Chapter 46 Family Is a Choice

Chapter 46: Family Is a Choice

Cai Ji's mother endured for two years until one day, when she was beaten bloody by her drunken husband and couldn’t even go to work, she finally resolved to divorce him.

At the time, his mother wanted to take Cai Ji with her, but his father clung to him, sobbing and saying that if his wife abandoned him, he couldn’t bear to lose his son too. Relatives piled on, insisting that since Cai Ji bore the Cai surname, he couldn’t leave the Cai family—otherwise, he’d be ungrateful and unfilial. In truth, they just didn’t want Cai Ji’s father coming to them for money if he ran out. They even warned that if his mother remarried and later sent Cai Ji back, no one would take him in, and it would ruin her chances of remarrying.

Outside the door, Cai Ji heard his father declare that if Cai Ji didn’t stay, he’d never agree to the divorce. He’d drag it out forever, seeing who would outlast whom.

Little Cai Ji just wanted to set his mother free, so he gritted his teeth and chose his father.

His mother held him and cried for a long, long time. After she left, his father took out every frustration on Cai Ji, beating him and saying he’d eventually run away too.

His mother went to the capital. At first, life was hard, but she found work at a garment factory and gradually got her life back on track. Her income improved, but every time she sent money, food, or clothes, his father would take them.

Several times, his mother traveled all the way back to see him, only for his father to gather relatives to chase her away.

Eventually, she resorted to sneaking into his school, watching him through the classroom window and leaving things or money in his desk.

By the time Cai Ji took his high school entrance exams, his mother had remarried a small garment factory owner. She asked her new husband to help get Cai Ji into Beicheng Guangyao. At that point, she was already pregnant, and the news made Cai Ji feel abandoned. So when she asked if he wanted to come to the capital with her, he refused again.

Wracked with guilt, his mother sent even more money than before, which his father used to laze around—even remarrying.

Hearing all this, Jiang Ruotang was fuming.

He’d thought no one could squander good cards in life as badly as his past self had… but Cai Ji was in a league of his own!

My hat's off to you! Seriously!

“Cai Ji, do you know why your mother had her current husband get you into Beicheng Guangyao?”

“To make amends,” Cai Ji muttered dejectedly.

If Cai Ji hadn’t been covered in injuries, Jiang Ruotang would’ve smacked him on the head.

“To give you the chance to change your fate and escape your father! She always wanted to take you with her, but you refused. Beicheng Guangyao has a top-three college admission rate in the city. She got you in so you could get into a good university and leave this place—so you could reunite with her in the capital, somewhere your father can’t reach you!”

Cai Ji froze.

“The money your mother sends supports your dad, your stepmom, and that crazy stepbrother of yours! Forget everything else—you should be the one running the show at home! Hitting whoever you want, ordering them around! They should treat you like a golden goose—because *you’re* the family’s breadwinner!”

Seeing Jiang Ruotang’s exasperated expression, Cai Ji blurted out, “Really?”

“*Yes!*” Jiang Ruotang snapped. “Even textbooks say economic base determines the superstructure! You’re the *only* economic base in your family!”

“But if I don’t give them money, I get beaten…”

Jiang Ruotang was at his wit's end. “Then *call the police!*”

“A tenant downstairs called them once. The cops came, but my dad said he was teaching his son a lesson. They just told him not to go too far and left.”

Jiang Ruotang: “…”

He’d forgotten—this was ten years ago. Social awareness and legal protections weren’t as developed.

“My dad also said… if anything happens to him, I’ll have no home…”

“You *don’t* have a home now! Not only that, you’re broke—are you *paying* to get beaten?”

Cai Ji lowered his eyes. After a long silence, he said, “At least they still want my money. If my dad gets locked up… no one will even want me.”

“But… family shouldn’t be like this.” Jiang Ruotang knew Cai Ji had grown up this way. No matter how many times he told him how wrong it was, it was hard for Cai Ji to break free.

But every day spent in that environment was another day lost.

Jiang Ruotang suddenly remembered the way Cai Ji looked when he watched him wrestling around with Zhao Zhangfeng, or when Zhao Yunshu had his back—that yearning in his gaze. Now he understood why Cai Ji envied him so much.

“Cai Ji, you have to leave that house to find a new family. My mom now, Zhao Zhangfeng—they’re my family because *I* chose them. Otherwise… they’d just be strangers living in the same house as me. Real family wouldn’t treat you like an ATM, wouldn’t beat you to get what they want, wouldn’t put you down—they’d even defend you when you’re bullied!”

“Like Zhao Yunshu?” Cai Ji asked.

