Chapter 81. Do you pity me?
The snow in Xunning continued to fall until dark without showing any signs of stopping.
The streets in the neighborhood were covered with a thick layer of snow, and only the dim streetlights stood silently, making the place seem even more desolate.
The small kitchen gradually filled with the fresh aroma of food, and plump white dumplings tumbled in boiling water, exuding a lively, homey atmosphere.
Jiang Yunzhao leaned against the stove, arms crossed, carefully examining the boy in front of him.
Although his gaze was scrutinizing, there was not a trace of contempt in it.
Putting aside the fact that Jiang Sui likes him, Jiang Yunzhao actually admires Ji Jingyu.
She is exceptionally good-looking, quick-witted, intelligent, and possesses both high IQ and EQ; there is almost nothing to criticize about her.
"I thought you knew."
Ji Jingyu's voice was hoarse, his hands hanging at his sides clenched into fists, the veins on the back of his pale hands bulging, as if he was trying his best to suppress something.
It's not that Jiang Sui isn't good enough; on the contrary, it's precisely because Jiang Sui is so good that Ji Jingyu, who isn't good enough, feels unworthy of her.
It wasn't because they didn't like each other, but because they liked each other too much, so their relationship could only stay at the level of friends, with absolutely no possibility of going any further.
The embarrassment and restraint on Ji Jingyu's face told Jiang Yunzhao that he knew about his background, even much earlier than Jiang Yunzhao did.
Ji Jingyu has a strong sense of self-loathing.
From the very beginning, he had been restraining his emotions.
Jiang Yunzhao suddenly felt a pang of sympathy for the boy in front of him.
He had also gone through that age with great passion. Su Yinian had rejected him many times, but Jiang Yunzhao never thought of giving up. He studied like crazy and tried his best to meet Su Yinian's requirements.
Sometimes, giving up is harder than continuing.
Because there's no hope left.
Shouldn't kids this age just fall in love without thinking twice?
As for the consequences, that's something to consider in the future.
Clearly, Ji Jingyu is an exception.
His moral standards were far too high, both for Jiang Sui and for himself.
Jiang Yunzhao looked at Ji Jingyu and said meaningfully, "But isn't your surname Ji?"
"What?"
The whole world seemed to have been paused. Ji Jingyu's throat tightened, and he wondered if he had misheard.
Jiang Yunzhao was older than him and had been in the business world for many years. He was no longer one to show his emotions, so Ji Jingyu couldn't figure out his intentions for a moment.
"You're smart enough to understand what I'm saying."
But it is precisely because I understand that I cannot believe it.
—
From childhood to adulthood, many people looked at Ji Jingyu with pity and sympathy because he had no father.
I heard that his father had passed away before he was born.
Despite Ji Lanwan giving him all her love, Ji Jingyu couldn't help but feel a pang of envy when he saw Jiang's father kneel down, smiling as he let Jiang Deyu ride on his neck, and only slowly stand up after the man was settled, his strong, thick hands firmly gripping Jiang Deyu's calves.
Jiang Deyu, like a victorious general, pointed forward and shouted, "Charge!"
His father responded with a hearty laugh: "You little rascal, hold on tight."
The sounds of the father and son laughing and playing, carried by the evening breeze, reached Ji Jingyu's ears, reminding him of the candied hawthorns he had eaten a few days ago.
The outer sugar coating is sweet, but the hawthorn inside is so astringent that it makes your heart clench.
So this is what Dad is like?
Young Ji Jingyu suddenly realized.
She might spank her child when she gets angry, but most of the time she's happy. She'll take the child running around the neighborhood, accompany the child on all sorts of adventurous activities, and provide the safest protection when danger strikes...
Ji Jingyu's gaze towards the Jiang family father and son was clearly seen by Ji He when she returned home. That night, Ji He, in a state of agitation, packed her luggage while making a phone call to a strange man.
Sitting on the bed, Ji Jingyu heard Ji He say that she was fed up with this kind of life and that she would take him to find his father so that their family could be reunited soon.
But the man on the other end of the phone not only refused, but also angrily berated Ji He: "Are you crazy? Bring him here, if anyone finds out, we're all finished! You were the one who insisted on having him, and your mother swore that this child had nothing to do with me. Damn it, are you going to back out now...?"
Suddenly, a child's innocent "Daddy" interrupted the man's incessant cursing. The man on the other end of the phone switched to a gentle tone, "Hey, what's wrong, my dear son?"
"Dad, who are you talking to on the phone? You seem really angry."
“No, honey,” the man said with a smile, “someone dialed the wrong number…”
The call was abruptly ended.
The man didn't care about just this phone call, nor about Ji He and Ji Jingyu.
Ji He is not a man's darling.
Ji Hesheng's Ji Jingyu is certainly not one of them.
With tears streaming down her face, Ji He smashed her suitcase and sat on the ground, sobbing uncontrollably.
He saw more than just sympathy and pity.
"The idea that her father died before she was born is just fooling those idiots. Otherwise, how come not a single relative from the man's side has come to visit all these years?"
"you mean?"
"If a woman gets pregnant before marriage, the man will deny it."
