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Only by bringing Xiao Zhi back can this household truly change.
If Xiao Zhi is willing to acknowledge them again, their relationship with the Royal Mansion can be restored. Do they really lack that bit of connection?
Zhang Qin looked coldly at Gu Jing, who was overly agitated, feeling somewhat disappointed.
Since having their son, Zhang Qin felt that Gu Jing had become like a different person, almost unhinged, making her unrecognizable.
“Do you remember what His Highness said?” Zhang Qin asked calmly.
“What he said doesn’t matter. What’s important is whether the child is willing to acknowledge us,” Gu Jing replied, her eyes shining brightly.
Gu Jing’s current focus was solely on how to make Su Yu’s family accept them again, without even considering if she might have missed that opportunity.
Zhang Qin rubbed his forehead, feeling uneasy.
He sighed softly as he looked at Gu Jing and said, “Xiao Zhi is doing well at the Royal Mansion, and Prince Yu values him greatly. If you truly consider him your son, you shouldn’t disrupt his life.”
“He is my son. What’s wrong with what I’m doing?” Gu Jing didn’t see any issue with her actions and even felt that Zhang Qin shouldn’t have said such things.
Zhang Qin glared at Gu Jing, his hand trembling as he pointed at her, his eyes filled with anger. “Gu Jing, have you ever thought about the child’s feelings? Does he want to see you?”
On several occasions when they met Xiao Zhi, he had shown nothing but distance and resistance towards them.
It was evident from Xiao Zhi’s behavior. Had she not noticed this issue yet?
“Zhang Qin, I’m doing this for the good of our family. Only by improving our relationship with the Royal Mansion can we have a better future. Our son’s prospects will also be secure. Why can’t you see this?”
Zhang Qin, with a grim expression, looked at Gu Jing. He tried to hold back, but he couldn’t resist. Raising his hand, he slapped Gu Jing across the face, his expression turning even more dreadful.
Gu Jing held her face in disbelief, staring at Zhang Qin, “You… You actually hit me?”
It was the first time Zhang Qin had ever laid a hand on her, and all because of these inexplicable circumstances?
Zhang Qin coldly observed Gu Jing’s incredulous expression, “Gu Jing, ever since giving birth to our second child, you’ve gone mad. Your mind is consumed with thoughts of this child. Instead of teaching him survival skills, you only think about how to secure benefits for him from Xiao Zhi and His Highness. You’ve become someone I find frightening.”
If this continued, he felt like Gu Jing would drive him crazy.
“Have I changed? It’s you who has changed. You don’t treat me as well as you used to. Can you tell me why?” Gu Jing defiantly questioned Zhang Qin.
“Since the incident with Xiao Zhi, I’ve been reflecting on myself. I wonder if I’ve been too lenient with you, leading to our current situation.” Zhang Qin truly regretted not stopping Gu Jing from doing what she did initially. If he had intervened, Xiao Zhi would likely still be with them, and they wouldn’t have been forgotten, right?
The thought weighed heavily on Zhang Qin’s heart, causing him great distress.
“Because of you, we lost a son. Instead of reflecting on your actions, you shift the blame onto the child. Is this how a mother should act?” Zhang Qin looked at Gu Jing with disappointment.
“If you had treated Xiao Zhi with your former attitude, I wouldn’t have to say these things to you. You brought this upon yourself.”
“Furthermore, forget about the Royal Mansion. I won’t allow you to disrupt Xiao Zhi’s life. If you dare to go, I will go against the promise we made back then, taking a concubine and demoting you.” Zhang Qin spoke each word deliberately and firmly.
Zhang Qin’s words were like adding fuel to the fire, but he no longer cared about the consequences.
Whether Gu Jing was angry or not was of no concern to him.
Trembling, Gu Jing pointed at Zhang Qin, “What did you say? You promised me you wouldn’t take a concubine.”
“I did promise you, but if you continue like this, I can also go against our initial agreement. I’ve made it clear— you are not allowed to disturb Xiao Zhi’s life.” There was no room for negotiation in their household on this matter.
If Gu Jing persisted in harassing the Royal Mansion, Zhang Qin was prepared to take direct action and see who would end up more distressed in the end.
Gu Jing understood Zhang Qin well. She knew that when he spoke such words, he had already made up his mind, and what he said, he would do.
“For the sake of a flawed child, do you have to treat me like this? Zhang Qin, we are a family now. That child is just a troubled one,” Gu Jing screamed.
She was aware that over the past year, her relationship with Zhang Qin had cooled significantly. He no longer treated her as he used to. If this continued, what would happen in the future?
Just the thought of it made Gu Jing feel unbearable.
If Zhang Qin were to take a concubine who was someone he liked, what would she do about her son?
The mere contemplation of this possibility left Gu Jing feeling somewhat unable to accept it.
“I don’t know what those people back at home have been telling you. Consider how good you were to the child initially. Could you have done something like this? Xiao Zhi may have some issues, but it’s not his fault; it’s our own fault,” Zhang Qin said, rubbing his forehead. Since returning, Gu Jing’s relationship with the family had improved, but from this moment on, Gu Jing had changed entirely—becoming unreasonable and difficult to accept.
Gu Jing trembled as she looked at Zhang Qin.
“Zhang Qin…”
“This is the last thing I’ll say to you. If you choose to continue listening to the Gu family and harass the Royal Mansion, disrupting Xiao Zhi’s life, then we will go our separate ways. How you choose to build connections for our son is your business, not mine. Whether I take a concubine or a wife is also my affair, not yours.” Zhang Qin was issuing a final ultimatum to Gu Jing.
What she decided to do next was up to her.
“Zhang Qin, you are heartless. He is your son too.”
“Therefore, I don’t want to see him turn into a spoiled child because of your indulgence. Once the child turns three, I will take him under my care. If you dare to interfere, then you can leave,” Zhang Qin spoke these harsh words to Gu Jing for the first time.
Gu Jing struggled to keep herself upright, almost falling to the ground.
At that moment, Gu Jing finally realized that Zhang Qin had indeed changed, no longer unconditionally supportive.
“It’s all because of him that you’ve become like this. What’s wrong with me being good to my healthy son? What’s wrong with me wanting to provide him with enough?” Gu Jing still didn’t believe she had done anything wrong.
Disappointed, Zhang Qin shook his head as he looked at Gu Jing. Indeed, he shouldn’t have had too many expectations of her.
Too many expectations often led to nothing but disappointment in the end.
“I have said all that needs to be said. What you do next is up to you.”