Chapter 49

Jiang Cheng ended up back in the hospital again.

This time, his condition was worse than before. He had suffered a stroke. If he didn’t improve, he might end up in a wheelchair for the rest of his life.

Jiang Zhe calmly took him to the hospital, hired a caregiver, and then informed Jiang Siyu that she would need to cover half of the medical expenses. Of course, Jiang Siyu was unwilling.

“I have nothing left. You’re just stripping me of everything I have!”

Jiang Zhe replied, “If you’re unwilling to contribute to the hospital expenses, then I can only let the hospital provide basic care. From now on, he will spend his remaining days in a wheelchair, and he won’t be given the best medications.”

Jiang Siyu coldly said, “Do whatever you want. After all, it was you who made him end up in the hospital.”

When Jiang Zhe made this call, he put the call on the loudspeaker, and Jiang Cheng could hear everything clearly.

To protect her assets, Jiang Siyu had divorced Lin Mu before things got completely out of hand. Her maternal grandparents had some wealth, so she wasn’t entirely without money, she just chose to control Jiang Cheng instead.

Before making this call, Jiang Zhe had already done thorough research. He calmly looked at his father and said, “Dad, I’m not trying to argue about anything, but you should remember that you paid for Jiang Siyu to go abroad. Before her marriage, you gave her a house, and you’ve supported her financially since then. You’ve also spent a lot on Lin Sicheng’s education. Even the money you were supposed to give me for studying abroad ended up going to her. I bought my own house and financed my studies myself. Now that you’re in the hospital, she’s unwilling to pay for any medical expenses. In our family, I’ve never had much say, and since my sister isn’t willing to help, I will only fulfill my part of the responsibility.”

While Jiang Zhe spoke to his father, Jiang Yu stood at the door, watching.

Jiang Cheng could barely speak clearly, tilting his head and mumbling. When Jiang Zhe noticed her, he walked out, his expression softening. He asked, “Have you been waiting long?”

He walked over and held her hand.

The two of them stepped outside.

Jiang Yu shook her head. “No, I just arrived, but I saw and heard everything.”

Jiang Zhe didn’t want her to witness all this. He asked, “Do you think my actions are cold-hearted?”

Jiang Yu shook her head. “Not at all.”

“I think you’re doing well because if it were me, I might not be as kind. Those who have hurt me, I just want to see them suffer.”

Jiang Zhe said, “He did raise me, after all.”

“Though it wasn’t much…”

Jiang Yu understood that he didn’t truly mean the harsh words he expressed. Life isn’t a smooth-sailing story; Jiang Zhe couldn’t completely disregard his own blood. His father’s stroke might have led Jiang Zhe to feel some sense of responsibility.

Jiang Yu gently patted his head, reassuring him, “It’s okay. Family is different from others. We have feelings for each other. Feelings can be complicated, and I think you’ve handled it well.”

“Didn’t you say you would accompany me to buy clothes? How about today?”

“Sure.”

Instead of simply accompanying Jiang Yu to shop, Jiang Zhe was actually seeking solace with her. She understood that he wasn’t happy.

Jiang Zhe felt grateful for her understanding and comfort.

That evening, they bought quite a few clothes—not just for Jiang Yu and the child, but also for Jiang Zhe. While choosing clothes for him, Jiang Yu said, “I think your outfits are a bit dull; you should buy more colorful ones. You shouldn’t waste that handsome face of yours.”

As she spoke, she tiptoed to pinch Jiang Zhe’s cheek. He thought it resembled her pinching Jiang Luo Luo’s cheek, but he obediently let her do it.

After finishing at the clothing store, Jiang Zhe took her to buy a necklace. Jiang Yu was initially reluctant and said, “Your dad is in the hospital, and we still need to buy a house. You should save some money.”

Jiang Zhe, amused by her attempt to save money, replied, “Don’t worry, I still have plenty of money for this. Just enjoy shopping.”

The necklaces Jiang Zhe picked out were quite beautiful. Seeing his insistence, Jiang Yu didn’t refuse but felt a bit embarrassed as she said, “Your dad is in the hospital, and here we are happily shopping. Isn’t that a bit inappropriate?”

Jiang Zhe wrapped his arm around her back as they waited for her to pay.

“There’s nothing inappropriate about it. I’ve already made arrangements at the hospital. Unless something unexpected happens, I probably won’t be visiting him. We not only want to shop, but we also plan to buy a house.”

At the mention of a house, Jiang Yu perked up. “You said you wanted to buy a villa. Is that true?”

Jiang Zhe raised an eyebrow. “Of course.”

Jiang Yu exclaimed, “I can’t believe I might marry a man who can afford a villa! I almost envy myself!”

“I’m really lucky.”

Looking at her smiling face, Jiang Zhe shook his head. “No, it should be said that I’m the lucky one. I’ve spent all my luck in this life just to meet you.”

