No wonder I didn't message her; it turns out she's the beautiful woman in my arms, so vibrant and lovely, I'm having a wonderful time.
Su Qianqian, you're really great.
A note from the author:
Hey big fat Zhang, aren't you going to give me a love kiss, my darlings? *smug face*
Thank you to all the little angels who voted for me or watered my plants with nutrient solution between 2022-05-12 20:46:23 and 2022-05-14 00:12:46!
Thank you to the little angels who watered the nutrient solution: * 5 bottles;
Thank you so much for your support! I will continue to work hard!
Chapter Sixty-One
Jiang Cuo's cold, aloof phoenix eyes turned bloodshot.
A hint of tyranny and paranoia rose in his eyes.
Isn't Su Qianqian enough with her?
We made a promise back then, so why did it turn out like this?
She knew that Su Qianqian's words and promise to her were merely a ploy to keep her in check, and then slowly win her heart through their interactions.
She always understood the importance of winning people's hearts, so she would occasionally give Su Qianqian a little treat, making Su Qianqian think that she had achieved her goal.
For what she wanted to achieve, those sacrifices were nothing at all.
However, it was Su Qianqian who broke the agreement first.
At this moment, Jiang Cuo's maternal grandfather noticed that Jiang Cuo hadn't come into the house for a long time, so he came to the kitchen to look for Jiang Cuo. He saw Jiang Cuo staring blankly at his phone, looking extremely upset, and his finger was stuck on the sharp blade of a knife, with blood flowing all over the cutting board. He was quite frightened.
"Jiang Cuo, what's wrong with you? Why are you still holding the knife? Quickly wipe it clean."
Jiang Cuo's thoughts were interrupted by her grandfather's voice. When she came back to her senses, she turned off her phone screen and put it in her pocket. She belatedly felt the pain in her finger, but she just indifferently raised her hand, took a tissue to wrap the wound on her hand, and then lowered her eyes slightly to hide the bloodshed in her eyes.
"Grandpa, it's nothing. I was just looking at the news and got so engrossed in it. Don't worry, it doesn't hurt."
Grandpa seemed to understand something, sighed, and shook his head. "You've been a good child since you were little, but you're too deep-thinking. You like to keep everything to yourself and refuse to tell others. When you were little, no matter what you did, even if you fell and hurt yourself, you wouldn't say it hurt, because you were afraid that your grandma and I would worry."
Your mother passed away too early, and your grandmother and I have a generation gap with you. We don't know how to communicate with you, let alone what to say that is good for you. This has led you to develop this kind of personality and bear so much on your own.
But you're so outstanding. I have no idea how much hardship you've endured behind the scenes. My child, you've suffered so much. How could your grandfather not feel heartbroken seeing you like this?"
Jiang Cuo bandaged the wound on her finger, then took the cutting board to the sink to wash it. "Grandpa, there's no need to say that. What do I have to be tired about? It's just studying every day, it's all what I should do."
My maternal grandparents worked even harder, raising me to this age with countless sacrifices. I feel only gratitude, without a single complaint.
Hearing Jiang Cuo say this, Jiang Cuo's grandfather understood that Jiang Cuo did not intend to tell him the truth.
When the family lived in Su Qianqian's villa before, Jiang Cuo's grandfather didn't think much of it, assuming that the two children were simply close friends.
After all, Su Qianqian transferred to Jiang Cuo's school, and the two were in the same class and even sat at the same desk. Su Qianqian was outgoing, while Jiang Cuo was introverted. He had never seen Jiang Cuo get so close to anyone before, because Jiang Cuo's personality had become more outgoing because he was with lively children.
Su Qianqian's parents were not around either, so he thought that Jiang Cuo and Su Qianqian had only come together because of loneliness, and that they were just friends who comforted each other.
But ever since Jiang Cuo went to university, Su Qianqian has arranged other properties for the elderly couple, taking meticulous care of them. Private doctors even come to their door from time to time, and if needed, they even have a private butler when they go out.
Jiang Cuo's maternal grandfather then realized that something was wrong.
This scene is so similar to what it was back then.
His daughter also met a wealthy man's daughter after she went to university.
At the time, he thought his daughter and that child were just good friends, until his daughter brought the child home in the second semester of her junior year and said that the two of them wanted to be together.
That child had an extraordinary air about him; he looked like someone from a wealthy and noble family.
But the daughter was deeply involved and found it difficult to extricate herself.
He could see a deep impatience in that girl.
