In the darkness, Jiang Yuan unconsciously rubbed the thin blanket in her hands. After a while, she spoke again: "After his wife, children and parents were found, my first reaction was to divorce him! But he disagreed. He promised me that he only felt guilty towards his ex-wife, children and parents and only wanted to make amends! He said that he had never been able to take care of his parents, and his parents loved their two eldest grandsons the most. So, whether it was to be filial to his parents or to make up for his guilt, he would treat his two ex-children exceptionally well."
"He told me not to dwell on these short ten years or so, saying that after his parents passed away, he would divide up his two sons, and then there would still be only the four of us in the family! Moreover, he values Zhiyuan the most, and everything he has in the future will be given to Zhiyuan and our children! All I need to do is be there for him and endure these ten years or so, and everything will be alright!"
“He said he knew he had wronged me, knew he had let me down, but he still couldn’t let me go! He only has me in his heart! He doesn’t want to see me divorce him and marry another man, he can’t bear it! He said that even if I marry another man, my life might not be as good as it is with Gu Jia! After all, the men I can marry also have their own children, and they certainly won’t treat Zhiyuan and Zhixing well! He is, after all, the biological father of the two children, he would never harm them!”
“He said I have confidence in the Gu family, and he has my back! But if I marry someone else, I'll have to compromise for Zhiyuan and Zhixing! He can't bear to do that! So he'll never let me go, even if it kills him!”
At this point, Jiang Yuan herself laughed, "Isn't it beautiful?"
Xu Ningyan sighed, groped his way over, and took Jiang Yuan's hand.
Jiang Yuan's body was trembling. She gripped Xu Ningyan's hand tightly and it took her a while to calm down.
"What woman doesn't like to hear nice things? Besides, Gu Yong has always been incredibly good to me and our two children! I really can't bear to leave him, I can't bear to leave this family, and I don't want to give up the home I've built so well—"
Xu Ningyan held back for a long time, but couldn't help but ask, "What about Fang Dani—"
Jiang Yuan calmly said, "Fang Dani is not a problem! Her existence poses no threat to me! Don't be fooled by Gu Yong's seemingly magnanimous and loyal nature; he is actually quite old-fashioned and possessive. Fang Dani is good in every way—she is filial to his parents and raised his two children—but she has remarried. That alone is enough for Gu Yong to never forgive her!"
Xu Ningyan opened her mouth, then closed it again.
He patted Jiang Yuan's hand, offering her silent comfort.
After a while, Jiang Yuan calmed down. Although her voice was still a little hoarse, she had regained her composure: "Xiao Yan, your aunt lost her temper today! I'm sorry you had to see me like this. I've been holding these things in for so long, and it's been really hard to bear. Saying it out loud today has really made me feel much better! Thank you, Xiao Yan!"
Xu Ningyan quickly said, "Auntie, why are you being so polite with me? You're just too gentle, too understanding, and too considerate of others! It would be wonderful if you met someone of good character who would respect and cherish you! But such good people are rare! So, Auntie, you should take better care of yourself in the future! Don't always let people coax you into thinking that taking a step back will lead to a brighter future, and that patience will bring peace!"
"If anyone tries to advise you like that, just slap them across the face and ask them, 'Why should I put up with this? Why don't you back down?'"
One sentence made Jiang Yuan laugh.
After the laughter subsided, Jiang Yuan sighed, "Xiao Yan, you're such a good girl with your own opinions! I feel at ease with you by Zhiyuan's side! He has better taste than I do as his mother; he picked a truly wonderful girl!"
Xu Ningyan replied with a smug smile, "Of course, I—"
Halfway through the call, I realized, hey, it turns out that Aunt Jiang isn't a completely innocent and kind-hearted pushover either. She hasn't even resolved her own issues yet, and she's already helping her son out.
Although she and Gu Zhiyuan are currently in a tacit understanding stage, they haven't really reached that point yet when it comes to officially establishing a relationship!
Having been recognized by Jiang Yuan and even being encouraged to get together, Xu Ningyan, who was usually very outgoing, couldn't help but feel a little shy at this moment.
Thankfully, the lights weren't on, so Jiang Yuan probably couldn't see the burning sensation on her face.
Clearing her throat, she said, "It's getting late, I... I'm going to bed now!"
After saying that, he lifted the thin blanket and covered himself from head to toe.
Jiang Yuan chuckled softly and lay down as well. Perhaps because she had poured out all the pent-up frustration of the past few years, Jiang Yuan felt unusually relaxed and fell asleep without realizing it.
Xu Ningyan, on the other hand, couldn't fall asleep, whether it was because she was not used to the bed or for some other reason.
Listening to Jiang Yuan's soft breathing, she realized she had fallen asleep, so she quietly rolled over and got out of bed.
Outside, all was quiet except for the occasional croaking of frogs and chirping of cicadas.
A gentle breeze blew in from the terrace, and Xu Ningyan softly pushed open the door connecting the bedroom to the terrace and went out.
Night fell, the stars twinkled, and from the terrace, the nearby buildings were all dark and asleep.
Even downstairs it was quiet. It was already past midnight, and everyone should be asleep, whether they had something on their mind or not.
Just as Xu Ningyan was about to go back to her room, she saw the lights on the first floor suddenly turn on, and it sounded like someone was saying something in a low voice, either a man or a woman.
At this hour, are there still people in the Gu family awake?
The first floor is occupied by Mr. and Mrs. Gu, Fang Dani, the nanny, and a guest room where Gu Yong will be staying tonight.
Could it be that Gu Yong can't sleep?
But who is he talking to so late at night?
Could it be the Gu family patriarch and matriarch?
Why are they still talking so late at night? Are they secretly plotting how to deal with Jiang Yuan and her two children? No, she has to go down and eavesdrop!
Without hesitation, Xu Ningyan turned and went into the house. She tiptoed to open the door, didn't turn on the light, and carefully made her way down the stairs in the dark.
The second floor was quiet; Gu Dajun and the others were fast asleep.
When Xu Ningyan reached the corner between the second floor and the first floor, she was cautious and didn't go any further down. Instead, she peeked down.
The living room lights were off; only a dim yellow light was on in the hallway.
One of the room doors opened, the lights were on, and Gu Yong, disheveled, staggered out of it.
He seemed unsteady on his feet for some reason, and then a pair of arms reached out from behind him to support him. "Dayong, be careful—"
Wearing a pajamas that wasn't even buttoned up properly, and with her hair all messy, Fang Dani emerged from behind Gu Yong, muttering, "It's so late, you can sleep in my room and go back tomorrow morning! I can keep an eye on you, otherwise, what if you feel unwell tonight after drinking?"
Xu Ningyan's pupils dilated in shock!
What did she see?! A live scene of adultery?
Without hesitation, he turned on the lights at the bottom of the stairs and in the living room, illuminating the room instantly.
As soon as Gu Yong and Fang Dani stepped out the door, they were at a loss for how to react and looked at the stairwell in horror.
Xu Ningyan acted decisively, immediately shouting, "Gu Zhiyuan, Aunt Jiang, come down quickly! Commander Gu is having an affair with Fang Dani and the others—"
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