Jiang Yu looked at him, and he was gazing back at her.

At that moment, Jiang Yu suddenly realized they were still in the jewelry store. The surrounding salespeople were watching them, and expressing their feelings in front of so many people felt awkward. She quickly lowered her head, pretending to examine the jewelry, and ultimately chose the first necklace she had seen.

When it was time to pay, Jiang Yu glanced at the price—over a million. Wow, Jiang Zhe was really wealthy. If you just looked at his attire, you wouldn’t have guessed how rich he truly was.

In the following days, Jiang Zhe didn’t go to the hospital but accompanied her to look at villas while Jiang Yu busied herself with the renovation of her new store.

Eventually, they settled on a community less than ten minutes from Jiang Zhe’s company and bought a villa there. That same night after signing the contract, while Jiang Zhe was preparing milk for the little one, he paused briefly, staring at his phone. Jiang Yu noticed something seemed off with his mood and asked, “What’s wrong?”

Jiang Zhe showed her his phone. It was a message from his father: [The people I’ve wronged the most in my life are your mother and you.]

Jiang Zhe’s father had actually apologized to him. Jiang Yu asked, “Are you going to visit him in the hospital?”

Jiang Zhe shook his head. “No.”

However, the next day, Jiang Zhe’s mother went to see his father. Jiang Yu guessed that Jiang Cheng probably sent the same message to Shen Qiuli.

But what Jiang Yu didn’t expect was that a few days later, while she and Jiang Zhe were busy with renovations, they suddenly received news from the hospital that Jiang Cheng had passed away in the middle of the night.

It was a suicide.

Before his death, he had written a will, leaving most of his assets to Jiang Zhe and his mother.

This was something Jiang Yu never expected.

When she found out, Jiang Zhe had already returned from the hospital. She had never imagined that Jiang Cheng would—

“How could your dad…?”

Jiang Zhe’s expression was grim, but he remained calm. “He sent me a message that day, and I knew he might have such thoughts. He was strong all his life and naturally couldn’t accept the outcome of being paralyzed.”

“I just didn’t expect that he would leave the house to me.”

Jiang Yu hugged him, her voice choking up. “It will all pass.”

Jiang Zhe smiled at her. “It’s okay. After all, our feelings weren’t that deep.”

At Jiang Cheng’s funeral, Jiang Siyu didn’t show up, and Jiang Zhe handled everything alone.

After the funeral, they returned to Jiang Cheng’s original house to sort through his belongings. Shen Qiuli pulled out a box from Jiang Cheng’s study and showed Jiang Yu what was inside, tears glistening in her eyes as she reminisced, “These are letters I wrote while dating your father. He was quite the poet and wrote me many poems back then.”

As Shen Qiuli recalled the past, her eyes sparkled with memories.

“The beginning of our story was beautiful, even though my family disapproved. When Xiao Zhe was born, he was full of anticipation. He used to ride his bicycle and take me around campus, sneaking me my favorite snacks after class. When Xiao Zhe was little, he would even teach him how to practice writing. But alas, love and marriage are two different things. The daily grind and the various trivialities of life made our feelings fade slowly after Xiao Zhe was born.”

Jiang Yu glanced at the letters written by Jiang Cheng. He was indeed a talented person, and the affectionate words were filled with poetry.

Holding a letter with a poem, Jiang Yu playfully asked Jiang Zhe, “Jiang Zhe, can you write poems?”

Jiang Zhe shook his head. “No, but our lives are poetry.”

Shen Qiuli, who had been feeling a bit sad, felt warmth in her heart upon hearing the children’s conversation. Wiping her tears, she said, “Alright, I’ll go check upstairs to see if there’s anything left to tidy up. If not, we’ll head back.”

At that moment, the sound of high heels echoed at the entrance. Jiang Yu turned to see Jiang Siyu storming in, furious. “This is my home! Get out! You killed my dad. What right do you have to this house!”

Jiang Zhe calmly turned around, hands in his pockets, and replied, “I’m sorry, but Dad wrote a will and left the house to me.”

With tears in her eyes, Jiang Siyu seemed agitated. “How is that possible? Are you lying?”

Jiang Zhe showed her the will, and Jiang Siyu trembled all over as she clutched the document before tearing it to shreds. As the pieces flew through the air, she pointed at Jiang Zhe, her eyes filled with tears but also a mocking smile. “Hahaha, he said he cared so much about me. Yet, in the end, the one he cared about the most was you, his son! Money equals love. He’s been putting on a show for me all these years!”

“Is that so?” Jiang Zhe pushed Jiang Siyu’s hand away and handed her a notebook from the coffee table. As she opened it, he said emotionlessly, “Then you can see what this is.”

Inside the ledger were records of Jiang Cheng’s bank transfers.

