Chapter 31.031 Let's break up.
Upon hearing this, Jiang Yue lost all control and collapsed to the ground, completely exhausted.
Shen Yi had never seen Jiang Yue so vulnerable.
Unlike her usual gentle, clever, and determined demeanor, her eyes were now red and brimming with tears, which rolled down her cheeks one by one, making her look extremely helpless.
The truth that is completely beyond our control.
It turns out that her biological father had known about this huge misunderstanding all along. His biological daughter had been living away from home, but because she did not meet his standards for the perfect daughter, he chose to abandon her.
This huge commotion naturally attracted the attention of those inside.
Father Shen's alert voice rang out: "Who's there? Who's outside!"
"Go to my room."
As Shen Yu spoke, he gave Shen Yi a wink, signaling her to quickly help Jiang Yue up, and loudly replied, "It's me," before opening the door a few seconds later.
inside the house.
Shen Yu looked at the man who was nominally his father, then at his mother, still unable to process what he had just heard: "Mom, is what Aunt Wen just said true?"
It all started out as a series of coincidences, but later it was decided by someone else.
Whoever is more outstanding is qualified to be his daughter, the Shen family's heiress.
The mother wept uncontrollably and was unable to answer her son's question.
Seeing Shen Yu walk in, Shen's father breathed a slight sigh of relief and said, "It's you."
"So who do you hope it is?"
Seeing that her father had not refuted her so far, and recalling the judgmental attitude he had shown when he mentioned Shen Yi's marriage, those details that she had deliberately tried to ignore before became clearer now.
Shen Yu sneered, feeling his whole body tremble, yet he questioned, "Do you hope it's Shen Yi? To let her know how 'lucky' she is to have you choose her over your own daughter. Or Jiang Yue? To give her a sense of crisis, to let her know that she's just a discarded pawn, and that she'd better be sensible enough to listen to you and be used by you?"
Shen Yu's words successfully enraged his father, or rather, struck a nerve with him, so much so that he grabbed the teacup beside him and threw it at Shen Yu: "Who taught you to talk to your father like that?"
Shen's father was a self-made tycoon who always considered himself different from those rich kids who made their fortunes later in life. He was cultured and refined, and had almost never uttered a vulgar word in his life. He broke his vow because he was really angry at the moment.
Standing there, Wen's mother saw Shen Yu's reaction and her expression finally softened. She looked at Shen Yu's mother and comforted her, "You should be happy. At least your son hasn't been raised badly. You've been cowardly for so many years. At a time like this, you should fight for something for your children. After all, you are their mother."
After finishing her sentence, Mother Wen didn't want to stay any longer and said directly, "I'll take my leave now. You can handle your own family matters. As for the marriage agreement between the two families, I think we should just forget about it."
"Wait a moment!"
Father Shen spoke up to stop Mother Wen from leaving. He was clearly furious and could no longer maintain his gentle and refined demeanor. He sneered, "What are you pretending to be now? What kind of good people are you and your husband? He was the person I trusted the most back then. After this matter tormented my conscience, I went to him for drinks and poured out my troubles when I was drunk. Not to mention him, even you, including that brat Wen Que, who in your entire Wen family doesn't know about this? Now, it's all my fault."
"You're blaming me now? That's your family matter! How many times have I hinted at it to your wife over the years? She's just too stupid to understand my good intentions! What can I do?"
Whenever her husband and son were involved, Wen's mother's relatively calm emotions erupted: "Why should I pay the price to help with your family affairs? You want to keep it from your wife? Do you expect me to tell her? What if I end up doing something thankless and you two retaliate against me? Who can I complain to? Only she can find out about this herself!"
"Wait a moment."
Shen Yu felt his mind becoming increasingly confused, yet he clearly grasped the key point amidst the argument and looked at Wen Que's mother: "Auntie, do you mean that Wen Que already knew about this?"
When Shen Yu asked her this question, Wen's mother realized that she had misspoke and should not have agreed with Shen's father. However, at this moment, she could not answer anything, whether she admitted it or denied it. She could only hurriedly walk downstairs in her high heels and leave the Shen family.
Shen Yu looked at everything before him.
A father who remains silent as always, a mother who cries her heart out, and a reality they feel powerless to face.
At this moment.
Shen Yu resented that he had not yet fully grown up.
