My Alleged Husband

Chapter 246 - 226: Do You Hate Me?_1

"Dad, no matter what you say today, I must go in. I need to see her for myself. I know that what I did was wrong. I shouldn’t have been so self-centered, stubbornly harming her. I always thought that as long as I drove her away from Yichen’s side, he could lead a happy life. It wasn’t until the moment Zhihan was injured that I saw my own son’s tears stream down his face, and I knew, his heart was truly in pain. His grief wasn’t because of anything else but because his mother, me, repeatedly hurt him, and these are things I can’t make up for. Dad, please let me see Zhihan just once. Maybe after seeing her, I’ll figure things out, and who knows, I might even choose to turn myself in?"

When Old Master Zhang heard Xia Jing mention the possibility of her turning herself in, he thought that since this is the case, he saw no reason not to let her go in. After all, it was possible they would actually become mother-in-law and daughter-in-law in the future?

"Fine, I will allow you to see her, but I must warn you, once you go in, don’t threaten her again. If I find out you’re using anything to threaten her, then even if Zhentian doesn’t divorce you, for the rest of your life, don’t even think about stepping one foot into the Zhang Family’s home. Furthermore, even if Zhentian doesn’t divorce you then, both of you can leave the Zhang Family’s home together because the door of the Zhang Family doesn’t welcome people like you. Your presence would only bring shame upon our family. Everything that you two have done, how others view our family because of it, I’ve kept quiet about, until now. I can’t hold back anymore because the things you’ve done are really too disheartening..."

Xia Jing, elated to hear Old Master Zhang agree to let her see Ran Zhihan, immediately pushed the door open and walked in. When she saw the pale figure lying in the bed, she knew, the injury she had inflicted had been too severe. The knife was aimed near the heart; had it been a fraction deeper, Zhihan’s life might have been lost. Then, she would not just be banished from the Zhang Family; she would likely spend her life in prison. She now felt grateful, thankful that fortune still favored her, sparing her from a major mistake and a life spent behind bars.

When Ran Zhihan saw Xia Jing entering her hospital room, she thought Xia Jing had come to threaten her again. She really didn’t like Xia Jing, for the sight of her reminded her of the moment her parents almost lost their lives because of her. Each time she thought about it, she was terrified, fearful that she might lose the love of her parents because of herself. How could she face herself for the rest of her life?

"Auntie, I’m sorry, but I’m feeling a bit unwell and not up to having visitors. Could you please leave?" Ran Zhihan said gently to Xia Jing, truly not wanting to see her since her presence reminded her of the sins she bore because of her parents.

"Zhihan, don’t misunderstand, I didn’t come here today for anything else. I wanted to ask you, do you really love my son that much? To the point of risking your life? Do you know how dangerous that knife was? Just a little bit more, and you would have left this world forever. Aren’t you afraid?" In truth, Xia Jing didn’t understand where Ran Zhihan had found the courage back then. The knife was right before her eyes, yet she still shielded herself with her body. Wasn’t she afraid at all? That knife could have ended her life, yet she had the courage to block it. Did she really care about her son that much?

"Auntie, you were mistaken, I didn’t block that knife for your son, I did it for my parents. You surely haven’t forgotten that you charged at my parents with that knife, and if I hadn’t stepped in, my parents might be the ones lying in the hospital right now. Could I really have stood by and watched them get hurt because of me?"

"Even if you did it for your parents, didn’t you ever think that by running in like that, you could have lost your own life? Would you want your parents to experience the sorrow of burying their child, wouldn’t that make them even more heartbroken?"

"Auntie, if you don’t mind, please calm down and listen to my story. Since childhood, I was born into a poor family. My mom and dad went through all kinds of hardships to raise me. They always tried their best to give me the best they could, and even if I made a tiny mistake, they educated me without hesitation. In their hearts, they were reluctant to scold or beat me, but they wanted me to be an upright person, not someone who stoops to deceit or theft. In my parents’ view, our family could be without money, but we absolutely couldn’t be without integrity. Over the years, I’ve always placed my mom and dad in the most important part of my heart; no one can ever take their place. Yichen once asked me if I would hate my parents if they abandoned me. I told him resolutely that I wouldn’t. In their hearts, they will always love me, no matter the reason they might leave me, they will always be my parents. As their child, I have no right to hate them. If they chose to do so, there must be a reason behind it. In my eyes, no matter how wrong the things my parents do, they are still the ones who gave me life; my life belongs to them. So, isn’t it right for me to give my life to save theirs? Auntie, I’m not qualified to judge whether you’re selfish or not because I see you as a knowledgeable and reasonable person. I know you come from a mercenary background, and I know you have significant power. I am powerless, and facing your overwhelming power, I can only choose to comply. But this doesn’t mean I’m weak. Every time I hide behind, it’s not because I don’t want to stand up and resist you, it’s simply because you’ve never harmed my vital interests. I can lose your son, but I can’t lose my parents. Love can be found again, but parents, once gone, are gone for life. How can I selfishly sacrifice my own parents for the sake of my love life? What would posterity think of me?"

Upon hearing Ran Zhihan’s words, Xia Jing finally understood why her father was so fond of this girl, why her son would rather forsake his own mother to be with her, and why he could shut his mother out time and again for this woman. She now realized how kind-hearted this girl was, aware of and grateful for her blessings, while she herself had been causing her harm.

"Auntie, you’ve hurt me. Do you think I hate you? Because I didn’t want you with my son, I’ve hurt your parents over and over. Do you really hold no hatred for me in your heart?"

"Auntie, there’s no such thing as hate or not hate in my heart. You are like my own mother, I only respect and love you, I won’t hate you. No matter what you do, I will never hate you because in my heart, you are always the mother of the person I love the most!"