Chapter 139 Stubborn to the end
After returning to the Xie family's old residence, the old lady took Xie Jinghuai directly to his grandfather's study upstairs.
The study remains exactly as it was when Grandpa was alive. Even the teacups on the coffee table, the brushes with dried ink on the brush holder on the desk, and the long robe that Grandpa took off and casually draped over the back of the chair... everything is exactly the same.
Xie Jinghuai couldn't help but look around the study. When he saw the rows of photos of his grandparents on the bookshelf, and the huge family portrait hanging on the wall, which showed him as a child being held in his grandfather's arms, and his father standing beside his grandfather with a dignified air, his eyes welled up with tears, and his heart ached.
The grandmother in the photo is beautiful and slightly plump. Since the grandfather passed away, she has become increasingly thin and her health has deteriorated.
That was lovesickness.
The Xie family is known for producing devoted lovers.
Xie Jinghuai did not consider himself a heartless and unfortunate person.
Even though he married Jiang Shiyuan under pressure from his grandmother and had no feelings for her, he still had a child with her and never skimped on her food, clothing, or daily necessities.
He never even considered divorce.
Even if he didn't love her, he thought that since he had married her, he should stay with her until the end, which was the tradition of Xie family men.
With these thoughts in mind, Xie Jinghuai felt less guilty and straightened his back, displaying an open and upright demeanor.
"Grandma, I..."
A crisp snap!
The old lady glared with her bloodshot eyes and slapped Xie Jinghuai hard across the face, making his head turn to the side and leaving a striking red mark on his cheek!
"This slap is for you hiding things from me! For trying to fool your grandma into thinking I have Alzheimer's!"
Snap!
The old lady slapped him again, and Xie Jinghuai gritted his teeth and endured it, his expression changing from astonishment to a dark and gloomy one:
"This slap is a sign that you are heartless and ungrateful!"
The old lady trembled with rage. "A-Yuan's life hangs in the balance, yet you're always seen with that little hussy from the Lin family, giving her such an expensive gift and even bringing her to pray for your father. Aren't you afraid of divine retribution? Do you have any conscience at all?!"
Look at your current state... You are completely unworthy to be my grandson, to be Changyue's son!
Xie Jinghuai tolerated everything else.
But that last sentence pierced him deeply, and his eyes instantly reddened:
"Grandma, I kept this from you because I was worried about your health and afraid you wouldn't be able to handle the shock. I haven't slept well a single night these past few days. I've been working with the police to track down Jiang Shiyuan. I've done everything I could for her, I've been more than kind to her!"
"You—!" The old lady was so angry that her heart clenched.
"Everything I've done has been based on careful consideration and with others in mind. I don't ask for your understanding, but I have a clear conscience!"
Xie Jinghuai recalled the scene of Jiang Shiyuan being carried in a princess carry by Fu Chenzhou, and the two looked at each other with eyes that seemed to stretch into a long, thin line.
A surge of resentment and anger welled up inside him, burning his throat like the strongest liquor. "On the contrary, she's been with Fu Chenzhou these past few days. Has she contacted me even once? Has she considered my feelings at all?"
"Arrogant and stubborn!"
The old lady felt a sense of helplessness, as if no matter how many times she slapped him, she couldn't wake him up. She had difficulty breathing. "A-Yuan was ambushed on her way to the auction to accompany you to the event!"
Your wife didn't show up at the agreed time, and you remained calm and unconcerned, turning around and appearing in public with Lin Zhixin, allowing her to swagger around in the position that should belong to Ayuan. Even a day as husband and wife is worth a hundred days of kindness; how could you be so heartless as a husband?!
Xie Jinghuai's spine stiffened, and he was speechless for a moment, as if he had a mouthful of blood in his mouth.
“Back then, if you had just… called A-Yuan and asked where she was and why she hadn’t come, if you had shown her even the slightest bit of concern, things wouldn’t have gotten to that point!”
The old lady pointed her trembling hand at Xie Jinghuai's pale face, "How dare you talk about Mr. Fu? If it weren't for Mr. Fu, you would have been a widower long ago, and Tongtong would have lost her mother long ago!"
