Chapter 177 Sarcastic and Uncomfortable

Chapter 177 Sarcastic and Uncomfortable

Jiang's mother said coldly, "I reminded you before to take better care of Xiaoyuan! You know she's sensitive and prone to overthinking, yet you still dared to throw a tantrum at this time, abandoning her and running off abroad. Otherwise, would all these things have happened to her?"

Si Yuan stood in the shadows upstairs, her fingertips tightening slightly.

Regardless of the circumstances, the Jiang family has always been sincere towards her, especially Jiang's mother.

Jiang's mother couldn't help but criticize him a couple more times, and Jiang Wang then said in a low voice, "She just fell asleep, so please keep your voice down if you're going to scold me."

Jiang's mother, exhausted from scolding, sat down on the sofa and sighed, "None of you siblings give me any peace of mind! If Si Yuan's parents were still alive, how disappointed they would be in us if they knew about this? How guilty your grandmother would feel? She already harbors resentment because she didn't adopt Si Yuan back then!"

Si Yuan was taken aback.

Adopt yourself?

She always thought that the Song family was the only family that had considered adopting her.

But what about Jiang's mother... Could it be that before the Song family, the Jiang family had also considered adopting her?

Si Yuan held her breath, feeling as if something had gently tapped her chest.

Adoption? The Jiang family?

In her memory, the long period after her parents passed away was always blurry.

It wasn't until I met Song Yan that things became clearer.

Just then, footsteps came closer downstairs.

Jiang's mother's voice came from across the stairs: "I'm going upstairs to see Xiaoyuan."

Si Yuan's heart tightened, and she subconsciously took a step back, hiding in the shadows of the corridor.

Jiang's mother had already pushed open the door.

Under the warm yellow light of the bedside lamp, Si Yuan lay quietly on the bed, breathing evenly.

Jiang's mother approached gently, her gaze sweeping over Jiang's face inch by inch, her eyes filled with unconcealed heartache, her brows furrowed tightly.

She tucked the blanket around Si Yuan and glared at Jiang Wang, who was following behind her.

That look seemed to say—look what you've done.

Jiang Wang lowered his eyes and remained silent.

He knew that Si Yuan was awake.

——

In the office shrouded in night, Lin Shuangyu leaned against the window, holding a slender cigarette in his hand, but did not light it.

She turned her head and looked at Song Yan, suddenly remembering this time last year.

It would be a lie to say I was never tempted.

Moreover, Song Yan excels in everything and is among the top in the elite young men's circle in Haicheng.

Lin Shuangyu's voice was slightly hoarse, yet tender: "My birthday is in a few days. Right now... no one knows I'm alive except you. Can you spend my birthday with me?"

Song Yan tidied up the documents on the table without looking up: "No time."

Lin Shuangyu's eyes widened in surprise.

A soft laugh suddenly came from the doorway.

Ji Song pushed open the door and casually draped his coat over the sofa: "I have time, I can spend the anniversary of your death with you."

Lin Shuangyu looked away and scoffed, "Are you sick?"

Ji Song didn't want Lin Shuangyu to have a good time; he felt disgusted just looking at the scars on her neck.

He raised an eyebrow and turned to Song Yan: "What are you busy with at this time? Aren't you busy kicking Jiang Wang when he's down?"

Song Yan raised his eyes, his expression indifferent: "I'm going to the South City."

Ji Song was taken aback, then smiled thoughtfully, his eyes slightly deep: "Nancheng... the place Si Yuan is going to too."

Lin Shuangyu paused, as if he didn't understand, or as if something had been touched on a nerve. His voice suddenly turned cold: "You didn't celebrate my birthday with me, just to be with Si Yuan?"

Ji Song lowered his eyes and chuckled, but the smile was chilling: "Song Yan, are you planning to back out?"

Song Yan raised his eyes, his expression as calm as a still pond: "Is it not allowed?"

He never intended to truly collude with them.

It seems that Si Yuan still has a place for him in her heart, so he can't leave himself no room for maneuver.

He possesses the secret of wish fulfillment.

The child is still alive.

Si Yuan will not completely sever ties with him.

Song Yan put the last document into his briefcase, stood up, and moved swiftly.

As he reached the door, he turned back, his gaze filled with pity, and then casually uttered a sentence—

"You two, a fugitive and an illegitimate child, are left here to me. I hope you like it and that we can cooperate well."

After he finished speaking, the door closed gently behind him, leaving a moment of silence.

Lin Shuangyu stood there, his brows furrowed, and after a long while, he whispered, "What does he mean by this?"

Ji Song stubbed out his cigarette in the ashtray with a ruthless motion, his eyes filled with gloom: "What I mean is—this guy never intended to cooperate with us properly; he's been playing us from the very beginning."

Lin Shuangyu's expression changed, and he couldn't believe it.

"So, all that effort we put in was to push Si Yuan to Song Yan's side?"

Ji Song leaned against the wall, also finding it laughable.

Although he had said at the beginning of his cooperation with Song Yan that Song Yan wanted Si Yuan while he only wanted Jiang Wang, it would be a loss for him.

But this doesn't mean he will really let go of Si Yuan.

Why should Song Yan reap the benefits without lifting a finger?

His gaze slowly fell on Lin Shuangyu.

This is a chess piece he managed to salvage with great difficulty, but it hasn't really been put to use yet.

Ji Song has never believed in the "choose one of two" rule—he has always believed in "wanting both".

"Since Song Yan wants to play, then we'll play along with him to the very end."

His voice was deep and had a sinister undertone.

Lin Shuangyu raised his eyes, a hint of uncertainty flashing in them: "What do you want to do?"

"That depends on you."

Ji Song sneered, then coaxed, "Isn't Si Yuan going to Nancheng? Then we'll go too. The rest is up to you how you stir things up."

——

The Jiang family.

Jiang Wang was helping Si Yuan tidy up her things when he heard Si Yuan's phone ring on the table.

My gaze involuntarily fell on the screen of Siyuan.

It looks like a flight information message.

Before he could even see clearly, Si Yuan had already reached out and snatched the phone away.

Jiang Wang's fingertips tightened slightly.

"What is that?" He paused, suppressing his unease, and tried to make his tone sound casual: "It looks like flight information."

"Spam text messages."

Si Yuan said calmly, placing her phone face down on the table.

Jiang Wang couldn't tell whether Si Yuan was telling the truth or lying, but he felt a sudden sense of unease for no reason.

For the first time, he felt futile and unable to control the situation, as if the ice beneath his feet could shatter at any moment, but he was helpless.

After a long pause, Jiang Wang whispered, "Si Yuan, if you want to go anywhere, you must tell me."

Si Yuan nodded, asking casually, "Have you been less busy lately?"

It was just a simple question from Si Yuan, a casual remark, yet it felt like a needle pricking Jiang Wang's heart.

He subconsciously felt that Si Yuan was blaming him.

She blamed him for not being there when she needed him most, for missing her most helpless moment.

He was in great pain and felt guilty because his child was gone.

He didn't want Si Yuan to speak to him in such a distant tone, and he didn't want her to hide all her emotions.

Especially like this... in a sarcastic and unsettling way.

“I’m not busy.” His voice was a little hoarse. “From now on, I’ll go wherever you go, but can you tell me if anything happens? If we communicate properly, maybe things like what happened before won’t happen.”