“Jiang Cuo, if you don’t intend to tell your grandfather the truth, your grandfather will have to persuade you. You are the last thing your mother left for me and your grandmother. Even if it costs me my old life, I will not let you suffer the same harm your mother did back then.”
Jiang Cuo paused in her scrubbing of the cutting board, wiped it clean with a paper towel, then turned around to look at her grandfather. This was the first time her grandfather had brought up her mother's past with her.
Grandpa Jiang Cuo: "You saw it when you came back. Su Qianqian is a thoughtful child. She has given my grandma and me a lot of preferential treatment. She bought this house outright. The environment is so nice. Although it is not a particularly high-end community, it is something that my grandpa and I never dared to dream of for the rest of our lives. Maybe that child is also considerate. She was thinking of us old folks. She was afraid that it was too good for us to accept."
When you were in your senior year of high school, I had some discomfort in my lungs and went to the hospital for a checkup. I found out that I had mid-stage lung cancer. At that time, I thought about not getting treatment and leaving all the money to you to support your studies. I kept it a secret from you and your grandmother. But somehow Su Qianqian's child found out and immediately sent a private doctor over. Every month, he brought me imported medicine, each bottle of which was quite expensive.
"Look at all the food and supplies in this house, she brought them all over, and everything is top-notch. Jiang Cuo, tell me, why is she so good to us old folks?"
Jiang Cuo's eyelashes trembled, her eyes lowered as she looked at her toes. The blood from the wound on her finger had stained a large area of tissue paper, turning the white paper bright red.
"Grandpa doesn't wish for anything else, he just wants you to be safe and happy."
Jiang Cuo's voice was a little hoarse when she spoke, "Grandpa, I know I won't give up my studies like my mother did and ruin myself for someone."
Although hearing Jiang Cuo's explanation put his mind at ease, he was still somewhat uncertain, since Jiang Yi had lied to him in the same way before.
"Grandpa knows that times have changed. Unlike our generation, where marriages were arranged by parents and matchmakers, now it's all about free love and advocating for love. For your sake, Grandpa has also looked into it. Now, whoever loves more intensely is more admired. But please don't play with fire and get burned."
The girl your mother met back then was also very outstanding, from a prominent family. Your grandfather knew at the time that a love between people of unequal social standing was destined to be painful, and would only cause your mother pain.
In the end, the girl accepted the arranged marriage, and your mother was abandoned. No matter what grievances your mother suffered outside, she was still my and your grandmother's treasure when she returned home. Who would bear to see their child suffer so much pain?
Your mother had a deep-seated resentment and refused to go home. Your grandmother and I tried everything to persuade her, and she finally returned home, but she was heavily pregnant. At that time, your mother was already very fragile, and your grandmother and I didn't dare to press her for answers.
After you were born, your mother became depressed. Your maternal grandfather only hopes that you will not end up like her. Now you are your maternal grandparents' only pillar of support. If something happens to you, how will your maternal grandparents live?
Although Jiang Cuo's grandfather spoke very tactfully and was always thinking of Jiang Cuo's best interests, his words clearly indicated that a relationship between her and Su Qianqian was impossible, given their family backgrounds, social status, and personalities. If she insisted on continuing, the consequences might be the same as Jiang Cuo's mother's.
Ignoring the pain from her finger wound, Jiang Cuo clenched her injured hand into a fist, as if only the pain could bring her back to her senses.
What her grandfather said was something she had been guarding against from the very beginning; she knew it from the start.
Su Qianqian's personality suddenly changed drastically. Su Qianqian was so rich, Su Qianqian had so many friends, and the things Su Qianqian liked and socialized were always things she could never achieve.
So when she saw Su Qianqian following in her footsteps, such a proud person compromising and fawning over her in every way, she felt a different kind of emotion, but that was all.
She also knew that if she directly rejected Su Qianqian, Su Qianqian might become angry and do something that would hurt her family.
Hearing her grandfather say that, Jiang Cuo still felt a sense of annoyance, as if she could stop worrying about these problems if she deliberately ignored them.
"Grandpa, don't worry. I won't do what my mother did back then, giving up everything for love. As for Su Qianqian... this is just an agreement we made. Su Qianqian was so bad at studying back then, and I did my best to tutor her so that she could get into a good university. This is just her way of repaying me."
Besides, these things may be unattainable and luxurious for us, but for Su Qianqian, they are just a drop in the ocean and she doesn't care about them at all. Grandpa doesn't need to be too nervous."
