Old Madam Lin, who came in, said indifferently, “The Lin family has never charged you with a crime, nor have we ever wanted you to say anything. However, it’s impossible for us to let the matter that involves Xiruo’s daughter go so easily. Lin Shulian, we’re all here today because we want the truth.”
Seeing that the Lin family was being aggressive, Tang Jianming defended them. “Isn’t the Lin family going a little overboard? Do you want to convict Shulian with just a guess? It’s fine if you guys have never liked her, but look at what you’re doing now.”
He Jiang stood up and walked to Su Bei’s side. His handsome facial features were still so handsome. Although he was no longer young, he was still eye-catching.
He said calmly, “Lin Shulian, you took my daughter, Su Bei, away because of Old Master Lin’s inheritance. Secondly, you probably wanted to take revenge on me and Xiruo, right?”
“Why should I take revenge on you? I have no grudge against you…” Lin Shulian kept avoiding his gaze. To He Jiang, she did not dare to look him in the eye.
“Because you liked me. Back then, no matter how many times you expressed your love for me, I ignored you. But I didn’t publicize this matter considering how you were only a weak and shy woman. I showed you mercy. But now that I think about it, love breeds hate, so you wanted to take away Xiruo’s and my daughter so that we’d live in regret for the rest of our lives.”
He Jiang’s words shocked everyone again.
Lin Xiruo looked up at He Jiang, clearly unaware of this. A hint of jealousy flashed across her eyes.
He Jiang walked back to Lin Xiruo and held her hand. “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you at that time. I didn’t think it was a big deal. Besides, she married Tang Jianming not long after.”
“I know there are many people who like you. It’s normal for you to forget one of them.” Lin Xiruo smiled gently.
When Lin Shulian saw how deep their relationship was, her eyes could not help but reveal a hint of jealousy and resentment. It was so obvious that Tang Jianming immediately caught it.
He had never expected that Lin Shulian would actually like He Jiang… He looked up at He Jiang. That man was also in his 50s and close to his 60s. His back was still straight, and his facial features were still the same as when he was young. He looked even wiser and more composed. He could not help but understand.
His voice cracked. “Is it true, Shulian? You liked him back then?”
“I didn’t like him. I didn’t! In order to convict me, is the Lin family really willing to do anything?” Lin Shulian tried her best to deny it.
He Jiang said calmly, “I’m not framing you. I handed the love letters you gave me to my assistant to deal with back then. My assistant still has them. I really didn’t expect to be able to find those things.”
He didn’t so much as twitch an eyebrow when he said it. He was as calm as if he were talking about something else.
The assistant came out and dragged a box into the room. It contained a large pile of yellowed letters. They looked old and had not been well preserved. They looked to be in a terrible state. Fortunately, the assistant had kept them. Otherwise, He Jiang would not have known where to find them.
The others were fine, but Lin Shulian suddenly looked panicked.
Tang Jianming’s face collapsed. Just by looking at the envelopes, he recognized that it was Lin Shulian’s handwriting. A sense of humiliation surged in his heart, causing his eyes to turn red.
He went forward and grabbed a handful of letters. He opened them randomly and read, “Your appearance has lit up my life and made my life more meaningful. From the moment I saw you, my heart completely fell. Perhaps I’m nothing to you, but you’re the world to me. He Jiang, can you give me a chance? I know that the Lin family has arranged for you to be with Lin Xiruo, but…”
The content was quite beautiful, but when Tang Jianming read it out loud, it sounded sarcastic.
Lin Xiruo lowered her eyes to hide the emotions in them.
“Enough, stop it! Stop it!” Lin Shulian shouted.
Tang Jianming raised the letter high. “Lin Shulian, is this what you meant when you said you’ve always loved me? Is this how you feel about me? From the time we met until the years you married into the Tang family, I’ve always respected you. So, this is what you really think?”
“This was all before my marriage! Is it a mistake to like another man when I was young?” Lin Shulian tried her best to justify her actions. “Could it be that everyone can only like one person? Yes, I used to like He Jiang. He’s using this to humiliate me now. Are you going to be the same as him?”
Tang Jianming’s fingers trembled. He couldn’t say anything out loud. He threw the letter away dejectedly and tore open another letter. He looked down and subconsciously read it out loud, “Maybe I’ll find a man I don’t love and marry him and have children, but the man I’ll never forget is you. You’re the one who haunts my thoughts…”
Tang Jianming smiled as he read. This was a man’s biggest humiliation and betrayal. He was facing it now.
In the adult world, it might be too childish to talk about love, but no one could openly accept such humiliation and betrayal of feelings. Especially when he had always thought that his wife was faithful to him.
Lin Shulian’s inner secrets were exposed on the spot. She was no longer as gentle and timid as before. Her eyes began to turn red. She said, “Are you still going to read them? What else do you want? Is it interesting to talk about what happened more than 20 years ago?”
“I didn’t mean anything at first. If it weren’t for Su Bei, I might never have remembered these letters of yours, let alone expect someone to read them out.” He Jiang’s cold and indifferent voice sounded in the ward. “Lin Shulian, I have no intention of exposing your inner world. But it’s precisely because of this secret in your heart that I have reason to believe that you hate Xiruo and me. You couldn’t wait to see us suffer, so you took our daughter away. That way, we’d live in heartache for the rest of our lives. Am I wrong?”
Lin Shulian’s face began to distort. She said loudly, “No, I don’t hate you! I never wanted you to suffer. After all, you’re the person I love the most in my life. You’re the light of my hope. Why would I want you to suffer? I took Su Bei away because I wanted to raise your child and get closer to you!”
Her words shocked everyone.
She admitted frankly that she had swapped the children and even bluntly expressed her love for He Jiang, which still existed. It was surprising.
