My Alleged Husband

Chapter 241 - 221: Obstinate Ignorance_1

"What, do you all really believe she’s pleading for me? You all seem to hold her in such high regard, don’t you realize that she might be saying and doing this deliberately for your sake? Don’t you think that this is unfair to me? With all of you standing on her side, what does that make me? Am I being pushed out like this? After all, I am still a member of the Zhang family, the legitimate wife brought into the family through formal marriage, what gives you the right to treat me this way? Who is she? She has no relation to the Zhang family now, she isn’t even married to my son yet, what gives her the right to act like this? Is there such a thing?" Xia Jing was dissatisfied that everyone had taken Ran Zhihan’s side, she didn’t want such a thing to happen, she couldn’t accept it, she had always cared for her husband, but then one day he suddenly turned on her and refused to stand by her, leaving her unable to accept it.

Upon hearing his daughter-in-law’s words, Old Master Zhang simply didn’t want to say anything more. He couldn’t understand why his daughter-in-law was so unreasonable. Something so simple was made so complicated by her; an event that was supposed to be joyful appeared so sordid through her eyes. His grandson’s love was so honorable and upstanding, yet in her view, it became something so inexplicable. He really didn’t understand why the principles that everyone else grasped were unknown to his daughter-in-law, why when everyone else knew how to be a decent person, his daughter-in-law didn’t know how to behave, even losing her true nature, making things worse with each passing instance. How could he explain to Ran Zhihan’s parents? The wound Ran Zhihan received wasn’t just physical; the emotional hurt was deep. Ran Zhihan had never imagined that her future mother-in-law could be so cruel as to hurt her own parents, making her future interactions with Zhang Yichen difficult. Why did they never consider their own son’s feelings when doing things, were they really that selfish in their eyes? Can such selfish people ever have a good outcome? He didn’t know, nor did he wish to know. He just wanted to understand why his daughter-in-law kept doing such things, why she kept on hurting the hearts of those who cared for and loved her, why she repeatedly let down Zhang Zhentian, Zhang Yichen, and even himself as a father.

Zhang Zhentian watched his wife’s stubborn ignorance, his heart anxious for her, yet he didn’t know what to do. This was the most helpless he had ever felt since he was born, never had his helplessness felt as intense as it did now. He had been through so much turmoil in life, even once facing life and death with Xia Jing, but why couldn’t she understand his heart today? He didn’t understand why in Xia Jing’s eyes, he was so insignificant, why she kept on hurting him, hurting his father, and hurting the son whom he loved the most — the son he had neglected for over a decade, neglect that couldn’t be mended in a day or two. Over ten years of emotional debt couldn’t be fully repaid so swiftly, but why were the words ’to make amends’ never present in her world? Why did she always only see her own interests in her world and never notice the efforts of others, the hardships they endured to achieve their goals...

"Xia Jing, oh Xia Jing, I don’t understand how many more times I have to tell you, and I also don’t understand how else I should talk to you. I’ve tried reasoning in every possible way, yet you just don’t grasp my intentions. Do you even know? Do you realize the price you will pay for this? Do you know what you’ll lose by doing this? In the end, you won’t gain anything; do you think you’ve achieved your goal this way? By acting like this, you’ll only make our son love her more. I really don’t understand, such a kind girl, why you could harbor such malice to hurt her. Is she really so insignificant in your eyes, worthless? Is your life the only one that matters in your heart? Isn’t her life just as valuable? Or perhaps, in your heart, all you think about, all you care about is just your own benefit; do you assume that if you’re happy, everyone else will be happy too? Do you think that others have to follow exactly in the footsteps of what you deem right? Don’t you realize that acting this way is entirely too selfish? I never knew you could be so self-centered before; it seems I misjudged you."

"Zhentian, how can you talk to me like this? Haven’t you understood me at all during the time we’ve been together? After all these years, don’t you know what’s in my heart? We’ve shared a bed for over a decade; why can’t you understand my thoughts? Why can’t you stand in my shoes and consider things for a moment? I don’t ask for much; I don’t desire any wealth or splendor. All I want is for our son to be dutiful, for my daughter-in-law to be the woman of my choice, for my husband to cherish, love, and respect me. Why is this so difficult here? You always say I treat you a certain way, so today, in front of everyone, I will ask you: Zhang Zhentian, what am I to you, Xia Jing? I am also a person, I have thoughts, feelings, and I too wish to be loved by my husband, my son, my family. Don’t you crave the same? As a man, you yearn for these things; even more so for me, as a woman. Women are often the most sensitive creatures; my intuition has always been sharp. For years, I have never contradicted you; I complied with whatever you said. Of course, there were times when you complied with me too, but I beg you, could you please accommodate me just this once? I truly, truly just want our family to be happy and united together. Why is that so hard? Is this step really harder than reaching the heavens?"

Xia Jing’s inner turmoil grew more intense, and she found herself unable to calm down. Whenever she thought of her husband, her son, even her father, being swayed by an unrelated girl with such words, it threw her heart even more off balance. All she needed was her husband’s love, care from her family members, but it was the diminished attention from Old Master Zhang and Zhang Yichen that led to this outcome. Could she blame others? It couldn’t all be her fault. Everyone knows there’s no smoke without fire; how could there be an effect without a cause? Everyone assumed Xia Jing was the reason for all these issues, but did they truly consider her perspective? Did they actually hope to experience these events themselves? Were her hopes, the things she cared about, so trivial?