“Yes, like her. We’re not related by blood, and I’ve never paid her a cent. But when I’m hurt or need help, she’s there. Real friends and family aren’t for sale.”

Just then, Jiang Ruotang’s phone rang—it was Zhao Zhangfeng.

His booming voice came through: “Hey, where are you fooling around? It’s late—get home!”

Jiang Ruotang glanced at Cai Ji and asked, “Zhang Feng, have I ever given you money?”

Zhao Zhangfeng was baffled. “When have you *ever* given me money?”

Jiang Ruotang pressed, “What if—not just me, but even my dad stopped giving you money… and I got bullied outside, beaten to a pulp, even burned with cigarettes. What would you do?”

Zhao Zhangfeng thought Jiang Ruotang had gone mad. “Who? Doing God's work! They should burn you alive!”

Then he hung up.

Jiang Ruotang was humiliated. Cai Ji tried to comfort him: “Zhao Zhangfeng just… knows no one would mess with you. He was joking.”

“Ha…” Jiang Ruotang didn’t feel comforted.

They sat in silence for half a minute before Jiang Ruotang’s phone buzzed again. The screen showed: *Siberian Husky*.

“Your dog can call you?” Cai Ji asked.

“No… it’s Zhao Zhangfeng…” Jiang Ruotang answered, only to hear Zhao Zhangfeng’s voice roar: “Where *are* you? Are you dead or not? I’m coming to get you!”

“Huh? Dead?”

“Didn’t you just say someone bullied you? *Hit* you! What lunatic *dared* burn you with cigarettes? I’ll dunk their head in a basketball hoop! Where are they? Why aren’t you talking? Did they beat you stupid?”

Jiang Ruotang froze, suddenly certain his head *would* end up in a basketball hoop…

“I—uh—no one hit me… I was just asking hypothetically…”

Two seconds of silence. Then Zhao Zhangfeng’s voice shot up.

“*What—*no one hit you?! Are you *insane*, fantasizing about getting beaten and burned? Don’t you *dare* let anyone hit you and take it! I’m coming!”

“Coming… for what?”

“To send you to a *mental hospital!*”

Jiang Ruotang didn’t have to see him to picture him—a raging bull.

After sending his location, Jiang Ruotang suddenly realized something. “Cai Ji, you didn’t see any of this… or someone's getting killed in my house.”

“See what?” Cai Ji was lost.

“The whole… Husky business…”

After a moment, Cai Ji nodded blankly, "...Oh."

Zhao Zhangfeng took a taxi over. When he got out and saw Jiang Ruotang sitting unharmed at a small table by the floor-to-ceiling window, he visibly exhaled in relief.

Jiang Ruotang waved at Zhao Zhangfeng with a smile. Zhao Zhangfeng walked in, yanked Jiang Ruotang to his feet, poked and prodded him, and only after confirming there were no injuries did he plunk him back down into the chair.

"If you pull this kind of stunt again, I'll kill you!" Zhao Zhangfeng snapped.

"Never again, never again, I promise! I already know you care about me *so* much..."

"Who said I care *that* much?! I just don’t want you coming home crying from injuries and making our parents worry about you." Zhao Zhangfeng sat down and finally noticed the bruises on Cai Ji’s face. "Holy shit! Who did this to you? That’s brutal!"

"My... my dad..." Cai Ji’s voice was barely louder than a mosquito’s buzz.

It hit Jiang Ruotang that the one who truly shared similarities with Cai Ji wasn’t him—it was Zhao Zhangfeng!

"Your dad? Because you helped Meng Yang cheat? I was gonna ask what happened—you’re not the type!"

Cai Ji lowered his head and gave a helpless smile. He wanted to say, "It’s all in the past," but he couldn’t even bring himself to say that much.

He instinctively reached for the milk tea beside him, revealing scars beneath his sleeve—not just one circular burn mark, but several. Eagle-eyed, Zhao Zhangfeng spotted them right away.

"Who burned you?" Zhao Zhangfeng’s voice dropped an octave.

"My... my brother..." Cai Ji was frozen under his gaze.

"Your *brother*? He gets off burning you? That’s not a ‘brother’—that’s a damn animal!"

Zhao Zhangfeng’s biological father had been an abusive scumbag, so he was hypersensitive to such things—it took nothing to set him off.

Jiang Ruotang wanted to hug Zhao Zhangfeng, but in that moment, he suddenly realized only Zhao Zhangfeng could "teach" Cai Ji what to do. Yet, since it was Cai Ji’s private matter, Jiang Ruotang couldn’t disclose it without his consent.

