodded faintly and bid them farewell.

Cheng Zhiwei truly stayed in; she didn’t go out, not even when He Ye rushed back and made several phone calls.

She didn’t answer, nor did she meet him.

She had already found a new house, slowly packing and shipping her belongings over, and then planning to leave this place on the weekend.

She didn’t deliberately hide her plans, so Zhou Lin soon found out.

He showed up, gripping Cheng Zhiwei’s wrist so tightly it hurt immensely, his eyes dark and aggressive as he demanded, "You’re leaving here?"

Wang Mei had gone to the market, the kids were at kindergarten, and the house was empty except for Zhiwei Cheng, with a box of Cheng Yang’s remote-control cars freshly packed at her feet.

She was truly preparing to leave.

"Let go, Zhou Lin," Zhiwei Cheng frowned and struggled. "We can talk this out calmly."

"Talk? If you wanted to talk, you wouldn’t be packing your bags ready to run away." Zhou Lin was furious; he thought that his words had, to some extent, been taken to heart by her, but she was actually planning to leave.

She couldn’t even handle a small setback?

Cheng Zhiwei was too tired to quarrel. If he wasn’t going to let go, she would simply let him hold on. "Zhou Lin, this is my business."

A few words clearly drew the line between them.

Zhou Lin looked down at her, his voice softening, "It’s not your fault, there’s no need for you to leave."

That one sentence, however, struck a nerve with Cheng Zhiwei.

"Isn’t it what you all think—that it’s my fault?" She scoffed with rising emotion, her eyes reddening.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by Aunomay Read