Another "battle"
Before the turmoil in Su Anjia's family had completely subsided, another, more difficult and turbulent "battle" quietly began in Jiang Qi's family. Unlike Su Anjia's intellectual shock and heartache, Jiang Qi faced more realistic and traditional pressures, especially from his father.
The atmosphere in the Jiang family's living room was even more somber than at Su An's house. Outside the huge floor-to-ceiling windows lay a bustling cityscape, while the expensive mahogany furniture inside gleamed with a cold, hard sheen. Mr. Jiang sat on the main sofa, dressed in a crisp shirt, maintaining his businessman's authority even at home. He held a document in his hand—the very copy that Jiang Qi had placed on Su An's coffee table, somehow somehow ending up in his possession. Mrs. Jiang sat beside her, her brow furrowed, her eyes filled with worry and confusion.
"Explain this." Mr. Jiang casually tossed the documents onto the coffee table. His voice wasn't loud, but it carried the oppressive air of someone who had long held a superior position. "What does this mean? A student recommended to University A, a gold medalist in the physics competition, is wasting his time on this... nonsense?" His wording was relatively restrained, but the negative connotation implied in the word "nonsense" was almost tangible.
Jiang Qi stood in the center of the living room, his posture upright, his expression as calm as ever, as if he had expected this moment. He didn't look at the document, his gaze calmly meeting his father's: "It's not a waste of time. This is my choice based on my feelings, and it doesn't conflict with my achievements."
"No conflict?" Father Jiang's voice suddenly rose, filled with incredulous anger. "Jiang Qi! I sent you to the best schools and gave you the best resources so that you could support the family business and bring glory to the family! Not so that you would go down this crooked path and bring shame to the family! Do you know what people outside will say? Huh? The heir of the Jiang family is a man-lover..."
“I am not a decoration for the family, nor a tool to maintain your business empire.” Jiang Qi interrupted her father, her voice still steady, but sharp and cold like a drawn blade. “My sexual orientation is my private matter, and has nothing to do with the family’s reputation or my abilities.”
"You bastard!" Father Jiang slammed his hand on the coffee table, making the cups and saucers rattle. "Your private affairs? You're a Jiang! Everything you do is a matter for the Jiang family! I'm telling you, break off all ties with that Su guy immediately! Otherwise, don't even think about getting a single penny from me! A University? I think you shouldn't go there either!"
This is typical business negotiation thinking, attempting to exert pressure by cutting off economic resources and future prospects.
Jiang Qi's eyes remained unmoved. He even gave a very slight smile, a smile tinged with a hint of mockery: "Father, you seem to have forgotten. My admission to University A was based on my national competition gold medal, and my tuition is covered by a scholarship. As for living expenses," he paused, took a bank card from his pocket, and gently placed it on the coffee table in front of his father, "this is the prize money from competitions over the past few years, as well as the rewards I received for participating in several open-source projects. It's enough for me to support myself until I graduate from university and achieve financial independence. I don't need your money."
Mr. Jiang was stunned; he clearly hadn't expected his son to be so well-prepared. He looked at the ordinary bank card, then at his son's calm, almost indifferent face, and was speechless for a moment.
Seeing this, Jiang's mother quickly tried to smooth things over, her voice trembling with tears: "Xiao Qi, how can you talk to your father like that? We're all doing this for your own good! That road is too difficult; you'll regret it later!"
“Mom,” Jiang Qi turned to her mother, her tone softening slightly but still firm, “I will not regret it. If you wish, you can find out for yourself what kind of person Su An is. But my choice will not change.”
The conversation ended unhappily. For the remainder of the summer vacation, a tense atmosphere hung over the Jiang family. Jiang's father adopted a policy of silence, avoiding direct confrontation with Jiang Qi, but his silent opposition and disappointment remained like a cold wall between father and son.
Jiang Qi didn't care. He continued living at his own pace, reading, researching, and occasionally meeting with Su An. But he knew that this "battle" was far from over.
