Chapter 97: Chapter 97: Jiang Sifan: He’s Not My Dad, and I Won’t Acknowledge Him

That evening.

After returning to her dorm, Jiang Silu leaned against the balcony railing and called Jiang Yixia.

"Hey, Mom~ What are you up to?~" Jiang Silu asked curiously.

Jiang Yixia had just gotten home. She answered the call as she opened her door, saying, "I just got home."

"Oh? You closed up shop and came home this early today? Are you not feeling well?" Jiang Silu knew that, given Jiang Yixia’s personality, she would never come home at eight in the evening unless she had a fever or a headache—not even in a storm.

Jiang Yixia hesitated for a moment before finally telling her the reason.

"I went to the hospital," she explained.

Just as she’d suspected, Jiang Silu immediately grew tense. "You went to the hospital? What’s wrong? Are you sick?"

"It wasn’t for me," Jiang Yixia replied. "This morning, the rolling shutter on the flower shop was broken. I couldn’t pull it up, and then... and then..."

Jiang Silu grew anxious listening to her. "And then what?"

"Then your dad came and pulled the shutter open," Jiang Yixia stammered. "But he accidentally cut his hand. It was a pretty deep gash, so we went to the hospital. The doctor said there are a lot of nerves in the palm, so he needs to be kept for observation."

"Huh?" Jiang Silu started to worry. "Is it that serious?..."

"Mhm." Jiang Yixia knew that Lu Fan had bought Jiang Silu clothes and shoes and had even taken her out for Western food. ’Her daughter’s attitude toward her father must have softened quite a bit,’ she thought.

So, she urged her, "If you have time, you should send him a message and see how he’s doing."

"Okay..." Jiang Silu wasn’t sure if she actually would send a message, but she agreed subconsciously.

She then told Jiang Yixia about visiting her classmate’s home that day.

After hearing about it, Jiang Yixia advised her, "If you don’t like her brother, just be direct and turn him down. You don’t need to feel awkward about it."

"Mhm, I know. It’s just... I’m not always good at turning people down..." Jiang Silu said in a small voice.

"Don’t worry about what might happen after you say no. That’s a problem for later. Lulu, you’ve been compromising your own feelings your whole life. Sometimes you have your own ideas, but you still go along with what others suggest. You have to remember to follow your own heart, understand?"

Jiang Silu nodded. "Mhm, I understand, Mom."

She checked the time and said hurriedly, "Mom, I have to go. I need to work on my drawings. The project is due in a week."

"Okay, but don’t work too hard. Rest when you need to, you hear?" Jiang Yixia said with concern.

"I know~"

After hanging up, Jiang Silu went back to her desk and resumed her work on the drawings.

She kept drawing until eleven o’clock at night.

Even though her roommates, Song Miaomiao and Lu Yao, were still on their phones, Jiang Silu was considerate enough to ask, "It’s getting late. I’ll turn off the main light for you guys, okay?~"

With that, she ran over to turn off the light. Then she draped some clothes over her computer screen and turned the brightness down as low as it would go.

Song Miaomiao said caringly, "Lulu, we’re not ready to sleep yet. It’s fine. If you need to draw, just keep the light on."

"Yeah, Lulu, you’ll ruin your eyesight like that," Lu Yao added.

Jiang Silu was touched by their words.

But a dorm room wasn’t her own private room, after all.

She couldn’t disrupt her roommates’ rest just so she could work on her project.

After drawing for another half hour, Jiang Silu went to bed as well.

’The project is due in five days. There’s still enough time, technically.’

’But this is my first design, after all. I need to leave plenty of time for the upperclassmen to review it.’

’But working on it in the dorm will disturb Miaomiao and Yaoyao’s sleep.’

’Maybe I should get a hotel room for a few days.’

Jiang Silu hadn’t checked the prices of hotels near the university yet.

But even if it was a hundred yuan a night, she could grit her teeth and afford it for five days.

