My Alleged Husband

Chapter 541 - 520: No Longer Insistently Pursuing_1

"As long as you both understand, it’s fine. What Grandpa said yesterday, even though it wasn’t directed explicitly at you, it seems it still served as a reminder, allowing you to reconcile. This alone makes me very happy.

Do you know? Grandpa has really been commanding the winds and summoning the rain for too many years, only to find out that in the end, he is beaten by his own grandson. My own grandson enters the scene as an economic emperor, even more formidable than I, his grandpa!

I hope you kids will remember what Grandpa has said. No matter how much time I have left, or what end I ultimately face, I hope you two can work together in unison. Many things in life can’t be obtained through sheer persistence. I’ve realized now that since my own son does not wish to return to my side, then I will act as if I have no such son. I completely give up on him, granting him the freedom he desires. He can wander the ends of the earth and never return, because he is no longer my son. Although what I say today may be hurtful, I really don’t want to continue being tormented by him!"

I have sacrificed so much for him, step by step, I’ve let go of everything I wanted. Do you know? He is my biological son, yet his own father is not acknowledged by him. Can you understand how much that inner pain hurts?

There’s something you’ve been kept in the dark about this whole time, and I hope that now when I tell you this secret, you will keep it buried in your hearts and never speak of it to anyone.

You must have always wondered why I want my son by my side, and then again why I do not wish for his company. Isn’t that right? The reason I want him by my side is so that when I die, my biological son would be there to see me off. I don’t want to lie alone in a cold coffin, unknowing of his whereabouts, making my journey to the netherworld in solitude. And the reason I don’t want him by my side is because I don’t wish for him to suffer unbearably when I’m gone. Everything I do, step by step, is for him, but in the end, this is the outcome I receive. Now I thoroughly understand that I cannot force him to come back into my life. I only hoped for him to spend a bit more time with me previously, to let me enjoy a bit of familial happiness. But now that he has refused me, I will also completely abandon him..."

Although Zhang Yichen had long known that everything his grandpa did was for his biological father, he still found it hard to believe when his grandpa voiced these thoughts—that for his biological father, he did so much, yet, in the end, his biological father hurt him so deeply without bearing any resentment.

Really, when will his own father realize that family is the greatest wealth and happiness one can have in life? Perhaps he’ll never figure it out. If tonight truly marked the severance of their relationship, then what would his father do with himself in the future? If one day he discovered the truth, how would she bear that pain? What then would he do?

Seeing his grandson in a daze, Old Master Zhang knew his grandson must also be contemplating what his father would do in the future, yet he had no choice but to proceed this way. Though the doctor hadn’t made it explicit, he knew his time was running short. The sudden onset of heart disease—a condition he never had before—was due to a problem that arose with his heart. A tumor had grown on it. While it’s still unclear whether the tumor is benign or malignant, he no longer wished to let such matters continue. Perhaps for everyone, giving up was the best outcome. He had already come to terms with his son’s wandering, no longer needing to appear in his life, as if he never had such a son.

Old Master Zhang was acutely aware that if the tumor in his heart was benign, he could live a few more years. But if it were malignant, he might only have a few months left, or at most a year or two. He knew the pain he would endure in those one or two years would be immense, facing the abyss step by step, until the pain would kill him.

He couldn’t reveal this cruel reality to his grandson. He could not bear to make his dearly raised grandson endure such pain. He couldn’t do it and chose to hide his suffering behind smiles, so that nobody would suspect a thing. Only in this way could his grandson live a steady life, not burdened by any more hurt because of his wretched old grandfather.

"Alright, it’s already late, and your son is waiting at home for you. Don’t leave him alone. He might not be afraid, but he still needs the company of his parents. You should go back and be with him. If anything comes up here, I will call you. I want to rest for a while, I feel a bit tired!"

"Grandpa, we’ll be going now. You rest well here alone. Call me immediately if anything happens, and I’ll rush over right away!"

"Go on!"

After Zhang Yichen and Ran Zhihan left, Old Master Zhang watched them drive away from the hospital, then he slowly made his way to the doctor’s office.

"Director Zhang, I want to ask about what exactly is wrong with my heart. I hope you won’t tell me there’s nothing wrong. I know what I feel in my own body and I want you to clearly tell me!"

Director Zhang’s father and Elder Zhang had been close friends, so technically Director Zhang should also call Old Master Zhang "Uncle Shi."

"Uncle Shi, we can’t be sure at the moment, but we are quite certain there’s an issue with your heart, a tumor. As for whether it’s benign or malignant, we really can’t determine just yet. Can I tell you after a few days when the results come out?"

"Okay, when the results come out, just let me know. There’s one more thing I need to ask of you. I hope you can keep this a secret for me. Don’t tell my grandson and the others. I don’t want them to worry or endure such pain. I just hope to spend the rest of my time happily watching over them. Happiness is enough for me. I don’t dare hope for a good outcome at the end, though the pain will get worse over time, but I do hope he can live a happy life!"

"I understand. Rest assured, I will keep this a secret for you!"