Chapter 35: Family Matter

Due to being a close friend of Guan Xinghao, Yang Mingzhi had always been close to the Guan family. Previously, Guan Xi occasionally saw Yang Mingzhi coming to the house to visit grandpa and Grandma, so seeing him now didn’t seem unusual. As they entered the house together, Guan Xi saw a familiar group of people in the living room: Grandpa, Grandma, mom and dad, and Guan Ying.

The situation gave Guan Xi the feeling that “Grandpa and grandma want to mediate in the middle.” She felt a bit annoyed, not because she thought grandpa and grandma were meddling, but because she knew that the gap between them couldn’t be healed, and she couldn’t pretend to be happy living at home anymore.

“Mingzhi? Why did you come today?” Grandpa Guan Hong was a bit surprised to see Yang Mingzhi.

“It was me who asked him to come,” Guan Xinghao said as he stood up.

Everyone looked at Guan Xinghao, a bit puzzled. They were here to discuss family matters, so why bring an outsider into it?

Yang Mingzhi nodded to Guan Hong and Cui Mingzhu, then said, “Uncle, Aunt, today I wanted to talk to everyone about something concerning Guan Xi. As you know, she moved out of the house because she found out about being adopted, and it seems like Guan family doesn’t intend to give her a place.”

Guan Xi was taken aback, “No… Uncle Yang, why are you suddenly talking about this? Not working at the company is my own decision, not because someone is not giving me a place. Are you misunderstanding something?”

“All your own decision? Moving out, resigning from the company? Are these thoughts that came out of nowhere? Isn’t it because of Guan Ying, or because of your mother?” Yang Mingzhi suddenly turned to look at her, his voice deep, “Isn’t it?”

Wei Shaomin’s expression changed, “Yang Mingzhi, what do you mean by that?”

Yang Mingzhi replied, “Haha, what do I mean? I came here today to tell you exactly what I mean. Guan Xi is someone I’ve watched grow up. None of you should think about bullying her. I know you feel she’s blocking the way for Guan Ying, think she doesn’t have the qualifications to stand in front of her. But I’m telling you today, Xi Xi has the qualifications, more than anyone else.”

The two elders looked at each other, then turned their gaze towards their son, not understanding why Yang Mingzhi suddenly intervened. Wei Shaomin and Guan Ying’s faces, in particular, became unpleasant upon hearing these words.

Guan Xinghao lightly pursed his lips, glanced at the perplexed crowd, and said, “Let’s all sit down. I’ll explain this matter.”

Yang Mingzhi snorted and pulled Guan Xi to sit down.

Guan Xi looked confused, “Uncle Yang, I know you’re on my side, but this matter—”

“Guan Xi is my daughter, my biological daughter.” Guan Xinghao’s statement cut through the air, silencing any further questions. Guan Xi slowly turned her head towards Guan Xinghao, “What?”

“What did you say?!” Not just her, everyone else was also shocked.

Guan Xinghao gritted his teeth, having made up his mind to reveal the secret he had kept for over twenty years. He looked at Guan Xi, his eyes somewhat red, “Xi Xi, you are my flesh and blood. Initially, your biological mother, due to illness, was alone and had no choice but to place you in an orphanage. Before she passed away, she worried about you, so she told Yang Mingzhi your whereabouts, hoping he could help take care of you and find a good family for you. Your mother hid this from me, didn’t let me know. It was Yang Mingzhi who eventually couldn’t bear it and told me because he believed I was your only real family.”

Guan Xi was bewildered, took a while to react, and stammered, “What do you mean? Are you saying that my… my mom is… a mistress?”

“Xi Xi, don’t talk nonsense!” Yang Mingzhi rebuked, “Your mom was never a mistress. If you really want to talk about any mistress…”

Yang Mingzhi glanced at Wei Shaomin and said coldly, “Some things can’t be solved by just talking about who came first and who came later.”

Perhaps the information was too overwhelming, Guan Xi just stared blankly at Yang Mingzhi, not knowing how to react.

It was grandma Cui Mingzhu who seemed to suddenly remember something, saying, “Could it be that Xi Xi is the child of Yu Shan…”

Yu Shan? Who is that?

Except for Guan Xi and Guan Ying, who were confused, the others’ faces changed slightly, seemingly knowing something. 

“Yes, Xi Xi is Yu Shan’s child.” Yang Mingzhi looked at Guan Xi and said, “Now that everything has come to this, your father and I can’t hide it from you anymore. Many years ago, Wei Madam, your father, your biological mother, and I were all college classmates. Your parents had a very good relationship, and even your grandparents had met your mother and liked her very much.”

Guan Hong and Cui Mingzhu were suddenly pulled back into memories. Yes, many years ago, Guan Xinghao did bring a girl home, saying she was his girlfriend.