"This is a boy, smart and good-looking, why doesn't the man want him?"
"That means there's no shortage of children over there, which is why the child took the mother's surname." The speaker's expression was contemptuous. "Ji He was probably someone's mistress, and the original wife found out and kicked him out."
"Oh dear, what kind of sins has Ji Lanwan committed? She raised her daughter with great difficulty, only for her daughter to become someone's mistress and bring back an illegitimate child."
"What illegitimate child? He's just a little bastard."
"You're being really rude. Watch your mouth."
"Pah! If anyone's to blame, it's his shameless mother!"
The conversation, seemingly oblivious to everyone else, continued for a long time.
They may have seen him, or they may not have. Who cares about a child's feelings?
When Ji Lanwan returned, she saw Ji Jingyu squatting at the door of Ji He's bedroom. From inside the closed door, she could vaguely hear Ji He crying and screaming, as if she was arguing with someone.
"Why are you sitting here?" Ji Lanwan walked over, bent down to look at Ji Jingyu, "Are you hungry? Grandma will cook you some noodles."
Ji Jingyu vomited up everything she had eaten and developed a high fever that night.
In his hazy state, he heard Ji Lanwan and Ji He arguing.
"Ji He, I don't want to deal with you right now, and I can't be bothered with you, but don't you dare touch Xiao Jing!"
Ji He's voice was hoarse. "I'm his mother, and Juncheng is his father. What's wrong with me taking him to find his father? The way he looked at the Jiang family father and son today tells me he wants a father!"
"Who is it that caused him to have no father, no normal family!" Ji Lanwan looked at her daughter's ferocious face, her voice trembling with anger and pain. "Why do you always have to degrade yourself like this?"
“Xiao Jing has a father. If you hadn’t stopped me, we would have been reunited as a family long ago!” Ji He looked at her mother with resentment and hatred, as if she were the culprit who caused the tragedy before her.
A wave of dizziness washed over her, and Ji Lanwan swayed slightly. She grabbed the edge of the table in a panic to keep herself from falling. "How long are you going to keep deceiving yourself? Yu Juncheng has a wife and children. In his heart, you are nothing more than a stumbling block that he can't get rid of."
"Nonsense, you're talking nonsense! He loves me! He loves me!"
...
Ji Jingyu curled up in the blanket with his eyes closed. The aftereffects of the high fever made him feel cold all over, and tears streamed down his face uncontrollably, quickly soaking the pillowcase behind his head.
He wondered why he hadn't concealed his desire.
Why should he let his mother see the envy in his eyes?
If he could control his emotions, he would still be that child who lost his father at birth.
How happy.
—
"You pity me?"
"No one pitied me back then, so why should I pity you? I just want to remind you that your surname is Ji."
Ji Jingyu was raised by Ji Lanwan and took her surname; she is her bloodline.
It has nothing to do with other random people.
How could such a smart child get so fixated on something so trivial?
“Or,” Jiang Yunzhao looked up again, his expression turning cold and his tone becoming serious, “you don’t want this surname.”
"My surname is Ji, and that's all I have." Ji Jingyu looked directly at Jiang Yunzhao, his expression frank and open.
This will not change now, and it will absolutely not change in the future.
"He's not that stupid."
I thought you would object.
"Who said I don't object?" Sure enough, being too smart is troublesome; they've already started setting him up. Jiang Yunzhao sneered, "I just won't object for such bullshit reasons."
If he valued these things, he wouldn't have been with Su Yinian back then.
"But you're lucky, because the person you're facing is me."
If it were Jiang Zhenkai, Ji Jingyu's family would probably have been kicked out of Xunning long ago, and they would never have the chance to get even half a step closer to Jiang Sui again.
As they spoke, the dumplings that had been at the bottom of the pot all floated up, their skins translucent and elastic, their fillings plump and their aroma growing stronger and more tempting.
"Instead of thinking about these useless things all day, you should think about how to treat Sui Sui well and how to give her the best. Do you really think it's so easy for me to get past you?"
Jiang Yunzhao bent down to turn off the stove and got up to get bowls and chopsticks.
He felt obligated to eat once, and he felt obligated to eat twice; he completely abandoned any pretense of being an elder.
"I've said everything I needed to say, so I won't keep you any longer. Take care."
If they keep talking, it's as if Jiang Yunzhao's daughter has to be Ji Jingyu.
He's so handsome!
But I have to say, the beef dumplings were pretty delicious.
One bite, and the rich, meaty filling, wrapped in fragrant hot broth, filled Jiang Yunzhao's mouth, instantly whetting his appetite.
No wonder his wife and kids love to eat it.
After having a full meal, Jiang Yunzhao slumped onto the sofa, enjoying one of his few moments of leisure.
He usually uses this time to review everything that happened that day from beginning to end, so as not to miss anything.
The way he comforted Ji Jingyu just now really resembled a wise father...
Depend on.
Jiang Yunzhao was amused by his own inappropriate analogy.
Author's Note: Actually, Mr. Jiang doesn't really care whether someone is in a relationship early or not.
After all, he himself didn't set a good example [laughing and crying emoji]
Thank you so much for the nutrient solution you all sent me! [heart][heart][heart]
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