Let alone Jiang Yue and Shen Yi, the two people involved, even he didn't know what to do.
"……Father."
Shen Yu heard his own voice tremble slightly, but he gritted his teeth and continued, childishly wanting to hear an answer from him like a mother: "Why? Why is that?"
A look of impatience appeared on Shen's father's face. He seemed to have been driven to a corner, and in a fit of desperation, he said, "Are you deaf or have you lost your memory? Wasn't what she said just now clear enough?"
"I heard everything! That's why I asked you why?"
Shen Yu's eyes were bloodshot as he desperately resisted the urge to grab his father by the collar and demand, "Why would you choose profit over family? Aren't you our father? Where in the world is there a father like this!"
At this moment, Shen's father calmed down. Seeing Shen Yu's agitated state, he even closed the door before slowly replying, "I'm doing this for your own good."
"For our own good?"
Shen Yu laughed in exasperation, pointing at his mother and then at himself: "Between me and my mother, who do you think looks better?"
"Wasn't it because of an accident that the truth came out?"
At this point, Mr. Shen could only regret in his heart that he shouldn't have ordered that troublesome dress that day, or fired that unreliable driver earlier, and none of this mess would have happened.
He revealed a pained expression and said, "You've all been with Shen Yi for so many years. Whether she's your biological mother, daughter, brother, or sister, she's no different from a blood relative. I believe the Jiang family thinks the same way. Since we've been through so much together, why not just go with the flow? That way, no one will get hurt. I'll bear this torment of conscience all by myself."
Shen Yu never imagined that his father was such a silver-tongued man, who could still shamelessly utter such shameless words at this moment.
It was clearly his choice to maximize his own interests because he disliked his own daughter, yet he managed to justify everything as "for the good of everyone," which is utterly shameless!
Shen Yu was furious and didn't know how to react, but he saw his usually gentle mother suddenly stand up, slap his father hard, and cry out, "I shouldn't have married a heartless beast like you!"
"Beast?"
Mr. Shen seemed amused by his wife's words. He covered the half of his face that had been slapped with one hand and grabbed his wife's wrist with the other: "During the hardest years when we were together, we almost went bankrupt. We could barely afford the rent. The clothes and bags you liked cost tens of thousands of yuan. Every time, I tried my best to buy them for you."
After I became wealthy, no matter what temptations I faced, whenever I went out to dine with business partners, when had I ever not taken you with me? For so many years, you have been my only wife, my only woman, and my only child. Tell me, what have I done to wrong you?
Under her husband's relentless questioning, Chen's mother trembled and wept uncontrollably, stammering, "I...I..."
"Speechless now."
Shen's father shook off his wife's hand, regaining his usual serious and calm demeanor, and then looked at Shen Yu and warned, "You too, don't take your blessings for granted."
As the sole heir of this family, whether your sister is Jiang Yue or Shen Yi, they are all tools I have arranged for you to gain more benefits. You should accept everything I have given you with gratitude, instead of pretending to be a good person here. Do you understand?
I don't want anyone else to know about what happened today.
He left this house with this warning, and was equally agitated.
Shen Yu looked at his mother kneeling on the ground with concern, and went forward to help her up. However, his mother broke free from his hand and stumbled downstairs to chase after him, as if she still did not want to accept this answer and wanted to hear some other answer from her husband.
Only Shen Yu remained standing there.
His hands, hanging limply at his sides, clenched and unclenched again, finally slamming helplessly onto the table. He looked up, wiped away the tears that had welled up inside him, rushed into the bathroom to wash his face, and hurried to his room.
He cannot break down.
He had to calm down, and be more composed than anyone else.
His two younger sisters are still waiting for her to come back and give them an explanation.
＊
There was no room for refutation, and Shen Yu was unwilling to deceive them, so he could only tell them the truth about what he had just seen and heard.
However, he fell silent at the end.
Wen Que also knew about this. Seeing Jiang Yue embracing Shen Yi and comforting her, Shen Yu couldn't bring himself to say anything.
Jiang Yue's crying and breakdown were silent. She simply leaned on Shen Yi's shoulder, listening to everything from beginning to end, without ever raising her head.
If it weren't for the dampness on his shoulder and the feeling of Jiang Yue's body trembling, Shen Yi might not have been able to confirm that she was really crying.