Guan Xi was completely stiff, and the sudden mention of “mother” left her unable to react properly. “Who is she…”

“Your mom’s name is Shen Yu Shan. She was exceptionally beautiful, very intelligent, and had excellent grades, a prominent figure in the school. But she had a somewhat cold personality, perhaps due to her upbringing. Her parents passed away early, and she didn’t have many relatives around. She relied on her efforts to get into college. I admired her a lot back then, breaking through in a group of well-off people, securing a spot in a prestigious foreign university. She was truly much more outstanding than us.”

Guan Hong and Cui Mingzhu exchanged glances. Indeed, when their son mentioned his girlfriend back then, they had considered her background. However, after investigating the real person, they completely changed their views. That girl’s conditions were too superior, and with cultivation, her future was limitless… So later on, they tacitly approved.

“Mom…” Guan Ying listened to Yang Mingzhi’s words, her heart pounding. She vaguely felt that something was wrong, but when she turned to seek answers from Wei Shaomin, she found her mother pale, silent.

“What happened afterward…” Guan Xi asked slowly.

“Later, she found out she was unexpectedly pregnant for a month. It should have been a joyous occasion, but on the day she was going to tell your father… It was my birthday, and we had all drunk too much. Unexpectedly, your father and Wei Madam… something happened.”

Yang Mingzhi didn’t elaborate, but Guan Xi immediately understood that it must have been an affair under the influence of alcohol.

Yang Mingzhi continued, “In short, your mother found out. She was heartbroken and decided to break up on the spot. As for the child in her belly, she couldn’t bear to abort it and had no intention of telling your father. When your father woke up and regretted the breakup, he tried to reconcile, but your mother, knowing that her loved one and her good friend had done such a thing, couldn’t forgive him. So she left directly.”

“You’re talking nonsense!” A sudden voice interrupted Yang Mingzhi’s words, surprisingly from the usually obedient Guan Ying.

Trembling, Guan Ying pointed at him, unable to believe it!

What did this person mean? Guan Xi was his biological daughter? Her mom stole his mom’s man? How is that possible!

Guan Ying: “I won’t allow you to insult my mother like this! Who are you? Why do you get to decide what’s true!”

Yang Mingzhi glanced at Guan Ying, sneered, “Young lady, whether I’m talking nonsense or not, you can ask the people present, or you can directly ask your mother. Does anyone here not know why your parents got married in the first place?”

Guan Ying looked at Wei Shaomin, but Wei Shaomin closed her eyes and didn’t utter a word of rebuttal. Guan Ying felt her heart sinking.

But indeed, these were Guan Xinghao’s parents. How could they not know what happened between their son and daughter-in-law in their early years?

Seeing the silence of the people, Yang Mingzhi ignored Guan Ying and continued talking to Guan Xi, “So, their breakup at that time was already set. Your father was drowning his sorrows every night, still in love and wanting to correct his mistake. But later, fate had its way, and Wei Madam became pregnant.”

Yang Mingzhi looked coldly at Wei Shaomin, “The Wei family is also a big family, and when a daughter gets pregnant, they can’t just let it go. In short, later on, for the face of both families and the child in her belly, your father took responsibility and married Wei Madam.”

Silence enveloped the room. Bringing up past events from their adulthood gave a surreal feeling, as if it was something from a previous lifetime. Both families were prestigious, and children and marriages were serious matters. A wrong step led to a series of mistakes, and Guan Xinghao had no way to turn back.

Guan Xi felt completely dumbfounded. Looking at the situation, she realized that she was actually a month older than Guan Ying…

Guan Xinghao adopted her and raised her abroad, setting an age that seemed appropriate and not surprising. However, she thought the age gap was only slight, never expecting it to be a whole year. But at this moment, being mysteriously one year older was not enough to shake her. Right now, all she could think about was Wei Shaomin. All along, she had regarded Wei Shaomin as her biological mother. She was filial to her, admired her, and sought her attention. Yet, in the end… all those thoughts were just jokes.

“If what you’re saying is true, how did my mom die?” Guan Xi asked.

Yang Mingzhi replied, “No one knew about her having a child back then. She returned to China and gave birth to you. But around that time, she found out she had terminal cancer. She was just a student at the time, with no family, no friends, and very little money. Seeing her body deteriorating and you, just born, she was devastated. Originally… she wanted to raise you properly.”

“Later, after putting you in Henghai Welfare Institute, probably fearing that you might end up in an unfavorable family, she informed me on her deathbed. She didn’t want me to tell your father, just asked me to help you find a good family.”

At this point, everyone’s expressions varied.

