Chapter Thirty: All Shame Cast Aside
Du Zhiye's face was frantic, tears streaming down as she shook her head, desperate to explain, "No, it's not true." The faces of those around her gradually transformed into people she recognized. There was Du Qi, Gu Qingcheng, Tao Ranming, her friends, her classmates—they all looked at her with contempt and disgust.
She reached out to grab Gu Qingcheng, seeking her protection, but Gu Qingcheng shoved her away harshly. Shaking her head, Gu Qingcheng said, "Ye Ye, you've disappointed me so much."
Du Zhiye tried to explain, her mouth opening and closing, but not a single sound escaped. In her panic, she jolted awake from the nightmare.
Sitting upright in bed, she gasped for air. The sensations from the dream lingered so vividly that she was still shaken. It took her a long while to calm down. She climbed out of bed and went into the bathroom.
When the icy water poured over her head, she shivered uncontrollably, but her mind cleared at once. To gain another year of life, she would have to cast aside her dignity, but Du Zhiye could not bring herself to do it.
Once she had sorted out her thoughts, she felt lighter. The water moved from cold to warm, gradually growing hot.
As she stepped out of the bathroom, she received a call from Du Qi's secretary; the person was already at her apartment door.
Du Zhiye knew Du Qi was forcing her to go to the company.
Thinking of how Du Qi's hair had turned white overnight after her death, Du Zhiye felt a sharp pain in her chest. Her clear gaze dimmed, becoming complicated, and after a moment, she spoke into the phone, "Wait for me."
Ending the call, she dried her hair, applied a simple touch of makeup, picked up her bag, and followed the secretary to Du Corporation.
Du Corporation was a traditional media company. A decade ago, it had enjoyed great prestige, but as the internet gradually developed, Du Corporation stuck to its old ways, failing to ride the tide of the times. In recent years, its decline had become rather lamentable.
The only asset Du Corporation could still boast was an old magazine, First Love.
Du Zhiye did not see Du Qi at the company; instead, she was directly assigned by the secretary to the department editing First Love magazine.
Du Xin received the news in the afternoon, and was so furious she smashed the cup and vase on her desk.
She had always known Du Qi favored Du Zhiye.
No matter how hard she tried, no matter how much she tried to please Du Qi, he always treated her and Du Zhiye differently.
On the surface, Du Qi always praised her and appeared closer to her, but in his heart, he regarded only Du Zhiye as his daughter.
She had joined Du Corporation as soon as she graduated, working diligently, enduring all hardships without complaint. Du Qi noticed all of this, even praised her several times at shareholder meetings.
Yet every time she requested to train at First Love, Du Qi would reject her without hesitation.
His smiling face would instantly turn cold and frosty.
The so-called harmony between father and child became ugly in the face of self-interest.
The more Du Xin thought about it, the more aggrieved she felt, her eyes involuntarily reddening. Both were daughters—why was Du Qi so biased?
When work ended that evening, Du Xin encountered Du Zhiye in the elevator lobby. Her resentment reached its peak.
"Du Zhiye," she called out, taking a breath, "Let's talk."
Du Zhiye lifted her brows, her tone casual, "Alright!"
The sisters didn't go far, staying in the parking lot of Du Corporation.
Du Xin had a bellyful of grievances, but facing the nonchalant Du Zhiye before her, she found herself unable to speak.
They stood there for a while before Du Xin finally spoke, biting out her words, "Du Zhiye, you're feeling pretty pleased with yourself right now, aren't you?"
Du Zhiye raised her brows, momentarily at a loss as to what she had to be pleased about. Yet she said nothing, only regarded Du Xin with a half-smile.
She was curious what else her sister had to say.
Perhaps there might be some unexpected surprises.