CH 130 Telling The Truth
Translated by The BL Muse (ko-fi)
He Qianjian had hoped that the System would appear in the afternoon for the English language test, but the System did not appear until the exam was over.
At the round table, the old gentleman sitting at the head wiped his mouth and said, "How did you do on the exam today?"
The 8th of every month was the time for dinner at the He family's old family house. Except for He Qianyang, who was studying in another city, and Jiang Chen, who didn't come today due to special reasons, everyone in the He family was here.
As soon as the old gentleman opened his mouth, everyone's eyes moved to the end of the table.
——Ever since Jiang Chen came to the old family house for dinner for the first time, and He Qianjian was pushed to the end of the table by He Qianmin's words, he had been sitting there regularly.
He Qianjian paused in picking up the food, suppressing the panic and anxiety that had accumulated all day. He slowly put down the chopsticks, looked up and said, "Both of the two subject tests the day before yesterday felt pretty good, but I didn't sleep well last night and I didn't do well on the comprehensive and English test.”
Old Mr. He closed his eyes, pondered for a moment, and asked, "How much do you predict?"
He Qianjian tightened his hands on his knees, his face looked a little pale, but it matched what he said: "I predict the Chinese language and literature test yesterday is above 145, and the mathematics is a perfect score….." He dragged his tone, watching old Mr. He's slightly satisfied expression, then he continued: "During the exam this morning, I felt dizzy. After doing a few questions, my vision was a little blurred. I didn't know what I wrote until the end, the same in the afternoon, so I don't know how many points I can get in these two exams….."
Yang Yun had long noticed that He Qianjian had been in a bad mood since noon, but she hadn't still recovered from the joy that Jiang Chen was getting closer to them than before, so she didn't think much about it, and just thought it was He Qianjian having his usual emotional ups and downs, but she didn't expect that it might be because he was not feeling well.
Hearing what he said now, Yang Yun couldn't help feeling a little worried.
She asked with care: "Are you okay? Could you have a fever? Why didn't you tell Mom at noon?"
He Qianjian's eyes flickered slightly, and he shook his head and said, "It's not very serious. You and Dad have already had a hard time waiting for me outside all day. I don't want you to worry anymore."
Yang Yun was slightly stunned. She paused, but then got up and walked in front of him, touched his forehead, found nothing abnormal but was still worried: "Mom will ask Uncle Xiang to come over and give you a look."
"No need, really." He Qianjian shook his head and said, "It's probably just that I didn't sleep well last night, and then I got a cold. After sleep tonight, it will be fine."
"But….."
"If you are not feeling well, you should've told your mother in the morning." Old Mr. He said in a deep voice, "You usually know the seriousness, but why did you lose your measure at this time? Do you know what it means to fail two subject tests?"
He Qianjian lowered his head and admitted his mistake sincerely: "I'm sorry."
Old Mr. He gave him a look of disappointment, got up and left the dining table.
"Old man!" Old Mrs. He called out, turned her head to look at He Qianjian who was much thinner than before, and sighed inwardly. She walked over to hold his hand, and said softly, "Da Bao, don't mind your grandpa. He's just that grumpy."
He Qianjian raised his eyes and saw the old lady in front of him who was the only one to care about him as always and never changed her attitude. The resentment and grievances accumulated during this period could not help flooding his eyes, and he called out: "Grandma."
When old Mrs. He saw his reddened eyes, she couldn't help feeling a little distressed. She had noticed the changes of everyone in the family during this period of time. In fact, how could she not know that He Qianjian might have done something wrong? He Yanjun and He Yanfeng were both her sons, and she knew them best, so if it wasn't because He Qianjian had really done something wrong, they wouldn't have changed their attitude towards him so much.
Not only did she know, she believed that her husband also knew that their sons and daughter-in-law must be hiding something from them. But even if they knew about it, they couldn't give up their feelings for their grandson without knowing what happened.
"You are too silly." Old Mrs. He sighed softly when she thought of the current situation at home and the embarrassing situation of He Qianjian: "You did not do well in the exam this time, and it will have a great impact on you. Your grandfather is worried for your sake.”
He Qianjian didn't speak, his lowered eyes making him look endearing and fragile.
If it was really for his sake, then he shouldn't get angry at him at the dinner table at all. The He family had great fortune, money, power, and status. If Jiang Chen had not appeared, even if he got a zero on the whole exam, with the He family's foundation and status, they could easily have him get a diploma that was impressive. And if that wouldn't work with the colleges in China, there were also the colleges in foreign countries.
In the final analysis, it was just because he was no longer a He family member.
On the way back to the villa, these thoughts circulated in He Qianjian's mind, and the eyes that were looking at the back of the front seat were filled with darkness.
At ten o'clock in the evening, there was still no news from the System.
He Qianjian was standing on the terrace, with the warm night wind blowing on his body, and the fragrance of flowers blooming in the garden was mixed in the breeze, making him feel warm, but in contrast he was trembling slightly and biting his nails nervously.
The System would never appear again. Without the System, he was nothing.
Power, status, money…..He would lose everything. People he looked down on before would come to mock him and ridicule him. People he had offended before would come to retaliate against him and attack him. Those who flattered him before would avoid him now or do even worse.
As He Qianjian imagined those scenes, anxiety and fear almost swallowed him.
*
The two-day college entrance examination was over. For most senior high school students, June 9 would be a carnival.
But for Jiang Chen, this day was a trial that he was waiting for but didn't look forward to, and made countless psychological preparations but still had no conclusion.
