The voice-activated light went out and then came back on. Su Hanze's cryptic question suddenly brought the two men's problems into the open.
Shen Dingkun didn't understand.
"In your eyes, don't I have anything else to do? Do you think I met with Jiang Tian just to have something going on with her? Your thinking is so narrow-minded, no wonder you are President Su."
Su Hanze didn't say anything, only staring at the cookie crumbs stuck to Shen Dingkun's shirt collar—the same kind that An'an often ate.
He doesn't usually pay much attention to his daughter, but in order to please her, he's been slowly getting to know her better lately.
He learned about his daughter's preferences from other servants in the Su family.
Just how much does An An enjoy playing with Shen Dingkun that she even shares cookies with him?
Su Hanze felt a bittersweet feeling in his heart.
People often only learn to cherish what they can't have.
This statement is like a curse, forever yearning for the right person at the wrong time.
"Get out of the way." Shen Dingkun really didn't have time to waste with Su Hanze; he had too many things to do.
I glanced at my watch; it was already quite late.
Unfortunately, Su Hanze, this uninvited guest, blocked him at the door, preventing him from moving.
Su Hanze was still unwilling to give way.
But just then—
"Dad?" An'an's voice came from inside the house, her voice slightly nasal from just waking up. "Why are you here?"
Upon seeing his daughter, Su Hanze's expression unconsciously softened.
Did we disturb you?
"No, Uncle Chen, are you leaving? Qianqian is sleeping soundly right now."
An'an continued to ask Shen Dingkun.
"We're leaving soon, you should go back and get some sleep."
When dealing with children, Shen Dingkun always maintains a gentle demeanor.
"An'an, go to sleep."
Jiang Tian, who had been observing the standoff between the two with indifference, spoke to her daughter.
"Okay, Mom, will Dad leave later?"
Su Hanze glanced at Jiang Tian, who nodded without hesitation: "Yes, he'll be leaving soon."
"Okay, Dad, I'll come visit you another day. I'm going to bed now."
An'an was very sleepy, and she even yawned while speaking.
Okay, good night.
After her daughter left, the atmosphere in the room suddenly became tense again.
Jiang Tian was fed up with this kind of maneuvering and didn't want others to waste her time anymore.
Her tone softened, yet carried an undeniable firmness: "Please all leave. No matter what you think, my life is now set in stone. I want my life to be free from anyone's control, including you, Shen Dingkun. My current relationship with you is not for your sake, but for your daughter's—you know, if a child grows up in that kind of environment, she will be ruined by her parents sooner or later."
She stared down at the cup, her tone becoming unusually heavy: "When I was a child, I was bullied and sexually assaulted, but my parents ignored it. You are at least better than them; you correct your child's thinking, pay attention to her mental health, and worry about her future. As a father, you are still useful."
"So, even if we have our grudges, your targeting of my parents' jobs, and your wife always treating me as a competitor, I can ignore all of that. I only hope my child is doing well. Because I see my younger self in her. But that doesn't mean I have to completely forgive you—you know what kind of person you are. Let's not talk about forgiveness; it's best if we can all get by on our own."
At this point, Shen Dingkun fell silent.
Jiang Tian turned to look at Su Hanze, her gaze calm: "We've been divorced for years, and it's long ago we should have severed ties. It's ridiculous that you still act like my husband. I don't want to talk to you anymore. Others may only see emotional issues, but our entanglement is beyond repair. Let's go our separate ways. Please leave. I need to wash up, take the kids to school tomorrow, and I have work to do. I really don't have time to entertain you. Don't bother me anymore."
Jiang Tian seemed to have really had enough of the two of them.
There was an indescribable anger in her tone—she had every right to be angry when others kept disturbing her life.
But Su Hanze wasn't going to let it go. He stared at her with a look he himself didn't understand: "What are you thinking? As a woman living alone, how can you let a strong man stay, even if he's here for the child? Do you know you're playing with your life? Besides, Shen Dingkun is a married man. In other people's eyes, you two being alone together will raise suspicions of an affair. You should avoid these risks instead of letting them affect your life."
Su Hanze's every word was for Jiang Tian's benefit, and he had to consider it—after all, Jiang Tian didn't seem to care about these things.
If no one thinks about these issues, they will become big problems in the future, and won't it be Jiang Tian and the child who will be hurt?
Hearing his question, Jiang Tian laughed: "Then I'd like to ask you, why were you able to get along with Zhao Mingyao so easily back then? Did you ever think that you two, a single man and a single woman, spent far more time together than many ordinary friends? Didn't you ever think that this would hurt me? Now you're suddenly criticizing me, why are you so hypocritical?"
"Besides, what you gave Zhao Mingyao wasn't just respect—it was benefits, real benefits. Don't think I don't know you all have your own agendas, but I have no interest in figuring out your schemes. I just want to say that my life won't be defined by your calculations, and I won't joke about other people's opinions. People should live with integrity. I dared to let him stay because I live with integrity. I won't project other people's speculations onto myself and let those pointless thoughts ruin my life—there are too many men in this world who maintain ambiguous relationships with other women after marriage, and they haven't been criticized, but you're criticizing me first?"
"Why don't they have to prove themselves? Why are they tolerated by the world? But why do I have to endure your moral judgment when I do nothing? From what position do you stand, choosing to hurt me?"
Su Hanze's heart tightened: "I didn't intend to hurt you, I just wanted to remind you of this because I was afraid you would get hurt..."
"Sometimes I feel that leaving you was the right thing to do, because you can never treat me as an independent individual. You always treat me as someone else's part. Yes, your ideas are in line with the general public's ideas. They can spread rumors about me and make me face cyberbullying from everyone, but should I be the one to solve those problems? Is that my fault?"
Jiang Tian seemed to really not want to talk to him anymore, but she had no choice but to continue.
"Have you ever considered that your thoughts are actually not important? How you see me, how others see me, that's your problem. If anyone spreads rumors or slanders against me, I will deal with it immediately."
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