There was unwillingness and deep hatred in every word He Zhenxing uttered. From each word, one could tell what kind of jealous and disgusted emotions he had always harbored while facing He Zhenhua.
This shocked He Zhenhua.
He and He Zhenxing had been brothers for so many years, but he never knew that his brother was infertile. He only knew that He Zhenxing had married two women successively. The first one divorced him more than a decade ago, and more than a decade later, he married another one. But this time, they divorced within three months, and neither woman had a child with him.
He had once asked his brother with concern why he didn't have a child. After all, they were getting old, and it wasn't good to delay any longer.
At that time, He Zhenxing pretended to be nonchalant and told him that being single was more free, and having a child would be too much trouble. So He Zhenhua didn't ask further.
All along, He Zhenhua thought that He Zhenxing was just joking or that he had an illegitimate child outside. He never knew that, in fact, his brother was infertile.
He Zhenxing, who was already filled with resentment, saw He Zhenhua's happy and harmonious family. At that moment, his jealousy reached its peak. That's why he lost his mind and did those things against He Zhenhua.
At this moment, He Zhenhua only felt powerless. This was the family member he had always trusted, but he never knew that his brother hated him so much, wishing him dead.
Sixteen years ago, he chose to believe his elder brother rather than his wife. In the final analysis, it was all his own fault. Who else could he blame for such a result?
"Although you took Xiaoxi away from me back then, I thought I wouldn't see her again for so many years. But..." He Zhenhua composed himself, his eyes calm. "I've found her now. She will surely come back to me."
"What did you say?" He Zhenxing's pupils constricted sharply. "You said you found her... How is that possible?" He Zhenxing murmured the second half of the sentence.
"Maybe this is fate." He Zhenhua smiled. "Do you still remember the girl you saw in my office?"
How could he forget that girl? She even punched him and knocked out his teeth. Just thinking about that girl, hatred welled up in He Zhenxing's eyes.
"Could it be... her..." Suddenly, He Zhenxing stood up abruptly, shouting excitedly.
"Yes!" He Zhenhua nodded calmly. "Didn't you ask her name? Well, I'll tell you. Her name is Ye Yanxi. I didn't expect that after more than a decade, I did a paternity test with her again. The result proves that she is my daughter."
The light in He Zhenxing's eyes dimmed instantly. When he looked up, the hatred and jealousy towards He Zhenhua welled up again. "Why are you so lucky? I clearly sent her out of City S back then, but you still managed to find her. Why can you easily have everything?"
"Brother." There was sorrow in He Zhenhua's eyes. "If you had lived a good life instead of gambling, all these things would have been easy for you. It's just that... you were too greedy and pushed yourself into an irredeemable situation."
"No, it's not..." He Zhenxing stubbornly denied. "It's all because of you. If it weren't for you, Dad would have given the company to me. I'm Dad's only son, and I wouldn't have ended up like this."
Facing He Zhenxing's stubbornness, He Zhenhua felt that he could never communicate with his brother. There was an insurmountable gap between them.
"You have one more month to reflect... You'd better take care of yourself." After saying that, He Zhenhua stood up and left.
Only He Zhenxing was left, looking at his brother's back with hatred in his eyes. "Why is God so unfair to me? Why can you get everything, while I have nothing!"
After leaving the visiting room, He Zhenhua could still hear He Zhenxing's heart - rending shouts behind him.
Get everything? Would he be happy?
He curled his lips self - deprecatingly. Now that he was all alone, could he still find happiness?
Jiang Pinzhen had returned to the Jiang family and wouldn't see him again. As for his daughter, she hated him and refused to recognize him. This was really retribution!
Suddenly, He Zhenhua's phone rang. When he saw the name on the screen, a flash of joy crossed his eyes. He quickly answered the call.
"Pinzhen, is that you? You finally called me." He Zhenhua's voice trembled a little. Maybe he was just wishful thinking, thinking that if Jiang Pinzhen called him voluntarily, it meant she had forgiven him.
But Jiang Pinzhen's tone was cold. "Let's meet."
"Okay, I'll go there right away."
"No need. Just meet outside."
"Okay, let's meet at the old place."
The place they agreed to meet was an old teahouse. He Zhenhua arrived there very early. This was also the place where they first met. Every anniversary in the past, they would come here to sit.
He arrived a bit early, so he ordered a pot of tea first and sat down to wait for Jiang Pinzhen.
