When Su Jialan spoke, there was a hint of sorrow on her face. "This family is so cold and cheerless now. It's all my fault."
Xiao Yanzhi looked at her indifferently.
Su Jialan fell silent for a moment and then continued, "Actually, I know that Jiang Li is a really nice girl. During those days when I was lying in bed, she took good care of me."
Xiao Yanzhi didn't want to hear these things. Every time she brought them up, it would deepen his guilt towards Jiang Li. He interrupted her directly, "But her care didn't earn your respect. You've always looked down on her deep in your heart."
Su Jialan was shocked. Tears welled up in her eyes immediately. "A Yan, Mom knows she was wrong..."
Xiao Yanzhi just felt exhausted.
When facing the powerful older generation, he could prove himself with his strength and strive for his right to speak; but when facing Su Jialan, he always felt powerless.
She was his mother, the woman who gave birth to him, the one who raised him with her milk and flesh.
She was a product of patriarchal power and the wealthy family, a submissive puppet who followed the rules under the constraints of dogma. As long as she obediently relied on the family and her husband, she could live a peaceful life.
Asking a woman who had grown up in such an environment to accept a girl from an ordinary family and respect Jiang Li, whose social status and background were much lower than hers, was indeed a huge test for her.
For a woman in her late forties, it was also a great ideological transformation.
Su Jialan opened her mouth but was speechless for a moment. It took her a while to say, "... Mom will try to accept her. I won't interfere in your relationship with Jiang Li anymore."
"You're my son. I hope you can be happy. That's more important than anything else."
Her voice gradually faded, as if all her strength had been drained. There was a pleading tone in her voice. "I hope you can forgive Mom. Don't hate Mom, okay?"
Xiao Yanzhi was tall. Looking at his mother sitting in the wheelchair, her figure gradually hunched, there was weariness between his eyebrows.
"Mom, I don't hate you," he said in a deep voice. "You're right about one thing. Everyone makes mistakes."
Su Jialan looked at him with teary eyes.
"You're my mother. I won't hate you," he said, pinching the bridge of his nose. It took him a while to continue, "But I can't get Jiang Li back."
Su Jialan was stunned. "... Does she not want to be with you anymore?"
"Yes. She said it was tiring to be with me. She didn't want to marry into the Xiao family and be a rich wife."
He laughed softly. "Maybe she was also afraid of becoming a rigid woman bound by dogma."
She was born free and didn't want to be restricted.
...
In the past few months, Jiang Li had shifted her focus to Huacheng. Now, due to the sudden situation, she couldn't go back or perform in the drama. Naturally, she had a lot of free time.
While she was idle, Sheng Jingxi was extremely busy.
In order to handle the tasks assigned by Sheng Shuocheng, he either spent all day reading books or reviewing and consolidating his knowledge. He also had to go to the company for practical training. He was so busy that he was sweating profusely.
At first, Jiang Li joked about him. But later, because she was really bored, she simply studied with Sheng Jingxi. She also joked that she was his "study companion".
At first, they just listened to the lectures for fun. However, she was very talented and learned management much faster than Sheng Jingxi. Moreover, because of her experience in acting, she had developed the ability to memorize lines at a glance, so she remembered some theoretical knowledge very firmly.
After hearing this, Sheng Shuocheng was very pleased. He said that if Sheng Jingxi was useless in the future, the company could be handed over to Jiang Li.
Jiang Li was so scared that she quickly declined, saying that she only had superficial skills.
But Sheng Shuocheng didn't care. He directly asked Jiang Li to participate in some internal affairs of the company with Sheng Jingxi, saying that he wanted them to train together.
Since they often went in and out of the Sheng Group together and sat together in meetings, rumors began to spread in the company over time.
Many people recognized Jiang Li's face, and most people had heard of her experiences.
Soon, the groundless rumors began to spread.
One morning, Jiang Li left the meeting room and went to the tea room to get some water. Just as she bent down and pressed the button, a sarcastic voice came from behind her.
"Some people are just born special. With their beautiful faces, they can even flatter the powerful much faster than ordinary people."
"Not being a star anymore, relying on a man is also a good choice."
"Yeah. She doesn't even look at what kind of taste she has. She used to cling to Mr. Xiao. Now, in the blink of an eye, she's clinging to the young Master Sheng who just returned from abroad. Tut-tut. She's really amazing."
"Look at what you're saying. What kind of skills?"
"Where else could it be? Of course, it's..."
The two women behind were chatting. Although there was no subject in their words, everyone knew clearly who they were talking about.
Jiang Li's expression didn't change at all. She watched the water fill the cup and then slowly stood up. She turned around expressionlessly.
The two women who were laughing uncontrollably looked into Jiang Li's eyes. They didn't care at all that she had heard them. Instead, they looked at her more arrogantly.
"Excuse me," Jiang Li said calmly, as if she hadn't heard what they had deliberately said to her at all.
They thought that Jiang Li would be angry and argue with them. But when they saw that they were ignored, the two women were furious. "Jiang Li, don't act so high and mighty! Don't think that just because the young Master Sheng is backing you up, you're something special!"
"Yeah. No matter how you look at it, you're just a woman who seduces men in bed. You're just a mistress who can't show her face. Do you really think..."
Before the woman could finish her sentence, Sheng Jingxi appeared behind them. His face was gloomy. He snatched the cup from Jiang Li's hand and splashed the water on the two women.
"Hey, my cup..." Jiang Li quickly shouted. Only then did Sheng Jingxi stop himself from throwing her teacup on the ground. He endured his impulse and angrily stuffed the cup back into her hand.
Jiang Li: "..."
Caught off guard by the water, the two women immediately let out a scream. They didn't even have time to dodge. Just as they were about to curse, they immediately fell silent when they met Sheng Jingxi's gaze.
"Young... Young Master Sheng..."
"Which department are you from? Get out of here right now," Sheng Jingxi gritted his teeth. His voice was full of anger. "Where's the HR department? Fire these two gossips for me."
The two women's faces turned pale instantly.
...
In just half an hour, the news that the young Master Sheng was furious for the beauty spread throughout the entire Sheng Group. Immediately, no one dared to discuss the relationship between Jiang Li and Sheng Jingxi anymore.
Back in the office, Sheng Jingxi was still angry. On the contrary, Jiang Li's face was very calm. She poured herself a glass of water and didn't forget to pour one for Sheng Jingxi.
"Come on. There's no need to be so angry," she said. Although she was the one who was scolded, now she was the one comforting him gently. "Let them talk. I don't care."
"But I do," Sheng Jingxi said arrogantly, with an unruly tone. "You call me brother. I have to protect you. If they dare to say a single bad word about you, I'll make them all get fired."