A reborn mother longs for her daughter's happiness.

Chapter 147 A Heart-wrenching Choice Amidst Clearing Clouds

On a seemingly ordinary morning, sunlight filtered through thin clouds, dappling the streets and alleys of the city. Li Shiqing, as usual, walked briskly towards the company, a cup of coffee she had just bought in her hand. The new day was full of endless possibilities for her.

Just then, a familiar yet unfamiliar figure appeared in her line of sight—Wang Qiang, Li Shiqing's biological father and Li Yuan's ex-husband. Wang Qiang had been idly wandering around lately, and unexpectedly, he ran into his daughter on this very street. Looking at Li Shiqing in her professional attire and capable appearance, a complex mix of emotions welled up within him—a sense of estrangement from not seeing his daughter for so long, and also the lingering "authority" he felt as a father.

"Li Shiqing!" Wang Qiang raised his voice and called out to her.

Li Shiqing paused, her body stiffening slightly upon hearing the voice. She slowly turned around, a flicker of disgust crossing her eyes as she saw Wang Qiang, but it quickly vanished, replaced by coldness. "Is there something you need?" Her tone was utterly flat and emotionless.

Wang Qiang was enraged by her cold attitude. He took two steps forward and questioned, "What kind of attitude is this? I'm your father!"

Li Shiqing sneered, "Uncle, I think you've mistaken me for someone else."

"What did you say?" Wang Qiang's eyes widened, his face full of disbelief. "I raised you with such difficulty, and you actually call me uncle?"

"You raised me with such difficulty?" Li Shiqing couldn't help but raise her voice, her eyes filled with anger. "After my mother gave birth to me, did you fulfill any of your responsibilities as a father? You ignored my mother and me, and where have you been all these years?"

Wang Qiang's expression changed, as if he wanted to make an excuse, but couldn't find the right words for a moment.

Li Shiqing took a deep breath and continued, "Since you left, I have a new family. My father is Liu Xuan, who treats me like his own son; my mother is still Li Yuan, who single-handedly supports this family and gives me plenty of love; I also have my sister Liu Yixin and my brother Liu Qicheng, and our family is very happy. But you, you have long since lost your place in my life."

Wang Qiang's face flushed red, and he said angrily, "You heartless girl! No matter what, I am still your biological father. Blood is thicker than water, and that's an undeniable fact!"

"Blood is thicker than water?" Li Shiqing repeated sarcastically. "If blood is thicker than water can make up for your mistakes over the years, that would be too easy. Do you know how sad I was when my classmates laughed at me for not having a father? Do you know how hard it was for my mother to work and take care of me all by herself? You don't know any of this, and you don't care."

By this time, a crowd of onlookers had gathered, whispering amongst themselves. Li Shiqing paid no heed to their stares; she felt she had to make her point today. The pent-up grievances she had suppressed for so many years finally had an outlet.

Just then, Zhang Chen happened to pass by. Zhang Chen and Li Shiqing had met in junior high school and had supported each other in both work and life. Seeing Li Shiqing being harassed by a man, Zhang Chen immediately came over.

"Shi Qing, what's wrong?" Zhang Chen asked with concern, looking at Wang Qiang with a wary gaze.

When Li Shiqing saw Zhang Chen, a warm feeling welled up in her heart. "It's alright, Zhang Chen, this is... a stranger."

Wang Qiang was displeased. He pointed at Li Shiqing and said, "Look at the friends you've made! They don't respect me, their father!"

Upon hearing this, Zhang Chen immediately understood the gist of the matter. She stepped in front of Li Shiqing and said to Wang Qiang, "Sir, please stop making trouble here. Shiqing has made it very clear that your actions over the years have made you unfit to be a father. Now that Shiqing has her own happy life, please stop bothering her."

Wang Qiang was trembling with anger. "What right do you have to interfere! This is a family matter!"

"So you know this is a family matter?" Zhang Chen retorted without backing down. "If it's a family matter, you should have handled it properly back then, instead of waiting until now to entangle yourself with it. Look at you, all these years have passed, what have you done besides hurting Shi Qing?"

People around Zhang Chen began to echo his words. "That's right, he didn't act like a good father, and now he's blaming others." "He's a grown man, stop making a fool of yourself here."

Hearing these accusations, Wang Qiang's anger intensified, but he had nowhere to vent it. He looked at Li Shiqing, a pleading look flashing in his eyes, "Shiqing, Dad knows he was wrong, please forgive Dad this time. Dad will definitely treat you well from now on."

Looking at Wang Qiang's state, Li Shiqing felt a mix of emotions. She had often fantasized that her father would come to her, apologize, and the family would be reunited. But now that day had finally arrived, she realized that the past hurts could not be easily erased.

“Uncle,” Li Shiqing said coldly again, “your apology comes too late. Over the years, I’ve gotten used to life without you. My life is peaceful now, and I don’t want it to change because of you. Please don’t come looking for me again.” With that, Li Shiqing pulled Zhang Chen and turned to leave.

Wang Qiang instinctively reached out to pull Li Shiqing, "Shiqing, you can't be so heartless!"

Zhang Chen immediately shook off Wang Qiang's hand forcefully, "Don't touch me! If you do that again, we'll call the police!"

Wang Qiang stood frozen in place, watching Li Shiqing and Zhang Chen's retreating figures, his heart filled with regret and disappointment. He thought about his absurd life over the years, how he had abandoned his wife and daughter in a moment of impulsiveness and selfishness, and now he wanted to make amends, but found it was all too late.

Even after walking a distance with Zhang Chen, Li Shiqing was still deeply moved. She looked at Zhang Chen gratefully, "Zhang Chen, thank you so much for today. If it weren't for you, I really wouldn't know how to face him."

Zhang Chen patted Li Shiqing on the shoulder, "Don't say that. We met at school, and we're colleagues at the same company. How could I watch you get bullied? You did the right thing. Don't forgive him so easily just because he's your biological father. You and your aunt have suffered so much over the years; he has to take responsibility for his actions."

Li Shiqing nodded. "Yes, I know. Actually, the reason I can say these words so bravely today is because I now have a truly warm home. Uncle Liu, Mom, Yixin, and Qicheng have given me enough love and courage."

“Yes,” Zhang Chen said with a smile, “Your family is so happy now. You should cherish it. As for Wang Qiang, let him reflect on his actions.”

The two walked into the company building, talking as they went. Li Shiqing took a deep breath, composed herself, and prepared for a new day of work. She knew that the shadows of the past were gradually fading, and a bright new life awaited her.