Chapter 49: Grievances

Guan Xi was caught off guard by the sudden question. Although she had thought about it a long time ago, too many chaotic events had happened, and she had forgotten about this matter.

Guan Xi: “Um…”

Jiang Suizhou glanced at her and said, “We have our own plans for this matter. You don’t need to ask too much.”

Li Yuanying said, “Marriage is not a trivial matter; there are many things to prepare in advance. If you have plans, you should start early.”

Jiang Suizhou replied, “Understood.”

Both Li Yuanying and Jiang Suizhou were not talkative individuals. If there was no central topic to discuss, the atmosphere would quickly become cold. The current situation became a bit awkward.

Guan Xi’s eyes kept drifting towards Jiang Suizhou’s face. She least liked dealing with such serious elders. In her family, when encountering such elders, she usually greeted them formally and then slipped away.

Jiang Suizhou received the signal and quickly issued the order to dismiss the guest, “Is there anything else you need?”

“Nothing, I’m leaving,” Li Yuanying put down her cup, “Accompany me downstairs.”

Jiang Suizhou knew that Li Yuanying must have something to say, so after standing up, he said to Guan Xi, “You play by yourself; I’ll be back in a while.”

Guan Xi gave him a sideways glance. What play? Talking nonsense in front of your mom…

“Auntie, take care, and I’ll visit you next time at home,” Guan Xi said obediently.

Although the pleasantries were said smoothly, in reality, there was no intention to visit next time.

Li Yuanying replied, “Sure.”

Jiang Suizhou escorted Li Yuanying out of the door.

As the elevator descended, Li Yuanying asked, “When did you and Xi Xi get together?”

Breaking up was something that Li Yuanying could easily detect. So, Jiang Suizhou didn’t deny it, “Recently.”

“I thought, once you break up, it’s over,” Li Yuanying remarked.

Jiang Suizhou asked, “Don’t you want me to be with her?”

“Of course I do.”

Li Yuanying glanced at her own son. Although they weren’t as close as typical mother-son relationships, after all, she gave birth to him, and she believed she knew him quite well. Since childhood, Jiang Suizhou had learned to be cold-blooded from his father, so she always thought that he, like his father, had a detached attitude towards relationships.

“Did you pursue her back because she is Guan Xi or because she is Guan family’s Guan Xi?” Li Yuanying asked.

The elevator reached its destination, and after stepping out, Jiang Suizhou stopped and said, “Whether she is Guan Xi or not, I would still want her back.”

Li Yuanying was slightly surprised by Jiang Suizhou’s words, “Have you fallen in love with that child Guan Xi?”

Jiang Suizhou didn’t answer; his silence was an admission.

Li Yuanying asked, “Does she love you?”

Expressionless, Jiang Suizhou replied, “Is that important?”

He didn’t say yes, nor did he confirm. Instead, he posed a question. Because at this moment, he wasn’t very sure of the answer himself. After Guan Xi mentioned breaking up, he had persuaded her to come back. She was used to him, and he could feel that she liked him. But as for love, and how much, he didn’t know.

He didn’t want to dwell on it too much. He just felt that as long as she was willing to come back, that was enough. He wanted to give her everything she wanted, to make her stay by his side obediently. Never speak of leaving.

Li Yuanying sighed, “Well, it’s your business if you want to be together.”

Jiang Suizhou said, “Since it’s our business, don’t bring it up again. When it comes to marriage, she can decide whenever she wants. Let her be happy.”

Li Yuanying said, “But since you are together, it would be better to get married first.”

“Why are you in such a hurry?” Jiang Suizhou responded.

Li Yuanying said, “Your father’s health is getting worse, and your two brothers have been making moves behind the scenes recently. They are closely watching your situation. You know about it without me saying. So, if you marry Guan Xi soon, she currently has the support of Grandpa Guan from the Guan family, which would be beneficial for you.”

Jiang Suizhou’s eyes gradually turned cold, “I don’t need her to get involved in these matters.”

“You—”

“We will discuss the marriage later. Don’t bring up or interfere in this matter,” Jiang Suizhou turned and entered the elevator, exceptionally indifferent. “Take care.”

After returning home, Jiang Suizhou found Guan Xi still sitting on the sofa, snacking. Seeing him return, she gestured towards him, “Did your mom say anything just now?”

Jiang Suizhou sat down beside her, “She didn’t say much.”

Guan Xi munched on a marshmallow, “Tsk… Your mom is just like you, very few words. But sometimes when she says something, I don’t know how to respond appropriately.”

