Chapter 71 - I'll never leave you. Jing Lihua... I've never left you

Jing Lihua had long lost the strength in her legs and ended up falling on her knees. Memories after memories rushed to her brain. It seemed like this place was a trigger that unchained many deeply hidden memories.

After Li Zhiqiang saved her life, he had looked over her. He had bought this skyscr.a.p.er and let her stay in a penthouse. Jing Lihua had no idea what had prompted him to care for her. She had even though he might have ill intentions. But with time, he proved himself. In the beginning, he was very cold. But as they spent more time together, he changed slowly.

She also remembered a cheeky teenager boy who always used to follow them. Li Xun, Li Zhiqiang younger brother. Thinking about him, a smile formed on Jing Lihua's lips. She wondered how was he right now. He was three years younger than her. At this time, he would be twenty-three.

As time had passed, they slowly warmed up to each other. Their feelings grew. Jing Lihua enjoyed her time with the Li brothers. She didn't want to return. That time she had been young and naive, not knowing how much worry she was causing to those who cared for her.

Li Zhiqiang was always a quiet sort of person. But one day, he surprised her by confessing to her. At that time he was twenty-two. Jing Lihua was flushed. Jing Lihua avoided him in the beginning. But slowly, her heart warmed up to him. In his absence, she would think about it. Jing Lihua had just gone through a heartbreak. She didn't understand love much. But she knew she felt safe around him. With him, she felt... complete.

slowly but surely, she had realized that she also possessed feelings for him. It was on the same terrace, they made their first kiss.

"Are you alright? JingJing, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have..." He slowly approached her noticing her pained expressions. Recalling everything was obviously taking a great troll on her.

"What happened to me? Why did I forget everything?" Jing Lihua met his eyes and lightly whispered. "Why did I forget you?" She remembered spending time with him. She remembered falling in love with him but as time passed, her memories blurred until they were lost. There was still a lot she couldn't recall. Like how did it all came to an end?

Next, what she could clearly recall was waking up in her bedroom.

"It was all my fault. Come inside with me first. You look pale."

Li Zhiqiang reached out to get her but as he did, something very unexpected happened. Jing Lihua grabbed his arm and paused for a second. She pulled down his head and kissed him on the lips.

...

When they get out of the elevator what they saw made them halt in their way.

"See? He is molesting her!" Zhao Liying rushed forward to push him away from Jing Lihua but Mo Liang pulled her back. "Why stop me! Hey, let me go! Can't you see? That man is molesting ur Xiao Hua! How dare he touch her like that!"

"It seems like our Xiao Hua is the one molesting him." Mo Liang tried not to look in that direction."Look closely. Jing Lihua doesn't look forced. In fact, she is the one holding him down."

"But..."

"Come on, let's just get out of here. We'll stand outside for some time in case Jing Lihua needs us."

"But..." Mo Liang dragged her away. All the trouble he had to do. Ending up into nothing. He should have known before following Zhao Liying. But at least, he was happy for Jing Lihua. He had an encounter with this President Li. He was a good person. There weren't many who could get Mo Liang approval. But this President Li was one of a few exceptions. He just hoped Jing Lihua would find her happiness.

...

When Jing Lihua pulled back, she saw a shocked expression on Li Zhiqiang's face. He was frozen. His eyes held complicated expressions. What did this kiss tell him? Was it her way of telling him that she would accept him?

Even though his JingJing remembered everything, he was anxious that she might not accept him. After all, Jing Lihua had forgotten everything about him and everything that Su Liwei had told him that night he was drunk. So once her memories vanished, she had gone back to blindly loving Su Liwei. Li Zhiqiang could only look from a distance and torture his already anguished heart as she married him.

"Let's come inside first..." Li Zhiqiang put his arm around her waist and very gently picked her up. As Jing Lihua followed him inside, she was silent and looking down, avoiding eye contact with him.

When they were inside Li Zhiqiang guided her to a couch. It was much warmer inside. But all the time, he had his arms around her waist as if scared that she might fall anytime. Her waist was so thin. So delicate. he made a mental note to feed her properly in the future. thinking about that, he said. "Your hands are cold. I'll go and make soup for you."

Jing Lihua nodded but didn't say anything. After some time, Li Zhiqiang came back with a bowl of soup. It was steaming hot. He had to personally prepare it because all the kitchen staff was on leave after Li Zhiqiang had gone to stay in the hotel beside it was late at night. So there wasn't any alternative. even if there was, he would have cooked himself for his JingJing.

"Why didn't you respond to my kiss?" Jing Lihua asked suddenly.

Once again Li Zhiqiang was shocked. He placed down the bowl and walked to Jing Lihua.

"Was it because you don't love me anymore?" She asked another question.

"Why would you think that Jing Lihua, You have always been the one in my heart." He went down on his knees in front of her and grasped her cold hands.

"Lies!"

"JingJing..."

"If I was the one in your heart then why did you let me marry him? Why did you not stop it and where were you when..." Tears filled Jing Lihua's eyes. Where was he in her last life? When Su Liwei had taken everything from her. Where was he? When she no longer had anyone to rely on, where was he? Why did he not appear in her last life? Why only now? If he truly loved her, he would never have let her suffer like that.

"Jing Lihua I..." How could he tell her all that in a single night? How could he tell her what happened that night that caused him to leave her side? In the end, he was at fault. He couldn't protect her from those who intended to harm them.

"I made a mistake. Please forgive me. I can't live without you... Not anymore."

Jing Lihua looked at him with tearful eyes. The sadness in her eyes pierced his heart. He was afraid... afraid that she might reject him. But in the end, Jing Lihua leaned in and hugged him. "Please don't leave me again." She didn't care what was he hiding from her. She just wanted to be by his side and have a chance to love her. Ever since she had woken up again on her wedding day, she had felt so... so incomplete.

By only being by his side, she could feel a sense of completion. Life was short. She had plenty of regrets in her last life. This time, she was determined to have no regrets. And if she let go of him, she would regret for the rest of her life.

ut more than that, she trusted him. Whatever he hid from her, Jing Lihua believed that he would tell her at the appropriate time. The Li Zhiqiang she remembered would never do something that would harm her in any way.

"I'll never leave you. Jing Lihua... I've never left you." Li Zhiqiang pulled back and kissed her deeply.