Chapter 63: Who Is Your Child?
“Smack——!”
Jiang Lixuan’s face was slapped to one side, and a buzzing sound immediately rang in his ears. His eyes widened slightly as he clutched his stinging cheek, looking at Jiang Tianzong in disbelief: “Dad! Why did you hit me!”
Jiang Tianzong picked up the handkerchief on the desk and slowly wiped his fingers. Hearing this, he chuckled lightly: “Why did I hit you?”
“Jiang Lixuan, have you forgotten why I asked you to bring Nan Yuanman back?”
Jiang Lixuan instinctively wanted to retort, but the words Jiang Tianzong had said to him earlier suddenly flashed through his mind, and his face instantly turned deathly pale.
He felt weak all over and stammered with his lips: “I haven’t forgotten…”
Jiang Tianzong had brought Nan Yuanman home for Jiang Xinxin.
Jiang Xinxin had been sick too many times before, so Jiang Tianzong sought out a famous high monk from Tianshan Temple to examine her. The master said her eight characters were light, and she would face many illnesses and disasters before the age of ten. She needed to find a girl with completely yin eight characters to bear these illnesses and disasters for her.
So…
That’s why he targeted Nan Yuanman.
Too many messy things had happened recently. Although Nan Yuanman was sharp-tongued, she was obedient and cute, causing him no trouble at all. Jiang Lixuan subconsciously buried this filthy thought deep in his heart…
“Then what have you been doing these past two days? Hmm? Giving Yao Yao and Xin Xin attitude for Nan Yuanman’s sake. Jiang Lixuan, have your wings grown hard? Do you want to leave the Jiang family?”
The smile on Jiang Tianzong’s face faded, and he asked coldly with an expressionless face.
His voice wasn’t loud, but the pressure was immense. Jiang Lixuan kept his head down, his breathing gradually becoming difficult. He opened his mouth, his voice hoarse: “But, Dad, Yuanman is your biological niece. Does it have to be her?”
He struggled to speak: “Can’t we, can’t we just find another girl? There are so many kids in the orphanage, she…”
“It has to be her!” Jiang Tianzong interrupted him. He stared at this youngest son who had always been the most obedient in front of him, his gaze darkening slightly as he said: “You’ve been too influenced by her, Jiang Lixuan.”
“Xin Xin is the niece you’ve been with day and night, and she can only be the Jiang family’s one and only niece.”
“She’s not!” Jiang Lixuan couldn’t help but retort: “Jiang Yueyao has no blood relation to us either! How could the child she gave birth to be my niece! What’s more, what’s more…”
Jiang Lixuan originally wanted to tell him the news he had investigated, but Jiang Tianzong’s earlier words kept flashing through his mind. His expression froze, and he slowly raised his head, staring at Jiang Tianzong with wide eyes: “Dad, you… you already knew, didn’t you?”
His throat felt blocked by a large stone, and after a long while, he finally squeezed out a sentence: “Jiang Yueyao… she found someone to sever my hand tendon in order to squeeze out Bai Wenyin.”
Jiang Tianzong didn’t answer him directly and just said: “People do some crazy things when they’re young. There’s no point in talking about it now.”
Jiang Lixuan felt as if he had been struck by lightning, his scalp numb and his whole body unsteady on his feet.
He knew; he had always known!
Jiang Lixuan breathed rapidly, supporting himself on the desk with one hand to hold up his body. His eyes bloodshot, he glared angrily at Jiang Tianzong: “So… you also knew that Bai Wenyin didn’t abandon me? Why didn’t you say so from the beginning! Isn’t she your biological daughter!”
“Why should I say anything?” Jiang Tianzong countered: “You easily believed others’ one-sided words and didn’t investigate back then. Isn’t that your own stupidity?”
Jiang Tianzong said coldly: “So what if she’s my biological daughter? It was her foolish decision to hide it from you. Why should I make decisions for her and resolve the misunderstanding between you two? Do I have nothing better to do?”
