Chapter 47

Chapter 47

Jiang Xu went upstairs to find his father, using the excuse that he had matters from the company to report. Only then did Jiang Cheng open the door.

There was indeed a major project underway at the company recently, but Jiang Xu could handle it on his own. Coming to report only involved recounting the recent progress.

Jiang Cheng understood everything in his heart; this was merely an opportunity for his son to save face. He couldn't lock himself in the study forever, so when his son used work as an excuse, he decided to let bygones be bygones and opened the door.

After spending a long time alone in the study, his mood had improved somewhat through self-regulation.

He knew his son had come back for more than just reporting work. After such a display of anger and refusing dinner, Wenqing must be worried.

So, Jiang Cheng didn’t beat around the bush and directly asked, "Was it Aunt Cai who asked you to come back?"

Whether it was Aunt Cai or Yao Yao who called him back might mean something different to him, but to his father, it was the same. Therefore, Jiang Xu didn't specifically explain who had called him.

"Even Aunt Cai is worried about you," Jiang Xu acknowledged, accepting and respecting Cai Wenqing. From the beginning, he hadn't harbored any resentment towards this stepmother like his sister, Jiang Yyan. After developing feelings for Shu Yao, he naturally grew even more respectful towards Cai Wenqing.

Thus, Jiang Xu's words were all meant to support Cai Wenqing.

"Aunt Cai is worried about you. When I came back, I saw her downstairs, clearly troubled and anxious. Yao Yao is also very concerned about you and urged me to persuade you. She mentioned that you didn’t have dinner and hadn’t left your room all afternoon, fearing something might happen."

Being cared for in such a manner warmed Jiang Cheng’s heart. His anger had already subsided, and hearing these words made him smile.

"What could possibly happen to me?" He shook his head, looking rather helpless. "Aunt Cai is just timid and hasn’t experienced much. Never mind, there wasn’t anything specific anyway. I’m fine now. You’ve got a lot going on at the company, so don’t worry about things at home."

But since Jiang Xu had returned, how could he leave without accomplishing anything?

He had to report to his father about his encounter with Jiang Yyan today, along with her attitude.

"I went to see Yyan before coming here," Jiang Xu began, then mentioned the two calls he had made earlier that afternoon, which she had ignored. "I intended to discuss it over the phone, but since she didn’t answer, I had to go see her myself."

Jiang Cheng naturally knew that his siblings didn’t get along and always ended up arguing whenever they met. It was considered a good day if they could sit in the same space without exchanging harsh words.

Therefore, upon hearing that his son had gone to see his daughter, Jiang Cheng sighed heavily and asked, "Did they argue again?"

Jiang Xu scoffed. "I’m not even interested in arguing with her. But… she’s becoming increasingly unreasonable. The obedience and gentleness she displayed recently were all fake. Dad, you don’t know how aggressive she was in front of me today. She said whatever hurt the most… I really can’t understand how she turned into this."

Jiang Cheng was used to it: "That’s just her temper. Ever since your mother passed away, she’s been like this. But we can’t blame her, sigh."

Compared to Jiang Xu, Jiang Cheng naturally felt a deeper bond with his daughter, Jiang Yyan.

Jiang Xu said, "I know she doesn’t like Dad marrying Aunt Cai or Yao Yao. However, many things aren’t as simple as she wishes. She only cares about venting her anger and having her way, regardless of whether innocent people get hurt. Such selfishness makes it hard for her to get along with anyone."

"I’ve noticed that she’s been trying to improve recently. Although she hasn’t video-called in a while, she’s been behaving well and hasn’t caused any trouble. People change gradually, so don’t speak ill of your sister," Jiang Cheng defended his daughter.

No matter how bad his daughter was, he could scold and get angry at her, but he didn’t like others criticizing her, even if it was his own son.

Jiang Xu was speechless.

"Forget it, I won’t say anything else." Jiang Xu exhaled deeply. "I came to check on you, but seeing your current state and your defense of her… forget it, I won’t say anything more. It’s good that you’re alright. I’ll head back now; I have an important meeting tomorrow morning."

Jiang Cheng said, "Don’t worry about things at home. Focus on the company. The project we’re currently negotiating is crucial for the company, so you need to put all your effort into it."

Jiang Xu replied, "I understand."

Descending the stairs, Jiang Xu turned and spotted Shu Yao. He paused.

"Yao Yao, come here for a moment," Jiang Xu decided not to leave immediately but called Shu Yao aside instead.

