Chapter 73: The Moment You Beg Me, My Heart Softens
Hearing these words, Chen Ma’s face was filled with uncontrollable shock. For a moment, she couldn’t believe this was coming from Jian An’s mouth. She stared wide-eyed for quite a while before reacting, saying:
“Mr. Jian, it would be best not to say such things in the future. It can easily bring unnecessary trouble.”
“Trouble? But isn’t this the truth? I’m just telling the truth, so what trouble is there to fear?”
Jian An spoke bluntly, a trace of anger in his expression, but more than that, it was utter disappointment.
His heart was dead; finally, he wouldn’t feel sad anymore.
Whatever Ji Songting did in the future, who he was with, whether they kissed or embraced, none of it had anything to do with him anymore.
It seemed that in a single moment, he had suddenly let go—not letting go of that man, but of himself, of all the past entanglements, and of his meaningless sacrifices.
What a pity, he only had himself to blame for not cutting his losses in time…
A voice suddenly echoed in his mind, telling him that he couldn’t continue to sit and wait for death. He had to leave the Ji family. Even though he had previously promised Ji Songting that he would be obedient and stay here forever, that was nothing more than a momentary plea for mercy.
He despised others using threats to force his compromise, forcing him to submit to them in a lowly manner. Such behavior was undoubtedly the tactic of a despicable villain, disgusting to the extreme.
Jian An sighed deeply. He didn’t want to recall the scenes from those years where he had compromised himself for Ji Songting; it was truly degrading to the point of having no bottom line.
Too foolish, he was truly too foolish, and too stupid. A sincere heart had traded for nothing in the end, only leaving him battered and exhausted, with a life that was running out of time.
Chen Ma’s mouth hung slightly open, her expression one of loss and extreme shock. She asked loudly:
“This isn’t right, this isn’t right at all! How did you suddenly come to your senses? You actually dare to criticize the Young Master? !”
“I guess I’ve just seen things clearly.”
These few short words were spoken very lightly by Jian An, as if the heavy burden that had weighed him down for ten years had finally been lifted. He would no longer be crushed until he was breathless, resulting in sleepless nights.
Perhaps it was because he was dying. It seemed everything had become unimportant, and he no longer cared.
He still smiled as gently as usual, only that smile inexplicably held a bit more freedom. He said softly, “I won’t be having dinner. I’m going downstairs first.”
Chen Ma stood dumbfounded in place, even pausing her action of folding her apron. Her eyes just stared unblinkingly at the figure enveloped in the hallway light ahead.
Jian An was wearing a white hoodie. The garment didn’t appear particularly large, yet on him, it fit so poorly, making his shoulders and legs look even thinner and frailer. It was like a grown child wearing an adult’s clothing, looking exceptionally comical.
The moment he arrived in the living room, Jian An found the spot closest to the telephone and sat on the sofa, feeling uneasy.
He wanted to call Shen Yunheng. His own phone had been ruined when he was in the swimming pool. Now, apart from the landline in the living room, he had no other way to contact anyone.
Looking at his empty surroundings, his heart pounded wildly. He continuously bit his pale, colorless lips, trying hard to suppress his inner nervousness and panic.
Ji Songting wasn’t in the villa, and he had conveniently closed the main door to the living room when he came in. No one would know.
After hesitating for a moment, he carefully picked up the receiver and gently dialed a phone number.
Listening to the ringing tone on the other end, his eyes revealed a look of anticipation mixed with fear. His hand trembled slightly, and he could only hold his breath, waiting quietly for the other party to answer.
…
Outside the Reproductive Medicine Department.
The hand Shen Yunheng used to hold the test results was shaking violently. A thin layer of sweat uncontrollably beaded on his forehead. His heart beat extremely fast, as if it were about to leap out of his chest.
And the conclusion of the test stated that Zhou Manxiang’s sample and the submitted sample did not have a biological parent-child relationship.
This meant that Jian An was actually not Zhou Manxiang’s biological son! The two of them were not mother and son!
Although this result was faintly within his expectations, taking another look at it still made him feel it was unbelievable.
But judging from Zhou Manxiang’s terrible attitude toward Jian An over the years, the fact that they weren’t biologically related didn’t seem too shocking anymore. It was just a pity that Jian An was still kept in the dark, continuing to boldly and devotedly honor his mother, loving others more than himself.
For that person, the result of the paternity test was too sorrowful and too unfair. If Jian An knew that his only family member held no familial affection for him whatsoever, what would happen? Would he break down from extreme grief…?
Shen Yunheng didn’t dare to continue thinking about it. He couldn’t bear to see Jian An become like that, and he was even more unwilling to see that person shed tears.
Suddenly, his phone’s ringtone sounded. His tense heartstrings were violently plucked. He snapped out of his daze and immediately took the phone out of his pocket.
The caller ID still showed an unknown number.
Shen Yunheng thought for a moment, then swiped to answer, speaking tentatively: “Hello?”
A voice that couldn’t be more familiar came from the other end of the line: “Yunheng, it’s me, Xiao An.”
His heart suddenly skipped a beat. A long-lost joy flooded his brows, and his fingers unconsciously gripped the test results tighter. Even his voice carried a trembling happiness:
“Xiao An?! Where are you? Why are you only contacting me now? I’ve been really worried about you.”
