Chapter 43: Chapter 43: Even If You Don’t Think About Yourself, You Have to Think About the Children

After finishing the bowl of sweet soup, Jiang Sifan made a point of walking over to Wen Wan’s window. "That sweet soup was delicious," he said. "Thank you, Wen Wan."

Wen Wan’s face flushed instantly. She smiled shyly and said, "That’s good..."

"I’m heading back now," Jiang Sifan asked. "What about you? How much longer do you have to work?"

Wen Wan quickly explained, "I... I’ll be heading back to the dorm soon, too."

"Okay, well, be careful on your way back to the dorm. Stay safe," Jiang Sifan said with a smile.

Wen Wan nodded.

Then, as she watched Jiang Sifan leave, a shy blush once again crept onto her face.

In the two-plus months she had been at university, this was the first time she had felt genuine concern from someone without an ulterior motive.

And why did she feel it was without an ulterior motive?

Because lately, there had always been boys trying to get her contact information, deliberately trying to get close to her.

But Wen Wan had politely turned them all down.

She didn’t dare to get into a relationship; she just wanted to focus on working more part-time jobs and studying hard to cover her living expenses and help support her family.

Besides, she wasn’t confident enough and always felt she couldn’t compare to the other girls.

These two times Jiang Sifan had shown her concern, Wen Wan sensed that he was different from other boys.

...

Meanwhile, on Lu Fan’s end, his company had to hold an emergency shareholders’ meeting.

Although he had plenty of trusted aides at the head office to assist him, as the chairman of the entire group, he still had to make an appearance at a meeting like this.

He could be a hands-off boss on normal days, but on important occasions, he had to be there to take charge.

So, that evening, he didn’t go to Yangcheng as he usually did.

Jiang Yixia, for her part, was tending to her flower shop.

As night fell, she noticed that the annoying figure was still absent from the pastry shop across the street and muttered under her breath, "Finally, a day without seeing that annoying guy."

She had every reason to believe that, given Lu Fan’s tendency for short-lived enthusiasm, he had probably given up already.

The thought that he was probably in his big house with a woman on each arm made a fire of anger inexplicably ignite in Jiang Yixia’s heart.

’Don’t even think I’ll ever forgive you in this lifetime! Hmph!’

Women are like that sometimes.

They overthink and over-imagine until it suddenly turns into a whole dramatic TV series in their heads.

Just as she was muttering under her breath, Sister Li from the dry-cleaning shop came over.

"Sister Xia, have you eaten yet?" Sister Li asked with a smile.

Jiang Yixia nodded and smiled. "It’s so late already. If I hadn’t eaten by now, would you think I was made of iron, Sister Li?"

"I was just worried you were too busy and forgot. I even brought you some mung bean cakes, just in case you were hungry," Sister Li replied.

Upon hearing this, Jiang Yixia responded, "Sister Li, you’re too good to me."

"Of course! If I’m not good to you, who is?" Sister Li said with a laugh.

Then, she asked probingly, "Hey, that’s strange. Your ex-husband doesn’t seem to have come today."

"Whether he comes or not is none of my business." The moment Sister Li brought him up, Jiang Yixia felt a pang of annoyance.

Sister Li tried to persuade her, "Oh, come on, Sister Xia. I’m telling you, don’t be so stubborn. It’s not easy to find a man who’s handsome and rich these days. Even though he wronged you in the past, hasn’t he changed his ways now?"

"Whether he’s changed or not, I will never forgive him." Jiang Yixia then retorted, "Sister Li, what did he give you? Why are you always speaking up for him?"

"Nothing, nothing at all." Sister Li quickly shook her head with an awkward smile.

But she eventually told the truth. "It’s not really a big deal. He just brings the clothes from his factory to my shop for dry-cleaning. But Sister Xia, I swear to you, my trying to get you two to reconcile has absolutely nothing to do with the business he gives me. I genuinely feel that he loves you, and that you still have a soft spot for him..."

Before she could finish, Jiang Yixia cut her off. "I’ve completely given up on him, Sister Li. You don’t need to say any more."

"Sister Xia, you might be able to fool others with that line, but you can’t fool me," Sister Li said with a chuckle. "You know, in my time, I’ve seen my fair share of people and learned to read them."

Jiang Yixia didn’t want to talk to her anymore. She just wanted to arrange her flowers in peace.

Seeing this, Sister Li deliberately said, "Even if you don’t think about it for your own sake, you should think about it for your children. Although both kids are outstanding and got into prestigious universities, compared to others, their starting point in life is a bit lower. But if they had their father’s help right now, wouldn’t that be like giving wings to a tiger?"

This sentence truly struck a chord with Jiang Yixia.

And Sister Li could tell that although Jiang Yixia didn’t say anything, she was inwardly wavering.

However, these were things Jiang Yixia had to figure out for herself.

Sister Li only offered those few words before leaving.

After Sister Li left, Jiang Yixia was lost in thought.

Just then, her phone rang. It was Jiang Silu.

Snapping out of her reverie, Jiang Yixia answered the call.

"Hello, Mom~"

Jiang Silu was a good daughter, calling her mother every two days.

They would chat about her studies and her life.

Of course, Jiang Sifan would also call home.

But being a boy, he tended to call a little less often.

They discussed most things in the family group chat.

Jiang Silu was the first to ask, "How was business today, Mom?"

Jiang Yixia smiled, gratified. "Business was pretty good today. Someone ordered a bouquet of 99 red roses through a delivery app."

"Wow, that many roses? It must have been for a proposal or a love confession," Jiang Silu replied.

Speaking of which, Jiang Yixia’s gossipy side came out. "Oh, right, I heard you say your brother is dating someone. What about you? Are you seeing anyone?"

"Definitely not," Jiang Silu said earnestly. "Mom, I’m not going to date. I’m not going to be like my brother. I need to focus on my studies."

Jiang Yixia laughed. "It’s okay, really. If you meet a boy who treats you well and likes you, there’s nothing wrong with dating him. Even if it doesn’t work out in the end, it will still be a wonderful experience."

"No way. I’m going to be discerning and find a boy who I’m truly happy with, one who makes my heart skip a beat. If I can’t find one, that’s fine. After I graduate, I’ll just stay by your side and keep you company, Mom," Jiang Silu said with a giggle.

"Silly child, you’ll have to get married sooner or later. How could you stay with me forever?" Jiang Yixia replied.

Hearing this, Jiang Silu sounded a little crestfallen.

She asked cautiously, "Then, Mom... will you find someone else to spend the rest of your life with?"

As soon as the words were out, Jiang Yixia faltered on the other end of the line.

After a moment’s hesitation, she replied, "Mom doesn’t know either..."

"Mom, I forgot to tell you. He came to see me again."

"Why did he come to see you?" Jiang Yixia asked, suddenly tense.

"He knew my brother is studying finance and would need a computer, so he bought one for him. But my brother didn’t accept it, so he gave the box to me and asked me to keep it safe and give it to him when the time is right..." Jiang Silu explained.

After hearing this, Jiang Yixia finally replied, "If he gave it to you, then just accept it."

"Mm... but don’t worry, Mom. I haven’t forgiven him, and I didn’t say much to him," Jiang Silu immediately clarified her stance.

"It’s okay, my child. You can forgive him. He is your biological father, after all."

"I won’t. As long as you don’t forgive him, Mom, I won’t forgive him either."

...

After hanging up the phone, Jiang Yixia was once again lost in thought.

She began to recall what Sister Li had just said.

’Even if you don’t think about it for your own sake, you should think about it for your children...’