The subsequent events were known to everyone: Wei Shaomin’s child was abducted, suffering both physically and mentally. As Guan Xinghao was already married to her, with sympathy and responsibility, he took her abroad for treatment. Later on, when he found out about Guan Xi’s existence from Yang Mingzhi, he adopted her from Henghai Welfare Institute.

At that time, everyone who knew the truth about the adoption thought it was just a straightforward adoption. But it wasn’t. Feeling extremely guilty towards Shen Yu Shan, Guan Xinghao raised their biological daughter by his side.

“Guan Xinghao.” Wei Shaomin trembled at the sound, “You… you’ve been hiding this from me all along.”

Guan Xinghao replied, “If I told you about Xi Xi, would she still be able to come to our family?… Shaomin, we both owe Yu Shan. If you make me watch her and Yu Shan’s child wander outside, how could I bear it.”

Wei Shaomin, initially angry, felt her whole being suffocated upon hearing Shen Yu Shan’s name. Back then, they were friends… but unfortunately, they both fell in love with the same person. She had been guilty about that accident at first, but later on, there was a hidden joy. She loved Guan Xinghao deeply, so much that she ignored her conscience, treating the child in her womb as a bargaining chip to win a man.

Sorry, Shen Yu Shan… yes, she had always been sorry to her. Seeing Wei Shaomin’s reaction, Guan Xinghao felt her anger turning into despair. She and Shen Yu Shan were once good friends, but due to love, they ended up competing for the same man. The revelation hit Guan Xi hard, making her reevaluate everything she had known about her family and her relationships.

Wei Shaomin, under the pressure of guilt and emotions, looked pale and lifeless. She couldn’t believe she had treated her best friend that way. The truth made her realize the gravity of her actions, and the remorse weighed heavily on her. Meanwhile, Guan Ying, who had been skeptical before, started to believe Yang Mingzhi’s words as Wei Shaomin couldn’t deny them.

At this moment, she felt that everything she had said to Guan Xi before, all the taunts and judgments, were like arrows coming back to hit her. She had no confidence in front of Guan Xi and had relied on their blood relationship to suppress her. But now, they were telling her that Guan Xi was still a member of the Guan family?

As for Guan Xi, she stared blankly at the people in front of her. She finally knew who she was. It turned out that she was still a member of the Guan family by blood. It seemed like she should be happy. 

However, at this moment, she felt an overwhelming panic rather than joy. She now knew who she was, and it turned out that her biological mother had been snatched away by her current mother. Her father had hurt her biological mother, indirectly causing her mother’s subsequent confusion.

Guan Xi asked, “Dad, are you serious about what you just said?”

“Xi Xi, dad is sorry for you and your mom. But you have to believe that dad truly loves you. From when you were little until now, I’ve done my best to cherish you. I always hoped that you could be happy. I didn’t expect you to find out about your adoption and that it would be exposed by someone with ill intentions. Seeing you sad because you felt you weren’t my biological daughter, I also struggled during this time. I wanted to tell you the truth, but I was afraid that after knowing the truth, you would hate me and no longer recognize me as your father.” Guan Xinghao reached out to hold her hand.

Guan Xi looked at him and pulled her hand back.

Feeling a sharp pain in his eyes, Guan Xinghao insisted, “Alright, what I wanted to say today is this. Guan Xi is my biological daughter. In the future, she has more right than anyone else to stay in the Guan family and occupy her current position.”

Cui Mingzhu reacted to this enormous information, saying, “Well, of course. It has always been like this, Xi Xi. Will you stay at Grandma’s house today, or will you stay there in the future?”

“No need,” Guan Xi stood up indifferently, “Grandma, I’m fine on my own.”

“Xi Xi!”

Guan Xi didn’t say anything more, picked up her bag, and walked out. Guan Xinghao had expected this reaction from her and felt a moment of painful helplessness.

Guan Hong, who had always favored Guan Xi, now knowing she was still his own granddaughter, was furious and scolded, “You little troublemaker, if Xi Xi doesn’t come back, I won’t let you off!”

…

Guan Xi drove aimlessly on the road, venting her emotions. After a while, when her hands began to numb, she gradually calmed down and returned to her own house.

But as she entered the house and saw everything around, she suddenly felt like her worldview was shattering. This house was bought for her by Guan Xinghao. Seeing it reminded her of them and her entire life from childhood to now. She had always wondered what she was doing all this for! Wei Shaomin was not her mother, not only that, but she had also taken her mother’s place…

The entire house fell into silence as Guan Xi sat blankly on the sofa, digesting the story that was hard to accept. But as she processed it, she felt like she was on the verge of collapse. That father who had been so good to her, the father who had hurt her mother, the father who had kept this secret from her for so long…

Bang!

