Chapter 132

Although Xiao Zheng was not as intelligent as Xiao Yi, he was still clever. He was no longer the young boy who could only stand behind Jiang Nian. His recklessness, impulsiveness, and ignorance had long been reined in. He was well aware that if his feelings were discovered, not only would the old lady be unable to accept it, but Jiang Nian would also reject him, shattering the delicate balance among the three of them.

Thus, he hid his emotions deeply. If not for…

If not for the old lady witnessing it with her own eyes, Xiao Zheng’s affection for Jiang Nian would have remained a secret. He could have continued to interact with her as before—morning workouts together, evenings spent watching TV or handling official duties—without the current constraints. He wouldn’t have been forced into blind dates, threatened with having his feelings exposed to Jiang Nian, nor would he have brought Yun Shu into the picture to deceive the old lady.

The incident happened a few months ago, when both he and Jiang Nian were making final preparations for a company board meeting. It was late that night in the study, though he couldn’t recall the exact time. Seeing Jiang Nian exhausted and asleep on the desk, he didn’t wake her. Instead, he stood there silently, watching her for a long time.

Only when no one was around could he cautiously reveal a fraction of his long-hidden secret.

But when he looked up, he saw the old lady standing at the study door, her face filled with shock.

She said nothing and turned to leave.

Xiao Zheng knew this matter was far from over.

The next day, the old lady summoned him. She seemed to have stayed up all night, looking utterly exhausted.

He knelt by her bedside.

“How long has this been going on?”

“I don’t know.”

“Does Jiang Nian know?”

“No.”

“Do you know what you’re doing?”

“…Yes.”

“You know? What do you know? I think you don’t!” The old lady scolded him as harshly as she had when he was young. “You’re wrong, terribly wrong! You must put these thoughts aside and remember your place!”

Xiao Zheng knew exactly what his place was. He was her uncle, and she was the woman his most respected elder brother had loved.

“I understand, Grandma.”

However, after this, the old lady didn’t seem at ease. She began arranging blind dates for Xiao Zheng, hoping he would meet more women. She believed that over the years, Xiao Zheng had become too dependent on Jiang Nian, with no other women in his life.

Xiao Zheng had been the hope of both her and Jiang Nian. After the car accident that threw the Xiao family into chaos, Xiao Zheng lost his father, mother, and brother, along with much of his happiness. During the day, he studied at school, and at night, he learned business, following Jiang Nian and handling official duties. Unlike Xiao Yi, who was naturally gifted, Xiao Zheng had to spend much more time studying, repeating what he didn’t understand over and over again…

He had few friends and no time to meet other women. As far as she knew, he had never been in a relationship, and no woman had ever appeared by his side.

The old lady was strict with Xiao Zheng. She was so eager for him to grow up and support the Xiao family that she never anticipated he would develop feelings for Jiang Nian.

Jiang Nian was a good girl. The woman Xiao Yi loved couldn’t be bad. The old lady had seen everything Jiang Nian had done for the family after the accident. Over the years, Jiang Nian had stayed by her side, an old woman, and had taught Xiao Zheng everything she knew. A woman’s prime years had been buried in the Xiao family. She wasn’t heartless; she saw Jiang Nian’s goodness. If Jiang Nian wanted to remarry, she wouldn’t oppose it and would even bless her. The Xiao family would always be her strong backing, but that person could never be Xiao Zheng.

Moreover, there had been many rumors outside over the years. If something really happened, the gossip would become even uglier. The deceased Xiao Yi would be dragged out and criticized, and the Xiao family’s reputation would suffer. Jiang Nian would likely leave the Xiao family to avoid suspicion.

The old lady could only push Xiao Zheng to meet other women. She never expected that while he appeared compliant, he would bring Yun Shu to deceive her!

“Xiao Zheng, don’t think you can fool me. The first time you brought Yun Shu back was to placate me, to stop me from introducing you to other young ladies from prominent families. Those ladies from influential families are hard to control, and you were afraid things would spiral out of your control, ruining your plans. You were also worried that Jiang Nian might interact with them, leading to unnecessary misunderstandings. Later, you stopped bringing Yun Shu back because you hadn’t given up on Jiang Nian. You were afraid she would misunderstand, weren’t you? You haven’t let go!”

Xiao Zheng explained, “Grandma, I brought Yun Shu back to reassure you. But I didn’t bring her back this time because I’m not sure if I want to marry her. There’s no need for her to get too involved with the family and waste each other’s time.”

He spoke earnestly, with a hint of helplessness, making it seem like he wasn’t lying. This made the old lady doubt her own judgment. “Are you serious?”

“Yes.”

“That’s good. Yun Shu isn’t suitable for you. She was terrified just meeting me. If she had to face the board, she’d probably faint. She’s not the one.”

“I know, Grandma. You should rest now.”

“Remember your place.”

“I understand.”

After the old lady left, Xiao Zheng’s expression darkened completely. He leaned back in his chair, closed his eyes, and pinched the bridge of his nose.

