Jiang Ruo’s expression changed dramatically. “W-why? Dad, are you still against me and my brother?”
Jiang Huai nodded. “Yes, I am. I oppose you being with him. You can be with anyone, but not A’Zhou.”
Jiang Ruo’s mind turned blank. “Why? Is it because of my illness?”
Jiang Huai shook his head. “It’s not because of your illness. It’s because… A’Zhou is your biological brother.”
“…” Jiang Ruo was stunned.
How… how could it be?!
She suddenly recalled how her mother had looked at her strangely the night before, how she had insisted on cutting her nails and then taken the clipped nails away. Could it be that Mom intended to do a paternity test with those nails?
“Dad, you’re lying to me, aren’t you?” Jiang Ruo looked at Jiang Huai, her voice trembling.
But Jiang Huai shook his head, shattering her last hope, “I’m not lying. You are indeed my biological daughter.”
Jiang Ruo stubbornly shook her head. “That can’t be true. We have done a paternity test before and I’m certainly not Mom’s biological daughter. You’re lying to me, right?” She had once wished fervently that she was her parents’ biological daughter, often lamenting the fate’s unfairness. But now… now…
If she really were his parents’ biological daughter, then what would happen to her brother? Since the day her brother confessed his feelings on her 18th birthday, her feelings for him had slowly started to change. She might have had reservations before, but from the moment her brother overdosed on sleeping pills for her, she no longer had any hesitation.
She had already made up her mind. Her remaining life might not be long, but she wished to spend the rest of it by her brother’s side. At least until the moment she closed her eyes for the last time, she would be with him.
But now, her father was suddenly telling her she was their biological daughter?
If she were her parents’ biological daughter, then what about Jiang Li? What did her three years of helplessness and struggle count for?
And the promises between her and her brother… what would become of them?
“I’m not lying to you. Feng Yun didn’t give birth to you, but you are my biological daughter. That’s a fact that no one can change.”
Jiang Huai’s words were clear and precise, each one hitting Jiang Ruo like a blow, leaving her stunned. She looked at him in disbelief. “Are you saying I’m the daughter you had with your mistress?”
…
Jiang Zhou had originally been in the hospital to accompany Jiang Ruo during her dialysis, but halfway through, he suddenly received a WeChat message from his mother. She had sent him three images, each showing the results of appraisals from three different hospitals.
He didn’t care how his mother had gotten the results so quickly. What mattered to him was that all three results indicated that he and Jiang Ruo… were indeed siblings.
Jiang Zhou left the dialysis room in a daze, walked out of the hospital, and smoked several cigarettes, still doubting the authenticity of the appraisal results. But as he was smoking, someone from the Feng family delivered another report to him, saying that if he didn’t believe the results, he could have another test done himself.
After reading the report, Jiang Zhou crumpled it into a ball, threw it on the ground, and stomped on it furiously.
Eventually, Jiang Zhou calmed down. He didn’t want to believe the appraisal results, so he decided to collect another set of samples from himself and Jiang Ruo and take them to a professional lab for testing. But when he returned to the dialysis room, he found that Jiang Ruo had already left.
Jiang Zhou took out his phone and saw a message from Jiang Ruo saying that their father had been hospitalized, and she had gone to another hospital to see him. She had also sent the hospital room number.
After putting away his phone, Jiang Zhou hurried to the hospital where Jiang Huai was admitted.
…
After Feng Yun sent the appraisal results to Jiang Zhou, she began dialing Jiang Huai’s phone number. However, after calling more than ten times, Jiang Huai did not answer any of them. Feng Yun sneered, put away her phone, and drove to the company. Now that she had the results, she just wanted an explanation from Jiang Huai.
But when Feng Yun arrived at the company, she was informed that Jiang Huai had been hospitalized. After asking the employees for the hospital floor and ward number, Feng Yun drove to the hospital. On the way, she drove very calmly and did not run a single red light.
…
Jiang Ruo couldn’t believe her ears. Her father had just told her that while he was her biological father, her mother was not her biological mother…
Based on the timeline of her parent’s marriage and her own age, it could only mean that she was born as a result of her father’s affair after marriage. This meant she was not only the daughter of a mistress but also living proof of her father’s betrayal of her mother!
No, no, this can’t be true!
“Dad, you’re joking, right? Or are you just making this up because you don’t want me and my brother to be together?” Jiang Ruo looked at Jiang Huai with urgency, anxiously hoping to hear an answer that would reassure her.
Jiang Huai sighed, “Do you remember the night before your college entrance exams when I had an argument with your brother and was hospitalized after fainting from anger?”
“Yes, I… I remember.” Jiang Ruo nodded immediately. Back then, she was very curious about why her brother and father had argued, but her brother refused to say anything.
Since she had to take the entrance exams the next day, she didn’t pursue the matter further, thinking she would ask her brother later. However, she fell ill and was hospitalized with a fever right after the exams and later on was diagnosed with chronic kidney failure.
Under such circumstances, she didn’t have the energy to investigate what had happened that night before the exams. If her father hadn’t brought it up just now, she would have almost forgotten about it.
“That night, your mother came to probe me, trying to persuade me to agree to you being with your brother. I then went to find your brother, which led to an argument, and I fainted from anger,” Jiang Huai explained clearly, but Jiang Ruo’s mind was in a whirlwind. She looked at Jiang Huai and stubbornly shook her head, “No, no, I don’t believe this is true. Jiang Zhou is not my biological brother. You’re lying to me.”
After saying this, Jiang Ruo trembled as she got up from the chair, desperate to find Jiang Zhou. However, Jiang Huai grabbed her arm, “Ruoruo, listen to your dad. Feng Qi knows already that you are my biological daughter, and he has planted a seed of doubt in your mother’s mind. In the next few days, your mother will definitely insist on a paternity test. If you don’t leave now, it will be difficult to leave later.”
Jiang Ruo continued shaking her head, her voice trembling with tears, “No, this can’t be true. You… you are lying to me. I’m going to find my brother.”
“Don’t go to him. He is already starting to doubt your identity. Haven’t you noticed it?”
“…” Jiang Ruo fell silent. How could she not notice it? It was very obvious how her brother’s attitude towards her had significantly changed since yesterday. Although he still spoke to her, still called her by her nickname, and still took her to the hospital for dialysis as usual… there was clearly something different in his eyes.
In addition, her brother’s behavior was odd whenever he spoke to her, as he intentionally avoided any physical contact.
Not only her brother, but her mother had also been acting strangely. Last night, Mom suddenly came into her room to cut her nails and accidentally cut her fingers to the point of bleeding. Normally, Mom would panic right away, but she didn’t offer any words of comfort, and even Brother didn’t rush to get a band-aid like he usually does.
If… if what Dad said was true, then it explained everything.
Realizing this, Jiang Ruo’s face turned as pale as a sheet of paper. Her mind was in a mess, but when she looked up, she realized that at some point, the door to the hospital room had been opened, and Jiang Zhou was standing at the entrance, his face livid and his eyes filled with anger as he stared at their father.
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