There's too much information.
It would be a lie to say that Shen Yi wasn't sad at all, but she knew even more clearly that she wasn't the one most hurt by this cruel truth, and it wasn't her turn to cry yet.
She could only desperately hold back the tears that were about to spill from her eyes, hugging Jiang Yue even tighter, murmuring repeatedly, "Don't be afraid...don't be afraid..."
As Shen Yi comforted Jiang Yue, she looked up and met Shen Yu's even deeper gaze.
After spending more than a decade together, she knew all too well what was hidden behind Shen Yu's expression.
He had something else he didn't say.
Shen Yi calmed down in a few seconds. She could tell that the "truth" Shen Yu was hiding was about herself and would not cause Jiang Yue a second, more serious injury.
At that moment, she felt a sense of relief and asked directly, "Shen Yu, is there anything else?"
A complex mix of emotions flashed across Shen Yu's face, and Jiang Yue also looked up at Shen Yu because of Shen Yi's words.
If possible.
Shen Yu didn't want any of them to be sad because of anything, but given the current situation, it was clear that a short, sharp pain was better than a long, drawn-out one.
After a few seconds of silence.
Shen Yu still spoke up to answer: "Then they started arguing. From their argument, another piece of information was revealed: it wasn't just Father who knew about this beforehand, but the entire Wen family, including Wen Que."
Her already chaotic mind was further aggravated by Shen Yu's words, almost causing Shen Yi to lose her ability to think and judge.
Before she could react, Jiang Yue hugged her again.
Jiang Yue, whose tears hadn't even dried, comforted her instead: "There might be some misunderstanding."
"Um."
Shen Yi responded with a sound of agreement. She still didn't cry, but she numbly hugged Jiang Yue tightly.
Shen Yu couldn't bear to watch any longer and couldn't hold back any longer.
He tilted his head back and howled at the ceiling, then rushed forward and hugged his two younger sisters. He couldn't hold back and burst into tears.
He cried and cursed, "What the hell is going on! Why did all this have to happen? Aren't we his children? He's not even human... Waaah..."
Shen Yi closed her eyes.
At that moment, she finally felt the presence of tears.
Later on.
It's unclear whether Jiang Yue or Shen Yi burst into tears first.
The end result was that the three of them hugged each other and cried for a full hour.
＊
Three pairs of eyes, all red and swollen, came downstairs together.
The photography team had arrived and, seeing the situation, awkwardly asked, "Is everyone here? Your parents...?"
"Just shoot it like this."
Shen Yu made a decision, interrupting the other party's question, and put his arms around his two younger sisters and sat them on the sofa.
The makeup artist next to her awkwardly reminded her, "That customer, we need to do your makeup first. What are your preferences? There's a truck parked outside; we've prepared dozens of different themed outfits based on the sizes you provided."
Shen Yu looked at this and that, waiting for Shen Yi and Jiang Yue to make a decision.
For him, taking photos is simply about having people in the camera; nothing else matters.
Shen Yi spoke, his voice slightly hoarse, suggesting, "I don't want anything too complicated, so let's just go with school uniforms."
Jiang Yue nodded in agreement: "I also think our school uniform is very nice."
The photography team couldn't possibly disobey the young masters and ladies in front of them. After they changed into their school uniforms, they applied light makeup to each of them and suggested doing a simple haircut as well.
To liven up the atmosphere, Shen Yi immediately stood up and directed the hairdresser to style Jiang Yue's hair into her favorite simple princess hairstyle. She then went upstairs and retrieved two of her favorite ribbon bows from her old room, pinning them on her hair and exclaiming with satisfaction, "Isn't this beautiful!"
Shen Yu complained, "Don't dress Jiang Yue up like you! It's so ugly!"
Shen Yu didn't understand any of this. He just felt that the hairstyle was already too complicated, and Shen Yi had to wear such a big bow every time, which was really cumbersome and ostentatious.
"No way!"
The makeup artist standing nearby couldn't stand it anymore and directly retorted to Shen Yu: "Both girls are so pretty, they look good no matter how they dress up, but this kind of bow is indeed more suitable for this younger sister."
After speaking, her gaze fell on Shen Yi's face again, as if considering how well the hair accessory suited her.
Shen Yi glanced at Shen Yu triumphantly, then explained to the makeup artist in front of her, "Because this is my favorite hairstyle, I want to switch with her and do her usual hairstyle."
