Chapter 56: Planning for the Future with the One You Love
Outside the car window was a world of swirling snow. Not a single ray of sun could be seen; it was the coldest time of winter. The North wind whistled against the glass, carrying a chill.
Inside the car, however, the heater made it quite comfortable. The warm, cozy atmosphere filled the small space, providing a sense of peace and tranquility within the cold vehicle.
Jian An sat in the back seat with his legs pressed together. His palms rested uneasily on his knees, and his eyelashes fluttered slightly.
His eyes frequently darted toward the streets outside, secretly observing the route.
Everything was familiar; it was the path he had traveled countless times over the last three yearsāthe road leading back to the Ji family villa.
But this time, Jian An no longer felt the same sense of hope for “home.” Instead, he felt a looming sense of dread.
Ji Songting had told him in the hospital ward that he would never agree to a divorceāthat he would torture him until death.
What is he even after?
If they divorced, wouldn’t he be free to openly marry his beloved Shen Chuyan?
If his goal was simply to avenge Lin Qiuwan by tormenting Jian An, why bother using a marriage to bind him…?
Jian An leaned back against the seat. His eyes reflected a complex mix of emotionsāan unhideable, lingering affection intertwined with an inscrutable sense of irony and regret.
He suddenly began to regret his past actions. Ji Songting had once thrown a divorce agreement at him, giving him a choice, but he had been so blinded by love that he failed to cut his losses in time.
Soon, it would all be over.
He slowly closed his tired eyes to rest for a moment. Suddenly, he thought of Shen Yunheng.
The man probably didn’t know he had been taken away by the driver yet. Nor did he know the good news that Jian An could stand again.
Shen Yunheng would surely be the first to be happy for him.
This time, he had once again left without saying goodbye, causing Shen Yunheng worry after worry. This realization filled Jian An with a deep sense of guilt.
He knew all too well that he was no longer the radiant Jian An of three years ago. Now, he was nothing more than a broken vesselāinferior, desperate, and helpless.
He had lost the courage to love, and he didn’t dare to love again.
As he thought, Jian An suddenly felt flustered. An unspeakable sense of irritability and helplessness hovered over him.
He took a deep breath and looked at the driver in front. “Um… Xiao Wang, how much longer until we arrive?”
The person in the driver’s seat glanced at the navigation. “Mr. Jian, we’ll be at the villa in twenty minutes.”
“Mhm, alright.”
Jian An nodded slightly. He bit his lip, hesitating. His palms were sweating as he finally spoke.
“Could I borrow your phone for a moment? Mine is broken. I’ll give it back to you very quickly.”
“Ah, sure. Here you go, Mr. Jian.”
Xiao Wang unlocked the phone and handed it to the back.
“Thank you.”
Cradling the phone, Jian An immediately opened the messaging app. Relying on his somewhat fuzzy memory, he managed to input Shen Yunhengās number and sent a text:
[Yunheng, itās Xiao An. Iām so sorry for leaving so suddenly without a word. Please don’t be angry or worried. I’m on my way back to the Ji house. My legs can walk now; I believe you’ll be happy for me, right?]
[Oh, right. Iāll leave those two kittens in your care for now. Iāll come to see them when I have time. Please don’t reply; this isn’t my phone. Also, Iām fine. Once the divorce with Ji Songting is finalized, Iāll accompany you to Jiangnan.]
After sending the messages, he quickly deleted them and handed the phone back to Xiao Wang.
…
On the other side, Shen Yunheng, who had settled the stray kittens and was rushing back to the ward, caught a glimpse of a long hair on his shoulder.
Why is there a womanās hair on me?
Could it have gotten stuck when Zhou Manxiang was dragging me earlier?
He instinctively knit his brows. Just as he was about to brush it off, an idea suddenly popped into his head:
If he performed a DNA paternity test on Zhou Manxiang and Jian An, would he be able to find out their true relationship?
The womanās various atrocious behaviors toward her son made it very difficult for him to believe she was a real mother.
Shen Yunheng gently pinched the golden hair and removed it from his sweater. He then pulled out a tissue and wrapped the hair inside.
He remembered there should be a toothbrush Jian An had used in the ward; that would serve perfectly as a sample for the laboratory.
He took a step forward when his phone vibrated twice with a “ding-dong” notification.
He took out his phone and swiped to check the message. His expression shifted from confusion to gravity, and finally, his eyes showed a trace of pained anxiety.
The message said Jian An could stand up?!
How is that possible…?
Jian An hadn’t even been to a rehabilitation center. Just ten minutes ago, he was still in a wheelchair. How could he suddenly tell him he could walk after being out of sight for only a few minutes?
No matter how he thought about it, it didn’t make sense.
