Chapter 113
What kind of person can be called a father?
The Three Character Classic once said, "If a child is raised but not taught, it is the father's fault." When writing model essays in school, whenever the topic of fathers came up, everyone would tacitly and spontaneously write, "Father's love is like a mountain, majestic and awe-inspiring."
But if the father doesn't teach, whose fault is it?
What if a father's love is not a support but instead sees you as a monster?
When introducing themselves to others, they always portray themselves as a happy and sweet family of three. Whenever someone asks, "Whose child is this?", they always smile and say, "They're from a relative's family. They're from a small town and had nowhere to stay, so they came to stay for a few days."
When they went out, he always disciplined her, telling her to call him "Uncle" and to keep a distance from him when they walked, as if afraid that someone would find out that they knew each other.
When she was young, she would always be unable to resist the things she liked and wanted. She didn't know if it was just her nature as a child, but she often received comments like "useless" or "not suitable." When she got angry, she would hear, "This price, do you think you are worthy of it?"
So much so that when she felt wronged, her first thought was always, "It's too expensive, forget it, I won't spend the money. Money doesn't grow on trees."
Even now, when she buys something, she always subconsciously looks at the price first, and then carefully considers its practicality and cost-effectiveness.
I won't buy anything that's beyond my means, no matter how much I like it.
Suddenly, Guan Nan laughed, a somewhat desolate laugh. Her gaze swept over the withered pomegranate tree in the yard, and she said slowly, "My mother is dead. I've come this far all alone. Where did I get a father?"
Jiang Li's eyes narrowed, and he lightly swept his thumb across the back of his hand.
Guan Nan lowered her head, staring at the hands pressed together, and sighed silently: "I'm sorry, you've got the wrong person."
Upon hearing this, Zhang Guilian disregarded her fear and tried to get up, reaching out to grab Guan Nan's hand, but instead grasped nothing.
Just then, the security guards arrived, and Zhang Guilian hurriedly put a shield behind her, making her look like a rioter.
“President Jiang,” the young security guard recognized Jiang Li and briefly inquired about the situation, but the woman in front of him had lost her mind and was completely uncommunicative, so he wanted to take her away first. “We received a report that someone was causing trouble.”
Jiang nodded understandingly.
Upon seeing this, Zhang Guilian shouted, "I'm her mother! I'm her mother!"
The security guard hesitated, but didn't leave immediately. Instead, he turned his gaze to Jiang Li.
However, Jiang Li was unusually impatient, and his tone was devoid of any warmth: "You've mistaken her for someone else. Take her to the property management office first. I've already had someone call the police. Let her talk to the police."
Upon hearing this, the security guard ignored Zhang Guilian's rant and led the two out of Building 26.
"Godmother." Guan Nan pursed her lips, unsure how to face Zhen Xiaoya.
Jiang Li responded politely and frankly, "Godmother."
Upon hearing the word "godmother," Zhen Xiaoya completely changed from her domineering demeanor. She tugged at her clothes and pulled at her collar, becoming timid and reserved, nodding repeatedly and saying, "Yes, yes, good girl."
Guan Nan hadn't originally planned to introduce them so soon, but it seemed impolite not to, so she immediately prepared to use the same excuse she gave her friends: "This is me—"
“Honey,” Zhen Xiaoya nodded, smiling憨厚ly, “I know, Yangyang told me.”
Upon hearing this, Guan Nan swallowed the words "boyfriend" that were stuck in her throat, and her expression instantly became extremely awkward.
The atmosphere was neither good nor bad.
"Really?" Jiang Li smiled, her every move exuding generosity, yet her tone was laced with displeasure. "Brother even mentioned me to you. Actually, Guan Nan had been wanting to bring me to see you, but she neglected it due to work commitments. I'm truly sorry that we met under these circumstances today."
His language was eloquent and appropriate. He could have easily shifted the blame to Guan Nan, but instead, he claimed it was his own fault. Moreover, even when the hospital was in such a dire situation last time, he was still able to remain calm and composed, managing everything in an orderly manner amidst the chaos.
Zhen Xiaoya thought the little boy in front of her was quite steady.
In addition, I had heard about his deeds before, and he was responsible and had a strong sense of duty.
He's a very promising young man.
"Work is important." Zhen Xiaoya observed him calmly, a smile on her face, clearly satisfied with him. "Have lunch at home. Oh, and I'll have Yangyang bring you the water you wanted later."
Guan Nan said, "We won't eat your godmother's food anymore. He still has work to do. We'll come see you again next time."
"Thank you, godmother. Goodbye, godmother. We'll come again next time." Jiang Li was being led away by her, but he didn't forget to greet her properly.