"Ha...that's right. Even if A-Yuan died, would you two care? One of you couldn't wait to get a new mother, and the other couldn't wait to make that little bitch from the Lin family your proper second wife!"
Xie Jinghuai bit his cheekbone so hard it bulged out, and his internal organs felt increasingly constricted.
He recalled that day when Jiang Shiyuan did not appear, and without thinking, he assumed that she had changed her mind halfway through and deserted the mission, never considering that she was actually in danger.
He even had to admit that his lavish spending on Lin Zhixin at the auction was partly a way of getting back at Jiang Shiyuan.
But if he had known things would be like this from the beginning, how could he have...
“A-Yuan is a girl who is one in a million, pure and kind. She is the lucky star of our Xie family. Your ability to marry her is a blessing accumulated by your grandfather and your father.”
The old lady emphasized each word, "If you lose Ayuan, I will never forgive you in this lifetime!"
Xie Jinghuai said in a low voice, "Grandma, I never thought about divorcing Jiang Shiyuan."
"Do you think you can just decide whether or not to get a divorce? You're blind, thinking that no one will want you after you get divorced? Little do you know that there are plenty of men who can take your place, and there are plenty of excellent men out there who are lining up to be nice to my A-Yuan!"
Mr. Fu is a perfect example!
Mentioning Fu Chenzhou filled Xie Jinghuai with considerable resentment and bitterness.
He didn't think Jiang Shiyuan was a particularly attractive woman. Her greatest strength was probably her outstanding appearance, with delicate and fair skin and a near-perfect figure.
He admitted that he could accept a loveless marriage with Jiang Shiyuan, largely because he was very satisfied with her body; she was someone he could sleep soundly in bed with, and he found her appearance very pleasing to the eye.
Although Lin Zhixin and he were very compatible on a spiritual level, he still couldn't accept the idea of marrying her and having an intimate life together.
The old lady issued an ultimatum: "If you still feel even a shred of guilt towards A-Yuan and want to make amends, then you must immediately break off all ties with that Lin girl and never let Tongtong see her again! If you continue to be so stubborn, she will destroy the entire Xie family sooner or later!"
"no."
Without hesitation, Xie Jinghuai said resolutely, "Zhixin is my savior, and I cannot abandon her no matter what."
The old lady was about to vomit blood, "You—!"
"Moreover, the great wave of artificial intelligence has arrived, and various groups are recruiting. I heard that the Fu family has recruited two very capable artificial intelligence researchers who are studying service robots and self-driving cars. Once they get ahead and cooperate with the government, they will be a huge threat to the Xie family."
Xie Jinghuai's gaze was deep, his mind filled with the grand blueprint he had drawn for the Xie family. "Zhixin is an invaluable talent in the field of artificial intelligence. As soon as she joined the R&D department, she carried out a comprehensive upgrade of the previous chips, and the results were gratifying."
The Xie family is currently in dire need of personnel, and I cannot allow my personal marriage to jeopardize their future. Therefore, I apologize, Grandma, but I cannot comply.”
"You...you're simply..."
Before she could finish speaking, the old lady felt a sharp pain in her heart, then her vision went black, and her body began to fall.
"grandmother!"
...
After returning to the hospital, Jiang Shiyuan ate, rested for a while, and was about to read a book when a clear, childlike voice suddenly rang out:
"Aunt Jiang!"
Immediately afterwards, Fu Chenzhou led his son Fu Yansi into the ward, the little guy holding a bouquet of fresh and beautiful pink carnations in his arms.
"Banban is here!" Jiang Shiyuan smiled broadly when she saw the child's cute little face.
"Aunt Jiang, these flowers are for you. I carefully selected each one; they are all in full bloom and are the most beautiful!"
Fu Yansi ran to the bedside, placed the flowers in Jiang Shiyuan's arms, and said in a sweet voice, "However, no matter how beautiful the flowers are, they are not as beautiful as Aunt Jiang!"
Jiang Shiyuan pursed her lips and smiled shyly like a young girl, "Thank you, Banban. The flowers are beautiful, I like them very much."
Carnations symbolize the wish for a speedy recovery for patients.
Fu Yansi's choice of carnations, however, has another deeper meaning—
He longed so much to have Aunt Jiang be his mother.
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