"Why!" Upon hearing this, Marquis Zhongyi frowned immediately and pressed him urgently, "Is it because of this mistress, Xing Xiaoya? What's so good about her? She's just a little more spirited than the average girl, and she stands up a little straighter. What else is good about her?"
“No, she’s not good at all, she doesn’t even stand straight. Even daughters of officials stand better than her!” Jiang Chengli immediately retorted.
Upon hearing those two sentences from the Marquis of Loyalty, his heart nearly stopped.
Even though her biological father only peeked at her from the rooftop a few times and didn't even see her face clearly, he still thought Xing Xiaoya stood up straighter than ordinary girls.
Given the Marquis of Zhongyi's personality, he wouldn't have made such a point if this girl hadn't left a deep impression on him. This shows that Xing Xiaoya has more than just the virtue of standing upright in the Marquis of Zhongyi's heart.
This instantly plunged Jiang Chengli into a state of panic. The scenes of how the Marquis of Zhongyi treated Xing Xiaoya differently during countless previous reincarnations all came rushing back from the depths of his memory.
It was like a curse; afterwards, the mother's grief and resentment, the father and son turning against each other, and so on all came together, making it another nightmare-like life.
Through countless lifetimes, he had long been riddled with wounds. The mere sound of his own father praising Xing Xiaoya triggered a stress response, making him act like a mad dog roaring in anger, desperately wanting him to get away from the trouble.
Marquis Zhongyi was taken aback by his shout, but after realizing what he meant, he immediately shouted back, "Since you don't even have this last good point, why are you still hanging around here instead of going home? She's no good at anything, so just break up with her right now!"
He even thought his son was crazy; if he couldn't see what was so good about that woman, why was he still with her?
Upon hearing his father's words, Jiang Chengli was on the verge of collapse. He couldn't help but shake his head, knowing that explanations were futile. He pressed his head down and twisted it violently, clearly intending to commit suicide.
Over the years, he has faced countless moments when he was unable to defend himself, moments of guilt towards his family, moments of being driven to the brink by enemies, and moments of intense self-loathing, all of which he could not face.
Before the age of twenty, Jiang Chengli was extremely confident and invincible. He was praised by the emperor as the sharpest sword of the Jiang family. He was dashing and spirited, and his future was limitless.
He himself believed so. He could perfectly complete all the tasks assigned by the emperor. No matter how hard or difficult the training was, it was nothing to him and he could easily handle it.
But after he turned twenty, he met Xing Xiaoya, and after countless reincarnations, everything changed.
He is still fighting against fate, but he has become numb. He can't even feel pain when he commits suicide. However, when he sees his family suffering, he will break down, want to escape, and become weak.
Just like now, the Marquis of Zhongyi only casually remarked that Xing Xiaoya was standing up straight, and he was instantly struck by it, wishing that the Marquis of Zhongyi would stay far away from Xing Xiaoya and never appear in front of her again.
Marquis Zhongyi was startled by his resolute demeanor and didn't have time to react. Fortunately, Jiang Chengli lost his balance and staggered, which dissipated the force of the neck twist, thus preventing a tragedy.
"What are you doing? What are you going to do!" He rushed over and questioned him sharply, grabbing Jiang Chengli's shoulders with both hands, his face full of disbelief.
His third son was at the prime of his life. Even though he had learned to be more reserved as a member of the Embroidered Uniform Guard over the years, the youthful vigor he possessed could not be concealed. However, he now looked like a decrepit old man, exuding a sense of dejection.
How could he have become like this after only two months apart?
If the person in front of him hadn't remained unchanged in appearance, physique, and habits, he would almost have thought that his third son was the one who had been switched. How could there be such a dramatic change?
"Were you about to commit suicide just now? I never taught you to kill yourself when things go wrong. That's cowardly and deserter! We Jiang family members have integrity. No matter what difficulties we encounter, we must forge ahead bravely. Even if we are truly in a desperate situation with no way out, we will die a worthy death!"
"The Jiang family should die on the battlefield, to protect the emperor, the people, and the country! Not to suddenly slit their own throats for no reason! Third brother, what's wrong with you? I'm prepared for this. Even if you've committed treason or betrayed the country, just say it. I can bear it!"
Marquis Zhongyi grabbed his shoulders and punched him hard from time to time. He wanted to give him strength through his words and actions, to tell him that he didn't have to fight alone, that his family was his support and backing.
Jiang Chengli shook his head and smiled bitterly: "Father, don't worry, I didn't do any of these things. Just don't come looking for me and Xing Xiaoya, really don't—"
He stopped abruptly at this point. In fact, he had said this countless times in all those cycles of reincarnation, but the Marquis of Loyalty and Righteousness never listened to his advice.
It's understandable, really. Seeing his son in such a bad state, the Marquis of Zhongyi would naturally want to save him, but he couldn't just blindly rush to help; he had to understand the situation first.
Jiang Chengli was a wary and unapproachable man, so Marquis Zhongyi sent people to get close to Xing Xiaoya, which led to Jiang Chengli getting himself into trouble. This happened almost every time, creating a vicious cycle.
"Fine, even if you listen, the world will still bring you together. Do whatever you want." Jiang Chengli gave a bitter smile and said this weakly, completely surrendering.
Seeing his dejected appearance, Marquis Zhongyi was furious. He raised his hand and threw a punch, which hit Jiang Chengli squarely on the chin, making him take two steps back.
"You bastard, your parents aren't dead yet, and your family is all fine. Who are you trying to fool with this dramatic act? I was worried about you, so I spoke to you nicely, and you're taking advantage of my kindness. I should give you a few punches to wake you up!" The Marquis of Loyalty and Righteousness grew angrier as he spoke, and his blows became even harder.
Jiang Chengli didn't fight back, he just endured it.
The father and son did not separate until the old man got tired of pounding.
Marquis Zhongyi was both angry and exhausted, panting heavily. In contrast, Jiang Chengli, who had taken more than a dozen punches, seemed completely unaffected, without even breaking a sweat.
Although he had been beaten and his chin was bruised, his handsome features remained undiminished.
"Don't let me see you in this filthy state, or I'll beat you every time I see you. And if you want to go back to the manor, you'll have to beg me, or don't even think about getting in!" After uttering these harsh words, the Marquis of Loyalty and Righteousness turned and left.
Although he was still completely confused, something serious must have happened to make his third son look so dejected. He wouldn't get any answers from Jiang Chengli by staying here; it would only be a waste of time. It would be better to go back and find out the answer from the artifact.
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