Getting the old lady to accept his feelings for Jiang Nian was as difficult as reaching the heavens. The elderly woman’s thoughts were stubborn and obsessive. Once she made up her mind, it was hard to change. Not to mention the old lady, even he had been shocked when he first realized the woman he loved was his sister-in-law.

He had thought it was a mistake, but no matter how much he hid or pretended nothing was wrong, he could deceive others but not himself.

He stared at the pale ceiling. He loved Jiang Nian, deeply, so much that he couldn’t give her up.

Suddenly, there was a knock at the door. Xiao Zheng straightened up, his gloomy expression vanishing, replaced by his usual calm demeanor.

At this hour, the only person who would knock was Jiang Nian.

He got up to open the door and indeed saw Jiang Nian, who had just returned from her run. Her hair was tied up in a ponytail, her cheeks flushed, with a few strands of hair sticking to her face. From the heat, he could almost smell a faint, sweet fragrance—a familiar scent, hers.

She held a glass of milk. “Here, I brought this for you on my way up.”

Xiao Zheng smiled and thanked her, taking the glass.

“Sister-in-law, are you really not planning to return to the company?”

“No, I still have some things to do. That job is so busy I can’t even sleep properly. It’s better to be unemployed, more leisurely.” Jiang Nian waved her hand, genuinely not wanting to go back.

Xiao Zheng lowered his gaze, sighing helplessly. “Sister-in-law, without you, many things feel unfamiliar and difficult to handle.”

Jiang Nian raised an eyebrow. “Don’t you have people to help you?”

“But the only person I truly trust is you.”

Jiang Nian tried to pat his shoulder as she used to, but realizing he was too tall, she settled for patting his arm instead. “You’ll get used to it. Don’t worry, you’ve been doing great all these years.”

Xiao Zheng looked at her and stubbornly shook his head.

“Sister-in-law, you should rest.”

“…Alright.” Jiang Nian said, “You should rest early too. Don’t work too late.”

“Okay, goodnight, sister-in-law.”

Xiao Zheng watched Jiang Nian return to her room before stepping back into the study.

He looked down at the glass of milk in his hand, rubbing his fingers as if they still held a trace of warmth.

…

In the following days, Jiang Nian was indeed very busy, often absent, leaving early and returning late. Sometimes she didn’t even come home for dinner, claiming she had other matters to attend to. Xiao Zheng later found out that the Jiang family had been in frequent contact recently, even sending several invitations for visits. Their intentions were clear.

The old lady was disdainful. “When our family was in trouble, they didn’t lift a finger to help. They didn’t even help Jiang Nian when she was in need. Now that we’re doing better, they want to reconnect. It’s true what they say—when a man marries a stepmother, he becomes a stepfather. Jiang Tao must be losing his mind!”

The Jiang family had acted ruthlessly. When Jiang Nian left, the commotion was huge. Back then, Jiang Tao had shouted at her, threatening to cut off their father-daughter relationship if she left. For years, there had been no contact, not even during holidays. Even when they occasionally crossed paths at necessary events, they acted like strangers. But as the Xiao family gradually regained its footing, the Jiang family began reaching out, especially recently, with increasing eagerness.

The maid said, “Jiang Tao is still Madam’s father. It’s been almost nine years since she left home, and now she’s resigned from the company. Does she have any plans?”

The old lady thought for a moment and sighed helplessly. “What we think doesn’t matter. No matter how flawed Jiang Tao is, he’s still her father by blood. I’ll find a chance to ask Jiang Nian about her plans.”

Later, while sunbathing and chatting with Jiang Nian in the yard, the old lady finally heard Jiang Nian say, “Some things are indeed hard to let go of.”

It seemed Jiang Nian was considering reconnecting with Jiang Tao. The old lady said, “No matter what you decide, the Xiao family will always be your home.”

Jiang Nian smiled. “Yes.”

Home or not, now that the Xiao family’s situation had stabilized, she no longer needed to stay. As long as she had money, anywhere could be home.

The old lady relayed Jiang Nian’s thoughts to Xiao Zheng, and his heart tightened. Was she planning to return to the Jiang family?

Jiang Tao was a man with ill intentions. Back then, he had tied Jiang Nian up and sent her to Yang Hai. Such actions were unthinkable for a father. Now, it was clear he was up to no good… No, Jiang Nian wasn’t that foolish. From what he knew of her, she wouldn’t be easily deceived by Jiang Tao. The likelihood of her returning to the Jiang family was slim.

Having spent many years with Jiang Nian, he understood her temperament. This could only mean she had other plans.

Xiao Zheng had previously seen documents about Jiang Tao and Guo Xiuyu in Jiang Nian’s study. At the time, he wondered why she was specifically investigating Jiang Tao, speculating that she might be homesick. But when he later saw information about Yang Hai as well, he vaguely sensed that Jiang Nian’s intentions might go beyond just missing her family.

Naturally, Xiao Zheng didn’t want Jiang Nian to leave. Whether she stayed in the Xiao family or not, it wouldn’t hinder his desire to be with her. Rather than that, it was better to keep her within his sight.