My Alleged Husband

Chapter 506 - 485 Grandpa, it’s not..._1

Zhang Yichen knew, perhaps he had been a bit too direct, wounding the sincere affection his grandfather held for him. That’s why his grandfather had spoken to him in such a way. But he felt he had no choice—if he didn’t make himself perfectly clear, then Old Master Zhang would surely believe that he could meddle in everything, making matters worse.

Old Master Zhang felt that his grandson had gradually grown up, his wings stiffened, and even the words of an old man like himself could be ignored. He could hardly believe that this was the same grandson he had brought up. Why could his words be so easily dismissed? Was there still a place for him, the grandfather, in Yichen’s eyes? Sometimes, it is like this, many things should not be dwelled upon, for the more you think about them, the worse they get. Many issues had nothing to do with him, yet his suspicion and doubt complicated everything. If only he trusted his family more, perhaps his home would not be in such a state. He could never understand what he had missed or what he had done wrong, nor what he had let slip away. He always thought that everything he did was right, that as the head of the family, he should make all decisions. But he would never know that such thoughts had pushed some things far away from him, never to return. Maybe one day he would understand what he had missed, but where would that day be? It seemed eternally out of reach.

"Grandfather, what I said before wasn’t what I meant. I hope you won’t misunderstand me. In reality, many things cannot be resolved by just one person making decisions. Everyone feels differently. Perhaps it’s because I’ve been growing up that we’ve developed a generation gap. There’s so much I don’t know how to express, making me unsure how to communicate with you. But Grandfather, I hope you’ll understand one principle. A family needs to make decisions together through discussion to achieve perfection, don’t they? If you handle everything alone, you’ll wear yourself out, and no one in the family will be happy, feeling neglected. Grandfather, I know every decision you make is for the good of the family, but others might not see it that way. They may feel that you don’t treat them like family. In making decisions, I hope you’ll think things through. I know that as the younger generation, I have no right or qualification to say this, but I hope you understand I’m still your grandchild whom you raised. I would never do anything disgraceful. Often, I just want you to see that I am also part of this family and need to contribute, not to let you bear all the responsibility alone! For one person to bear all the responsibilities of a large family is truly exhausting. I’ve felt this fatigue and won’t let you experience it at your age, to still be the head of the household, shouldering everything and making everyone feel neglected. You do this for their well-being, but they don’t see it that way. They just feel excluded, causing our relationships to grow more distant. Grandfather, my father didn’t leave out of ingratitude but because he couldn’t accept that everything had to be done your way. If you think about it, was my father’s character really that bad, so utterly unforgivable? He’s your own son whom you raised. Was he truly so haphazard in his actions? In reality, he was just protesting in his own way. He wanted to be the master of his own life, not to have his fate determined by his father. That’s why he did things that seemed unreasonable. Because of this, he still hasn’t been able to return home. How much he must wish to come back and be by your side! But now, there’s no turning back. Since things have happened, there’s no way to change them, so he has to bear all the responsibilities. Deep down, he still cares for you, but you’ve forgotten how to communicate with him. Sometimes, you’re so used to having power in your hands that without it, you feel empty. And this habit makes you overlook those who care about you. Tell me, Grandfather, did you ever really give my father freedom? Were all his actions just mistakes? Or was it only because he didn’t follow your plan, didn’t walk the path you laid out for him, that you thought everything he did was wrong... "

Old Master Zhang, upon hearing his grandson’s words, couldn’t help but reflect within himself. Was he really the one who had done wrong? Should he not have demanded his son to live a life according to the path he set? If not, would his son still be by his side, bringing him the joy of family? Could it be that all these consequences were caused by him? He couldn’t believe that everything was his fault. In his heart, he felt that he loved his son the most. How could he possibly have done anything to harm him? Yet sometimes, such mistakes do happen, and there’s no chance to change them. His negligence had driven his son away, who until now hadn’t taken a single step back into the Zhang family home, leaving him to lead a life he did not want, all alone. This is the consequence of power and desire. Did he really want everything to turn out this way? His heart didn’t desire this; only he didn’t know when everything had become irreversible.