Yun Shishi was punctual. In this respect, she was very much like him. She and Gong Jie arrived promptly at one o’clock in the afternoon.
Gong Shaoying was sitting in the living room. His assistant was informed of their arrival and rushed to the door. Soon after, he walked to Gong Shaoying and whispered in his ear, “She’s here.”
Upon hearing this, the man oddly stiffened his posture, as if he was nervous. He straightened his back and looked up to see Yun Shishi’s slightly slender figure appear at the doorway.
Gong Jie came with her, but he did not come into the room. Instead, he stood at the doorway, said a few things to her before turning to walk away.
Gong Shaoying also gave his assistant a look and said,
“You may go.”
“Yes.” The assistant immediately retreated respectfully.
Yun Shishi stepped through the doorway slowly, shutting the door behind her. She walked to the sofa opposite Gong Shaoying and first sized him up calmly. Then, she slowly sat down.
Gong Shaoying’s gaze fell squarely on her. The first and foremost thought that struck him was that Mu Qingcheng had given him such a beautiful daughter. She had a delicate and alluring face. Her black hair was soft and pressed against her ears. She was dazzling without the need for any additional embellishments. She wore a simple dress and a knitted jacket. It was neat, and the clean lines came across like a light and cool breeze.
Yun Shishi remained silent. Perhaps she was waiting for him to speak first. Gong Shaoying was silent for a long time. Then, he closed his eyes. As a father, he should be the one to break the silence.
“Thank you for meeting me. I thought you wouldn’t be willing to see me.”
Yun Shishi did not show much expression in reaction to his words, but instead asked him, “Why are you willing to meet with me? I thought you were going to hide from me for the rest of your life.”
“Indeed.” Gong Shaoying smiled self-deprecatingly. “At first, I didn’t have the courage to meet with you. I felt guilty and uneasy, afraid that you would want to sever ties with me. However, someone told me…” The man paused and sighed. “Someone told me that if I kept avoiding you and didn’t meet with you, I may never get the chance to see you again.” Gong Shaoying sighed and looked a little worried. “I think it’s ridiculous too. We’re father and daughter, but act like enemies!”
“I will not forgive you.” Yun Shishi spoke up at this point, but her tone was decisive. “I hate you.”
Those three words. They struck painfully at Gong Shaoying’s heart.
In fact, he hadn’t anticipated what she would say, except for the three words “I hate you”, which he expected. But even then, it saddened him greatly when she uttered those words so casually.
“I know you hate me.” Gong Shaoying pursed his lips helplessly. “I also know that you’re here to sever our father-daughter relationship. I know all this.”
Upon hearing this, she dropped her gaze indifferently. Gong Shaoying tightened his grip on his cane.
This time, he had put aside all his pride and hatred for the Mu family. He didn’t want to hate anyone anymore, and didn’t have the right to either. Perhaps he was a successful businessman, and his achievements as a businessman were astonishing and unsurpassed. But whether as a husband or a father, he was a great failure. As a husband, he’d made that woman wait all her life, but he’d never turned up.
