Chapter 268: Chapter 267 Shackles Chapter 268: Chapter 267 Shackles Qi Wanli’s talent in shooting was mediocre; it was sheer passion and persistence that kept him going. Where others could easily achieve, he might need to work tenfold or a hundredfold harder–which was why the one thing he couldn’t stand was someone who wasted great resources and talent and didn’t appreciate them.

He never expected that his own daughter, whom he raised with his own hands, would become the very kind of person he despised the most.

Yu Shuhua, witnessing the tension between father and daughter, could only try to mediate by saying, “Zhenzhen, mom knows you’re just under too much pressure, and that’s why you’ve come out to relax a bit. Your dad is strict with you because he wants what’s best for you. Quickly apologize to your father, say you won’t do it again and that you’ll start training seriously tomorrow…”

Qi Zhen covered her face where she had been slapped and laughed scornfully, her voice dripping with irony, “Training…? Is training useful? You both know very well… it’s useless, isn’t it…?”

As Qi Zhen spoke, she glanced at Qi Yue beside her, “After all… even though I’ve trained non-stop for so many years, I still can’t beat Qi Yue, who has already retired…”

Qi Zhen became increasingly agitated, “Besides… why should I apologize? I’m not the one who’s wrong! It’s you! All this ‘for my own good’ talk! It’s for yourselves, isn’t it!

To you, I’m just your puppet, your tool, your trophy to show off!

So, the moment you find out I’m useless, that I can’t meet your expectations, that I have no value to use, you’ll just discard me, kick me away!”

Qi Zhen’s words were like daggers to the heart, and Qi Wanli could barely stand, “What are you saying…”

Yu Shuhua’s face was full of pain too, “Zhenzhen, what are you talking about? What do you mean by being treated as a tool! What do you mean by discarding you once you are of no use? Have we ever failed to give you anything you wanted? We did our best, provided you with the best of everything, sent you to the best schools, gave you the best training conditions, and your father even swallowed his pride to find you better coaches…

To keep you in shooting, we… we even wronged your sister for so many years…”

Qi Zhen interrupted Yu Shuhua’s words, “Enough! Stop portraying yourselves as so noble! As if all of you have sacrificed so much for me! Do you know what I truly want? Have you even considered my feelings once? Have you thought about whether I like this, whether I want this?

I hate shooting! I hate training! I utterly loathe these days spent in the training room, training day after day! I see no hope or end to such days! As long as I can’t meet your expectations, can’t achieve your goals, I can never escape!

I’ve been to so many places, so many cities, but I’ve never once truly looked at the scenery of those cities. It’s just from one cage to another, one battlefield to another! Not a single day have I lived for myself!

Your so-called good intentions, your so-called sacrifices, they are nothing but chains you’ve shackled me with!”

Listening to Qi Zhen’s near breakdown of accusations, Qi Yue remembered the last time she spoke with Second Uncle over the phone. Second Uncle had said that Qi Zhen simply didn’t like shooting. At the time, she had found it hard to believe, but, to her surprise, Second Uncle had hit the nail on the head…

Even the extent of Qi Zhen’s loathing for shooting was more severe than Second Uncle had described.