Chapter 39: We Are Family

Jiang Zi’s impassioned outburst left everyone in silence. Even the chef busy with the barbecue and the servants attending to them furrowed their brows.

I was taken aback as well; I never expected Jiang Zi to say so much on my behalf. She used to be a brat, even more irritating to me than Jiang Yue—she not only had a sharp tongue but was never afraid to lash out at me physically. Yet, hearing her say all of this left me feeling dazed.

Amidst the silence, Dai Rong finally spoke up: "Jiang Zi, why on earth are you bringing him up? Didn't you used to hate him?"

Jiang Zi shrugged. "Yes, I did. But that was because I was siding with my sister. Because she hated him, I hated him too." She paused, then added, "And as I just said, I didn't know his situation back then. Mom, I hope you’ll take the time to understand what kind of person Chu Jianghe really was."

Dai Rong frowned. "What do you mean? Why are you suddenly interested in him? What’s wrong with you, Jiang Zi? Did Chu Jianghe force you to say this?"

Jiang Zi let out a cold laugh. "He’s dead. How could he force me?" She paused again before continuing, "If it weren't for the comics he drew for me, I would never have bothered to understand him."

She then turned to Jiang Jianbo and said solemnly, "Dad, Chu Jianghe was not as pathetic as you think. He was brilliant. He loved painting since he was a child and graduated top of his class at the Qingcheng Academy of Fine Arts."

"He had a bright future ahead of him, yet because he fell in love with my sister, he was willing to be the invisible man behind her. But my sister... she was truly heartless. If I were Chu Jianghe, I wouldn't have had the courage to go on living."

Jiang Jianbo remained silent, but Dai Rong chimed in, "Why are you saying all this? So what if he was talented? There are plenty of talented people in the world. Besides, wasn't this his own choice?"

Jiang Zi looked at her mother, rendered speechless by her callousness. Jiang Jianbo finally broke his silence: "Jiang Zi, are you done? Are we going to eat or not?"

"Eat it yourself!" Jiang Zi stood up abruptly and prepared to leave.

Jiang Yue rose immediately, calling after her, "Jiang Zi, can you stop being so willful? I know everything you’ve said, but he’s already dead. What do you want me to do?"

"Is it that hard to go to his grave, kneel, and apologize?"

Dai Rong was furious the moment she heard this. "Have you lost your mind, Jiang Zi? Asking your sister to kneel and apologize at that man's grave—what are you thinking?"

Indeed, Jiang Zi, your thoughts are far too simple. Jiang Yue would never kneel at my grave to apologize in this lifetime; even if she truly felt regret one day, such a thing would never happen.

Cheng Jun, who had been silent until now, finally spoke: "Jiang Zi, what you said really moved me. These past years, your sister was truly lucky to have Chu Jianghe by her side. I feel ashamed, too; I had hoped to find him and have a real talk, maybe even become friends. But... for him to meet such an accident, it's truly heartbreaking."

He sighed with performative sorrow and continued, "I know that my leaving without a word back then was unfair to your sister. But I truly hope that from now on, I can do my absolute best to make it up to her, to you, and to your parents."

As he spoke, Cheng Jun seemed moved by his own words, his eyes turning red.

Jiang Yue looked at Jiang Zi with deep disappointment. "Jiang Zi, I know you feel guilty because of what Chu Jianghe did for you. But none of us wanted things to turn out this way. I told him long ago that I didn't love him; it was his choice to do those things."

"To put it bluntly, if it weren't for those comics, would you have even bothered to get to know him?"

Upon hearing this, Jiang Zi’s expression turned sour, as if she had just bitten into something foul. She fell silent, unable to utter another word.

Jiang Yue continued, "I understand how you feel—you’re just feeling guilty. But you must not harbor such thoughts. Isn't it wonderful that we are all sitting here together as a family? Why bring up a dead man and ruin everyone’s mood?"

Jiang Zi looked at Jiang Yue with cold eyes—the first time I had ever seen her look at the sister she once idolized with such detachment. Perhaps, in this moment, she finally realized what a pathetic figure I was.

But what did it matter? Even if they all regretted it now, I could never come back to life.

Jiang Zi shot one last cold glare at Cheng Jun, turned, and walked away.

Dai Rong shouted at her retreating figure: "Jiang Zi! What kind of attitude is that? Get back here!"

"Enough," Jiang Jianbo interjected. "Jiang Zi isn't wrong. Which one of us ever really understood Chu Jianghe? From the very beginning, when he came into our home, we never once looked at him with genuine respect."

"Yet, I saw how he treated us. I was too busy with work and didn't pay him much mind." Jiang Jianbo sighed softly, then looked at Jiang Yue. "Yue-yue, I know you didn't love him, and feelings cannot be forced. But regardless, you were married for so many years. Now that he has passed, we should see things through to a decent end."

Hearing Jiang Jianbo’s words, I felt a bitter sting in my chest. I couldn't say I hated him—as he said himself, his attention toward me was practically zero. We rarely even had the chance to meet, let alone interact.

After Jiang Jianbo finished, Cheng Jun spoke up with feigned grievance: "Uncle, I know this is all my fault. If I hadn't left without a word seven years ago, none of this would have happened. Although I never met Chu Jianghe, hearing you all talk about him, I believe he must have been a truly decent man."

He paused, looked toward the direction where Jiang Zi had left, and said in a low voice, "If I hadn't come here today, Jiang Zi wouldn't have left. I think I should go. After all, this is your family dinner. I'll go bring Jiang Zi back."

After hearing Cheng Jun’s hypocritical words, Jiang Yue could no longer suppress the anger in her heart.

"Brother Jun, don't go anywhere. From this moment on, I will announce to the world that you are my boyfriend, and that we are a family."

Jiang Jianbo and Dai Rong were both left stunned.