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Wu Jie broke the silence first, trying to tone down her assertiveness, her voice becoming gentle, "Ning'er, it was my fault before, I shouldn't have been so forceful in insisting that you make friends, I..."

"It doesn't matter. It's my business what kind of friends I want to make, and it's none of your business. I just hope that no matter what our relationship is like, it won't affect my friends anymore," Han Ning'er interrupted coldly.

Wu Jie felt a lump in her throat, but she still controlled her emotions. "I won't affect them, and I won't interfere with your friendship. In fact, I hope your friendship lasts a long time."

That would be best.

Han Ning'er held out her hand. "Give it to me."

"What?"

"Don't pretend you don't understand. Give me the keys to the apartment. Also, I hope you won't disturb my life without my permission in the future." Han Ning'er's voice was cold and firm.

Wu Jiemeng's heart trembled; she felt a suffocating pain.

She spoke in a trembling voice, "Last time at home you were willing to eat the food I cooked, and you didn't object to it tonight either. I thought we..."

"What do you think? That we're closer now? That you're a good mother now? Or that I should be overjoyed and hug you to express my gratitude?"

"No, Mom just..."

"Stop being so arrogant. You're always so domineering, thinking your ideas are always right and demanding that others do things your way."

Han Ning'er interrupted her, watching a mocking smile slowly creep onto her lips, and suddenly asked, "Mom, besides these two times, do you remember when we last ate together?"

Wu Jie suddenly fell silent. When?

She tried hard to recall, but couldn't pinpoint a specific time.

"See? You've long forgotten, you don't remember at all, or you never cared. Do you still think that just two meals are enough to be a good mother and to mend our relationship?"

Han Ning'er's sarcasm deepened, perhaps more so than bitterness.

She lowered her head, her voice suddenly becoming very soft, "I remember, it was my twelfth birthday, or more precisely, the day after my birthday, because you were busy with work on my birthday, and I waited for you at home until dawn."

"Do you know how much I wished time could stand still back then?"

"When the clock struck midnight, do you know how disappointed and heartbroken I was?"

"The next day, you wanted to make it up to me, so you took me to a fried chicken restaurant for lunch. But Mom, you know what? I don't like fried chicken at all. But I cherish the time we spend together, so I pretended to like it."

"Even so, you didn't finish that meal with me. You just answered a phone call and left me alone in the store."

Wu Jie felt her cheeks burning with guilt.

At twelve years old, almost six years ago, she still had a vague memory of this incident, but she never expected her daughter to remember it so vividly and to cause her such deep harm.

She opened her mouth to speak, but though she had a thousand words to say, only guilt and apology came out: "I'm sorry, it's Mom's fault, Mom shouldn't have..."

"It doesn't matter anymore."

Han Ning'er looked up and smiled bitterly, her gaze towards Wu Jie as cold as winter frost. "Before I was twelve, I longed for your company. I cherished every moment with you, even if it was just for a minute."

"After I turned twelve, I understood a principle: some things are beyond my control. I stopped longing for maternal love and stopped hoping that you would love me."

"No, Ning'er, Mommy loves you. Whether it was before, now, or in the future, Mommy will always love you," Wu Jie said, heartbroken and desperately trying to explain.

"Too late."

Han Ning'er slowly shook her head, her voice icy, "I'm almost an adult, no longer a child. I know what companionship is, what sincerity is, and what politeness is."

"And you will probably never understand how much a child longs for a mother's love. If I didn't have a mother, I wouldn't expect it, but having one feels like not having one. This kind of torment is the most painful."

"In my memory, the time I spent with you was very limited, so I've gotten used to it. Please put away your fake concern, because I don't need it anymore."

"Of course, please don't misuse your strength."

Wu Jie's hands were clenched tightly under her clothes, her fingers turning blue and purple from the force.

"So, you stopped liking to go home from then on, learned to rebel, and started hanging out with Chen Dong and the others, right?" Wu Jie's voice sounded weak and tired.

"Yes, because there's no one when I go home, or more accurately, no one, not you. Dad still cares about me, but your occasional inquiries are just about discipline. You don't know anything about my situation; you just demand things of me and make me do things your way."

"Compared to them, Dong Ge and the others feel more like family to me, at least when I was twelve years old, and they still do now."

"So, if you still want to force me to make a choice like you did two years ago, this time I will choose friendship, no matter the cost."

"Let's leave it at that. Let's continue to get along like we did when we were kids. If you don't want to see me, I can't see you. We won't hate each other. This is better for you, for me, and for everyone."

As she spoke, she took back the keys to her rented apartment and prepared to leave.

Wu Jie suddenly felt an unprecedented sense of powerlessness wash over her, and her throat tightened. "I knew you didn't like me, even hated me, but I never imagined you hated me so much."

Han Ning'er paused as she got out of the car. She didn't turn around, but instead said to Wu Jie with her back to her, "No, I don't hate you. On the contrary, I understand you very well."

The word "understanding" rekindled hope in Wu Jie's eyes.

"As a mother, you missed out on my growth, so you are not a qualified one. But as a leader, you have fulfilled your duties and made the places you have visited develop better, allowing the people there to live and work in peace and contentment. You are qualified."

"This is your responsibility, and it's the path you've chosen. Qingjiang is indeed getting better and better now, so the sacrifices you have to make are worthwhile."

"Then Ms. Wu Jie, please continue to move forward steadfastly. It is not wrong to sacrifice your small family for the sake of the Qingjiang family. I do not hate you, but do not expect me to love you. After all, you were not much of a part of my childhood memories."

Han Ning'er's voice was calm, as if she were stating a fact that had nothing to do with her, but the calmer she was, the more heartbroken Wu Jie felt.

This calmness felt like a disconnect from her, meaning her daughter no longer cared about her. Even if her daughter truly hated her, she wouldn't feel this bad.

Hate is the opposite of love. Hate implies emotion, which means that the daughter still cares about her past feelings. However, this indifference makes her seem like a truly irrelevant stranger.

Wu Jie just stared at her daughter, expressionless, her heart ashen.

"Do you really not want me as your mother anymore?"

Wu Jie's voice was hoarse, as if her heart was being torn apart piece by piece.

"No."

Han Ning'er's answer was straightforward and firm: "Whether it's blood ties or the legal aspect, you are my mother. This is an unchangeable fact. I will acknowledge it and will always call you that."

"But..." The tone suddenly changed.