Chapter 31: Whether He’s Willing Or Not Doesn’t Matter
“Mother, the Marquis is still waiting for my news, so I won’t go.”
Madam Zhou’s face looked very unpleasant, Lin Ningkun’s hand was tightly clenched, his jaw muscle twitching tightly, and Jiang Ruanxi pretended not to see it.
“Mother, I’ll see Second Sister off.”
After they left, Lin Ningkun could no longer hold back and stepped forward to question Madam Zhou, “Mother, you know Xiao Ge’er’s background, why did you agree to let him return to Zhenguo Marquis Manor?”
“Do you think I want this?”
Madam Zhou felt bad in her heart too, having her own grandson acknowledge someone else’s family as ancestors.
“Didn’t you hear what Qing Xu said? Zhenguo Marquis Manor has agreed to this matter, which means they have acknowledged Xiao Ge’er’s identity. They are now recognizing ancestors and returning to the clan. What right do you have to stop it?”
“Or do you want to tell Qing Xu that Xiao Ge’er is actually your son? If you dare, I won’t care about you anymore. Go tell Qing Xu that Xiao Ge’er is not actually Zhenguo Marquis Manor’s child, he is our Lin Family’s child. Can you do that?”
Lin Ningkun was choked speechless.
He couldn’t do this matter.
Even if he could accept it, what about Jiang Xuerou?
She was so innocent and so pitiable; he couldn’t let her bear these things with him.
But he was also unwilling to watch his own son acknowledge someone else as father with his own eyes.
That feeling of powerlessness was just like back then, when he had happily thought the person he was going to marry was Jiang Xuerou, but in the end it turned out to be Jiang Ruanxi.
His heart was messy, as if it had been ruthlessly crushed by someone.
“Mother knows you’re feeling bad. But Kun’er, this is also something that can’t be helped.” Madam Zhou couldn’t bear to pour cold water on him, but there was no way around it.
“Your official career is on the rise right now, your reputation cannot have the slightest flaw. For the sake of the Lin Family, for the sake of your Second Sister, Xiao Ge’er should go back now.”
Official career and the Lin Family’s future prospects—those few words were like invisible shackles, tightly choking his neck.
The feeling of suffocation and despair came head-on, making his breathing rapid.
In the end, he really didn’t know what to do and could only flee in panic.
Madam Zhou also knew she was making things difficult for her son and did not chase after him, just sighing silently.
**
Lin Family’s door.
Jiang Ruanxi saw Lin Qingxu off to the door.
The oncoming heat hit her face, and Lin Qingxu stopped in the shady spot, “Second Sister-in-law, you’ve seen me off here. You should go back quickly; it’s hot here.”
Jiang Ruanxi stopped and stepped forward to hold her hand with a smile, “No harm, Second Sister. After this incident, you’re finally satisfied.”
Lin Qingxu nodded, “Speaking of which, I have to thank Second Sister-in-law for the reminder; otherwise, I wouldn’t have discovered this secret.”
“Second Sister is joking; I don’t have that kind of ability. It’s just that Second Sister is exceptionally clever and able to make the connection.”
Lin Qingxu naturally wouldn’t know that Jiang Ruanxi had long known all this and had secretly schemed to push the fire along.
Lin Qingxu only thought she had done it for her own good, and it happened to be discovered by her.
So she naturally felt grateful toward her in her heart.
“It’s all my fault; this matter caused such a big commotion. Second Brother is probably not feeling well deep down. Second Sister-in-law, you must not quarrel with him recently. It’s getting late; I’ll take my leave first.”
Jiang Ruanxi nodded.
After seeing Lin Qingxu off, as Jiang Ruanxi turned around, she bumped straight into Lin Ningkun’s angry face.
Her wrist was forcefully grabbed, “Jiang Ruanxi, was it you who instigated Second Sister to adopt Xiao Ge’er?”
The pain at her wrist made Jiang Ruanxi frown tightly as she tried to struggle free, but no matter how she struggled, she couldn’t break loose.
“Now that Xiao Ge’er has been sent away, are you satisfied?”
Where was the usual restraint and indifference on Lin Ningkun’s face? At this moment, he was already blinded by anger, yelling loudly at Jiang Ruanxi.
“Jiang Ruanxi, let me tell you, even if Xiao Ge’er has been sent away, I won’t have any relationship with you. You will never have a child between us in this lifetime.”
If it were the Jiang Ruanxi from her previous life hearing these words, she would certainly be immensely heartbroken, but the Jiang Ruanxi who had experienced one lifetime had long seen through it all. Not only was she not sad, she even felt disgust.
He really thought everything she did was because she feared that in the future, with her own child, Lin Xiao would become a hindrance to her child.
It was truly laughable.
If not for revenge, she would feel disgusted even to glance at him once more.
“Marquis, even if you’re angry, there should be a limit. You wouldn’t want everyone to know whose child Xiao Ge’er really is, would you?”
Jiang Ruanxi stopped struggling, just looked up at him, speaking softly and gently without any anger, “The Marquis can afford to lose this face, but the Marquis Manor cannot.”
“Oh my, the Marquis of Dingning has only been back a few days and is already raging at his own Madam.”
As soon as Jiang Ruanxi’s words fell, some fragmented voices sounded from the Marquis Manor gate.
“Exactly, even if the relationship isn’t good, she’s still a properly married wife. After so many years, the Marquis of Dingning’s Madam has managed the Marquis Manor in good order. Even if there’s no merit, there’s hard work. How can he scold her like this?”
“Indeed, I don’t know what the matter is about…”
“…”
Lin Ningkun’s face was already almost blending into the dusk. He still wanted to shut those people’s mouths, but he knew he wasn’t in the right now.
If he acted rashly even a little, it would invite even greater gossip. He could only angrily flick his sleeve and leave.
A gust of wind blew, stirring up quite a bit of the nearby heat.
Looking at Lin Ningkun’s desolate back, Jiang Ruanxi felt immense joy.
It seemed this man was not only arrogant but also extremely tolerant. For his own future prospects, he wouldn’t hesitate to watch his son return to Zhenguo Marquis Manor and acknowledge someone else as father.
It seemed she hadn’t struck hard enough; otherwise, how could he still endure it.
Hong Ye stepped forward and, seeing the deep scratches on Jiang Ruanxi’s hand, looked indignant on her behalf.
“Madam, the Marquis has gone too far. Young Master Xiao isn’t even the Marquis’s biological son. Second Miss wanting to adopt him wasn’t instigated by you, so how can he blame it all on you? Besides, isn’t this a good thing? Why is he so angry?”
Jiang Ruanxi didn’t care at all.
“Whether he’s happy or not doesn’t matter. What’s important is that he can’t change what happened with Xiao Ge’er.”
The sun was getting bigger, the weather hotter, but Jiang Ruanxi felt very refreshed in her heart.
Thinking of the events that would happen soon, Jiang Ruanxi instructed Hong Ye, “By the way, go ask He Kui how the medicinal herbs matter is going.”
Hong Ye was very puzzled as to why Jiang Ruanxi kept urging about the medicinal herbs matter.
Could it be she wanted to open a medicinal herbs shop?
But shouldn’t she first pull Lin Ningkun’s heart back now?
Other matters didn’t need to be so urgent.
