Chapter 108

Chapter 108: Have You Developed Real Feelings for Tang? At the Jiang family's old residence. The television screen in the first-floor living room was broadcasting current affairs news. "This afternoon, a serious traffic accident occurred in Yunhe County. We now connect with our reporter on the scene for details." "Good afternoon, viewers. It is now 4:15 PM. I am currently on the provincial road in Yunhe County. At 3:40 PM this afternoon, a citizen reported a serious traffic accident on this stretch of road. As you can see, a car crashed into the guardrail on the right side of the road, causing severe damage to the vehicle. The driver inside was seriously injured and unconscious, and has now been rushed to the hospital for treatment." "Additionally, you can see that the guardrail on the left side at the rear of the road has also been damaged by a vehicle. From the marks, it appears that a vehicle crashed through the guardrail and fell off the cliff. Rescue teams are currently conducting emergency operations..." Elder Jiang frowned deeply, staring intently at the television screen without blinking. "Grandfather, why are you back?" Jiang Shixu entered, casually tossing his car keys onto the table. Elder Jiang turned his head, his sharp gaze sweeping over. "This traffic accident isn't that simple, is it? Was it Fu Yuanzhou?" Jiang Shixu rubbed his temples wearily and sat down by the sofa. "Mm." Elder Jiang asked again, "I heard Ruan Shaodong fell from a building by accident?" Jiang Shixu gave a low "Mm" in response. Elder Jiang's brows knitted tightly as he stared at the news on the television, lost in thought. The atmosphere was somewhat strange. A servant brought over steaming hot tea, and Jiang Shixu picked up the cup and took a light sip. "Shixu, you need to break up with that girl from the Ruan family." Jiang Shixu gently set down the teacup, a shadow of gloom clouding his pitch-black eyes. He remained silent, offering no response. Elder Jiang let out a sigh and said in a deep voice, "Your struggle with Fu Yuanzhou shouldn't drag the Ruan family into it. Since he can't touch you, he'll only go after the Ruan girl." "Mm." Jiang Shixu responded absentmindedly. Elder Jiang spoke earnestly, "You and the Ruan girl only have a verbal engagement. Fortunately, there's no formal betrothal yet, so it won't be that hard to let go. A breakup is all it takes to draw a clear line. Give the Ruan family more compensation, and go apologize in person another day. I'm sure their family will understand." Not that hard to let go? Jiang Shixu suddenly laughed, but the smile didn't reach his eyes. His voice was very soft, filled with a sense of fragmentation. "How could I ever let go." The old man was momentarily stunned, then cast a probing gaze over. "Have you developed real feelings for Tang?" Elder Jiang wasn't aware of Jiang Shixu's feelings for Chu Tang. He only assumed this was an ordinary marriage of convenience between business and politics. Jiang Shixu's chest felt suffocatingly tight. He lowered his lashes and said nothing. The old man saw through his thoughts and let out a long sigh. "A true romantic, aren't you. You're very different from your father—you have a bit of my shadow from back in the day." The old man shifted his tone. "But... even if you can't bear to let go, you must. You know what Fu Yuanzhou is like. Over the years in Country A, he built his foundation through the most powerful mafia godfather in California. He has weapons and armed forces at his disposal. When he goes crazy, there's nothing he won't do. If the Ruan girl keeps following you, to put it bluntly, she might even lose her life. You don't want that outcome, do you?" "Ruan Shaodong got lucky this time—he was saved. If he hadn't woken up, do you think the Ruan girl could ever forgive you or the Jiang family? That car accident this afternoon was Fu Yuanzhou's greeting gift to you. Shixu, if you love her, you need to protect her. You can't let her court death because of you." Jiang Shixu's eyes reddened at the corners, bitterness welling in his heart. He opened his mouth to argue, but the moment he thought of that terrifying moment on the road this afternoon—the bullet grazing past Chu Tang's head, her nearly being shot in the head right before his eyes—the words stuck in his throat and wouldn't come out. Jiang Shixu was silent for a long time. The old man patiently advised, "Ruan Shaodong is a legitimate businessman who's never experienced this kind of violence. Even if you assign bodyguards, they can't protect them every second. You've seen it too—in this contest between you and Fu Yuanzhou, the first to be hurt is the Ruan family." Jiang Shixu's deep, dark eyes were as still as an unfathomable abyss. His Adam's apple bobbed, and the corners of his eyes were flushed red. "Grandfather, are you sure Fu Yuanzhou will believe it if I break up with Chu Tang?" "So you have to make it real—you can't just pretend to break up. That Ruan girl is simple-minded and can't act. If you tell her it's a fake breakup, she'll definitely slip up. Shixu, be ruthless. Cut it off cleanly." Pain surfaced in Jiang Shixu's eyes. "I once promised her I would never do anything to hurt her." "This isn't hurting her—it's protecting her." "Grandfather, Fu Yuanzhou targeted the Ruan family because he saw that Chu Tang is my weakness. I don't think he'll believe I've cut ties with her just because I break up with her." The old man shook his head. "No, he will believe it. With your status as the young master of the Jiang family and the sole heir to the Jiang Group, he will believe that you are not a devoted and faithful man. Someone of your background should naturally be romantic and fickle." Jiang Shixu gave a bitter smile. "Grandfather, give me some time. Let me think it over." The old man patted Jiang Shixu on the shoulder and said earnestly, "Shixu, I can wait, but the Ruan family cannot." Jiang Shixu closed his eyes, his chest heaving as if he were desperately suppressing something. "Ah, if you truly like the Ruan girl..." the old man said patiently, "once the matter with Fu Yuanzhou is settled, can't you just win her back?" Jiang Shixu's voice was slightly hoarse, his eyes filled with bewilderment, his entire demeanor dazed. It was the first time the old man had ever seen such an expression on his face. "What if by then she no longer wants to be with me?" The old man didn't know how to answer. He understood Jiang Shixu's feelings, but he couldn't promise him anything either. The human heart changes in an instant—who could say for certain? Besides, this time it was Jiang Shixu who proposed the breakup; the Ruan girl had no reason to wait in place. He also needed Shixu to be ruthless—only then would the Ruan girl give up completely, and only then would Fu Yuanzhou be deceived. But if Shixu went too far and broke the Ruan girl's heart, why would the young lady ever reconcile with him? It was an unsolvable dilemma. The old man thought for a moment and said in a deep voice, "Shixu, if you don't want a real breakup, then tell her the truth and have her play along with you. Of course, that's on the condition that you can guarantee she'll act the part well, without letting any slip that could be exposed by others, or getting hurt and endangering her family." Jiang Shixu: "..." That wouldn't work. Tangtang couldn't hide anything in her heart. If she hadn't completely given up, every time she saw him, her eyes would betray her, and someone would surely notice. "Think it over carefully yourself." The old man stood up. "I applied to return to Jiangcheng this time precisely to call off the engagement with the Ruan family. Think it through and give me your answer tomorrow. Tomorrow evening, I'll go to the hospital with you to apologize to Ruan Shaodong." Jiang Shixu lowered his eyes and said nothing, a layer of melancholy and sorrow shrouding him. Knowing that he needed some time alone to calm down, Elder Jiang said no more and turned to go upstairs. The hall was cold and desolate, doors and windows tightly shut, not even a breath of wind able to seep in. The air was so stifling it was hard to breathe. Jiang Shixu tugged at his collar, a dense, piercing ache spreading through his heart. Winter sunlight streamed through the glass window, casting a figure's shadow on the polished floor. Lonely and desolate.