That day, Jiang Zhao sneaked into Jiang Qi's room and whispered, "Brother, Dad met an Uncle Li today. He seems interested in introducing you to his daughter. He says she's a talented woman from the Economics and Management Department at A University..."
Jiang Qi didn't even pause turning the pages of the book: "Let him introduce it."
"Huh?" Jiang Zhao was dumbfounded.
“I won’t go.” Jiang Qi closed the book and looked out the window. “They will accept it sooner or later; it’s just a matter of time.”
A few days later, at a family gathering, Uncle Li indeed brought his daughter. The girl was poised and confident, with impressive knowledge and eloquence. Mr. Jiang enthusiastically steered the conversation, trying to get Jiang Qi to interact with the girl.
Jiang Qi remained polite yet distant throughout, only exchanging a few words when necessary and remaining silent most of the time. When Uncle Li half-jokingly asked Jiang Qi if she had a crush on someone in college, the atmosphere at the table instantly became awkward.
Mr. Jiang's face turned grim, and Mrs. Jiang looked at her son nervously.
Jiang Qi put down his chopsticks, wiped his mouth with a napkin, his movements elegant and composed. He raised his head, his gaze sweeping over everyone present, finally settling on his father's face, which was barely concealing his anger, and spoke clearly and calmly:
"Uncle Li, thank you for your concern. I already have a boyfriend named Su An, who is a freshman in the Chinese Department at B University. Our relationship is very stable."
"Clang!" The wine glass in Jiang's father's hand slammed heavily onto the table.
Uncle Li and his daughter looked bewildered and embarrassed.
Jiang's mother almost fainted.
Jiang Qi acted as if nothing had happened, picked up her chopsticks again, and even put a piece of food on Jiang Zhao's plate, who was staring in disbelief: "Eat more."
The carefully planned "blind date dinner" was completely ruined. After the guests left in a hurry, Jiang's father's anger finally erupted, and he even threatened to use his connections to make Jiang Qi "tough."
Just then, Lin Jun, who had been observing from the sidelines, calmly interjected as a younger member of a family that had known each other for generations: "Uncle Jiang, please calm down. As far as I know, Su An is an excellent student with a calm and gentle personality, and he has a very good reputation among his classmates. Since Brother Qi got together with him, he has become more mature and stable in all aspects. When it comes to matters of the heart, only the person experiencing it knows whether it is hot or cold. Forcibly interfering will probably only backfire and damage the relationship between father and son."
Lin Jun's words were reasonable and well-founded, and her attitude was neither humble nor arrogant, which helped Jiang's father regain a little of his rationality in his rage.
What truly turned the tide was the subtle change in Jiang's mother's attitude. After Jiang Qi's "coming out" announcement, she secretly went to the school to inquire about him behind her husband's back and also saw Su An from afar several times. What she saw was a clean-cut, handsome boy with clear eyes. When he walked with Jiang Qi, the natural and harmonious atmosphere between them made it impossible for her to associate him with any words like "disgraceful" or "wrong path."
She began to try to understand, instead of simply opposing. During an afternoon tea time when it was just the two of them, she hesitantly asked Jiang Qi, "That child... is he good to you?"
Seeing the complex emotions in her mother's eyes, Jiang Qi remained silent for a moment, then nodded: "He's fine. I feel at ease with him."
Such a simple sentence brought tears to Jiang's mother's eyes. She may still not fully understand, but she began to realize that her son was serious, and, it seemed, he was happy.
This "battle" within the grand mansion, though fought without gunfire, was equally thrilling. It tested not only Jiang Qi's resolve but also the tug-of-war between two generations over love, control, and understanding. With a composure beyond his years, meticulous planning, and undeniable strength, Jiang Qi fought step by step for the ground called "recognition" for his and Su An's future. Although the dawn of victory had not yet fully arrived, the gentle sound of flowing water could already be heard beneath the frozen river.
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