As the two went downstairs and passed under the pomegranate tree, Jiang Li stopped her hand, brushed the dry twig off her hair, lifted her chin, and leaned in to kiss her.
Guan Nan blinked and stepped back, saying, "I've been waiting for this day for a long time."
Guan Nan hadn't recovered yet, "Huh?"
Before Jiang Li could reply, she caught sight of Zhen Xiaoya coming downstairs out of the corner of her eye. She quickly blushed and pulled him away, but unexpectedly bumped into Qi Yang, who was standing under the banyan tree with his arms crossed and expressionless.
"Brother Qiyang." Guan Nan smiled shyly.
But Qi Yang seemed not to see them at all, still standing there with the same cold and indifferent expression as before.
After saying goodbye awkwardly, Guan Nan left with Jiang Li.
"By the way, what brings you here?" Guan Nan suddenly remembered that Jiang Li was still busy preparing for the tour. As the organizer and investor, he was overseeing every detail. His sudden appearance here was somewhat strange.
Jiang Li seemed unaffected and in a good mood. "Didn't my godmother say to come buy water?"
"Really?" Guan Nan looked at him suspiciously.
“Yes,” Jiang Li replied, then turned his head and asked in a low voice, “Don’t you have anything to say to me?”
This sentence sounds familiar.
Guan Nan pursed her lips, her tone somewhat annoyed: "What did you say?"
"Aren't you going to talk about what happened just now, and who was there?" Jiang Li lowered his eyes, his face revealing no emotion.
For a moment, Guan Nan's temporarily calmed emotions collapsed, and the corners of her upturned lips drooped.
"Is it inconvenient?" Jiang Li said, "If it's inconvenient, I won't ask again. But if anything happens, you have to let me know immediately, otherwise it will be very difficult for me."
After a two-second pause, Guan Nan looked up at him and said calmly, "There's nothing inconvenient about it. That's Lin Zhaozhao's mother, which is... my stepmother."
Upon hearing this, Jiang Li nodded. "Oh."
After saying this, Jiang Li didn't ask any further questions, as if he really just wanted to know who they were. But after hearing her relationship, he wisely cut off what he wanted to say.
The two walked slowly forward for a while and then came to a stop under the clock tower.
Guan Nan said, "I sold the house in Tangzi Lane."
"Your secret stash has gotten much richer, hasn't it?" Jiang Li joked with a smile. "This time I've really latched onto a big shot."
Noticing that he was trying to ease the tension and avoid bringing up the previous topic, and even seemed to be making jokes to make her laugh, Guan Nan wanted to say something more, but he gently pinched her nose and said, "You promised to take care of me, so you have to keep your word. You can't go back on your word."
Even before New Year's Day, Hecangyuan is decorated with lanterns and colorful decorations. The Chinese knots that were not taken down during the National Day month also show a fiery passion and warmth at this moment.
Even though the cold air has arrived, travelers are not affected at all.
Amid the commotion, Guan Nan said, "The houses in Tangzi Lane have been sold, and the sellers have evicted them. They are now homeless, and they came here today to make a scene because of this."
"Oh." Hearing her mention this, Jiang Li glanced at the empty space with little interest.
“The last time Lin Zhaozhao came to me, it was about this matter. Today…” Guan Nan took his hand and looked up at him, “They asked me for money, but I didn’t… I didn’t give them any.”
Jiang Li said, "Yes, I know."
Guan Nan pursed her lips and said clearly, word by word, "Don't you think I'm too heartless?"
The banyan tree swayed freely in the cool breeze.
Those hearts that cannot be opened, those selves that cannot be accepted, those pasts that cannot be faced.
In that instant, a crack suddenly appeared in the words that she couldn't say, didn't want to say, or dared not say, and the phrase "There are cracks in everything, that's how the light gets in" suddenly came to mind.
Perhaps it was because Jiang Li had been standing silently behind her, always so careful and attentive, that she felt sad and heartbroken. Suddenly, she wanted to tell him everything that had happened in the past.
That's what she thought, but when she looked up and saw Jiang Li shaking his head, she didn't say anything.
“It’s your stuff, how you want to do it is your business, no one else has the right to interfere,” Jiang Li looked at her, not saying that he would be even more ruthless if he were in her shoes, maintaining a calm tone as if he was worried about scaring her, “Including me.”
"As for other people and other things, as long as they don't harm you, threaten your personal safety, or affect your bright future, I don't care. Go ahead and do it."
"You steer your whole, and I will always be the obedient sailor."
I won't make choices for you, and I don't want to see you in a dilemma.
Because I love you more than you can imagine.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