Jiang Cuo's grandfather put his hands behind his back and sighed, "Since you know what's going on, that's good. But even though our family is poor, we can't just take things from others for free. Su Qianqian is a good child. Although I don't want you to get hurt, I also hope that Su Qianqian's child can live a good life. We can't let that child misunderstand for nothing and end up with nothing."
Jiang Cuo nodded.
Seeing Jiang Cuo's appearance, Jiang Cuo's grandfather didn't say anything more, turned around and left the kitchen, but as he left, his back was visibly hunched.
Grandpa sighed heavily in his heart. Like mother, like daughter. Twenty years have passed, and the excuses they're using are exactly the same.
This child has followed in her mother's footsteps.
Even if Jiang Cuo admitted it tonight, he wouldn't be so worried.
Love without realizing it, stubbornness to appear strong.
In the end, the only one who suffers the most is oneself.
Jiang Cuo's deep wound on his finger continued to bleed, completely soaking the tissue wrapped around his finger. Blood droplets even slowly gathered and dripped onto the ground.
Her mother had loved Jiu You so wholeheartedly back then, but in the end, she was abandoned by Jiu You. Her mother died of depression, while Jiu You got married, had children, became a university president, and lived a very successful life.
Because of her privileged family background, she could pursue love whenever she wanted without worry, and abandon it at will. Her mother, on the other hand, had nothing but what she thought was love.
Jiang Cuo clenched her fists tightly; she wouldn't allow that to happen.
Su Qianqian's face flashed through her mind, and the past events that had happened between the two of them flashed through her mind scene by scene.
All Jiang Cuo could think of was Su Qianqian's silly, smiling face, and the image of her that filled his heart and eyes.
Even though Su Qianqian would do anything for her, she could also abandon her at any time.
Because Su Qianqian has the confidence to back it up.
And she... had nothing.
Whether it was related to Jiang Cuo's mood or not, the pitch-black night suddenly began to pour down rain. The raindrops pattered heavily against the window, but in a short while, they became a downpour, and the kitchen became extremely quiet amidst the noisy rain.
Just as Su Qianqian was about to go to sleep in the villa, a piercing alarm sounded in her mind.
A rudimentary virtual system appeared before me, with a large red exclamation mark on the page.
[Useless System: Host, something's wrong. The system has detected that Jiang Cuo is currently in a very bad mood, even teetering on the edge of shutting down.]
Su Qianqian: "?"
Shutting down? What kind of description is that?
[Waste System: Please soothe Jiang Cuo immediately. Otherwise, if Jiang Cuo's mood value falls below five, his mental state may change, affecting the host's current world integration level and the host's mission progress.]
Su Qianqian had already put on her eye mask and applied her face mask and serum before bed.
I glanced at the floor-to-ceiling window of the room. It was pitch black outside, and it looked like it was raining. This wasn't like a school dormitory, where everything was next to each other, and I could just get out of bed and walk a few steps to my room to soothe myself.
'She can't be in a bad mood for no reason, do you know what happened to her?'
Su Qianqian's villa is in the suburbs, so the environment is good and quiet. However, the small house she bought for Jiang Cuo's maternal grandparents is in the city, close to the vegetable market, but still quite a distance from the villa.
I thought that Jiang Cuo must miss her grandparents since she finally had a holiday, so I refrained from sending her messages or bothering her. I didn't expect it to cause such a big mess.
Su Qianqian immediately got out of bed, took out her phone and sent a message to Jiang Cuo.
Su Qianqian: [Jiang Jiang, are you asleep? I miss you.]
Afterwards, I contacted the housekeeper and asked him to prepare the car so we could go directly to find Jiang Cuo.
[Waste System: Warning! Host, Jiang Cuo's mood is still decreasing, and it has now reached the dangerous edge of 20. Please calm Jiang Cuo down before his mood drops to five.]
Su Qianqian hurriedly dressed and went downstairs to the villa entrance, only to find that there was no news and Jiang Cuo had not replied to her.
Su Qianqian frowned. Jiang Cuo didn't have the habit of not replying to other people's messages, and his phone was usually on vibrate, not on silent. Could something have happened?
Su Qianqian: [Jiang Jiang, are you asleep?]
After sending the message, Su Qianqian made a video call, but it rang for a long time and no one answered.
The housekeeper was very efficient. He would prepare anything Su Qianqian asked for immediately. Five minutes later, the car appeared at the villa entrance, and the heater was already on. Although it had rained heavily and the air was chilly, the car was still warm and cozy.