Chapter 22 Jiang Congyue's Death
At the end of their senior year, Jiang Le successfully secured investment from Lin Zhen, and their game gradually gained traction. During their free time, they sat down to chat and discuss their future plans.
Guli had a family business to inherit, so she couldn't always accompany him. She smiled and said, "Hey, as long as Zhuoran is here, I will never give up. I have plenty of money!"
Hearing her passionate words, Milin felt at ease. Unlike the other three, her family wasn't well off, so she had to hold on. She also believed she had invested the most effort, and she wanted her games to be seen by more people.
Jiang Le and Wen Qiqi both wanted to continue their postgraduate studies, but Jiang Le decided to study abroad.
The friendships formed during college may fade away, but they are allies bound together by interests and sweat. Standing up and toasting each other with a glass of wine represents the everlasting friendship.
Jiang Le would drink a lot of alcohol during social events, but he always had some hangover medicine on hand. But now he drank purely out of emotion.
Jiang Le was helped back to the apartment bought by Jiang Congyue. She was lying on the bed and was drowsy, but her mild obsession with cleanliness forced her to get up and go to the bathroom.
After being showered with cool water, the smell of alcohol on Jiang Le dissipated a little.
But her mind was almost blurry, so she just scrubbed herself a few times, came out and flung herself on the bed. Her eyelids seemed to be stuck together with glue, unable to open anymore...
“Ding-ling-ling——”
A crisp and piercing ringtone sounded, and Jiang Le forced himself to open his eyes from his sleepiness. Worried that it was something about work, he didn't dare to delay and answered the call immediately.
But what he heard was Lin Qingyu's voice.
Jiang Le, who was in a daze, suddenly woke up. She swallowed hard and asked hurriedly, "What did you say? Say it again. I... didn't hear it clearly just now. Say it again!"
So, Lin Qingyu calmly repeated, "Miss Jiang, please come back soon. Mr. Jiang is dying."
Jiang Le felt dizzy and his vision went black. He collapsed onto the bed, his hands numb and he could barely hold the phone. "Okay..."
Why is it so sudden?
Jiang Le rolled and crawled out of bed, and in her panic she stepped on her shoes the wrong way. She looked at the nearest flight with trembling hands, but her vision became increasingly blurred, and she pressed her eye sockets hard.
Looking at herself in the mirror, looking so disheveled, Jiang Le took a few steps back in panic, feeling so heartbroken that she didn't know what to do.
She knelt heavily on the ground, scratched her hands, and forced herself to calm down.
No chaos, no chaos.
Jiang Le bit his tongue tightly, stood up again, quickly packed up everything, and went to the airport.
She clasped her hands together and looked at the flight information again and again in agony, only to receive the news that the flight was delayed.
Jiang Le's world collapsed, and she wanted to kneel down and beg it, "Come quickly, come quickly, someone is waiting for her..."
After an hour's delay, she finally got on the plane.
The tears she had been holding back burst out when she saw Jiang Congyue lying on the sickbed. She leaned over Jiang Congyue's skinny body, crying like a child in grievance.
Jiang Congyue touched her head with a trembling hand and said slowly, "Lele..."
"I'm here, I'm here..." Jiang Le held her hand tightly, choking with sobs and almost unable to speak.
Jiang Congyue smiled weakly and said, "I am also a person who loves beautiful things..."
"You are very beautiful now, very beautiful..." Jiang Le's lips twitched violently, and he forced a smile back at her that was uglier than crying.
Jiang Congyue wanted to laugh, but she really didn't have the strength, so she could only continue: "So, I was wondering if you could give me a beautiful dress to wear. The shroud is too ugly, and I don't like it very much."
Jiang Le lay on the bed and cried, "Okay..."
"Finally, can you show me, Jiang Le, your most beautiful smile?" Jiang Congyue teased with a bit of coercion.
Jiang Le, who had been keeping his head down and not daring to look at her, slowly raised his head and forced a smile. His eyes were red and swollen from crying, and his face was twisted with grief. No matter how he smiled, it would not look good.
Jiang Congyue raised her hand to wipe away her tears and said against her will: "It looks very beautiful..."
Her hand fell heavily, hitting the plain white bed sheet. Jiang Le wiped the remaining warmth from her face and suddenly stopped crying.
A fact that she couldn't face was engraved in her mind like a branding iron.
Jiang Congyue, dead...
Jiang Le stared into the distance with empty eyes, unable to come back to his senses for a long time.
Jiang Le's world completely lost its color at that moment.
The smell of disinfectant in the ward mixed with the fragrance of magnolia wafting in from outside the window, forming a strange atmosphere.
The monitor emitted a monotonous, long tone, like a blunt knife repeatedly cutting her nerves. She stared blankly at those eyes that would never open again, those eyes that always smiled and could see through all her little thoughts.
Time seemed to stand still.
It wasn't until the nurse came in quietly and carefully asked if he needed help with the remains that Jiang Le suddenly came back to his senses.
"Please wait a moment." Her voice was so hoarse that it was almost unrecognizable as her own. "I need to... change her clothes."
Lin Qingyu handed over an exquisite paper bag at the right time. Inside was Jiang Congyue's favorite lake blue silk dress. It was a birthday gift that Jiang Le bought her with the dividends from his first project. Jiang Congyue once said with a smile that she would save it for special occasions.