Jiang Lixuan’s throat tightened, unable to say a word, feeling the world spinning before his eyes and his heart utterly collapsing.
Jiang Tianzong ignored his breakdown and said coldly: “Since Nan Yuanman has influenced you so much, after the family reunion banquet is held, send her back to the old house.”
He raised his eyes, looking at Jiang Lixuan’s bloodshot eyes, and sighed softly. He reached out and patted his shoulder: “A-Xuan, you’re my son. I would never harm you.”
“The Jiang family has been peaceful for so many years. I don’t want an outsider to affect the family members’ feelings. You understand me, right?”
Jiang Lixuan took several deep breaths and slapped his hand away: “…I can’t understand. Sometimes, I even feel that we’re not your children—Jiang Yueyao is your child!”
Jiang Tianzong was helpless yet indulgent: “If you think that way, Dad has no choice. But you’ve grown up now.”
His words were gentle yet carried a hint of threat: “I also know you’re a good child. You should know what the right choice is, right?”
Jiang Lixuan’s eyes were bloodshot as he pursed his lips stubbornly and stared at him. Jiang Tianzong looked back at him calmly.
After a moment, Jiang Lixuan turned his head and left the study room without a word.
Jiang Tianzong sighed deeply and smiled helplessly: “Such a childish temper.”
He lowered his gaze and picked up the sandalwood bead string on the desk, gently sliding it back and forth. His gaze darkened slightly. He hadn’t expected Nan Yuanman coming home to have such a big impact on the Jiang family.
It seems… that matter can’t be delayed any longer.
Once Nan Yuanman is added to the family tree and becomes one of the Jiang family members, then make the move.
The Jiang family must not have any ripples because of anyone.
–
Meanwhile.
After skillfully running out of the Jiang family villa, Nan Yuanman wandered around the Tai Gu Villa Area.
She wasn’t very familiar with the area and didn’t know where to go, but the sense of crisis from her brain made her afraid to stay in the Jiang family any longer, facing that dangerous man.
Nan Yuanman sat down by a flower bed, instinctively hugging the small cloth bag in her arms tightly. She reached in her chubby little hand to touch Xiao Hong’s rough coffin body, muttering to comfort herself: “Yuanman isn’t afraid, Yuanman isn’t afraid…”
Her round steamed bun face showed some confusion. She didn’t understand why she wasn’t afraid when facing zombies and evil ghosts, but when facing Jiang Tianzong, a chilling sense of fear arose in her heart.
The frightened little brat instinctively wanted to seek safety from a close adult, but Grandpa couldn’t come out during the day, so she, small as she was, sat on the flower bed constantly comforting herself.
She was too small, and with the dense plants in the flower bed, even the occasional morning joggers passing by didn’t notice her.
When Nan Yuanman had barely calmed down a bit, a hoarse female voice suddenly came from behind her: “Hello, I’ve arrived at the Tai Gu Villa Area. Which building and unit is your home in?”
The sudden female voice startled Nan Yuanman, making her body tremble. She turned her head and parted the green plants on the flower bed, looking back curiously.
When she saw the girl wearing a yellow takeout uniform with ‘Chou Tuan’ written on the back, her expression froze. Huh? Isn’t this the big sister who bought rat poison outside the hospital back then?
Nan Yuanman’s brows furrowed slightly. The ghost energy on this big sister was even heavier.
Yao Xianglu didn’t notice anyone watching her. She was apologizing to the customer on the phone: “Sorry, sorry, I delivered it a bit late, but it was the merchant who prepared the food too late…”
The male voice on the other end of the phone spoke irritably: “I don’t care whose fault it is! You delivered it late! I don’t want this meal anymore! Refund it! Damn it, I finally ordered breakfast, and I run into such a stupid takeout delivery person…”
The customer hung up while cursing. Yao Xianglu stood dazed by the flower bed, looking utterly fatigued at the takeout box in her hand, feeling completely exhausted both physically and mentally.
Her fingertips moved slightly, gently touching the rat poison she had inexplicably put in her pocket this morning…