Old Madam Lin, who came in, said indifferently, “The Lin family has never charged you with a crime, nor have we ever wanted you to say anything. However, it’s impossible for us to let the matter that involves Xiruo’s daughter go so easily. Lin Shulian, we’re all here today because we want the truth.”
Seeing that the Lin family was being aggressive, Tang Jianming defended them. “Isn’t the Lin family going a little overboard? Do you want to convict Shulian with just a guess? It’s fine if you guys have never liked her, but look at what you’re doing now.”
He Jiang stood up and walked to Su Bei’s side. His handsome facial features were still so handsome. Although he was no longer young, he was still eye-catching.
He said calmly, “Lin Shulian, you took my daughter, Su Bei, away because of Old Master Lin’s inheritance. Secondly, you probably wanted to take revenge on me and Xiruo, right?”
“Why should I take revenge on you? I have no grudge against you…” Lin Shulian kept avoiding his gaze. To He Jiang, she did not dare to look him in the eye.
“Because you liked me. Back then, no matter how many times you expressed your love for me, I ignored you. But I didn’t publicize this matter considering how you were only a weak and shy woman. I showed you mercy. But now that I think about it, love breeds hate, so you wanted to take away Xiruo’s and my daughter so that we’d live in regret for the rest of our lives.”
He Jiang’s words shocked everyone again.
Lin Xiruo looked up at He Jiang, clearly unaware of this. A hint of jealousy flashed across her eyes.
He Jiang walked back to Lin Xiruo and held her hand. “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you at that time. I didn’t think it was a big deal. Besides, she married Tang Jianming not long after.”
“I know there are many people who like you. It’s normal for you to forget one of them.” Lin Xiruo smiled gently.
When Lin Shulian saw how deep their relationship was, her eyes could not help but reveal a hint of jealousy and resentment. It was so obvious that Tang Jianming immediately caught it.
He had never expected that Lin Shulian would actually like He Jiang… He looked up at He Jiang. That man was also in his 50s and close to his 60s. His back was still straight, and his facial features were still the same as when he was young. He looked even wiser and more composed. He could not help but understand.
His voice cracked. “Is it true, Shulian? You liked him back then?”
“I didn’t like him. I didn’t! In order to convict me, is the Lin family really willing to do anything?” Lin Shulian tried her best to deny it.
He Jiang said calmly, “I’m not framing you. I handed the love letters you gave me to my assistant to deal with back then. My assistant still has them. I really didn’t expect to be able to find those things.”
He didn’t so much as twitch an eyebrow when he said it. He was as calm as if he were talking about something else.
The assistant came out and dragged a box into the room. It contained a large pile of yellowed letters. They looked old and had not been well preserved. They looked to be in a terrible state. Fortunately, the assistant had kept them. Otherwise, He Jiang would not have known where to find them.
The others were fine, but Lin Shulian suddenly looked panicked.
Tang Jianming’s face collapsed. Just by looking at the envelopes, he recognized that it was Lin Shulian’s handwriting. A sense of humiliation surged in his heart, causing his eyes to turn red.
He went forward and grabbed a handful of letters. He opened them randomly and read, “Your appearance has lit up my life and made my life more meaningful. From the moment I saw you, my heart completely fell. Perhaps I’m nothing to you, but you’re the world to me. He Jiang, can you give me a chance? I know that the Lin family has arranged for you to be with Lin Xiruo, but…”
The content was quite beautiful, but when Tang Jianming read it out loud, it sounded sarcastic.
Lin Xiruo lowered her eyes to hide the emotions in them.
“Enough, stop it! Stop it!” Lin Shulian shouted.
Tang Jianming raised the letter high. “Lin Shulian, is this what you meant when you said you’ve always loved me? Is this how you feel about me? From the time we met until the years you married into the Tang family, I’ve always respected you. So, this is what you really think?”
“This was all before my marriage! Is it a mistake to like another man when I was young?” Lin Shulian tried her best to justify her actions. “Could it be that everyone can only like one person? Yes, I used to like He Jiang. He’s using this to humiliate me now. Are you going to be the same as him?”
Tang Jianming’s fingers trembled. He couldn’t say anything out loud. He threw the letter away dejectedly and tore open another letter. He looked down and subconsciously read it out loud, “Maybe I’ll find a man I don’t love and marry him and have children, but the man I’ll never forget is you. You’re the one who haunts my thoughts…”
Tang Jianming smiled as he read. This was a man’s biggest humiliation and betrayal. He was facing it now.
In the adult world, it might be too childish to talk about love, but no one could openly accept such humiliation and betrayal of feelings. Especially when he had always thought that his wife was faithful to him.
Lin Shulian’s inner secrets were exposed on the spot. She was no longer as gentle and timid as before. Her eyes began to turn red. She said, “Are you still going to read them? What else do you want? Is it interesting to talk about what happened more than 20 years ago?”
“I didn’t mean anything at first. If it weren’t for Su Bei, I might never have remembered these letters of yours, let alone expect someone to read them out.” He Jiang’s cold and indifferent voice sounded in the ward. “Lin Shulian, I have no intention of exposing your inner world. But it’s precisely because of this secret in your heart that I have reason to believe that you hate Xiruo and me. You couldn’t wait to see us suffer, so you took our daughter away. That way, we’d live in heartache for the rest of our lives. Am I wrong?”
Lin Shulian’s face began to distort. She said loudly, “No, I don’t hate you! I never wanted you to suffer. After all, you’re the person I love the most in my life. You’re the light of my hope. Why would I want you to suffer? I took Su Bei away because I wanted to raise your child and get closer to you!”
Her words shocked everyone.
She admitted frankly that she had swapped the children and even bluntly expressed her love for He Jiang, which still existed. It was surprising.