For the sake of this design project, Jiang Silu decided to go all out!

’I’ll look for a hotel tomorrow!’

「Meanwhile.」

Jiang Yixia hadn’t heard from her son, Jiang Sifan, in several days.

She assumed he was still wrapped up in his startup venture.

Thinking of this, she gave Jiang Sifan a call.

"Hello, Sifan? I’m not bothering you, am I?" Jiang Yixia asked tentatively.

Jiang Sifan laughed. "Mom, I just got back to my dorm."

"Getting back to your dorm this late?" Jiang Yixia was a little worried. "Where were you?"

"I was working on my startup!" Jiang Sifan said excitedly. "Mom, I met a benefactor!"

"A benefactor? Tell me about it." Seeing that Jiang Sifan seemed to be in high spirits today, the gloom of the past few days completely gone, Jiang Yixia felt a sense of relief.

Jiang Sifan started off indignantly, "Mom, I actually got scammed with my startup. It makes me so mad! Those two upperclassmen were total scumbags."

"But I didn’t give up! Then my partner happened to meet a lawyer from a law firm. After she heard our story, she helped us find new shops and talk to the owners about partnering up. As of today, we already have eight shops cooperating with us!!"

"And the lawyer said she’ll help us gather evidence to sue that company."

"It’s awesome!"

Listening to Jiang Sifan’s excited retelling, Jiang Yixia understood. ’This is all Lu Fan’s doing, helping him secretly from behind the scenes.’

’That guy can be unreliable sometimes... no, not sometimes, most of the time!’

’But when it comes to helping the kids, he’s actually done a great job.’

There were times her financial situation had prevented her from giving her children the best of everything.

She often felt guilty about it.

Perhaps Lu Fan’s return could fill that void.

Although she had taught her children not to be too materialistic, Jiang Yixia also knew they were only human.

And humans have feelings.

They make comparisons.

So, she said with relief, "Sifan, you’re already doing so much better than your peers. Just remember to get plenty of rest, okay?"

"I will!" Jiang Sifan was now full of motivation. He even made a bold declaration, "Mom, don’t you worry. I’m starting this business as a freshman. By the time I graduate, I might be able to save up a few hundred thousand. Then I’ll pick out a nice neighborhood and buy an apartment. We’ll finally have a real home of our own!"

Hearing this, Jiang Yixia’s eyes welled up with tears.

When it came to filial piety, both of her children were truly devoted.

So devoted that it made her feel guilty for never having been able to give them the best.

When Jiang Yixia didn’t say anything for a long moment, Jiang Sifan asked tentatively, "Mom, what’s wrong?"

"N-nothing," Jiang Yixia said with a laugh. "I’m just so happy. You’re all grown up."

"By the way, Mom, has *he* been bothering you lately? If he has, just tell me, and I’ll come right back to Yangcheng," Jiang Sifan said, suddenly remembering that Lu Fan had opened a pastry shop right across from Jiang Yixia’s flower shop.

Hearing this, Jiang Yixia decided to put in a good word for Lu Fan, hoping to improve his image in Jiang Sifan’s eyes. "Don’t worry, your dad has been very respectful."

"He’s not my dad. I don’t acknowledge him," Jiang Sifan said, still sulking. "Anyway, he was gone for eighteen years, and we lived just fine. I can support this family without him."

"Sifan..."

"Alright, Mom, you should get some rest. Don’t work too hard, either. Don’t worry, I’ll give it my all! I promise I won’t let my studies or my business suffer!" Jiang Sifan assured her.

After hanging up, Jiang Yixia stared at her phone screen. For a moment there, she had desperately wanted to tell Jiang Sifan that Lu Fan was the one secretly helping with his startup.

She wanted him to see his father in a new light.

But she was afraid her son was too stubborn. If he found out, he probably wouldn’t be able to handle it.

’Sigh... I’ll just have to find the right time.’