Chapter 113#
The Report#
Jiang Yunhan paused, the moisture in his eyes clumping his thick, long lashes together, the corners of his eyes flushed a faint red.
He choked up slightly: “The truth of everything—Dad never forced Jian Xin, let alone imprisoned her… Xiao Chen, you can’t blame Dad for the pain you’ve suffered all these years. You should blame Jian Xin and Jian Jinbao! All these years, Dad didn’t even know you existed. If he had known—”
Jian Yunchen abruptly yanked his hand back, his gaze sinking as if covered in a layer of ice.
“If he had known, I wouldn’t have been born at all.”
Jiang Yunhan opened his mouth, but found himself speechless.
“The truth?” Jian Yunchen sneered. “The so-called truth you want is simply that to Jiang Sheng, whether it’s you or me, we are nothing more than tools. Between tools, there is only the difference of being handy or unhandy, useful or useless.”
“Don’t you feel pain, sadness, and anger at being used? Then what are you doing right now?”
Being questioned like this, Jiang Yunhan’s eyes turned completely red, and tears rolled down from his eyes. His voice trembled as he sobbed:
“But that’s my dad!”
“Xiao Chen, you can choose not to acknowledge him, you can hate him and resent him, but I can’t. Perhaps in your eyes, he is just a cold businessman who values profit and is selfish. You believe he abandoned you, which led to the life you lived, so your resentment and hatred have a foundation.”
“But I don’t have that. Xiao Chen, he is my father; he is the person I am closest to and trust the most.”
Jiang Yunhan’s tears continued to fall, his expression pained. Faced with the choice between his father and his brother, he couldn’t choose an answer. He lowered his head and tightened his grip on Jian Yunchen’s hand again.
“Xiao Chen, I know we owe you. You feel wronged in your heart, and it’s only right that you want to vent your anger. I will talk to Dad. As long as he gets out, everything from the past will be wiped clean. Everything you want will be yours.”
Jian Yunchen’s heart stirred slightly.
Listening to the weakness in Jiang Yunhan’s tone, the competitive spirit he originally held collapsed in an instant, leaving only an empty heart that throbbed with pain.
He slowly withdrew his hand.
Jiang Yunhan looked up at him, like a criminal waiting for a verdict.
“I don’t have it,” Jian Yunchen said softly, his eyes downcast.
Jiang Yunhan’s eyes slowly widened as he looked at him in confusion.
“That real report isn’t in my hands. Back then, I saw that report by accident and learned the whole truth. Later, after Jian Xin was taken away by Jiang Sheng, that report disappeared as well. I made a fake one based on my memory.”
“The real one isn’t with me.”
The light in Jiang Yunhan’s eyes gradually dimmed, covered by a watery glaze that turned grey and hopeless.
He muttered to himself, staring intently at Jian Yunchen, unwilling to miss a single inch of his expression, still refusing to believe: “How is that possible… It’s really not in your hands? Then who has it?”
Jian Yunchen shook his head: “I don’t know. Maybe Jian Xin burned it, or maybe she took it with her. After she left, I searched many times but never found it.”
“Then find Jian Xin—”
“She is currently under the supervision and protection of the relevant authorities. We can’t get in contact with her at all.”
“And even if you could reach her, she wouldn’t remember. It’s been too long, and her mind is in a state of confusion. She doesn’t even remember who Jiang Sheng is, so how could she possibly remember where such a report is?”
A look of painful despair appeared on Jiang Yunhan’s face: “Is there really no other way?”
Jian Yunchen fell silent.
He was telling the truth; the report was indeed not in his hands.
Even if it really were in his hands, he didn’t know if he would actually hand it over.
Jiang Yunhan’s eyes were so heartbroken, as if he had placed all his hope on him.
So how was he supposed to say where his hatred for Jiang Sheng truly originated?
Before leaving, Jiang Yunhan looked up at him tremulously for a long while.
Suddenly, he asked: “The things Qin Mu did… were you involved?”
Jian Yunchen couldn’t help but frown: “What things? What would I be involved in?”
Jiang Yunhan looked at Jian Yunchen’s expression seriously for a while, then gently shook his head. He didn’t stay much longer and left with red-rimmed eyes.
It wasn’t until he had seen the person off that the string that had been pulled tight in Jian Yunchen’s heart finally relaxed.
The atmosphere in the office was dull and oppressive, so quiet it felt uncomfortable. Jian Yunchen gazed at the door that hadn’t been closed in time, his mind wandering slightly.
After a long while, the door was pulled open, and Jian Yunchen walked out from inside.
Outside the door, the crowd saw the two brothers coming out one after the other and immediately imagined a grand battle for power. Everyone was gossiping that now that Jiang Sheng’s mask had fallen, the ultimate winner was still Jian Yunchen.
As Jian Yunchen walked, those vague murmurs reached his ears. He frowned slightly and swept a cold, measured gaze across the crowd.
Though he was young, his position was very real. Not only that, in the short time since joining the company, he had already achieved significant results. Whether Jiang Sheng could get out was uncertain, but it was common knowledge that he was Jiang Sheng’s son. Bosses might change, but the company’s name was still Jiang.
And so, with just one cold glance, the people who were still gossiping shut their mouths completely and lowered their heads, appearing busy.
Jian Yunchen didn’t say anything more and walked straight into the elevator.
After finally making it out of the company, just as he pushed open the main doors, he saw an unexpected person.
His footsteps paused for a moment before he walked toward the other party.
Jian Yunchen generally didn’t have the habit of leaving work early. Qin Mu estimated that he would have to wait until after six o’clock to hear the sound of the door opening.
To his surprise, before five o’clock, there was a sound from the front door, followed immediately by footsteps.
At that moment, Qin Mu was curled up in bed sleeping. The sound made him open his eyes. He let out a yawn and casually ruffled his hair.
He sat up, looking toward the door, and called out in a dragging voice: “Jian Yunchen—”
The next second, an unusual sound came from the living room. Before Qin Mu could even begin to feel suspicious, the bedroom door was pushed open heavily.
Immediately after, a small figure rushed straight toward him and hugged his calf hanging off the edge of the bed.
Jian Yunchen followed close behind. He hadn’t expected the other person to be so fast; the moment she heard Qin Mu’s voice, she accurately locked onto the location and ran over.
Qin Mu looked down at Qin Zhao hugging his calf, stunned for a moment, then looked up at Jian Yunchen.
Qin Zhao had already started crying, refusing to let go of Qin Mu’s leg. Just like in Qin Mu’s memory, her nose and eyes were running at the same time, her small face crumpled into a ball, looking quite pitiful.
Qin Mu grabbed Qin Zhao by the back of her clothes and lifted her up. The edge of his bathrobe had been used as a face towel by her and was soaked through.
Qin Mu frowned with a hint of disgust and held her a bit further away.
Being shunned, Qin Zhao cried even more sorrowfully, her tears falling as if they cost nothing.
Qin Mu let out a soft “tsk.”
“What are you crying for? I’m not dead.”