The other party was silent for a few seconds before speaking:
“Yunheng, I’m sorry to make you worry. I’m currently at the Ji family’s house, but I can’t get out. Please wait for me. I have a very important matter I need your help with.”
Jian An’s tone sounded extremely anxious, and it also carried a trace of nervous tension.
Shen Yunheng couldn’t help but worry. His brows, which had been furrowed ever since he came out of the department, had not relaxed. He said resolutely: “What is it? Tell me, I will definitely help you.”
“Yunheng, if I didn’t have you, I really wouldn’t know what to do…”
Jian An’s voice on the other end of the phone carried a faint nasal tone. His voice was clearly very soft, yet it revealed a strong emotion. He didn’t pause and continued:
“My mom is in Room 216 at the People’s Hospital. Ji Songting is using her to threaten me, refusing to let me divorce him. So, I hope you can take my mom away and find a place to settle her down. Then I can get out safely… I don’t know who else to look for. You’re the only one I could think of who can help me…”
Hearing this, Shen Yunheng chose to remain silent. His eyes were fixed tightly on the paternity test results in his hand. His lips moved a few times, but the words he wanted to say became incredibly difficult and hesitant, even somewhat at a loss.
This feeling caused an inexplicable pain to surge in his heart, as if something had been dug out.
Should he tell Jian An that Zhou Manxiang wasn’t his biological mother…? But based on his understanding of that person, even if he told him, Jian An wouldn’t just sit idly by and do nothing.
After all, even if she didn’t give birth to him, she had at least raised him.
“Yunheng? Are you listening? Why aren’t you saying anything?”
Jian An on the other end clearly sensed his hesitation. Although embarrassed, he still pleaded:
“I know this is very troublesome for you… but I don’t know who else to ask for help. I don’t want to be constantly controlled by Ji Songting using my weakness. Please, just help me this one last time.”
Shen Yunheng immediately reacted. Without any thought, he agreed without hesitation:
“I’m listening. Okay, I will definitely help you. You know that the moment you beg me, my heart softens.”
A light sigh came through the phone, followed by Jian An’s gentle voice, now laced with determination: “Thank you, Yunheng. I will come find you.”
Hearing this, Shen Yunheng first felt a wave of confusion, then his heart was occupied by a surging joy. Even his voice revealed irrepressible excitement:
“Okay, I’ll wait for you. Take good care of yourself!”
The other person had finally thought things through and was willing to leave with him!
He didn’t know what words to use to describe his feelings at this moment. It was probably a mix of extreme excitement and disbelief, as if he had spent a lifetime of luck just to earn that person’s phrase, “willing to come find him.”
It was as if he had stood by the cold river watching the moon for a very, very long time, and the dark clouds suddenly began to part. The moonlight finally shone upon him for a moment.
So many years of silent dedication seemed to be worth it.
Over the phone, Jian An spoke gravely: “Mhm, I have to hang up. I can’t keep talking. I’m afraid Ji Songting will find out.”
Shen Yunheng stopped him just in time: “Hey! Xiao An, wait a minute! There’s something I want to…”
“What is it? What’s wrong? Quickly!”
The words reached his lips once again, but Shen Yunheng remained hesitant, unable to speak them. The test results in his hand were nearly crumpled into a ball, while his internal struggle grew increasingly fierce.
In the end, he just took a deep breath and said:
“It’s nothing, it’s nothing. Wait until we meet, and then I’ll tell you in person. This matter is very important; it’s hard to explain clearly over the phone right now.”
Jian An didn’t press for details either. After a simple “Okay,” he hurriedly hung up the phone.
Shen Yunheng looked at the ended call on the screen and the dimming display, his expression darkening a few shades.
It was indeed better to tell him in person. On one hand, he could show him the paternity test results. On the other hand—and most importantly—this way, Jian An wouldn’t have to hide in a corner and suffer alone, and he would have the chance to comfort and console him.
He quickly folded the test results, stuffed them into his pocket, and turned to walk briskly toward Room 216.
Shen Yunheng pushed the door open. To his surprise, the room was empty. The quilt and belongings were neatly arranged, and only a cleaner was inside tidying up the ward.
Didn’t Jian An say Zhou Manxiang was here?
He took a step back and tilted his head slightly to look at the “216” room number hanging on the door, confirming he hadn’t gone to the wrong place.
But where did Zhou Manxiang go?
Shen Yunheng surveyed the situation inside but couldn’t spot any clues. He then walked into the ward and asked the cleaner:
“Auntie, excuse me, where is the patient from this ward? It was a woman; have you seen her?”
The cleaning auntie stopped her work, squinted to size up the tall man before her, then decisively shook her head and said: “Haven’t seen her. But the wards I clean usually don’t have anyone staying in them anymore. She must have been discharged.”
Translator’s Note: Hello again, dear readers! Finally, Shen Yunheng discovers the truth about Zhou Manxiang! Finding out they aren’t biologically related is a massive game-changer, though our poor Jian An still doesn’t know. The relief of Jian An finally deciding to leave the toxic Ji household is everything we’ve been waiting for, but of course, Ji Songting isn’t going to make it easy…
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