"Zhang Feng, I think I saw a small circular scar on Mom too—was that also a burn?"

Zhao Zhangfeng took a deep breath to steady himself. "Yeah. That bastard wasn’t happy Mom came home late from overtime, so he threw a fit and burned her. Makes my blood boil just remembering!"

Cai Ji stiffened at that and looked up. "What happened after?"

"At first, Mom wanted a divorce, but he refused and beat her. I was in sixth grade then. When I came home and saw it, I wanted to smash that bastard’s head with an ashtray! But Mom stopped me. She said she wouldn’t let me use that scumbag’s methods—she was afraid I’d turn into someone like him. Back then, calling the police didn’t help either. They wrote it off as ‘domestic drama.’ My biggest wish was for Mom to divorce him and get away from that trash."

"Aren’t you afraid... if your mom remarries after the divorce, she might not want you anymore? You’d still have to go back to your dad?" Cai Ji asked cautiously.

"Hey, don’t you dare call him ‘dad.’ He’s not my dad, got it?" Zhao Zhangfeng lifted his chin. "Mom’s crowning achievement was not just divorcing him but also getting him locked up for a while."

"How’d she manage that?" Cai Ji asked curiously. His own mother had given up everything—no money, left the house, even agreed to monthly child support—just to get the divorce over with.

"Mom was driving a company car to another city for work. That bastard thought she was running away because she packed some clothes, so he forced his way into the car. On the highway, Mom brought up divorce again, and he lost it—choked her, forced her out of the car, and drove off! It was a damn freeway—she was stranded—no cabs, nothing. In that psycho’s head, he was ‘punishing’ her for wanting a divorce by making her walk back. But the car wasn’t hers—it had a dashcam. Mom reported him for stealing company property. The cops pulled him over. Since the car belonged to the company and Mom never gave him permission to drive it, plus his actions endangered her life, no one cut him any slack. He landed in jail, and Mom was free."

Cai Ji lowered his head, thinking for a long moment before murmuring, "Maybe I made the wrong choice back then. If I’d gone with Mom, she could’ve focused on building a life without worrying about me."

"Exactly!" Jiang Ruotang cut in. "Cai Ji, your dad didn’t fight for custody because he loves or needs you. He’s using you to suck your mom dry! Your mom, your grandparents—they’re still carrying this financial burden *for you*. If you were free, imagine how relieved they’d be! You’re old enough to make your own decisions. You sticking with that bastard because you think your mom and grandparents have it too easy?"

Zhao Zhangfeng, irritated by Cai Ji’s fragility, snapped, "Wait—are you even eighteen?"

"Yeah." Cai Ji nodded.

"Then act like it! You’re a grown man—take charge of your own life!" Zhao Zhangfeng dug his fingers into Cai Ji’s shoulders. "I was twelve when I tried to bash that bastard’s head into a wall. You’re *eighteen*, dude. Grow a pair!"

Jiang Ruotang piped up, "Seriously, all the money your mom and grandparents send goes straight to the people hurting you. If they knew, they’d be heartbroken! If you’re stuck in mud and someone throws you a rope, you don’t just sit there reminiscing about how heavy and suffocating the mud is—you grab it and climb out! Otherwise, at that point, we’d *have* to commit you."

"So... what should I do now?" Cai Ji asked.

Zhao Zhangfeng shot to his feet. "What else? Go home, sleep, ask the adults for advice. Tomorrow’s another day, and we’ve got class."

Jiang Ruotang watched Zhao Zhangfeng, thinking the only reason he hadn’t turned out messed up was his pure stubbornness.

"Alright, let’s head home."

Cai Ji remained seated as Zhao Zhangfeng and Jiang Ruotang walked to the door.

Zhao Zhangfeng turned back impatiently. "Come on, you coming or what? You’re staying with us tonight!"

Jiang Ruotang jerked his head toward Cai Ji. "Yeah, from now on, you stick with Zhao Zhangfeng. Your brother’s a coward who only bullies the weak—he didn’t dare *blink* wrong when he saw Zhao Zhangfeng on the street. If that bastard tries to drag you to an internet café, ignore him. Got it?"

Cai Ji nodded, stood up, and followed them.

Xiao Gao had been waiting by the roadside for ages. Seeing the three of them, he finally relaxed.

Though Cai Ji had known Jiang Ruotang was well-off, stepping into the mansion-like living room still stunned him—it looked like something out of a TV drama.

Zhao Zhangfeng fished out slippers for him and patted his shoulder. "Come on, let’s talk to my mom. She’s got this."

