Chapter 348: Draw the Line
Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios
“Dad, you are different from me. You always feel that my sister will be a good daughter one day. For me, she can never be a good sister. Dad, in the future, you do not have to do anything to improve my relationship with her.”
Qiao Nan was not afraid of anything else. She was only worried that if she was capable enough to break free of her family and be independent, Qiao Zijin, who still had to rely on the family, would suck her dry. If she was not willing, her father would stand on Qiao Zijin’s side and ask that she helped her sister.
Besides, she had just confirmed her relationship with Zhai Sheng this morning. She had to be wary.
“Nan Nan, you and your sister…” Did she mean that she would sever ties with her sister?
“Dad, all I can say is that my sister is too scheming. Yes, she is my sister, but there is no reason that I have to be good to her and help her while she plots against me and do me harm. At the very least, I will be happy for her if she is better than me. As long as she does not bother me, I will definitely not do anything to her.”
Qiao Dongliang clenched his fists and put it on his knees. He did not know what else to say. “But if you are good to your sister, perhaps she could come to her senses? Nan Nan, your sister may be insensible, but she is the only sister that you have. Are you going to give up on her?”
Qiao Nan’s face sank. She was particularly reluctant to answer this question.
In her previous life, she spent her whole life to be good to her sister. However, not only did her sister not come to her senses, but she also went from bad to worse. She was not touched by her actions at all.
“Dad, is it because I am more sensible than my sister that I have to give in and tolerate her when she makes a mistake, whereas she can continue to be selfish and willful? Yes, she is my only elder sister, but I am her only younger sister as well. Why is it that she can plot against me and I have to give her a helping hand when she needs it? Why? What if my sister never comes to her senses? Does it mean that I have to sacrifice the rest of my life to stay by her side and take care of her?”
Qiao Dongliang shook his head. “No, your sister may be insensible, but she will come to her senses eventually…”
“When will my sister come to her senses? Dad, can you tell me clearly? My sister is insensible now, so she wanted me to drop out of school. In the future, if my boyfriend is more outstanding than my sister’s boyfriend, what will she do? Do I have to break up with my boyfriend for her sake? Do I have to stay single? Or to find a man who is not as good as my sister’s boyfriend to satisfy her desire to surpass me? My sister has a perfect life, but what about me? She has you and Mom to pamper and dote on her, and I will always give in to her. Dad, what will I have in my life then?”
“You…” Qiao Dongliang could not answer.
“Dad, you and Mom are biased toward my sister and treat her well. It doesn’t matter. I won’t fight with her. Without you and Mom, I will be good to myself. Is there anything wrong with that?” Qiao Nan felt bitter inside. She did not ask for much at all.
“Nan Nan, both of you are still young. Are you sure that you need to go this far? Maybe we can give your sister some time. If by then she does not change, you can wash your hands off her?” Qiao Dongliang gritted his teeth. He knew that he was being biased and unfair to Qiao Nan.
Qiao Nan smiled bitterly. “Giving her time? Dad, how long shall we give her? My sister is already an adult, and I will be twenty years old in another year’s time. Do we wait till she is in her thirties, or her forties, or fifties even?”
In a person’s life, there were only those few years. Qiao Zijin had been through a quarter of her life, and yet she had to give more time to Qiao Zijin?
“Dad, you are my sister’s father, so you will not give up on her. I can understand that. I am her sister. I don’t want to live with this shadow all my life. There’s no way I can do it as she is not my daughter. Besides, even you can’t guarantee that my sister will change for the better. Dad, I can’t afford to gamble.” She was not willing to gamble again. She had bet her whole life in her previous life!
“Nan Nan, do you intend to draw the line with your sister?”
“My sister does not even want me to stay in the same house with her on Lunar New Year’s Eve. I have no choice but to draw a line with her,” Qiao Nan said helplessly.
Qiao Dongliang rubbed hard at his face. His daughters were still studying, but he could not help but feel as if they had grown up and were about to leave him behind.
His daughters had really grown up and had a mind of their own. As their father, he had no idea at all.
“Alright, this is your own life. You should decide for yourself what path to take in the future. I can’t make the decisions for you. As long as you have a clear conscience, I have nothing to say in regard to what you do.”
He could not ask Nan Nan to help Zijin along for the rest of her life. He had no right to do that. Nan Nan did not have the obligation to help Zijin.
If Nan Nan was willing, it was her love for Zijin. If Nan Nan was unwilling, it was her right to think for herself.
Back then, Ding Jiayi cut off all ties with her family in order to marry him and seek the life she wanted. In the past twenty years, Ding Jiayi never once went home. Now, Qiao Dongliang could understand why Qiao Zijin and Qiao Nan were so decisive when dealing with things, especially when it concerned their families. He could not do that. He would be hesitant to make a decision.
The three of them were the same.
As the head of the family, he only existed in name only.
The three women in the Qiao family had a mind of their own, and there was nothing that he could do.
His wife would not listen to him, and his elder daughter refused to learn.
Qiao Dongliang knew that he could not bully Nan Nan since she had the mildest temper in the family. He could not ask Qiao Nan to sacrifice more for the family.
Unless he had the ability to change Ding Jiayi and Zijin, he would feel ashamed of himself to ask anything more of Qiao Nan.
“Dad, thank you for understanding.” Qiao Nan was relieved that Qiao Dongliang respected her decisions.
Her father was the only person that she cared for in the family.
“Your gratitude will only make me feel guilty toward you. This is the only thing that I can do for you. Your mom and your sister are getting more and more daring and stubborn. I could not even bear to tell you the deeds that they have done. Nan Nan, I should not have said those foolish words just now. Don’t take it to heart. In the future, just go according to your wishes. I will not say another word.” Qiao Dongliang’s shoulders drooped and he waved his hands listlessly, looking to be five years older than his actual age.