He got up early and accompanied his mother to the vegetable market. At noon, the family of three prepared a sumptuous lunch.
After the meal, Yang Si went to the nursery room to coax Jiang Ran to take a nap. Jiang Zhuo and Jiang Chen washed the dishes in the kitchen first, and then went to the balcony together.
Jiang Zhuo lit a cigarette, sighed softly, and asked Jiang Chen, "Have you figured out how to tell your mother?"
Jiang Chen propped his hands on the railing, the wind was blowing against his face, and the hair that hadn't been cut in a while was a bit long, the black strands blown up by the wind on his forehead. His tone showed a hint of nervousness: "I haven't decided."
Jiang Zhuo asked: "Is it that you did not think about what to say? Or is it that you did not think about how to deal with your mother's reaction?"
"Both." Jiang Chen turned his head: "Dad, do you think Mom will....."
"I can't imagine it." Jiang Zhuo shook his head: "But I have to warn you in advance, your mother may go crazy if she knows this."
Jiang Chen could imagine.
From childhood to adulthood, Yang Si put almost all her attention and energy on him, but for his growth, this kind of love had always been positive and restrained. She supported him and encouraged him but never doted on him. But this did not mean that this maternal love would be less than that of other families, but in fact more profound, because everything she did was really careful considerations of his growth from his perspective.
This was the love that only a mother could achieve, and Yang Si gave it to him without reservation.
Now, he had to tell her that he was actually not her biological son.
After learning the truth, it must be difficult for her to accept it.
"But no matter what, your mother must know about this." Jiang Zhuo took a puff of the cigarette and put his hands on Jiang Chen's shoulders: "Later, no matter what your mother's reaction will be when she finds out about this , you have to forgive her, she simply loves you too much….."
Jiang Chen nodded: "I know."
Jiang Zhuo smiled: "Don't worry, no matter what happens, your father, I will still be here, right?"
"What are you talking about, you two?" Yang Si came out of the room, saw her husband and son standing on the balcony, and walked over to push open the glass door. Smelling the scent of cigarettes that hadn't dissipated in time, she frowned, and looked at her husband: "Why are you still smoking? How long have you not smoked?"
"Just one puff." Jiang Zhuo pointed to the remaining half of the cigarette in the ashtray, and after confirming that he glanced at Jiang Chen, then stepped forward and put his arm around his wife's shoulders: "Let's go, let's go to the living room, our son and I have something to tell you."
Yang Si turned to look at Jiang Chen: "About what?"
Jiang Chen met his mother's curious and suspicious gaze, paused in his steps, and stood still on the spot. He lowered his eyes to avoid her gaze for a moment, then raised them to meet her without blinking.
"Actually, I'm not your biological son."
Jiang Zhuo stopped, and seeing Yang Si's stunned expression, he became anxious. This kid was usually very smart, so why was it that he was being so stupid today, just saying the words without any foreshadowing?
"What did you say?" Yang Si turned around, a little unsure of what she had just heard: "Were you and your dad colluding to lie to me on the balcony just now?"
Jiang Chen pursed his lips, the hands by his sides were already sweating, the wind from the balcony was blowing from behind, passed through the hall, and stuck his T-shirt to his back from the sweat.
"In October last year, my biological parents came to me with a paternity test, which proved that I am actually their biological son. They wanted to recognize me back."
Jiang Chen's voice was low and slow, and each word was heard clearly in Yang Si's ears. Every time he said a word, her expression changed a little.
"At that time, I just found out that you were pregnant. I was worried that your body would not be able to bear the stimulation, so I discussed with them to hide it from you first, and wait until you gave birth to my younger sister and fully recuperated. Telling you after the college entrance examination is what I agreed with them, after today——"
"What will happen after today?!" Yang Si interrupted Jiang Chen with a trembling voice, her voice was unprecedentedly sharp: "After today they will snatch you away! Take you away! The child I have worked so hard to raise will be snatched away!"
Jiang Chen raised his eyes, only to realize that Yang Si had burst into tears.
He was at a loss: "I, no, Mom….."
Jiang Zhuo immediately took two steps forward to hug his wife, and comforted her: "Chen Chen didn't mean that, the reason he didn't tell you before was exactly because he didn't want….."
"Let me go!" Yang Si broke away from Jiang Zhuo, her hair disheveling with her movements, and she looked at him with wide eyes: "Jiang Zhuo, you already knew, didn't you? You allowed your son to hide it from me, because you wanted to get the benefits of that family in return for our child, is that it?”
Jiang Zhuo was too anxious, he didn't pay attention to what his wife said, and explained: "How could I not want Chen Chen, but there is nothing he can do about this matter, it's a fact, he was hiding it from you before, because it was for your own good, he was afraid that you would worry, the child is already so sensible, you....."
"You want to go with them? You don't want me and your father anymore, do you?" Yang Si didn't listen to Jiang Zhuo's words at all. She walked up to Jiang Chen in three big steps, her eyes were red, and she grabbed his hand, her veins bulging with the force: "You don't want me and your father anymore, do you want to leave us for the He family?"
Jiang Chen let her hold him, and comforted her in the tone of one making an oath: "Mom, I will never leave you, I will always be your son."
"That means the He family is threatening you, threatening you to make you leave us and go back with them?"
Jiang Chen suddenly came to his senses and raised his eyes to meet Jiang Zhuo's gaze. Jiang Zhuo shook his head.
——"Mom, how do you know…..it's the He family?"