After saying that, Shen Yi took out her phone, found a group photo in her album, and handed it over: "It's this kind of updo that makes her look so gentle and graceful. I want this one too!"
Half an hour later.
The styling and makeup for all three people were completed.
Shen Yi stared at her face in the mirror, then turned to the makeup artist, showering her with praise and affirmation: "This is exactly the look I wanted! You're amazing!"
Although her hairstyle was slightly different from Jiang Yue's usual style, it was reasonable for her to be more refined for the camera. Her makeup was also excellent, almost like a bare face, yet it still managed to create the kind of innocent and harmless feeling that Shen Yi wanted in Jiang Yue.
Shen Yu stroked his chin and stared at Shen Yi, unable to tell whether it was praise or criticism: "If you were to hit me with that face now, I would really have to wonder if it was really my fault."
Shen Yi kicked him without hesitation: "No matter what happens, it's your fault."
Yes, yes, yes.
Shen Yu gave this perfunctory reply, then gestured for the two to sit down on the sofa, saying, "Let's take some pictures."
Under the photographer's guidance, their family portrait was taken.
Although there was no need for retouching, Shen Yu suddenly had a whim and insisted on having a super large photo, saying he wanted to hang it above his bed and wouldn't hand it over on the spot.
The makeup artist quietly pulled Shen Yi aside and handed her a photo she had taken with a Polaroid camera, saying, "Here, take this. I still think a more natural shot would be more touching."
Shen Yi accepted it with some surprise.
The Polaroid photo shows the moment when Shen Yu burst out laughing halfway through taking the picture. She still maintained her "dignified" expression, but her hand pinched Shen Yu's thigh hard to remind him to stop. Jiang Yue looked at them with a helpless smile but did not intend to stop them at all.
His gaze fell intently on his own face in the image.
The faint scar on her forehead was completely exposed after her bangs were styled and pulled back. After communicating with her, the makeup artist decided not to cover it with concealer. Her usually soft face showed a resolute expression at that moment, just like the scar.
She likes the photo and isn't so averse to seeing herself like this; it's part of her life journey, and she will face it bravely.
Shen Yi smiled and looked gratefully at the makeup artist in front of her: "Thank you, then I'll accept it without hesitation."
＊
After the photography team left, the room was now empty.
Perhaps because of Jiang's father's previous anger, he gave all the servants a temporary leave before leaving, not wanting them to stay here today and witness more of their masters' embarrassment.
A fleeting look of exhaustion crossed Shen Yi's face.
"Thanks for your hard work."
Shen Yu patted her head very hard with his large hand and praised, "You're really amazing!"
just.
With so many outsiders present, they were clearly not in a good mood. If it weren't for Chen Yi's quick thinking and enthusiastic chatter with the people there, peeking around and asking questions to divert their attention, people would definitely have talked about how strange this family was behind their backs after the photos were taken.
Shen Yi disdainfully pushed Shen Yu's hand away, preventing him from messing up her perfect hairstyle, but she wasn't going to be modest and accepted the compliment without hesitation.
Shen Yu suggested, "Why don't you sleep here tonight? The driver can take you home tomorrow when he's on duty."
"No, thank you."
Shen Yi shook her head and said, "I'll just take a taxi back. Besides... there are still some things I want to confirm."
Shen Yu understood what she meant, so he stopped trying to stop her and said, "Call us again if you need anything."
＊
Leave the Shen family.
Instead of taking a taxi, Shenyi walked a long way alone until she reached the vicinity of the subway station.
Even though the evening rush hour had passed, the subway was still crowded. People were coming and going all around her, but she just sat quietly in a corner, staring blankly at the railing in front of her.
Until the subway arrives at the station.
After walking for a while, she finally returned to the Jiang family home.
Jiang Jiabao overexerted himself today and is now fast asleep on the bed; you can hear his snoring even through the door.
Jiang's father looked at Shen Yi with concern, saying, "Are you hungry? Dad saved some food for you." His mother wouldn't be back from her parents' home until tomorrow.
Shen Yi had no appetite, and just smiled and shook her head: "Dad, I've eaten. I'm a little tired today, and I want to take a shower and rest."