Jiang Ruotang nodded. "Right, Cai Ji. Sometimes you’ve gotta trust the adults."

"But... it’s so late. Shouldn’t Auntie be asleep?"

As soon as the words left his mouth, Zhao Yunshu appeared at the second-floor study doorway, frowning. "You kids—you should’ve told an adult about this sooner. Did you really think you could handle it alone? Where’s Cai Ji? Let me see him."

"Auntie Zhao... I’m here..." Cai Ji’s voice was a whisper.

Zhao Yunshu looked at him, took a deep breath, and spoke in a tone even Zhao Zhangfeng had never heard—gentle, warm. "Come with me to the study, alright? Let Auntie take a look."

In that moment, Cai Ji thought of his own mother. His chest ached like an open wound, impossible to contain.

Zhao Yunshu ushered him into the study.

When she saw the bruises from kicks, the belt marks, and the cigarette burns covering Cai Ji’s body, she was crying openly now. Her shoulders trembled with rage.

"If your mom saw this... it’d destroy her..."

It was the first time anyone had ever cried for him. "Really?" he whispered.

"Oh, sweetheart, every child is their mother’s whole world."

Zhao Yunshu immediately called her lawyer friend—the same one who’d handled her divorce years ago.

After hanging up, she said, "Auntie would love to treat these wounds, but first, we need to document them. No matter what you decide—whether you leave or stay—we secure the evidence."

Cai Ji bit his lip and nodded.

Zhao Yunshu had told Jiang Ruotang and Zhao Zhangfeng to go to bed, but neither could sleep.

"That place will be sterile and scary. What if Cai Ji gets scared? He needs someone he knows with him." Jiang Ruotang had just taken off his school uniform but was already pulling on a jacket.

"Mom, he’s my classmate. You think I could sleep after knowing he’s been hurt like this?" Zhao Zhangfeng was already lacing his shoes by the entrance.

In the end, Jiang Huaiyuan drove, with Zhao Yunshu in the passenger seat. Cai Ji sat wedged between Jiang Ruotang and Zhao Zhangfeng in the back.

The whole way, Zhao Yunshu and Jiang Huaiyuan reassured him, sketching out a real future for him.

"Cai Ji, Auntie thinks you shouldn’t keep this from your mother. Things like your college application choices and many other matters require an adult's signature. Auntie hopes you can give me a chance to talk with your mom, see how she feels about it, and then based on that, we'll decide what to do next, okay?"

Cai Ji pressed his lips together, a mix of anticipation and unease, before finally making up his mind and nodding.

Jiang Huaiyuan also said, "Cai Ji, Uncle knows it’s hard for you to walk away from your dad. You think your brother treats you poorly, so you always try to please them. But they're taking advantage of that mindset to take advantage of you. That’s just wrong—such an environment is harmful to both your college entrance exams and your growth. People must climb out of that well to see the wider world. Once you meet more people, you'll find new friends and even start your own family someday."

In the backseat, Jiang Ruotang glanced at his father in the rearview mirror—the same could be said for Jiang Huaiyuan's relationship with Lin Chengdong.

"Yeah, what kind of brother is that guy? From now on, you can call me your brother! I’ve got your back!" Zhao Zhangfeng declared.

Jiang Ruotang laughed. "Zhao Zhangfeng, you should be glad your brother is me!"

"Oh, aren’t you proud of yourself! You can’t even carry anything, yet you’re obsessed with acting like some big brother."

"At least I don’t bully you!"

"You’re such a shrimp, if you stood behind me, I wouldn’t even see you when I turn around! You should be grateful I don’t pick on you! Don’t you remember how annoying you used to be?"

Jiang Ruotang and Zhao Zhangfeng started squabbling right over Cai Ji’s head, but Cai Ji found their bickering oddly comforting and joyful—in his own home, no one ever spoke so freely and openly.

During the injury assessment, the staff at the examination center couldn’t help but curse Cai Ji’s family as worse than animals when they saw the years of scars on his body.

Teacher Song Qinghe, upon hearing about the situation, biked over from across town to see Cai Ji. Gutted with guilt, he realized he had been Cai Ji’s teacher for over two years yet never noticed the abuse.

Zhao Yunshu’s lawyer friend, who had just finished overtime work, called to get the full story and guide the evidence collection. Seeing the numerous burn marks on Cai Ji’s arms and back, she immediately offered to take his case for free if he decided to pursue legal action, promising to fight all the way.

For the first time, Cai Ji felt so many people cared about him. In that brief moment, it was as if all the care he’d been denied for years came rushing in from all directions.

