Chapter 106 - Side Story 16 – Part Without Any Hard Feelings (Gu Ming Ren x Lin Jiang)
Lin Jiang and Zhang Wei made an appointment to meet at a coffee shop.
The two of them sat facing each other, the woman exuding the beauty of confidence and grace while the youth was bland, his fingers intertwining uneasily under the table. “What do you want to drink?” Zhang Wei smiled.
“There’s no need. If you have anything to say, just say it.” Lin Jiang raised his head to look directly at her.
“It seems that my junior is very hostile towards me.” Zhang Wei said casually.
As she spoke, she stirred her coffee. Finally, she put the porcelain spoon down and took a sip.
“Four months ago, your parents were suspected of illegal money laundering and they absconded by leaving the country. This matter is all over, right?” Zhang Wei looked at Lin Jiang pitifully. What a foolish child, daring to trust Gu Ming Ren, that wolf, with his heart.
“Do you know why this matter isn’t over?”
Zhang Wei took out some photos from her bag and threw them to him. They were all transfers for business transactions.
“Because your parents are taking the blame for someone else. By being afraid of getting arrested for a crime and absconding just proves their guilt. At the same time, no one could be found to confirm who was responsible for the crime.”
When Lin Jiang heard this, he felt cold sweat on his back. He looked at each photo in his hands and shivered uncontrollably. Actually, it wasn’t his parents who did it so they shouldn’t have run.
“So who gave the information to your parents?”
While Zhang Wei was throwing this question out, Lin Jiang’s heart felt like it had exploded, his flesh lacerated with fresh blood flowing.
“It was Gu Ming Ren.” His face was pale.
Lin Jiang could still remember that day clearly. Gu Ming Ren had said lightly, “I was the one who notified your parents, gave them a sum of money and sent them away.”
“Why did he do that?” Lin Jiang felt that there was no reason to. They were his parents. Since he liked him so much, how could he…
“Of course it’s because of you.” Zhang Wei said wittily, an expression of pity appearing on her face.
“Because of me” Lin Jiang remembered. It was at that time when Gu Ming Ren had reached out to him. “Do you need help? I can help you.”
There was a roaring in his brain and he felt stunned. So from the beginning, it was to draw him in?
Then what did the relationship between them count as all this time?
“Where are my parents now?” Lin Jiang seemed to think of something and asked impatiently.
Zhang Wei had both arms across her chest, in a “no comments” stance. “I don’t know about that. I didn’t send them away.” The unspoken implication was that he should look for whoever had sent them away. But he had previously asked Gu Ming Ren who said that he wasn’t the one who bought the air tickets.
Then who bought the air tickets? Did he lie to him about everything?
The information was too much and too mixed up for Lin Jiang to recover from it. He picked up the plain water from the table and took a gulp.
“Anything else you need to say?” he said with a hoarse voice, looking weak and helpless.
Zhang Wei couldn’t bear to see him like this but she needed to let him know that the world was cruel and feelings didn’t count.
“Recently, Xiao Ming Ren has been in the hospital looking after his mother. You should know about this, right?”
Zhang Wei glanced at Lin Jiang and saw him nod, then continued, “Do you know why his mother was admitted to the hospital?”
Gu Ming Ren didn’t tell him the specific reason and only said that she was unwell.
Lin Jiang shook his head blankly. At this, he realised that he didn’t know anything. Like a fool, he had been played with.
“It was because she wants to have another baby for the Gu family. But Auntie Li is prone to bleeding. When she gave birth to Xiao Ming Ren, she almost died of blood loss. Therefore, after so many years, although Uncle Gu and Auntie Li have a good relationship, they never thought of having another child. Now, because of you, a middle-aged woman is taking on double the risks to get pregnant. Do you think that’s right? Lin Jiang.”
Zhang Wei’s tone was void of sarcasm. Instead, it had an admonishing tone which was more persuasive than a threat.
Lin Jiang’s elbows were propped on the table, his palms covering his face.
He had known long ago that they couldn’t be together for long and now, he had finally reached the end.
“Break up and I’ll give you some money.” Zhang Wei took out a cheque and wrote down a number. “You can go to the capital to look for your friend and maybe you can find your parents through him. After all, he’s now an outstanding person and well-connected.”
The cheque was pushed in front of Lin Jiang — one million.
His feelings were worth one million.
Lin Jiang laughed and even his canine teeth were full of bitterness. He reached out accepting Zhang Wei’s cheque and stood up. “Okay, I’ll break up with him.”
Zhang Wei’s red lips curved and her expression was cynical. As expected, there was nothing that money couldn’t solve.
It seemed that no matter how strong the feelings between two people, the result was that it weakened until collapsing at the first blow.
After taking two steps, Lin Jiang turned back and asked Zhang Wei, “Why exactly are you doing this?”
What was the purpose of deliberately breaking them up?
Zhang Wei’s hand froze in the midst of picking up her coffee, then returned to normal. Her smile was like a flower. “No reason. I just wanted to see if the two of you really love each other so much. In the end, it was such a pity.”
Lin Jiang laughed. “Is that right?”
Was it a pity? He didn’t know.
Lin Jiang left the coffee shop. The wind was strong today and made him cold all over. He tugged his coat close.
Sitting on the bus, Lin Jiang bent his head and send a message to Gu Ming Ren: Zhang Wei said that my parents were framed.