After he finished a cup of tea, Jiang Pinzhen finally arrived gracefully.
He didn't know how many times his eyes had passed by the door. When he saw Jiang Pinzhen, He Zhenhua stood up excitedly to greet her.
"Pinzhen, you're here." He was a bit nervous, just like when they first met. He stammered for a long time before finally saying, "It's very sunny outside. Come in quickly."
Jiang Pinzhen just looked at him coldly, then followed him to a window seat and sat down.
The air - conditioning in the teahouse was very strong. It was like a different world from the scorching sun outside. There was a faint smell of sandalwood in the air, making people feel cool all over in an instant.
As soon as Jiang Pinzhen sat down, He Zhenhua couldn't help but reach out to hold her hand. "Pinzhen, we haven't seen each other for a long time. I'm so glad to see you."
But his outstretched hand grabbed nothing. The moment he reached out, Jiang Pinzhen retracted her hand coldly. He Zhenhua could only withdraw his hand awkwardly.
"Pinzhen, I know I did wrong before and hurt you. But now I..."
Just as he was about to repent, Jiang Pinzhen interrupted him with a smile. "Zhenhua, how long have we known each other?"
He Zhenhua blurted out without thinking, "Twenty - five years and three months."
He remembered so clearly because he really cared about Jiang Pinzhen. Almost every wedding anniversary, they would come here. Over the years, his love for Jiang Pinzhen had never diminished.
Hearing this, there was a slight look of surprise in Jiang Pinzhen's eyes. She didn't expect He Zhenhua to remember so clearly. Looking at the glaring sun outside the window, there was a moment of confusion in her eyes. Soon, she withdrew her gaze and regained her coolness.
"Since we've known each other for so many years, you must know what kind of person I am, right?" Jiang Pinzhen's voice was still cold, and her gaze was fixed on He Zhenhua's face.
He Zhenhua was silent for a moment, then nodded. "In my heart, you're always perfect."
This sentence only earned him a mocking sneer from Jiang Pinzhen.
"Really? Since I'm a perfect person in your heart, then you..." Jiang Pinzhen's face darkened, and she questioned him sharply. "You still suspected me? You thought our daughter was mine and someone else's?"
He Zhenhua wasn't worried before she came, but now it seemed that she already knew the whole truth.
"Pinzhen, I just found out the truth. I'm really sorry for you. I shouldn't have suspected you. I was just deceived by villains... and misunderstood you. But I promise I won't misunderstand you again from now on."
"Do you think you can fix everything with just one sentence?" There was disappointment in Jiang Pinzhen's tone. "If you hadn't misunderstood me back then, how could we have ended up like this? Our daughter wouldn't have been separated from me for sixteen years. Just thinking about all the hardships she endured in these sixteen years, and even the uncertainty of life and death, I can't sleep at night."
"Pinzhen, I know. I know it's all my fault." He Zhenhua could only apologize again and again. "I promise that we won't be separated from now on. I'll try my best to make up for you and our daughter... Pinzhen, please forgive me?"
Jiang Pinzhen took a deep breath, calmed herself down, and then looked up at He Zhenhua again.
"No matter what you say now, the damage that has been done can't be undone. It's not something that can be ignored just because you ask for forgiveness." Jiang Pinzhen shook her head. "The harm that Xiaoxi has suffered can't be made up for with just one sentence of compensation."
"Pinzhen, I know I can't shirk my responsibility, and you won't forgive me... But after all, we're husband and wife, and Xiaoxi is our daughter. Although we can't make up for what happened in the past, fortunately, our family is still together now. Let's forget the past and start over."
Jiang Pinzhen sneered. "When you suspected me back then and cruelly left Xiaoxi in the orphanage, and recognized a daughter who had no blood relation with you, did you ever think about our family? What right do you have to talk about family now?"
He Zhenhua nervously squeezed his palm, filled with guilt and self - blame.
"Pinzhen, I know I did wrong. What do you want me to do to forgive me?" He Zhenhua's eyes were filled with hope, begging for Jiang Pinzhen's forgiveness.
"I've already made up my mind." Jiang Pinzhen looked up at him coldly, her eyes extremely determined.
"Pinzhen..." He Zhenhua nodded repeatedly. "No matter what you want me to do, I won't refuse you."
After a while, Jiang Pinzhen looked at He Zhenhua expressionlessly and uttered the cold words, "Zhenhua... Let's get divorced!"