“If you don’t know, you don’t have to respond,” Jiang Suizhou said. “You don’t need to deliberately please her.”

“Not please her?” Guan Xi said, “But if I marry you in the future, she will be my mother-in-law. In other people’s situations, they always say you need to deal with your mother-in-law.”

“This isn’t like other people’s situations. We don’t need to please anyone here. Just be happy yourself,” Jiang Suizhou replied.

“But what if she doesn’t like me in the future?” Guan Xi asked.

Jiang Suizhou directly pulled her onto his lap, “As long as I like you, you don’t need to care about what others think.”

“Darling, that’s not others, that’s your mom.”

“My mom is the same.”

“So you mean, if we have conflicts in the future, you’ll be on my side…” Guan Xi thought for a moment and suddenly said quickly, “If both I and your mom fell into the water, who would you save?”

Jiang Suizhou looked at her strangely, “Didn’t anyone tell you that this question is very outdated?”

“…”

Jiang Suizhou shook his head lightly, wiping off the cotton candy on the corner of her mouth.

Guan Xi turned her head, bit his finger indignantly, “Outdated questions are eternal challenges!”

“Not challenging at all. I’d save you,” Jiang Suizhou pinched her cheek and said, “You’re like a cat in water. If I don’t save you, who will?”

After returning home this time, Guan Xi stayed at home for three days, wrote a comprehensive travel guide, and posted it on the “Travel Journey” forum. Guan Xi was already popular for her unique and interesting travel perspectives. This time, working with a professional team, she included many of her own photos and videos, making the overall guide more refined and complete.

That night, after it was posted, it was pushed to the homepage the next day, and the click-through rate soared. At the same time, she also posted a three-minute vlog of her trip on Weibo. Lately, she has been active on Weibo frequently, gaining numerous fans.

After posting this vlog, many netizens commented:

【Wow, the girl looks so beautiful!】

【Please post more selfies! Too few!】

【Newcomer, I’m a fan now~】

【Does the outfit have the same style? Please share the link】

【Thanks to the sisters who posted it, the price scared me off!!!】

【Oh my, she seems to be a wealthy lady】

【So beautiful!!!】

…

Guan Xi scrolled through the comments on the vlog Weibo post, thoroughly enjoying the praises from the crowd. Later, not content with just enjoying it herself, she forwarded the Weibo post to WeChat for Jiang Suizhou to appreciate. However, he was probably still busy at the company, as Guan Xi didn’t wait for his reply. Instead, she received a call from Aunt Zhen at home.

“Hello, Aunt Zhen.”

“Xi Xi, you haven’t come back for a long time. Do you want to come back and visit?”

Guan Xi’s expression faded slightly, “What’s going on?”

Aunt Zhen: “Well, you see, your father hasn’t been feeling well recently and has been staying at home—”

“What happened to him?” Guan Xi sat up straight, “What’s wrong?”

Aunt Zhen: “These days, the flu has been quite severe, and your father has a fever and cough. He’s getting old, and his resistance is not good. He has been talking about you all the time.”

Guan Xi felt a bit anxious, “Is he feeling better now?”

“The fever has subsided, but he’s still at home recuperating.”

Although Guan Xi still remembered the past events, Guan Xinghao still held significant weight in her heart. Hearing that he was sick made her instantly tense, forgetting about everything else. She immediately said, “I’ll go home and take a look.”

Guan Xi went downstairs, took one of Jiang Suizhou’s cars, and headed straight home.

When she arrived home, it was already dinner time. Aunt Zhen immediately greeted her, “Xi Xi, you’re back.”

“Where’s my dad?”

“In the room, go and see.”

Guan Xi nodded and went straight upstairs. It had been a while since she last saw Guan Xinghao. Perhaps it was because he was sick, or perhaps it was her perception, but she felt that he had aged a lot.

“Xi Xi?” When Guan Xinghao saw her coming in, his eyes lit up, and he tried to sit up.

“You just lie down.” Guan Xi said indifferently, “Don’t move around when you’re sick.”

Guan Xinghao couldn’t hide his excitement, “How come you’re back?”

“I came back to get something.” Guan Xi walked to the bedside, “Aunt Zhen told me you’re sick.”

Guan Xinghao’s eyes teared up, “You came back to see dad, dad is very happy.”

Guan Xi hesitated and said awkwardly, “I didn’t come back on purpose to see you…”

Guan Xinghao: “Yes, yes, but Dad is still happy. This illness is worth it. From now on, I should get sick more often.”