Jiang Jiabao had already slept for an hour, and Jiang's father didn't suspect anything, only saying, "Alright, then go ahead."
Numbly, she took a shower, changed into her pajamas, and then buried her head on the bed.
My thoughts are in a mess.
Faced with this situation, she no longer had the strength to cry, nor did she want to shed tears in vain.
The most important thing is to face and solve the problem, isn't it?
She made up her mind, took out her phone, and sent a message to Wen Que.
Are you free tomorrow morning? I'd like to meet with you alone, anywhere is fine.
They replied quickly.
Of course, I'll come pick you up.
See you tomorrow. Even though we just parted, I'm already thinking of you.
Shen Yi had no interest in looking at these things.
But she didn't want Wen Que to feel any burden beforehand, so she only replied with a cute-looking puppy emoji.
I'm so tired, I'm going to sleep now. Goodnight.
＊
The next morning.
Shen Yi touched the back of her head, which was a little sore, and then remembered that the makeup artist had put a bamboo hairpin in her hair yesterday and then said that it suited her very well and gave it to her.
Shen Yi pulled the hairpin out of her messy hair, sat down at the table to comb it, and then, following the technique the makeup artist had taught her yesterday, styled a fairly decent updo.
Shen Yi stood in front of the wardrobe and picked out a French-style vintage green velvet dress from her few clothes.
This dress is rather glamorous and luxurious. In the past, Shen Yi would have asked her mother to do her makeup and put on a pearl necklace before she would wear it.
But today, Shen Yi had no mood for makeup at all. Even if she did, the Jiang family didn't have anything like that for her to use. She could only think that at the moment, it was good that she had a bamboo hairpin, which was still a suitable match.
Shen Yi chose this dress because it was a gift from Wen Que. If... today is the last time they meet, it will be a proper ending.
Shen Yi let out a soft sigh, bit her slightly pale lips in an attempt to make them look healthier, and finally applied some lip balm before pretending nothing was wrong and walking outside: "Dad, I'm going out with my classmates today too."
Jiang's father naturally agreed.
The naive Jiang Jiabao woke up with 80% of her energy back and insisted on going with Shen Yi. Shen Yi didn't need to threaten her with Xu Qingzhe's name; she simply brought up Song Yang, which successfully scared Jiang Jiabao so much that she waved her hands repeatedly and said, "Then I won't go," before hiding behind her father.
For Jiang Jiabao, Song Yang, who was actually coming to take his life, was far more terrifying than Xu Qingzhe, who might actually kill him!
Shen Yi looked at the scene before her, slightly curled her lips, and turned to walk outside.
Wen Que was already waiting for Shen Yi. The moment he saw her appear, he couldn't hide the look of amazement in his eyes: "This dress really suits you."
Shen Yi responded to Wen Que's praise as always: "That's because you have good taste."
She knew, however, that feeling of excitement and shyness was gone.
Until she gets an answer, she can no longer face Wen Que as she used to.
Wen Que is very clever.
With just that one sentence, he realized that Shen Yi was different from usual. However, because she was still wearing the dress he had given her, Wen Que did not expect that he was the culprit. Instead, he asked gently, "Did you and Shen Yu have another fight?"
Or it could be Song Yang.
Anyway, nine times out of ten, it's one of these two people who upset her.
"No."
Shen Yi shook his head and changed the subject, asking, "Where are we going?"
The Wen family's car drove along and stopped in front of a shop that looked ordinary but was packed with customers.
Wen Que led Shen Yi out of the car and said, "This is a recently popular online dessert shop. It's said to be very popular among girls. Their brown sugar pearl cake is their signature dish, and I've already made a reservation."
Looking at the long queue of customers waiting at the door, Shen Yi felt that this was not a good place to have a conversation.
However, after hearing Wen Que say that he had reserved a private room, she nodded in agreement: "This is fine."
As long as the sound isn't too loud.
It shouldn't affect anyone else.
＊
Inside the store.
Seeing that Shen Yi wasn't very interested, Wen Que simply ordered several desserts and drinks that she would usually like, based on her usual preferences.
soon.
The waiter served all the food and closed the door from the outside, leaving only Shen Yi and Wen Que in the small space.
He surveyed his surroundings with a deep gaze.
The design perfectly matches the dessert shop, with a completely pink theme and cute designs like donuts and cakes filling the private rooms, making you feel happy just looking at them.
