Chapter 35 If he doesn't want a divorce, he can't get one.
"To beat one of my classmates." Although Xin Xin was small, her crisp voice was full of spirit. "I want to prove to her that I can beat her in every aspect."
Jiang Ruan was slightly surprised.
I didn't expect my child to be so competitive.
“Teacher Jiang.” Xin Xin reached out her little hand and took her hand, looking at her with bright eyes, “Could you be a little stricter with me? I want to learn the basics in the shortest amount of time.”
"Okay," Jiang Ruan agreed.
With her words, Xin Xin began to study very seriously.
Jiang Ruan is a true leader in classical dance, having won numerous national awards during her prime. Even after getting married, she never gave up her interest in this field.
As the two entered the teaching phase, Lu Er, who was sitting in the study watching the monitor, said to the gentle and refined man next to him, "Don't worry, I told Xin Xin in advance that she wouldn't let anything slip, and besides, she really wants to learn classical dance recently."
Huo Sinian looked at the monitor on the computer screen; his eyes behind the lenses were unfathomable.
"There's something I'm curious about," Lu Er said, propping his head up with his hand.
Huo Sinian glanced sideways.
Lu Er leaned closer: "Logically speaking, Su Anran, who is being kept by Huo Er outside, should be the one we should be focusing on. Why are you keeping an eye on Jiang Ruan? Isn't she about to divorce Huo Er?"
"They only filed for divorce, but didn't get a divorce certificate," Huo Sinian corrected.
Lu Er looked puzzled: "What's the difference? Aren't they both divorces?"
“If he doesn’t want to, he can’t leave.” Huo Sinian knew his younger brother well.
Lu Er couldn't understand it, but he didn't care about it; it wasn't really his business anyway.
The two watched the surveillance footage in the study for a while, and after confirming that Xin Xin hadn't said anything she shouldn't have, they left the villa quietly. Jiang Ruan, who was teaching Xin Xin to dance in the dance studio, was completely unaware of the whole process.
After three hours in the morning, Xin Xin was still a little reluctant to leave and invited Jiang Ruan to stay for lunch, but Jiang Ruan declined, saying she had something to do at home.
Xin Xin did not force anyone to stay.
Jiang Ruan patted her head and praised her a few times before leaving.
But she never expected to receive a message from her father on her way back.
Father Jiang: [Come over here, I have something I'd like to discuss with you [location].]
Along with that, it was positioned as an upscale bar.
Jiang Ruan entered his phone number and dialed it. This time, instead of the mechanical "cannot be answered" message, she heard a real dial tone.
Time passed by, bit by bit.
Even though it only rang three or four times, it felt like an eternity to Jiang Ruan.
Her mind was filled with memories of how he ran away with the money and lied to her.
The call connected on the fifth note, and a low, hoarse voice with a hint of vicissitude came through: "Ruan Ruan."
Jiang Ruan's hand holding the phone was trembling slightly.
It really is him!
After all these years, I still have the nerve to answer her calls.
"I heard your mother's condition suddenly worsened, is that true?" Jiang's father's heavy voice slowly rang out.
Jiang Ruan questioned, "Do you care if it's true or not?"
"Of course I care," Mr. Jiang said sincerely. "Besides being your mother, she is also my wife."
“If you really considered her your wife, you wouldn’t have run away with the money and left us with a mountain of debt.” Jiang Ruan was in a terrible mood, her mind filled with memories of the past. “And you wouldn’t have ignored us for so many years.”
The other side fell silent.
Jiang Ruan's red lips were pressed into a straight line, but her anger had not subsided at all.
"If your father told you that everything back then was due to difficult circumstances, would you believe him?" Father Jiang's voice seemed to have aged many years in an instant. "If I hadn't done what I did back then, you would all have been implicated."
Jiang Ruan said with a mocking smile, "Do you think I would believe that?"
What's the difference between this and stabbing her with a knife and then telling her it's for her own good?
“Come here, and I’ll tell you everything.” Father Jiang’s tone grew increasingly heavy. “If you still blame me after hearing it, I will personally kneel before your mother to atone for my sins.”
"Okay." Jiang Ruan hung up the phone, hailed a taxi, and headed straight for the location he had indicated.
He told himself that it was a lie, just like when she had lied to him before, but amidst these thoughts, there was also a faint glimmer of hope.
What if he really has his reasons?
Anyway, she has nothing now and nothing on her to deceive him about. Even if he calls her over for the same scam as before, it doesn't matter. But if it's true, she and her mother need his apology.
Half an hour later, she arrived at the bar he had mentioned and found the private room he had given her.
Upon reaching the door, she pushed it open and entered without any hesitation.
The private room was dimly lit, but she still spotted the middle-aged man sitting on the sofa immediately. When he saw her, he slowly stood up and called out to her with a complex expression in his eyes, "Ruan Ruan."
Jiang Ruan did not respond.
She stood at the door, staring at him intently. Several years had passed, and he no longer possessed the high spirits he had when he was President Jiang. His eyes and brows showed a hint of dejection.
"What are you standing there for? Come and sit down." Father Jiang walked over and pulled her toward the sofa.
Jiang Ruan didn't sit down, she just looked at him.
Jiang's father's eyes were filled with mixed emotions. After looking her up and down, he said in a hoarse voice, "You've lost weight. Have you not been eating properly?"
"That's not important." Jiang Ruan shook off his hand, no longer moved by his apparent concern as before. "Didn't you want to tell me the reason why you ran away with the money and abandoned me and Mom? Tell me, I'm listening."
"Can't you just talk to your dad for a while?" Mr. Jiang said heavily. "Seeing you like this really breaks my heart."
"If you really feel sorry for her, then tell me your so-called predicament." Jiang Ruan was no longer moved by these words. After what had happened before and Huo Zhizhou's betrayal, she became increasingly distrustful of them.
Father Jiang lowered his eyes, as if he had been crushed in an instant.
Jiang Ruan stood there without moving an inch.
“I didn’t want you to know this, but you insisted on an answer, so I’ll tell you.” Father Jiang picked up the wine on the table, took a sip, and his mood became melancholy. “Back then, the company went bankrupt. Actually, someone did it on purpose.”
Jiang Ruan listened quietly.
“If I hadn’t taken that money abroad, my whole family would have suffered retaliation from those people,” Mr. Jiang said, his voice growing heavier. “But by taking the money, I had a chance to make a comeback and also to secretly find out who was behind it all.”
"After all this talk, aren't you just going to run off with the money and abandon us?" Jiang Ruan pointed out the key point.
Jiang's father unconsciously clenched his wine glass, his lowered eyes filled with gloom. He had wanted to play the emotional card and find an impeccable excuse to convince her, but after thinking for so long, he still couldn't come up with a perfect reason.
To this day, I still don't know how to respond to her.
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