Chapter 78: Luo Xing Chooses Not to Forgive

Luo Xing chose to pursue legal action.

With a single sentence, Sun Shiqi’s fate was sealed.

“No, please, we’re both women, why make things difficult for each other? If I have to go to jail for three years, my life will be over.” Sun Shiqi stood up, her eyes red and brimming with tears.

She walked over to Luo Xing and bowed. “Let me go this once. I was wrong before. I deliberately made you think there was something between Gu Shiyan and me—I’m truly sorry.”

She hated herself for not letting go when Gu Shiyan first warned her.

She hated her own greed, trying to make money off Gu Shiyan’s apartment.

She’d even offered a high price.

She’d taken 120,000 from Luo Zhou, ten thousand a month, which was certainly expensive for the area.

Luo Xing stood up. “These words coming from you are just too insincere. If it weren’t for the water filter, I’d be the one accused of trespassing, and I’d be the one in trouble. Yes, women should help each other, but only if you’re not using that sentiment to harm others for your own gain.”

She didn’t touch anything on the table. After clarifying things with Sun Shiqi, Luo Xing prepared to leave.

Gu Shiyan caught a small piece of fabric at her sleeve. “Wait.”

Luo Xing turned to look at him; Gu Shiyan gestured to his forehead, signaling her to sit.

She remained standing. Gu Shiyan looked at Sun Shiqi. “Since you think you were wrong before, then apologize properly. Explain, one by one, every deliberate thing you did.”

Sun Shiqi thought Gu Shiyan was helping her—her heart leapt with hope. Maybe if she apologized to Luo Xing, Gu Shiyan would forgive her.

She knew that warmth still counted for something in Gu Shiyan’s heart. For the sake of that warmth, Gu Shiyan wouldn’t send her to jail.

She began to enumerate her previous actions.

Sun Shiqi pretended to be sincere as she apologized to Luo Xing. “That time at the school gate, I deliberately approached Gu Shiyan. I saw you standing there, so I moved to stand a little in front of him, right in your line of sight. In fact, we weren’t that close. I’m sorry.”

She bowed deeply to Luo Xing.

Luo Xing regarded her with a calm expression.

Sun Shiqi moved to the second incident. “And the arcade—again, I pestered Li Zhao to take me there on purpose. Gu Shiyan didn’t play games with me. I just started a machine next to him. It was me clinging to him; he didn’t even spare me a glance.”

At this point, Sun Shiqi felt both embarrassed and humiliated.

Fortunately, the restaurant was nearly empty, and the three sat in a corner.

“I leaned close to Gu Shiyan’s ear on purpose, just for you to see. He warned me off, so I backed away. But when you went to the restroom, I deliberately mocked you. I was wrong. I cared too much about saving face. I apologize.”

Again, she bowed deeply.

Upon hearing this, Gu Shiyan frowned. He remembered that day at the arcade.

Luo Xing had stormed out for no apparent reason, accusing him of cheating with Sun Shiqi.

They had argued, and he hadn’t realized Sun Shiqi was deliberately planting doubts in Luo Xing’s mind.

So he’d thought Luo Xing was being unreasonable.

Listening to Sun Shiqi recount her past actions one by one, Gu Shiyan realized he had indeed misunderstood Luo Xing.

He looked up. Luo Xing was standing straight, facing Sun Shiqi.

She did not sit by his side.

It was as if she really intended to draw a clear line between them.

After Sun Shiqi finished her confessions, she had bowed to Luo Xing countless times.

But as long as Luo Xing was willing not to pursue the matter, she was willing to do anything.

Yet Luo Xing showed little reaction. Sun Shiqi’s face was flushed, tears streaming down her cheeks.

To stand in front of someone you once despised, confessing every wrong you’d done, bowing again and again without the slightest shred of dignity—

“Please, forgive me.”

The tremble in Sun Shiqi’s voice grated on Luo Xing’s nerves.

Luo Xing did not believe Sun Shiqi truly thought she was wrong.

She could so quickly list off her misdeeds, which meant she’d always known she was in the wrong.

She had always known, yet she’d allowed herself to continue.

Such a person would never truly feel remorse.

Such a person was far from innocent.

If things hadn’t escalated, she would still be the same Sun Shiqi as ever.

If Gu Shiyan stood with her now, she would turn on Luo Xing in a heartbeat.

This, Luo Xing understood well.

So she did not forgive Sun Shiqi for what she’d done to her. As for the apartment, she would let the law decide.

What came after was left to Luo Zhou to handle.

Luo Xing’s life returned to its usual routine.

Except—

“I’m just saying, isn’t he coming again?” Captain Xu Yan came over to the long table beside the lab, arms full of blueprints.

Five laptops were spread across the table.

Luo Xing and Shen Que were comparing the first draft of their model for optimization.

Hearing Xu Yan’s grumbling, Qi Changbai, who was jotting down theoretical data, didn’t even look up. “His job’s all on the computer. He can work anywhere. Why make him come? He always finishes in the end.”

Xu Yan rubbed his eyes, sore from reading documents. “We’re a team, we need to communicate. Otherwise he could just compete solo.”

Luo Xing, already feeling annoyed, pressed her fingers to her forehead. “I don’t think he’s been to class in a while either, right?”

Shen Que, focused on his screen, finally glanced up at Luo Xing.

Luo Xing felt a twinge of guilt. “I—I heard Yun Cai nagging about it.”

Xu Yan sighed. “I know. He told me he went to the capital. No idea when he’ll be back.”

Xu Yan was just venting under the pressure.

Shen Que massaged his stiff neck, took off his glasses, and closed his eyes. “He’s an adult. He knows what he’s doing.”

Luo Xing nodded in agreement. “Captain, instead of worrying about him, you should worry about our equipment. I don’t even want to talk about it—yesterday I went to borrow the school’s instruments. I’d already signed up, but then a team with a national award came over and took my spot right in front of me. The admin didn’t say a word, just stared at me and said, ‘Sorry, nothing left now.’”

Thinking of that scene, Luo Xing could only spread her hands in exasperation.

“Then go win a national award! You and Gu Shiyan have been coasting for two years—freshman, sophomore, not a single achievement. No wonder the higher-ups don’t support us.”

“What does that have to do with grades? It should be first come, first served! I’d already signed up, they just erased my name.”

Qi Changbai regarded Luo Xing with a long-suffering sigh. “Junior, you’re still too naive. Don’t you get it? Xing University—those two words are synonymous with snobbery.”

“Hey, isn’t Gu Shiyan’s dad some kind of physics tech researcher? Their instruments must be better than Xing University’s, right?” Xu Yan tutted, pulling out his phone to message Gu Shiyan.

Luo Xing grabbed her water cup, took a long drink to moisten her dry mouth, and replied to Xu Yan, “Forget it. His relationship with his dad is like...”

She closed her eyes, searching for the right metaphor. “Like the Monkey King and Bald Qiang.”