Shen Yunhengās pupils dilated in disbelief. He stared at the message from the unknown number, confirming it several times to make sure he hadn’t misread it.
Miracles like that didn’t just happen. Jian An must be lying to him to avoid going to the rehabilitation hospital!
Moreover, Jian An had only just woken up from a vegetative state. He hadn’t even had many IV drips. How could he just leave the hospital like that?
He was being far too reckless with his health!
At this thought, Shen Yunhengās grip on his phone tightened. He took a deep breath to suppress his irritation and worry, murmuring helplessly:
“That fool… how can he be so reckless…”
However, alongside his burning anxiety was a surge of joy brought by the word “divorce.”
Ever since Jian An told him in the ward that he intended to divorce Ji Songting and leave the Ji family, Shen Yunheng had been silently planning for it.
Once that man was completely untethered from the Ji family, he would openly pursue Jian An. He would take him away, driving south to find better hospitals for the craniotomy. They would live together in the spring of the South.
As long as Jian An said yes, he was willing to abandon his work in Yao City and leave. After all, the Shen Group had branches in the South that were more than enough to support the two of them.
At this moment, having the person he loved most in his plans for the future filled him with a sudden sense of happiness and fulfillment.
If the DNA test results showed that Zhou Manxiang wasn’t Jian Anās biological mother, would the youth be able to leave without any lingering attachments?
But given Jian Anās characterāhow much he valued family and affectionāhow would he feel? What would he choose?
He found it difficult to weigh the consequences of the truth.
Right now, he could only hope that Jian An would successfully divorce Ji Songting and leave the family unscathed before contacting him.
After all, hadn’t Ji Songting long grown tired of this marriage that held no value for him?
A divorce was for the best; it would be a win-win for everyone.
A look of intense joy appeared between Shen Yunhengās brows, and a smile unconsciously hooked the corners of his lips.
He had waited for three whole years, and finally, he had heard those words.
…
Xiao Wang gently pushed open the villa doors, watching Jian An enter the house before closing them again.
The air was tinged with a faint scent of tobacco, and the light filtering through the window felt inexplicably oppressive.
Jian Anās heart raced with nervousness. An unknown chill crept up his spine, and every step felt as if someone were carving into the flesh of his legs with a knife. It was excruciatingly painful.
Not far away, Ji Songting was leaning lazily against the sofa. A cigarette was held between his fingers, and the hazy white smoke drifted up, shrouding his handsome features. His tailored suit made him look even more cold and profound.
He held a glass of red wine, taking a light sip. Under the dim, moody lighting, half of his face was hidden in the shadows, making his expression impossible to read.
But from his deep, ink-black eyes, one could tell that at this moment, he was barely suppressing a surging rage and a thick murderous intent.
His gaze fell upon the phone screen on the coffee table. A trace of displeasure flashed in his eyes as he picked it up to look.
It was a screenshot sent by the driver.
As Ji Songting read the texts Jian An had sent to a certain numberāthe parts about “divorce” and “accompanying you to Jiangnan”āhis eyes shifted from indifference to a blood-red fury.
What does this man think he’s doing?!
He really has the gall!
“Young Master, Mr. Jian is back.”
The servant called out to him cautiously, then stood to the side with head bowed, not daring to look at the boss.
“Mhm, you may go.”
the man replied dismissively. He took a final, deep drag of the cigarette before crushing it out in the ashtray. He tossed the phone back onto the table.
The vast living room was now left with only the two of them.
Looking at the man, Jian Anās entire body gave an instinctive shudder. He didn’t dare take another step forward. The eyes that used to be full of deep devotion were now replaced by fear and panic.
He swallowed hard several times, forcing himself to remain calm as he spoke first to break the silence.
“Ji Songting, Iāve come back this time specifically to divorce you. Where is the divorce agreement? Bring it here. I’ll sign it. I’ll leave with nothing; I don’t want a single thing.”
The moment the words left his mouth, Ji Songtingās fingers tightened around the wine glass. He shattered the glass with brute force, the crisp sound echoing through the quiet living room.
The red liquid trailed down his fingertips and palms, reflecting a piercing light. It dripped onto the carpet, making it impossible to tell if it was blood or wine.
The sudden outburst startled Jian An, his sluggish mind failing to react in time.
But seeing that bloodied handāseeing the man injured before himāhe still couldn’t help but feel a pang of heartache. He stumbled forward, grabbing a tissue from the coffee table to wipe the manās hand, his voice carrying an unhideable trace of pity.
“What are you doing? Your hand…”
“Get lost!”
With a roar of rage, Ji Songting shoved him to the floor without mercy. He dismissively shook the liquid from the back of his hand, tugged at his tie, and stood up from the sofa.
He looked down at the fallen youth, his lips curled into a smirk that was both cruel and utterly cold.
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