Guan Xi suddenly swept the coffee table, and everything on it – glasses, fruit trays, various miscellaneous items – crashed onto the carpet, making muffled sounds. With red eyes, Guan Xi stood up as if gone mad, smashing whatever she saw, as if trying to vent the frustration inside her.

After smashing everything, she hurriedly entered the dressing room and began packing her bags. However, as she packed, she realized that all of this was also given by Guan Xinghao. So, she forcefully closed the suitcase and just took a small bag, then walked straight out of the house.

Where to go…

She didn’t know.

Her heart felt like it had been torn open by sharp claws, making her feel lost and overwhelmed. Her mind was filled with one thought: they are all liars! Everyone is deceiving!

Buzzing…

Her phone started ringing again, actually, it had been ringing since she left the house, but she hadn’t answered any of the calls. Guan Xi glanced at the phone; it was another unfamiliar number. But she knew who it was.

On the side of the road, amidst the hustle and bustle, Guan Xi sat down by a flower bed. She had been walking for a long time, and now she couldn’t walk any further. After sitting down, she glanced at her phone and finally answered it.

“Guan Xi, what’s the meaning of this?” On the other end of the phone, Jiang Suizhou’s voice was restrained, with a hint of anger. He had changed several numbers to call her, but all of them were unreachable until now, and this was the first time he got through.

“What’s wrong?” he asked.

Hearing Jiang Suizhou’s voice, tears fell straight from Guan Xi’s eyes. However, there was no sobbing sound, and her face remained cold, as if about to drop ice crumbs.

“Jiang Suizhou.”

“Why didn’t you answer my calls? Today in the office…”

“Let’s break up.”

It wasn’t a joke or a suggestion; it was a direct notification. Guan Xi’s voice was indifferent, her mind felt empty.

On the other end of the phone, caught off guard, there was silence for a full five seconds before a voice finally appeared, “What?”

Guan Xi wiped away the tears that had been falling continuously and said, “Don’t call me anymore, it’s annoying. I’m telling you I’m done playing, let’s break up.”

Guan Xi had mentioned breaking up before, but it had always been in the form of joking threats. This time, for some reason, Jiang Suizhou felt that she was serious.

He fell silent for a moment, and the only thing left in his mind was what he had seen these past few days: “Why break up, Xie Yan?”

Apart from this, he couldn’t think of anything else.

Guan Xi tightened her grip on the phone and said, “It’s none of your business why I want to break up. We were only together because our families wanted it. Now I don’t want to listen to our families anymore. Let’s end it here.”

“Guan Xi—”

“Anyway, you’re just interested in my background. It’s not like you love me that much!” Guan Xi couldn’t help but get angry, but she controlled herself, not letting her crying tone emerge, “We’re breaking up, Jiang Suizhou, starting from now.”

Jiang Suizhou’s breath tightened, and his voice took on a teeth-gritting tone, “Are you out of your mind? I’m coming to find you.”

“I don’t want to see you.” Guan Xi couldn’t be bothered to explain to him. She simply said, “And it’s not that I’m out of my mind now; it’s that I was out of my mind before.”

…

Guan Xi hung up the phone. She watched the passing crowd, feeling like all her strength had been sucked away in an instant. It would be painful, but she felt it was the right decision. In a daze, she thought fiercely: No one can make her unhappy, no one at all!

**

When Zhou Hao entered from outside the office, he saw Jiang Suizhou sitting on the sofa, staring at his phone without moving his eyes.

“President Jiang, are you going home now or going to Miss Guan’s house?”

He didn’t respond.

Zhou Hao looked at him strangely, took a few steps forward, and said, “President Jiang, President Jiang?”

Jiang Suizhou frowned slightly. He knew Zhou Hao was talking to him, but at this moment, he felt as if the sound was distant, as if he had been deafened.

He raised his hand to press his forehead, trying to clear his mind a bit. “What did you say?”

Zhou Hao asked, “I was asking where you want to go? Do you want to go find Miss Guan?”

Guan Xi…

Hearing her name, Jiang Suizhou suddenly felt like he was being pulled back from the phone call just now. Everything from that call became clear in an instant. Guan Xi had just said on the phone that they were breaking up?

The situation of the past two days had made him consider that she might have different thoughts, but he didn’t expect her to be so sudden, with no room for discussion.

Break up. She was actually serious.

Jiang Suizhou took a deep breath, suddenly feeling an indescribable sourness spreading through his limbs and bones. Then, it gathered along with the blood flow to his heart, making his heartbeat uncontrollably fast. Jiang Suizhou suppressed the sudden unfamiliar palpitations in his chest and looked at Zhou Hao, his voice very calm.

“She doesn’t want to see me.”

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