Shu Yao had been reading a foreign classic on the sofa. Hearing Jiang Xu call her, she closed the book and placed it on the coffee table before following Jiang Xu to a corner by the living room window.

"Thank you for what happened today," Jiang Xu expressed his gratitude first.

Shu Yao smiled and shook her head. "What for? We’re family." Then she asked, "Is Dad okay?"

Jiang Xu couldn’t help but vent. "We worried too much about him. I mentioned a few things about Yyan in front of him, but he ended up defending her."

Then, he added with a hint of defiance, "Next time, let’s just ignore him. If we leave him alone a few times, he’ll realize who truly cares for him."

Shu Yao said, "After all, Yyan is his biological daughter, so it’s normal." Internally, she felt a bit bitter.

However, Shu Yao pretended not to care and even brightened her smile to hide her disappointment.

Dressed in a loose white dress, her slender figure seemed even more delicate. Her straight black hair fell gracefully down her back, and her gentle smile made her appear like a blooming jasmine flower—fresh, elegant, and soothing to the eye.

Jiang Xu stared at her, momentarily lost in thought.

Cai Wenqing interrupted them at an inappropriate moment, asking what they were discussing. Jiang Xu hastily averted his gaze.

"We were talking about what a great girl Yao Yao is," Jiang Xu smiled, visibly restraining his emotions. However, Cai Wenqing, being so observant, had already noticed something.

Though she understood, she didn’t point it out and simply agreed, "Yao Yao has endured a lot of hardship since childhood, which is why she’s so quiet and well-behaved now." Implying that Jiang Yyan had been spoiled since childhood, leading to her current personality.

"It’s because Yao Yao is inherently kind and well-guided by Aunt Cai," Jiang Xu praised without hesitation in front of the girl he admired. "Many people have had difficult childhoods but ended up on the wrong path. Yao Yao remained resilient and kind, partly due to her own nature and partly due to Aunt Cai’s guidance."

Cai Wenqing knew Jiang Xu’s words were sincere, not flattery. Thus, she was genuinely happy, her smile reflecting her true feelings.

However, she humbly responded, "Xu is too kind to me and Yao Yao. We’ve relied on each other for years, and our good life now is thanks to you." Changing the subject, she asked, "How is your father?"

"He’s doing well; Aunt Cai, you don’t need to worry."

"Good," Cai Wenqing placed a hand on her chest, visibly relieved. "He’s getting older, and I’m afraid his body can’t handle such outbursts."

With Shu Yao no longer present, Jiang Xu lost interest in further conversation. After exchanging a few more pleasantries with Cai Wenqing, Jiang Xu took his leave.

After Jiang Xu left, Cai Wenqing quietly asked her daughter, "This is a good opportunity to talk to your father about joining the company. I know you’re shy and find it awkward, but don’t worry, I’ll handle it."

Shu Yao remained silent, tacitly agreeing to let her mother handle it.

.

Wen Mochuan helping Jiang Yyan today came as no surprise to her.

For one thing, Wen Mochuan was naturally kind-hearted. Even if he detested a woman, he wouldn't lay a hand on her. Thus, he naturally disapproved of Jiang Xu, who would strike his own sister in the heat of an argument. For another, Wen Mochuan had never liked Jiang Xu to begin with.

The book made it abundantly clear that perhaps due to their incompatible personalities, the two had always been at odds since childhood. With all that had happened later on, and them becoming romantic rivals, there wasn't much camaraderie between them.

But Jiang Yyan was someone who knew how to be grateful. Even if Wen Mochuan helped her not because she was who she was, but because he would have done the same for anyone else in her place today, she did benefit from his help. Therefore, she should properly thank Wen Mochuan.

By ten o'clock in the evening, Jiang Yyan finally finished the work she had set out to complete for the day. After stretching, she noticed it was still early and reached for her phone on the table.

After some hesitation, she ultimately decided to send Wen Mochuan a greeting message.

She tapped him on WeChat first, then asked, "Are you asleep yet?"

Wen Mochuan usually didn't go to bed this early either. When Jiang Yyan messaged him, he was also working overtime. But since what he needed to handle wasn't urgent, Wen Mochuan promptly replied.

"Not yet."

After replying, he put down his phone to continue his work. However, when he saw no response after a while, Wen Mochuan hesitated before typing "What's up?" to send back, only to suddenly hear a knock on the door.

He immediately got up to open the door, and there stood his wife, smiling brightly.