“Last year, Dad transferred you money twice, totaling sixty-seven million yuan. That was all his savings, and he even borrowed over fifty million from his students.”

“In other words, after selling this house and settling all debts, only then will it belong to me.”

Jiang Siyu’s eyes filled with disbelief.

Jiang Zhe looked at her, his gaze no longer one of submission, only indifference and calmness. “Do you know why he didn’t give you the house to handle?”

“He may not have been a good father or a good husband, but he spent decades as a role model, teaching and nurturing many outstanding individuals. He might have been criticized elsewhere, but he never wanted his teaching career to have any blemishes.”

“And you? Once you get the house, what will you do? Sell it and use the money to run away.”

“Jiang Siyu, it’s not that he didn’t help you, it’s just that you’re still blaming him for not helping enough.”

“He knew you were selfish, yet he still favored you. What do you think he felt before leaving? The daughter he loved so much ended up treating him this way?”

Every word Jiang Zhe said struck Jiang Siyu deeply. Unable to control her emotions, she broke down, falling to the ground, covering her face and weeping uncontrollably.

Feeling a bit irritated, Jiang Zhe took Jiang Yu’s hand and headed upstairs.

They walked in silence, and after a moment, Jiang Yu looked at Jiang Zhe and suddenly gave him a thumbs up. “Jiang Zhe, you were so cool just now!”

Then, mimicking his earlier demeanor, she said coldly, “Jiang Siyu, it’s not that he didn’t help you…”

Jiang Yu couldn’t hold it in and burst into laughter.

The tense atmosphere was broken. Jiang Zhe reached out and gently patted her head, the icy blood in his veins gradually warming.

Jiang Yu linked her arm with Jiang Zhe’s, surprised. “Your dad really gave her his retirement money? I was just joking. He wouldn’t have been provoked by me, would he?”

The wind blew through the curtains, casting fragmented light on Jiang Yu’s head. Jiang Zhe stroked her face, shaking his head. “Of course not. If I didn’t help, he would find a way to deal with it himself.”

Now that he was gone, all that was left was a sense of regret.

Jiang Yu glanced around the house. Although it wasn’t perfect, it surely held many memories for Jiang Zhe. Jiang Zhe’s mother had mentioned that during the first few years after Jiang Zhe was born, Jiang Cheng treated him quite well. Jiang Yu guessed that Jiang Zhe still had feelings for his father.

She asked, “Are you planning to sell this house?”

Jiang Zhe shook his head. “We’ll keep it for my mom. She must be reluctant to leave this place.”

Jiang Yu calculated in her mind; it would cost a lot. She said, “Then we shouldn’t renovate the villa for now, right?”

Jiang Zhe hadn’t expected her to think that way and immediately smiled. “No need, we’ll proceed as planned.”

“What if we don’t have enough money?”

Jiang Zhe found Jiang Yu’s naive cuteness amusing at this moment and gently patted her head. “Why don’t you check the balance on our bank cards?”

Jiang Yu replied, “If you’re asking me to check, then I won’t hold back.”

“Okay.”

That evening, when they returned home, Jiang Zhe handed his phone to Jiang Yu.

Jiang Yu looked confused. “What’s going on?”

Jiang Zhe tilted his head. “It’s too troublesome to run to each bank. Just check using my phone.”

Jiang Yu then remembered something and took his phone, opening the apps for various banks. After checking, she felt dizzy.

She realized that her husband, who seemed only slightly better than an average man, was actually much wealthier than she had imagined. She gave Jiang Zhe a thumbs up. “You’re so rich, that’s impressive!”

Jiang Zhe curled his lips and asked, “Are you regretting not managing the money? After all, I’ll earn even more in the future.”

Jiang Yu nodded.

He pulled her closer, letting her lie on his lap. “Well, there’s still a chance now.”

Jiang Yu found a comfortable position on his leg, looked up at him, and after a moment of fiddling with her fingers, said, “I can manage the money, but only for our meals and treats. I won’t handle anything else. If I had to manage everything, I’d be exhausted. And what if I mess up? You’d be mad at me.”

Jiang Zhe gently flicked her forehead and said, “What else? I don’t want you to be tired. I earn money, and you just need to spend it. As for the monthly expenses, they’ll be deducted from my card. If you want to spend, just swipe my card. By the way, when have I ever been mad at you?”

“Right now! You’re being mean!”

Jiang Zhe playfully pinched her nose, pretending to be fierce, but in Jiang Yu’s eyes, he had no intimidation at all.

Feeling blissful, Jiang Yu leaned against Jiang Zhe’s leg, looking utterly content.

Seeing her smile slightly, Jiang Zhe felt her lips looked as sweet as jelly and leaned down, just as a child’s cries came from the room.

Jiang Zhe’s smile instantly faded, and Jiang Yu watched him, stifling her laughter on the sofa.