strictlysupreme Chapter 16 How dare a man who's been married three times say such things about me?
Chapter 16 How dare a man who's been married three times say such things about me?
Jiang Du was coaxed back to the old house by Hua Lan, and returned home feeling aggrieved.
Jiang Li followed her.
Jiang Hui watched his grandson's reluctant back and felt a pang of unease. He turned to Jiang Ci and asked, "Why does this kid like your wife so much?"
Jiang Ci calmly corrected, "Ex-wife."
"You got divorced again?!"
Jiang Hui slumped down on the sofa in front of the hospital bed, sinking into it completely.
His eyes were vacant as he muttered, "You're going to get married a third time?"
Jiang Ci frowned: "I've only been divorced once."
Jiang Hui felt as if he had been doused with cold water, and instantly sobered up. He remained silent, forgetting that his son had previously suffered from amnesia.
A silent atmosphere filled the air.
Jiang Ci lowered his eyes and asked softly, "Dad, do you know a place called Yunxiaxiang?"
The middle-aged man opposite her suddenly reddened his eyes. "Xiao Ci, you... remember?"
Jiang Ci's separation syndrome had long been a source of heartache for him. In his early years, he was only concerned with traveling around to various places to do business and make money, neglecting his children's growth. Although he didn't usually say it, he felt guilty and regretful whenever he thought about how his children had become cold and indifferent.
It unconsciously reminded him of Jiang Ci when he was a child, who would lie on his lap and softly call him "Dad" when he came home.
Jiang Ci didn't understand his father's excitement, but he knew in his heart that he must have been to that place.
"I dreamt that I had been there."
Jiang Hui's hopes were dashed. He turned away and rubbed his eyes, saying, "I'm getting old, and my eyesight isn't so good anymore."
He then offered a more obscure explanation.
When he turned back around, Jiang Hui wanted to take this opportunity to evoke his memories, so he slowly began to narrate.
That summer was one of the few times it was extremely hot.
The cicadas chirped incessantly, one after another.
At that time, Jiang Hui and Hua Lan had a falling out, and Jiang Li was still studying in another city, so Hua Lan took Xiao Jiang Ci out to relax.
Jiang Hui, who was out, didn't realize that his wife was still angry. He thought he would go back later and buy her some gifts to appease her, since he had indeed been busy with the company and neglected his wife.
Hua Lan brought five-year-old Jiang Ci to Yunxia Xiang, an ancient town with clear waters and blue skies.
Hua Lan bought an old house and planned to live there for a while.
Xiao Jiangci also enjoys traveling. He follows his mother around the small town, enjoying the scenery, taking boat trips, and having a great time.
However, Hualan rarely takes care of the child alone, so she inevitably neglects him sometimes.
It was at this moment that Xiao Jiangci ran away. Taking advantage of his mother's inattention, he left a note and then wandered off to various parts of the town.
Some parts of the town are inevitably dilapidated, and there are unavoidable blind spots for surveillance cameras.
As soon as Xiao Jiangci reached the corner, someone covered his mouth and nose and took him away.
Xiao Jiang was abducted.
When the Jiang family finally found Xiao Jiangci after a great ordeal, it was a year later. From then on, Xiao Jiangci became afraid of heat and cold, and even vomited whatever he ate.
When asked about his situation, Xiao Jiangci could only give fragmented answers.
After losing her son, Hua Lan suffered a severe emotional blow and couldn't sleep at night. After repeatedly failing to receive any news about her child, she even contemplated suicide.
Jiang Hui, who had already noticed that something was wrong with his wife, stopped her. The couple hugged each other and wept bitterly, each confessing their own mistakes.
Jiang Hui said it was his fault; he shouldn't have neglected his wife and children.
Hua Lan choked up and couldn't say a word. She didn't know how many times she had apologized.
The day Jiang Ci returned, a short boy escorted him back; the two boys were dressed in rags like beggars.
Before Xiao Jiang could wake up, the short man was about to leave. The Jiang family wanted to thank him and ask about the situation.
The short man only said that he had picked up Xiao Jiangci from the garbage dump, and that he could give her money as a thank you.
Seeing that she was in a hurry to leave, the Jiang family sent someone to collect cash as payment.
The short man took the money and left.
When Xiao Jiang returned, everything was in chaos. Hua Lan was so excited that she fainted, and Jiang Hui was too busy taking care of his wife and children to pay attention to the boy.
It was Old Master Jiang who sent someone to give the reward, inquired about the specific situation, and promised that if the dwarf ever encountered any difficulties in the future, he could contact the Jiang family.
However, no one ever made that call again.
When Xiao Jiangci woke up and couldn't find his older brother, he fell into a state of panic and withdrawal, squeaking and crying out because he felt insecure.
By this time, the Jiang family could no longer find the short boy.
Later, Xiao Jiang insisted on going to Yunxia Xiang, a place that Hua Lan and Jiang Hui found extremely distasteful and terrifying.
But in the end, he couldn't resist his son's insistence, so he took dozens of bodyguards and flew to that place with his son.
Xiao Jiangci refused to come back and stayed there for a full ten years.
Jiang Ci remained expressionless upon hearing this, but a thought struck him deeply. Ten years—a full ten years?!
Why can't he remember? He thought the missing memories were only about the woman who abandoned him, but now he's suddenly being told about his memories of more than twenty years, which are only vague.
How could this be?
He was abducted from that place, yet he still wanted to return. What exactly is in that place?
After Jiang Hui finished recounting the past, he seemed to have aged ten years, and the older he got, the more he missed the old days.
But whenever he thinks about this, his heart aches.
Jiang Ci's gaze fell on his father: "Don't think too much, I'm fine."
His father's eyes looked like he was about to hold his own funeral.
Jiang Hui turned his face away embarrassedly and muttered under his breath, "You brat."
Jiang Ci raised an eyebrow, pretending not to hear. He slowly moved his stiff arm and took his phone out from under the pillow, sending a text message to the other end.
— Thoroughly investigate my past in Yunxiaxiang.
The other end replied quickly – Okay, received.
"Rest now. You already have gray hair. If you don't sleep soon, Madam Hua will remarry because she dislikes you."
Jiang Ci looked at the dark sky outside and leaned back leisurely on the pillow.
Jiang Hui retorted irritably, "You, a man who's been married three times, have the nerve to talk to me like that!"
Jiang Ci: "..." How did I end up on my third marriage?!
However, Jiang Hui was indeed exhausted. He had stayed by the hospital for the past two days without leaving for a moment, and his heart had been constantly on edge. Now he finally felt completely worn out.
After seeing her father fall asleep, Jiang Ci began to review her dreams and memories.
She was abducted at the age of five.
He has amnesia from the age of six, and has always been with that dark-skinned boy.
She returned to the Jiang family at the age of seven, and then went back to Yunxiaxiang to look for someone.
He didn't want to leave afterward and stayed there until adulthood.
Connecting the timelines, he went to Yunxiaxiang to find that dark-skinned boy, the so-called 'boss'. He found him sometime later and they went to school together ever since.
When he was old enough to understand love, he fell in love with him.
In the pitch-black night, Jiang Ci couldn't help but sneer, a smirk playing on his lips. He could actually like a man?
What kind of international joke is this?
Slowly, Jiang Ci's lips curved down again; it seemed he had really fallen for that short boy.
Even in his dreams, his heart would still beat faster when he saw him.