Sheng Shuocheng was so amused by anger that he waved his walking stick to hit Sheng Jingxi. However, the motion of the stick descending was obviously gentle. He only tapped lightly on Sheng Jingxi's trouser leg as a warning.
Sheng Jingxi was quick-witted. He quickly stepped back to avoid the blow and leaned close to Jiang Li, whispering, "This is our family's discipline. If you make mistakes in the future, you'll have to get beaten."
"I'm different from you," Jiang Li retorted with a smile. "I'll never make the elders angry."
Sheng Shuocheng chimed in at this moment, "Learn from your younger sister."
Apparently, in this family, only Sheng Jingxi was getting "hurt".
Outside, goose - feather snow was floating, but inside the house, it was warm and bright. The whole family sat around the table, enjoying dinner harmoniously.
Compared with the lunch full of toasting and socializing, the family reunion in the evening made Sheng Shuocheng much happier.
In the early years, he had too many social events. To take care of his health, he had almost quit drinking. But tonight, he was in an extremely good mood. He asked the family's nanny to fetch the treasured wine from the wine cabinet.
"Please take care of your health. A little wine can soothe the nerves, but too much is harmful to the body," Jiang Li said as she stood up to pour the wine. Her movements were graceful and natural. She filled the glass and continued, "According to the etiquette, I should offer you a full glass of wine. You can drink as much as you like."
Sheng Shuocheng glanced at her and recalled that when Jiang Li had offered him tea before, she was also so well - behaved and considerate.
Then he saw Sheng Jingxi pick up his glass and clink it with Jiang Li's. He said boldly, "For deep affection, bro drinks it all in one go."
Sheng Shuocheng: "..."
Jiang Li: "..."
During the meal, Cheng Yingchun kept putting food on Jiang Li's plate, saying that she was too thin and should eat more to gain weight.
Sheng Shuocheng also said that being a star was too harsh on oneself. It was good to be an ordinary person, at least one could be healthy and have a free personal life.
"Of course, I don't mean to restrict you," Sheng Shuocheng coughed lightly, afraid that Jiang Li might misunderstand. "It's just out of my concern for you. For other things, your own choice should be the main consideration."
Jiang Li was silent for a while, and her eyes began to fill with mist.
A real father would never treat her as a cash - cow. He would never control or restrict her choices but would unconditionally respect and support all her choices and decisions.
Jiang Li felt a bit of a lump in her throat.
She drank the wine in her glass in one gulp and finally said that address easily and naturally, "Thank you, Dad."
Sheng Shuocheng was shocked. His hand holding the wine glass tightened slightly.
"Let's continue eating," he said trying to appear calm. But it was obvious that he could hardly hold his chopsticks steadily. "Later, when the weather gets warmer, I'll take you to visit your mother."
"Okay."
...
Laughter and chatter filled the dinner table. Sheng Jingxi was good at enlivening the atmosphere, and the whole room was filled with a warm and cozy atmosphere. Everyone had a happy smile on their face.
Jiang Li sat on the chair. Her eyes swept over the faces of Sheng Shuocheng, Cheng Yingchun, and Sheng Jingxi one by one, and then slowly lowered her head.
For a moment, there was a deviation between her vision and her mind. Her deceased father seemed to appear in Sheng Shuocheng's position, and Jiang Yi, whom she had sent to prison with her own hands, was sitting beside her.
The two different pictures alternated in her mind, and she couldn't tell what was real and what was false.
She tensed up all over. She blinked and looked again. It was still the happy scene from before. Just then, the nanny brought in a plate of fruits.
She picked up a plum and put it in her mouth. The sour and astringent taste sobered her up a bit. She repeatedly reminded herself in her mind that what she had just seen was an illusion and that the present was the real world.
She shouldn't dwell on the past anymore.
"Thank you, really thank you," Jiang Li took a deep breath, her voice rising. "I never thought I could have such a life, with a grandmother, a father, and a brother who love me, and a great mother who tried so hard to give birth to me."
She picked up her glass and spoke as solemnly as if she were giving an acceptance speech at an awards ceremony, "I'm a very flawed person. Having you all as my family, I have no regrets in my life."
Jiang Li pursed her lips, and the smile on her face was bright.
She had only said a few words, but tears began to flow again. She couldn't say any more, otherwise, her emotions would get out of control, and she might say something against her true feelings.
An extremely depressing and negative thought was growing wildly in her mind. She endured it for a long time before swallowing the discouraging words.
She controlled herself, clenching her teeth tightly and not saying another word.
The repeated torture of her illness had made her a living corpse that was neither human nor ghost. Now she had to put on a mask for the people who loved her and pretend to be fully recovered.
She was a sick person as withered as a dried - up plant. She shouldn't hurt the people who loved her anymore.
Cheng Yingchun looked at her with heartache, "Why are you crying all of a sudden?"
Tears were streaming down Jiang Li's face, but the corners of her lips were still raised. "I feel so happy that it doesn't seem real. Grandma, pinch me."
"Silly girl," Cheng Yingchun sighed with a smile. "What's there to be real or not? You belong here. We are your family."
Jiang Li tried hard to raise the muscles on her cheeks and acted coquettishly with the old lady, "I know you love me."
Cheng Yingchun tapped her on the nose, "You're my granddaughter. Who else should I love if not you? Stop crying. Your nose is all red."
Sheng Jingxi, sitting beside them, always suspected that he heard a sob in Jiang Li's voice, but the smile on her face was so comfortable and natural.
Something seemed off, but he couldn't put his finger on what it was.
Even though they were blood - related, they had only known each other for a short time. Even if they got along well, there were bound to be some barriers.
Taking advantage of the time when everyone was clearing the table after dinner, Sheng Jingxi walked out to the yard of the villa and called Xiao Yanzhi.
He had saved the phone number in his phone when they had hot pot last time. He didn't expect it to come in handy.
"Dude, do you have time to come over? My sister seems a bit off."
...
When leaving, Jiang Li presented Sheng Shuocheng with a gift she had prepared, a can of Mansong tea sent back by a friend who was filming in a different place.
Winter was the best season for tea - tasting. Sheng Shuocheng received it with a smile and praised her for being thoughtful.
Cheng Yingchun was even more reluctant to let her go. She pulled her and asked her to stay for the night, but Jiang Li said that she still had work to do and was worried that it would affect the old lady's rest.
Hearing this, Cheng Yingchun was afraid of delaying her work progress, so she had to reluctantly let go of her. Before she left, she hugged her for a long time, showing the joy and comfort of finding a precious treasure.
"Come and visit Grandma another day."
Since a while ago, Jiang Li had been a bit absent - minded. It took her a moment to react and then nodded with a smile.
Although she was still smiling and responding appropriately, the occasional sense of panic and instability made her feel that her body was becoming more and more out of her control.
"Are you sleepy?" The old lady was considerate. "If you're sleepy, go back and rest quickly. Don't overwork yourself."
Jiang Li pursed her lips, "Yes. I'll be fine after a good sleep."