"I..." Jiang Li swallowed hard and was at a loss for words for a moment.
She was silent for a while and then softly said, "Not everything she said was wrong."
Sheng Jingxi was stunned for a second and found it rather amusing. "Then tell me, which part was right? That you're not good enough for her precious son, or that your background is unclear?"
Jiang Li shook her head. "I don't think I'm not good enough for him, but my family background is indeed not innocent."
She lowered her head and smiled faintly. "I don't even know who my biological parents are. Isn't that being of an unknown origin?"
After being scolded by Zhou Ningyun on Xile Street that she was an unwanted bastard, Jiang Li secretly had a paternity test done between herself and Jiang Yi. The result showed that they had no blood relationship.
That is to say, she was not a daughter of the Jiang family at all.
Then who was she?
"So," Sheng Jingxi said word by word, "you think you're not good enough for the other person just because of your illness and family background, so you think everything she said was right?"
Sheng Jingxi paused for a moment and then asked her curiously, "Do you think that makes sense?"
Jiang Li looked up and couldn't find any words to refute him for a moment.
She couldn't explain the logic either.
Jiang Li thought for a while. "Maybe it's because love is a matter between two people, but marriage involves two families."
"You love him and he loves you, but because of a crazy old woman, you can't be together."
Sheng Jingxi spoke as smoothly as a tongue - twister. "She's already half - buried in the soil, yet she even cursed you to die. I'm not sure who will live longer."
Jiang Li almost burst out laughing.
Seeing her expression soften, Sheng Jingxi said indifferently, "Now I understand why my dad cares so much about you."
"You're a lot like my mom."
Jiang Li was taken aback.
"I don't mean in looks. My mom was much prettier than you - of course, you're not bad - looking either."
Sheng Jingxi's words seemed a bit disjointed. "She was like you back then, struggling between emotion and reason. On one hand, she couldn't let go of her feelings for my dad, and on the other hand, she thought she shouldn't burden him."
"She once suffered from depression and often stared blankly at one place."
When Sheng Jingxi mentioned his mother, his expression was calm but also a bit sad. "She didn't smile every day. I tried every means to amuse her and make her happy."
No wonder Sheng Jingxi had such a clownish personality.
It was hard to imagine that a child at such a young age, who didn't understand the ways of the world, had to try every way to make his mother happy.
"One day, my dad called me into the room and said that my mom couldn't be held back and she was going to float away."
Sheng Shuocheng was being euphemistic, but little Sheng Jingxi understood.
Floating away meant never seeing her again.
So he cried and made a fuss, begging his mother to give him a younger brother or sister to accompany him.
But when his mother smiled and promised him, his father objected. He even scolded him severely, "How can you be so naughty! Do you know that your mother's body is no longer suitable for pregnancy? She might die in childbirth!"
How could Sheng Jingxi understand these things?
He just thought that if he couldn't keep his mother, then maybe if there was a younger brother or sister, his mother would be reluctant to leave.
Once people form a bond, it's hard for them to withdraw resolutely; when love is abundant enough, coldness and darkness can surely be dispelled.
With one more person to love his mother, she would be reluctant to leave.
Jiang Li asked softly, "What happened later?"
This was a story she had never heard from Sheng Shuocheng.
Sheng Jingxi lowered his eyes and said self - deprecatingly, "There's no later. She didn't give birth to a sister for me, nor did she stay."
"She called me into the room on purpose that day and told me with a smile that I was going to have a sister soon. She also told me not to tell my dad and to keep this secret with her. But she disappeared the next day."
He twitched his lips. "She lied to me. She actually lied to a five - year - old child."
It turned out that no matter how carefree a person was, they would have a soft and vulnerable side. "I was so happy back then, saying that I was going to prepare a gift for my sister."
Jiang Li felt a dull pain in her chest as she listened.
No wonder Sheng Jingxi liked to call her sister so much.
Because he had wanted a sister so much.
She said with a smile, "You like sisters so much. Have you recognized a lot of sisters outside?"
Needless to say, he was a dashing young man, handsome in appearance, humorous in speech, and the only son of the Sheng family. He was into the cool sport of racing. As long as he wanted to, he could easily have a whole bunch of "sisters".
"Of course not." Sheng Jingxi answered firmly. "I don't recognize any so - called sisters. I don't need that."
"To be honest with you, I once fantasized about what my sister would be like if I had one."
Sheng Jingxi looked at her and scratched his head shyly. "It might sound a bit strange... but I think if I had a sister, she would be like you."
Jiang Li smiled.
But her eyes were moist.
She lowered her head to wipe away her tears and said with a smile, "If I had a brother, he definitely wouldn't be like you."
Sheng Jingxi was unhappy. "Why?"
"Because..." Jiang Li thought for a while and said, "Brothers are usually very steady, but you seem even less mature than me."
"You don't understand. I'm the kind of person who 'appears stupid but is actually very wise'."
Sheng Jingxi had a whole lot of fallacies. "Anyway, just regard me as your elder brother from now on. If anyone bullies you again, I'll make them get out of here."
"Also, if you're unhappy in the future, just tell me. You don't need to save face with me. We're family. At most, I'll laugh at you a few times, and then it's over. Got it?"
Jiang Li thought this father - son pair was quite interesting.
One recognized a daughter, and the other recognized a sister.
Jiang Li didn't fall asleep until very late at night, and she didn't sleep well all night.
Sheng Jingxi's words couldn't console her, but she had already made a decision in her heart.
The next day.
Xiao Yanzhi tried to get out of bed.
Su Jialan both blamed and cared about him. "Your wound hasn't healed yet. If you take a few steps and pull the muscles, it will start bleeding again."
"I'm already better." Xiao Yanzhi moved his shoulders. He felt a pulling sensation in the wound on his back, but it wasn't very painful.
Since Jiang Li didn't immediately agree to him last night, his heart had been in a mess.
"You're being stubborn again." Su Jialan glanced at him and sighed helplessly. "You really don't let Mom worry less. Your dad is the same. He's gone to that woman's place again recently and doesn't care about you at all."
After she finished speaking, she fell silent with a livid face. Finally, she just said, "A Yan, only you can stand up for Mom."
But Xiao Yanzhi didn't respond.
He checked his phone to find out Jiang Li's hospital ward number and got up to go out.
"A Yan, where are you going now?" Su Jialan sensed something was wrong.
Xiao Yanzhi had already reached the door. His tone was calm but firm. "I'm going to find Jiang Li."
Hearing this, her face immediately changed. "A Yan, what are you going to find her for? She's being discharged from the hospital today."
Being discharged from the hospital?
Xiao Yanzhi was stunned. At the same time, Xue An's text message came in.
[Xue An: Mr. Xiao, latest news: Sister Jiang Li is going through the discharge procedures.]