The process of sorting out the remains was extremely difficult.
Jiang Le's fingers were shaking so much that he could hardly fasten the buttons on his back. In the end, Lin Qingyu silently stepped forward to help.
When Jiang Congyue was seen lying there peacefully in that lake blue dress, Jiang Le suddenly felt a sharp pain piercing his chest.
She held Jiang Congyue's hand tightly and sat alone for a long time...
Jiang Le handled all matters concerning the funeral with an almost cold and calm manner.
She received people from all walks of life who came to pay their respects with an expressionless face, and responded to their greetings one by one in a calm voice. When confirming the details of the will with the lawyer, she was logical and well-organized.
Selecting a cemetery, finalizing the procedures, arranging the reception, all matters were arranged in an orderly manner under her. Her dry eyes showed no trace of the huge shock she had just experienced, as if she was just dealing with an extremely important project that could not afford to make mistakes.
Guli, Milin, and Wen Qiqi also came specially to accompany her. Looking at the concerned eyes of her three friends, Jiang Le could only force a smile, but could not say a word.
When everyone left, only she and Aunt He, who had been helping silently, were left at home.
Aunt He came over with a small cup and gently placed it in front of her. Her voice was filled with heartache and caution: "Le Le, you haven't eaten much all day, have something to drink."
Jiang Le mechanically lowered his head and looked into the cup.
In the clear soup, the cleanly shaved water chestnuts sank to the bottom, dotted with a few wolfberries, exuding a familiar sweet aroma.
This smell once filled the kitchen and filled countless afternoons during her winter vacation. Jiang Congyue watched her drink it all in one gulp with a smile, and then reached out to wipe away the sugar stains from the corners of her mouth.
The taut string that had supported her for three whole days suddenly broke in front of this bowl of rock sugar water chestnut water that carried all the warmth and sweetness of the past.
She suddenly stretched out her hand and grasped the warm porcelain cup tightly, her knuckles turning bluish-white from the force.
The next second, the calmness and composure that had been maintained collapsed.
It was as if all her strength was drained away in an instant. She could no longer hold on and suddenly leaned over, her forehead almost hitting the cold table. She let out her first sob, which seemed to be torn out from the deepest part of her lungs and was suppressed to the extreme.
Then, he burst into uncontrollable sobbing.
The crying voice expressed great confusion and helplessness, the despair of never being able to see that person again, the panic of never being able to hear the voice of "Le Le" again, and the fact that all the suppressed grief had finally found an outlet to burst forth.
Big drops of hot tears fell into the bowl of rock sugar and water chestnut water, spreading out circle after circle of bitter ripples.
Aunt He did not try to persuade her, but walked forward with red eyes, and like countless times in the past, she gently put her trembling shoulders in her arms and patted her back silently.
Here, in front of this bowl of sweet soup that she is most familiar with, she can finally no longer be the heir who has to remain calm and self-controlled, but only Lele who has lost Jiang Congyue forever.
If possible, she would like to give half of the longevity lock to Jiang Congyue.
The next morning, Jiang Le appeared at the group's headquarters. She was wearing a well-tailored black suit, her long hair neatly tied back. Although her eyes were still slightly swollen, her expression was different.
The board members cast a variety of glances at her: concern, suspicion, and even undisguised contempt. One senior director directly challenged her: "Ms. Jiang, we understand you've just lost a loved one, but please allow me to consider the Group. It cannot be led by an inexperienced university student."
Lin Qingyu, who was behind Jiang Le, chuckled and waved back.
"According to Chairman Jiang's will, she will inherit 75% of the shares and major assets." The lawyer calmly read the document. "At the same time, she will take over the position of Chairman of the Group."
Lin Qingyu said calmly, "These were all agreed upon by Chairman Jiang before he died. Why do you think Miss Jiang is young and easy to manipulate, and you're going to go back on your word? I'm not dead yet."
Jiang Le calmly scanned the room and spoke slowly, "I know everyone here has doubts about my abilities. But I'm not here to ask for recognition."
Her voice was clear and firm. "I'm here to announce that, effective today, I will officially take over the position of Chairman. At the same time, I've decided to suspend my plans to study abroad and devote myself fully to the Group."
Everyone knew that this young heir was not someone who could be easily controlled, so they decided not to waste time on this since they could not gain any benefits.
After the meeting, Jiang Le stood in front of the floor-to-ceiling window of Jiang Congyue’s former office, overlooking the bustling city.
—
“To Lele:
I see that people always write something before they die, leaving people with something to remember.
My baby Lele must have what others have, so I write something for Lele too.
You used to ask me all the time whether everyone will die, and I always told you calmly and frankly that everyone will die.
But when such a day really comes, I am also very scared.
What am I afraid of? I am afraid that I will not die beautifully, I am afraid that I will die in pain, I am afraid that Lele will be sad, I am afraid that Lele will not eat well when he is hungry, I am afraid that Lele will not dress well when it is cold, I am afraid that Lele will not take good care of himself. What I am most afraid of is that Lele will not love himself well.
It looks so scary. I really want to accompany Lele like this forever as he grows up.
Oh, I'm so tired. I can't write anymore.
Lele, remember, fear and sadness are temporary, and you are much stronger than you think, believe in yourself!
Looking forward to seeing you again.
”
——
Jiang Congyue:17
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