SYLFS 41

Chapter – 41

He and Guan Baocheng Are Indeed Father and Son

“I refuse.”

Inside the Jiang family’s side room, Jiang Xuxu stared straight at Guan Qishen and rejected him without a moment’s hesitation.

Guan Qishen was clearly stunned for a second, wondering if he’d misheard.

“W–what did you say?”

“I said— I. Re. Fuse.”
Since he seemed unable to understand, Jiang Xuxu kindly repeated it one character at a time.

Guan Qishen’s expression instantly darkened.

This was the second time—again—Xuxu wasn’t obeying him.

“Xuxu, don’t throw a tantrum. I know you’re still angry about Mother telling you to leave the Guan house that day. But we’re family. And without my parents, you wouldn’t have been able to return to the Jiang family at all.”

Xuxu shot him a glance.
“So you mean I should be grateful to you?”

Just as Guan Qishen opened his mouth, Xuxu cut him off cleanly.

“And besides, I’m no longer family with any of you. I’m Jiang now.”

“Even if your biological parents acknowledge you, we’re still family!” Guan Qishen frowned. “Or is the rumor true—that the moment you became the Jiang family’s heiress, you immediately threw us away?”

Jiang Xuxu calmly met his gaze, voice icy.

“And what if I said yes?”

…

Jiang Su was walking downstairs to get freshly squeezed juice when he noticed Jiang Han leaning over the second-floor railing, watching the scene below with great interest. As Jiang Su approached, he happened to catch Xuxu’s words from below.

The Jiang family’s villa had guest rooms in both the front and back. The main salon in the front was used for formal gatherings, while the smaller rear salon faced the second-floor railing directly. From the second floor, the entire room below was visible.

Jiang Su instantly forgot about the juice. Twisting his body, he rushed over, and the two brothers stood side by side, heads nearly touching as they eavesdropped.

Below them, Jiang Xuxu continued coldly:

“The day I left the Guan family, I said it clearly. I have nothing to do with any of you. Even if I weren’t the Jiang family’s daughter, I still wouldn’t acknowledge you.”

Guan Qishen’s face tensed for a moment, but he quickly suppressed it and said in a low voice:

“Xuxu, I heard about what happened at the banquet. No matter the reason, our parents raised you. Do you have any idea how hurt they were when you publicly cut ties with the family in front of so many people? They never fought once in their lives, but because of you, they argued that day—and then fell ill.”

He started by scolding her harshly, then softened his tone.

“Even so, they didn’t blame you. They gave me Grandmother’s bracelet and told me to bring it to you. Xuxu, our parents have always treated you well. You should learn to be grateful.”

A vein twitched on Jiang Xuxu’s forehead.

Once, she had believed that Guan Qishen was the only decent person in the Guan family.
Because unlike Guan Ruirui, he didn’t go out of his way to belittle her.
He seemed to care about her studies, gave her birthday gifts, and sometimes comforted her when Bai Shuqin scolded her.

Because of that, she treated him like a real older brother, tried to repay him, and desperately sought even a shred of warmth.

But later she realized—

Guan Qishen wasn’t the person she thought he was.

He cared about her grades only to maintain the Guan family’s reputation.
The gifts he gave her were things he didn’t want from admirers.
His “comfort” was just to keep her from making trouble.

He simply hid his hypocrisy and selfishness better than anyone else in the Guan family.

In that sense, he and Guan Baocheng were absolutely father and son.

“That bracelet was originally left for me by Grandmother. If they want help now, they can have Ruirui return what she stole from me. I’ve already compromised plenty. Why is it never enough for you people?”

The moment Jiang Xuxu finished, Jiang Su upstairs almost burst out laughing.
He quickly covered his mouth to hold it in.

The two people below remained completely oblivious.

Guan Qishen frowned deeply.

“Ruirui was injured! Seriously injured!”

“What does that have to do with me?”

This answer left Guan Qishen staring at her in disbelief.

“Xuxu! How did you become this kind of person?! Ruirui is your sister. She’s called you ‘sister’ for over ten years!”

Xuxu gave him a cold, mocking smile.

“A sister who pushes her older sister in front of a moving car to save herself?
No thanks.”

She had never told anyone about that accident.

Nobody would have believed her.

What Bai Shuqin called “Ruirui’s great misfortune in her eighteenth year” had been aimed at Ruirui from the start. But the moment the car rushed toward them, Ruirui’s first reaction was to shove Xuxu toward the impact.

Neither Ruirui nor Bai Shuqin had expected her to survive.

Predictably, Guan Qishen’s first reaction was “I don’t believe you.”

“What nonsense are you talking?! There’s no way Ruirui would do that!”

“I understand that you’re unhappy about the accident, but don’t blame others.”

“Ruirui pushed you? Then why didn’t you say so at the time?”

“Even if—if—it were true, she must have acted unconsciously out of fear. As the older sister, taking misfortune in your sister’s place is only natural. Why must you always obsess over such trivial things?”

The moment the words “trivial things” reached the second floor, Jiang Su’s jaw dropped.

And then he snapped.

“Damn it—my patience is gone!”

Rolling up his sleeves, he thundered down the stairs so fast Jiang Han didn’t even have time to stop him.

Only then did Guan Qishen realize someone had been on the second floor listening. His face paled.

Meanwhile, Jiang Xuxu remained perfectly calm—she clearly knew from the start.

By then Jiang Su had already stormed into the rear salon, dragging his slippers loudly, pointing straight at Guan Qishen and shouting:

“Is your whole damn family insane?! The women are snakes, the men are hypocrites! Your sister shoved her own sister in front of a car, and when she complains about it, you call her ‘obsessive’?! If you’re so noble, why don’t you get run over instead?!”

“Oh? Your arm’s already hanging like that—did you get hit already? Did you go to the hospital for your hand but not your head? That brain of yours must’ve been smashed in long ago!”