“What nonsense are you talking about?” Guan Xi glared at him, “You’re already like this, and you’re cursing yourself.”

Guan Xinghao reached out and held Guan Xi’s hand, “Xi Xi, Dad is serious. You haven’t come home for such a long time, and you don’t let me see you. Dad is very sad and misses you a lot. Can you forgive dad once? I know it’s all my fault in the past…”

If there was someone in this world who had been good to her, her father, Guan Xinghao, would undoubtedly occupy a place.

Seeing Guan Xinghao in his current state made Guan Xi uncomfortable, “Enough, don’t talk about the past. Just focus on resting.”

Guan Xinghao: “Then, in the future, come home more often, okay?”

“Let’s see, I’ve been quite busy lately.”

“It’s okay, you can come back to stay whenever you have time.”

…

Guan Xinghao probably hadn’t seen her for too long, and he held her in the room talking for a long time. Until he rested and fell asleep, Guan Xi came out of the room. However, when she went downstairs, she unexpectedly saw Wei Shaomin. Since the turmoil at her grandfather’s house, she hadn’t seen her. Now, facing each other, Guan Xi felt extremely strange.

“Xi Xi.” Just when Guan Xi was about to leave directly, Wei Shaomin spoke.

Guan Xi stopped her steps, her tone somewhat cold, “Is there something?”

Wei Shaomin looked at her, with a myriad of thoughts. Finally, she said, “I came this time to sign the divorce agreement with your father.”

Guan Xi: “…”

Wei Shaomin: “I think you must have heard the rumors outside. Indeed, we are getting a divorce.”

“I think that’s none of my business.”

“Yes, but I still want to tell you in person. Anyway, I owe you and your mother an apology.”

Guan Xi’s eyes flickered slightly, “…saying these things now is pointless.”

Wei Shaomin smiled bitterly, “I know, so everything now is the result I deserve. But, Xi Xi, no matter how I am, Ying Ying is indeed your half-sister. I don’t expect you to be close, but I hope you can coexist peacefully.”

Guan Xi chuckled, turning to look at her, “Coexist peacefully? Of course, as long as she doesn’t come to disturb me, I don’t have the time to bully her.”

Wei Shaomin sighed lightly, “I know you were wronged some time ago. I… I just felt that I owed Ying Ying too much and neglected your feelings.”

Guan Xi’s throat felt dry, and she couldn’t help but say, “Mrs. Wei, putting aside my mother and ignoring the messy truths. We’ve been mother and daughter for over twenty years. How I used to like you as my mother and tried to get close to you, you should know. Actually, I never expected you to treat me like you did with Guan Ying. I just hoped you could show me a little bit of care. But I didn’t expect you to see me as a thorn in your side.”

“Xi Xi, I…”

“Never mind. Upon careful thought, you’re not wrong. Why am I saying all this? It’s just for the sake of my loved ones.” Guan Xi smiled at her, “So, let’s end it here. The next time we meet, we’ll be nothing more than strangers.”

With that, Guan Xi didn’t want to stay any longer. She picked up her things and walked out of the gate. She thought that from now on, all the love and hatred she had for Wei Shaomin in the past would be deeply buried. The sky had already darkened, and a white sports car sped down the road, leaving behind layers of villas.

The music in the car was melodious, flowing out of the top-notch audio equipment, very pleasant. Guan Xi drove expressionlessly, exuding a cold air.

Buzz…

At this moment, her phone rang. Guan Xi answered on speaker, and the music stopped.

“Have you eaten?” Jiang Suizhou’s clear and cold voice came out, as if the tone had been polished by the audio equipment, becoming even more magnetic. Guan Xi wrinkled her nose. For some reason, hearing his voice inexplicably made her feel a sense of grievance.

“…Not yet.”

“Shall I order food for you to bring home?”

Guan Xi discontentedly said, “Aren’t you coming back?”

“I have some business to discuss at the Song Li Club tonight. You go ahead and eat first.”

The background noise on his end was a bit loud. Guan Xi thought it might be a socializing scene with fine wine, delicacies, and a group of beautiful women.

Guan Xi suddenly felt annoyed, “You have ladies and those little girls accompanying you there, and I’m just eating alone at home. Is that fair?”

Jiang Suizhou paused slightly and lightly chuckled, “What do you want then?”

“I’ll come over,” Guan Xi said, “You can arrange a few young men for me. I want some company.”

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