It's a pity.
She really couldn't be happy today.
As Shen Yi hesitated about how to start the conversation, a small piece of delicious cake was forked and brought to her lips. Wen Que was as gentle as ever, not urging her but instead comforting her: "I heard that eating sweets can improve your mood, so it should suit you well today."
Shen Yi took his hand and swallowed the small piece of cheesecake.
The sweet but not cloying flavor lingers in the mouth.
If it weren't for something I needed to say, and it were just a regular date, Shen Yi thought she would really like this restaurant.
"I'm sorry, I really can't eat anymore."
Shen Yi refused Wen Que's offer to feed her a second bite of the cake, silently apologizing to the food on the table as well.
Her original plan was to go on another date with Wen Que, no matter where she went, and then bring up that matter again.
Even in the worst-case scenario.
They always manage to create some sweet memories together, don't they?
But I'm sorry.
She has something on her mind, so she can't act well.
Shen Yi took a deep breath, sorted out her thoughts, and finally mustered the courage to raise her head and look at Wen Que sitting next to her.
Wen Que realized that Shen Yi must have something she wanted to say to him, so he put down the hairpin and waited patiently for her to speak.
Shen Yi closed her eyes.
Ultimately, she didn't want to look at him, nor did she want to interrogate him to force him to reveal the truth.
Her voice was soft, but her words carried a heavy weight.
"Wen Que, did you already know all along?"
After a few seconds of silence.
Wen Que pressed further, "What should I know?"
If possible.
Shen Yi really wants to get rid of this somewhat self-destructive bad habit of hers.
The fingernails dug deep into the skin of the palm.
The pain kept her conscious and allowed her to speak more clearly: "My background and Jiang Yue's background. Your mother came to the Shen family yesterday, and they had a fierce argument, which unexpectedly revealed everything to us. Also, why exactly do you want your parents to buy that house?"
Shen Yi opened her eyes and said with an almost pleading look and tone, "Wen Que, answer me, don't lie to me."
at this point.
Wen Que was caught in a dilemma.
If he denies it, then he is lying to her now.
If he admits it, then he was lying to her before.
This turned out to be a dead end.
Wen Que's silence at this moment was the answer.
He knew he had missed the best time to respond, and any further lies would be far less credible.
After a while.
He heard his own voice hoarse, a panic he had never felt before in his life, which had always been filled with youthful arrogance and strategic planning: "I've said it before, I like you, and it has nothing to do with whether you're a daughter of the Shen family. The house... is what you think it is."
Wen Que had made the worst-case scenario plan.
With Shen Yi's true identity revealed, if she incurred the wrath of the real heiress and was expelled from the family but refused to return to the Jiang family, at least she would have a place to stay. This was "one wish" that her parents gave her to make up for when she agreed to the arranged marriage with the wealthy family.
Shen Yi almost laughed, laughing at her own foolishness for being completely oblivious to the flaws in her lie.
A normal person facing an arranged marriage by their parents wouldn't worry about falling in love with their spouse and being separated by their parents. The parents should be the ones who should be worried, wondering if their children are willing to comply with this marriage based on mutual benefit.
Even if, as Wen Que said, he was worried that the Shen family's downfall would prevent the marriage from continuing, the Wen family and the Meng family had the most similarity in that—
They are arrogant and conceited because of their prestigious family background.
Even if the Shen family falls from grace, since the marriage agreement has already been made, they will never be accused of kicking someone when they're down.
The engagement might have changed, but if this situation arises, even if she and Wen Que have no feelings for each other, the Shen family will continue the engagement for their own benefit and the Wen family for their reputation.
He was only half telling the truth; that house was indeed a backup plan for her and him.
That's because Wen Que knew she wasn't the real daughter of the Shen family, and he was worried that if this secret were ever made public, he was making preparations for their future in advance.
That's the answer.
Shen Yi felt the pain in his palm becoming more and more obvious; this time, it must have really drawn blood.
She didn't want to let go, but stubbornly, just like her mother had pleaded with her father yesterday, she begged Wen Que for an answer.
Why did Shen's father lie to Shen's mother, and why did he also lie to her?
Shen's father sought greater profits and a stable life free from unforeseen changes. But what about him? What were his motives?