After the evidence was collected and Cai Ji’s wounds were treated, Zhao Yunshu and Jiang Huaiyuan drove the children back and told them to get some sleep.

Lying in bed with Zhao Zhangfeng beside him—who, like a true older brother, tucked him in—Cai Ji finally felt safe. Though dawn was only a few hours away, it was the most secure he had ever felt falling asleep.

In contrast, Zhao Yunshu and Jiang Huaiyuan stayed awake all night, making longer-term plans for Cai Ji.

"Honestly, seeing those injuries, I just wanted to adopt him myself. I may not be the best father, but at least I don’t harm my children! His own damn son—how could anyone do that?" Jiang Huaiyuan sighed deeply.

"But Cai Ji’s father and that family are trash. If we take him in, they might even try to extort us. Even if Cai Ji wins the case and his father and brother are convicted, they’ll be out before you know it. People like that will hound him like parasites. What if they retaliate? We need to end this for good—ensure they’re punished properly, at least until after his college exams. Once he’s done, if he gets into a university elsewhere, we can support his living expenses. If he stays local, dorm life would be fine, and we’re here to help if anything happens."

"We should also talk properly with his mother. I get the sense she might be his biggest emotional support."

"He gave me her number. Cai Ji isn’t used to asking for help—he doesn’t know how to reach out to his mom. He thinks she’ll see him as a burden now that she has another child and doesn’t want to trouble her. So, woman to woman—some things are better said that way."

Meanwhile, Jiang Ruotang didn’t notice Lu Guifan’s message until he was in bed setting his alarm.

[Skipping study session?]

Sent at 10:30 PM, over three hours ago—Lu Guifan must already be asleep.

But the fact that he cared whether Jiang Ruotang studied meant he cared that they hadn’t talked tonight. Why did that make Jiang Ruotang so stupidly happy?

[Didn’t get to study tonight, but I have something important to tell you. It’s too late now, though.]

Just as Jiang Ruotang was about to put his phone down, the screen lit up—Lu Guifan had replied with two words: [Tell me.]

His heart did a little flip, floating weightlessly.

Jiang Ruotang touched Lu Guifan’s profile picture, remembering the past.

During chemotherapy, the quieter the night, the more terrifying it became—the fear of dying silently, unnoticed.

Back then, Jiang Ruotang would scroll through his contacts, but after being dropped by Universe Entertainment, most had become strangers.

He had opened Lu Guifan’s chat, intending only to reread their old chats or listen to saved voice notes, but accidentally typed and sent a "1." Before he could recall it, Lu Guifan replied, asking if he was okay, if he was in pain.

That was also past 2 AM.

That message gave Jiang Ruotang a safety he’d never known—knowing someone would always respond.

Now, Jiang Ruotang sat up, leaning against the headboard, and called Lu Guifan, telling him about Cai Ji.

Lu Guifan listened quietly, so silently that Jiang Ruotang wondered if he’d fallen asleep.

"Class Prez?" Jiang Ruotang called softly.

No response—Lu Guifan must really be asleep.

"Night... Gui Fan," Jiang Ruotang whispered.

Just as he was about to hang up, Lu Guifan’s voice returned.

"I looked up the relevant laws. If we only go after them for abuse, and given that Cai Ji didn’t document the abuse, the sentence might be too light—maybe just a few days in detention. If that happens, Cai Ji’s resistance won’t be protected, and he might get it even worse and suffer more emotional harm."

Exactly what Jiang Ruotang and Zhao Yunshu feared most.

"But we can support Cai Ji emotionally first, help him find his strength. If someone loses the will to fight or save themselves, no solution will work."

"Right!"

"It’s late. Sleep now," Lu Guifan said softly.

After a day of emotional highs and lows, Lu Guifan’s voice had a strangely calming effect.

"Okay. Goodnight, Class Prez."

"Goodnight, Ruo Tang."

Jiang Ruotang set his phone down, half-asleep, when he suddenly bolted upright.

What had Lu Guifan called him just now?

He tossed and turned, replaying the moment in his head, unsure if he’d heard right.

If Lu Guifan really said "Ruo Tang," then that meant he’d heard Jiang Ruotang’s whispered "Goodnight, Gui Fan"—thinking he was asleep?

Jiang Ruotang rubbed his ears—how could he possibly sleep after that?!

The next morning, yawning, Jiang Ruotang stepped out of his room and saw Cai Ji in the bathroom, swimming in pajamas way too big.

His soft hair was a messy bird’s nest, sleeves and pant legs rolled up but constantly slipping down—looking absolutely ridiculous.

"Morning..." Cai Ji greeted shyly.