After sending the message, he kept the phone and waited for an explanation.
At the other end, Li Yan had already woken up and the matter of her secretly taking ovulation injections had been revealed. She didn’t really dare to face Gu Wen Tian and kept her head lowered to avoid his eyes.
Gu Wen Tian sat beside the bed holding Li Yan’s hand and couldn’t stop his heart from aching. “How could you be so foolish and not discuss such a thing with me?”
Li Yan lowered her eyes and asked in a soft voice, “Where’s baby? Don’t blame him. He didn’t know.”
It was just that her body wasn’t cooperative and reacted badly to the ovulation injections.
“You’re still protecting him. Look what he’s done! I won’t allow you to have another one. It’s too dangerous!” He could do without a son but he had to keep his wife!
Gu Wen Tian stroked Li Yan’s face. Her face used to be smooth and delicate but now, it had aged a lot. The culprit was that bad-hearted son. Li Yan persevered, “Let me try again? If it doesn’t work, then I’ll give up.” Gu Wen Tian disagreed and said coldly, “No way!”
After so many years of marriage, this was the first time he was saying no to Li Yan. Normally, he was used to saying okay and yes.
Li Yan was also angry. “I want to give birth! If you don’t have a baby with me, I’ll look for someone else!”
Gu Wen Tian was shocked and hugged her. “Nonsense! You can only have a baby with me! Okay, don’t be angry, wife. You know I’m doing this for you. If there’s really no other way, then let that brat look for a surrogate. You’re not allowed to take any more risks, okay?”
Gu Wen Tian was afraid of his wife. The moment Li Yan got angry, he became a coward.
Li Yan felt that this was a possibility. With a surrogate, the child would also be considered as being from the Gu family. She finally relaxed a little, thinking that her baby would surely be happy.
Her appetite returned a little and she ordered Gu Wen Tian out to buy some porridge.
Taking advantage of this, Gu Ming Ren slipped in.
He had been sitting outside the ward for a day and a night. Some stubble had grown out near his mouth and he looked dejected, making Li Yan’s heart ache.
“What’s wrong baby? Did your father blame you?!”
Gu Ming Ren shook his head and opened his mouth, wanting to shout at her, but not a sound came out.
Li Yan waved to him, motioning for him to sit beside her. “I’m okay. Don’t worry.”
“Just now, your father has given in and said that you can look for a surrogate in future. Now, IVF technology is very advanced, so there wouldn’t be any problems.”
When Li Yan finished speaking, she thought that her son would be very happy, but found that his lips were tightly pursed and he was looking at her without a word.
“What is it?” Li Yan asked with concern.
Gu Ming Ren forced out a smile and said nothing.
As long as Li Yan was looking at her son, she felt a sweetness in her heart. “You don’t have to worry. Just get along with him first and also, give your father some time to accept it. He was hit too hard. The two of you need to understand each other and don’t quarrel, okay?”
Li Yan didn’t have any big dreams. From young, she had hoped to get married to Gu Wen Tian and be a good wife by supporting her husband and raising a child.
Family happiness and harmony was her biggest wish.
Just as Gu Ming Ren nodded, Gu Wen Tian returned with two portions of porridge and egg dumplings.
Seeing that Gu Ming Ren had occupied his seat, his expression was very unhappy and he walked over immediately. Gu Ming Ren tactfully gave way and stepped aside. Li Yan said with a smile, “Give this portion to baby.” Gu Wen Tian was silent. “This portion is mine.” That brat shouldn’t be eating! He doesn’t deserve it.
Li Yan glared at him. “I can’t finish one portion by myself. You can share with me.”
The husband was a penny-pincher and had deliberately bought only two portions to distinguish the boundaries clearly with his son. Li Yan knew this but was soft-hearted and couldn’t bear it. She urged Gu Wen Tian to go over quickly.
Gu Wen Tian put the porridge in front of the brat unwillingly. Without saying a word, he turned and went to Li Yan.
It was considered a reluctant family meal.
Gu Ming Ren spent the night in the hospital. He didn’t sleep the night before and was very tired, falling asleep quickly.
It wasn’t until the next day that he saw Lin Jiang’s message.
Gu Ming Ren was stunned and his heart filled with panic. He replied anxiously: No.
Your parents were not framed.
He couldn’t say that to Lin Jiang and deleted each word.
Gu Ming Ren closed his eyes warily and chose to go back to school.
Right then, many classes had just finished at University A and the main road was full of students. Gu Ming Ren still managed to spot Lin Jiang in the crowd with a glance. He and his roommate had their arms around each other and he was smiling brightly.
Gu Ming Ren had a sullen expression on his face and he felt that this scene was an eyesore.
When Lin Jiang saw him, he stopped and said to Hao Meng, “You can go back first.” Hao Meng was scared to death by school grass Gu’s piercing eyes and ran away.
“Back? Is your mother feeling better?” Lin Jiang walked up and asked in his usual tone.
Gu Ming Ren hummed and his eyes were fixed on him, wanting to say something but stopped.
Lin Jiang hung his head and waited for a moment. Not receiving any proper explanation, he was saddened and said, “The words that you’re not saying, let me say them. Let’s break up and part without any hard feelings.”
He didn’t want to bicker about his parents with the other boy. In fact, he didn’t care about it. He was now an ordinary person, whereas the other boy was still the son of a powerful family.
What could he do?
Let’s end here, regardless of who it’s for.