Wen Que's hand landed on Shen Yi's brows and eyes, blocking her incredulous yet unwillingly questioning gaze. His voice was as gentle as ever, but his words were cruel to Shen Yi: "Because I don't care. Yi Yi, you think too kindly of me. How could I care about the life or death of a complete stranger?"
He used to not care who that person was.
Whether it's the daughter of the Shen family, the daughter of the Zhang family, or the daughter of the Wang family, as long as she can bring benefits to the family, her father will agree, and she has no need to disobey.
later.
He fell in love with Shen Yi, so he cared even less.
He didn't care who the real daughter of the Shen family was; he only cared whether the person who would marry him in the end was still Shen Yi.
For Wen Que, if possible.
He hoped that all of this would never be revealed, or at least not so soon.
The moment I learned that the truth had been made public.
He felt more troubled because he and Shen Yi were far from the legal marriage age.
Shen Yi looked at Wen Que. The person in front of her felt familiar yet strange. She actually smiled at this moment: "Wen Que, thank you. Thank you for really thinking about spending your life with me and making such plans for my future. And thank you even more for being willing to tell me the truth today."
Wen Que frowned; he naturally understood what Shen Yi's reaction at this moment meant.
really.
Shen Yi took a deep breath, suppressing the urge to cry. She had cried for too long yesterday and didn't want to cry anymore. She said in as gentle a tone as possible, "Also, thank you for liking me too, but I feel that we are really, really not suitable for each other, so let's end it here this time."
It's not like it used to be.
She clearly wanted to be with him, but was held back by reason and values, and had no choice but to break up with him.
This time, it was entirely Shen Yi's personal will; she simply... simply didn't want to be with Wen Que anymore.
Wen Que maintained a calm demeanor and refused, saying, "You can resent me or hate me, whether it's you or Jiang Yue, I'm willing to make amends."
"On what grounds?"
Shen Yi practically shouted those three words, and only after hearing the previously noisy environment outside suddenly quiet down did she realize how loud she had spoken.
Wen Que's expression revealed a hint of helplessness: "Because Jiang Yue is a good person, that's why you blame me so much now. But human nature is not absolute. If it's not Jiang Yue who comes back but a selfish person, she will only hate you. In that case, you will be the only perpetrator. As long as you are ruined and have nothing left, she can forgive everyone without question. I don't want to and can't gamble on her kindness."
"...So that's what you were thinking. Maybe you're right. You're doing this for my own good. I shouldn't blame you. At least you did it for me. I have no right to blame you."
Shen Yi finally calmed down, and smiled at Wen Que with despair and sorrow. Her voice was a little choked up, but she tried her best to say out her thoughts word by word: "But since you said that you would like me no matter if I am not a daughter of the Shen family, I already have you, so why should I take what belongs to someone else? Even if she wants to hurt me because of resentment, I believe in you. I believe you will protect me. We can face all of this."
You all keep telling me you're doing this for my own good, as if not following your arrangements is like getting something for nothing and then complaining. You know I'm stupid, I really don't understand. All I know is I'm not happy about it. From beginning to end, no one gave me a choice, and no one asked me if I absolutely had to get these so-called good things, even if I stole, robbed, or plundered other people's lives, even if I abandoned my conscience and principles.
He used me as a tool, disregarding my opinions, yet you, who like me, treat me the same way. Happiness born of ignorance and foolishness is never what I seek. I only hope that my life, whether good or bad, is at least a choice I made myself, and that I can face the reality of life.
Wen Que, I know you're not wrong. As your aunt said, it's normal for you to make such a decision from your standpoint. I'm also more cynical than I imagined. I was even grateful for your consideration for me at one point, grateful for your absolute choice and favoritism towards me. This is the emotional feedback I've always dreamed of getting from you. I never thought you would have given it to me long ago, just not in the way I wanted.
So I won't hate you, it's just that I really can't like you anymore. So, let's leave it at that, let's break up.
Shen Yi finished speaking in one breath, her voice becoming increasingly calm, revealing more of a sense of helplessness about the current situation.
This made Wen Que realize that she had not spoken out of anger due to a momentary emotional outburst, but had made her choice after careful consideration.
She had liked him for many years, but this was the end of her love story.
Perhaps the reasons for their separation weren't as complicated as they thought.
Ultimately, it can all be summed up in one sentence—
They are not on the same path.
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