"You are my son, Jiang Youtian, the pride of our Jiang Family. I worked so hard to raise you all these years. In my heart, even though we aren't related by blood, you are my true son!"
Xue Ping hugged Jiang Youtian. "Your father is right. You're the child I should have carried for ten months and given birth to."
The four obsessively protective older sisters sprang into action again, all talking over one another.
"That's right, Youtian. Don't blame yourself too much. When you get down to it, this was Jiang Fan's fault too. If he hadn't kept doing things to hurt you all these years, you wouldn't have become so extreme and done something like this."
"Really, it's not your fault. None of us have ever blamed you. If anyone's to blame, it's Jiang Fan. Stop crying. You're breaking your second sister's heart."
"..."
Xiao Qian swallowed dryly and said to Old Wu beside him, "I feel like my entire worldview has been shattered."
Old Wu exhaled a mouthful of smoke and shifted his gaze to Jiang Fan, his eyes clearly holding more sympathy and rueful emotion.
"It's because Jiang Youtian is a middle-stage martial apprentice. That kind of talent puts him among the best of all the senior-year examinees in Ancheng. He's truly outstanding. As for Jiang Fan, I just checked. His body is very weak, not even at an ordinary person's level. His qi and blood is only 19 N."
"19 N?!" Disbelief filled Xiao Qian's face.
"That low? That-that's worse than an elementary school student!"
Old Wu continued, "That's why you're seeing this scene."
Xiao Qian understood. No wonder the Jiang Family was so ruthless toward their biological son, Jiang Fan, yet showed boundless tolerance toward Jiang Youtian, who had no blood relation to them at all.
"But-" Understanding was one thing, but Xiao Qian still couldn't help speaking up for Jiang Fan.
"But no matter what, Jiang Fan is their biological son. They can play favorites, but to take it this far-aren't they treating him as less than human?"
Old Wu looked at Jiang Fan's wounds and the unruffled indifference in the boy's eyes. This child's heart must have died completely. Otherwise, he wouldn't be acting like this.
Just as countless emotions swirled through Old Wu's heart, Jiang Fan took a few steps forward and approached Jiang Qifeng and the others.
"Put your performance of true father-son bonds and deep mother-son affection on hold. The lip-reading expert has finished translating. It's time you fulfilled your promises."
As his words fell, Jiang Fan's piercing gaze suddenly landed on Jiang Youtian, making his heart tremble.
"Jiang Youtian, it's time you knelt and apologized to me."
Jiang Youtian's fingers curled, and his back teeth ground audibly.
Just then, Jiang Qifeng stepped forward.
"Jiang Fan, who the hell do you think you are? What right do you have to make our Youtian kneel to you? He's a genius, a middle-stage martial apprentice, while you're just trash with only 19 N of qi and blood. Make him kneel to you? Are you worthy?"
The air around Jiang Fan grew increasingly icy. "So you're planning to go back on your word?"
"We're not going back on our word. You simply aren't worthy of having Youtian kneel to you," Jiang Qifeng declared self-righteously.
"Heh, heh, heh." Jiang Fan laughed coldly. "Family Head Jiang, to think you're the head of a family, yet your words are no better than farts. At your age, aren't you ashamed?"
With outsiders present, Jiang Qifeng felt he had lost every last shred of face, inside and out.
"Outrageous! You little bas-"
"Enough." Jiang Fan cut him off mercilessly.
"Don't forget, you also promised just now to publicly livestream yourself severing all ties with me. So from now on, you and I have nothing whatsoever to do with each other. I'm not your son, and you're no longer my father. So, Family Head Jiang, please recognize your place, and stop calling me a little bastard at every turn. To borrow what you just said, who the hell do you think you are? What right do you have to call me a little bastard?"
Those words left Jiang Qifeng's face as backed up as a sewer clogged for over ten days, flushed red and purple.
Xue Ping tugged at Jiang Qifeng's sleeve. "Honey, forget it. Let's just pretend we never gave birth to or raised this child. Stop arguing with him. He's a stubborn rock. Stooping to his level will only make you ill with anger. Start the livestream. Announce to the world that we've expelled Jiang Fan from the family for good."
At that, the anger on Jiang Qifeng's face gradually faded.
"Yes, you're right. We'll just pretend we never had this son."
With that, Jiang Qifeng wasted no more time. He took out his phone and started livestreaming.
He said, "Today, I, Jiang Qifeng, am taking up everyone's time with this livestream for one reason alone: to make an announcement. From now on, our Jiang Family and Jiang Fan have nothing whatsoever to do with each other. Our Jiang Family is our Jiang Family, and Jiang Fan is Jiang Fan. Whether Jiang Fan falls on hard times in the future or rises above the crowd-hah!"
At this point, Jiang Qifeng couldn't help letting out a mocking laugh. Rise above the crowd? Trash like Jiang Fan would never have a chance to rise above the crowd in this lifetime.
"Or rises above the crowd, none of it will have anything to do with our Jiang Family!"
After ending the livestream, Jiang Qifeng looked at Jiang Fan. "Are you satisfied now?"
Jiang Fan didn't answer. Instead, he looked at Jiang Youtian. "You owe me a kowtow and an apology. One day, you'll have to repay that debt."
Jiang Youtian turned a completely deaf ear to Jiang Fan's words.
In Jiang Youtian's view, Jiang Fan's words posed no threat whatsoever. They were nothing more than powerless bluster.
Jiang Fan turned around and said to Tang Fugui, "Dad, let's go home. Mom and Guoguo are still waiting for us to come back for dinner."
Tang Fugui's eyes were red as he looked at Jiang Fan, his gaze filled with heartache.
"All right. Let's go back."
Old Wu walked over. "This child is badly hurt. We'll give you a ride home on our way."
Tang Fugui had initially felt embarrassed about accepting, but when he thought of Jiang Fan's injuries, he nodded.
"Sorry for the trouble."
In the car.
Old Wu handed Jiang Fan a tube of ointment. "This wound ointment is specially issued by the bureau. It works extremely well, and ordinary people generally have a hard time getting hold of it. Hurry and put some on first."
"Thank you." Jiang Fan took the ointment.
"This medicine is very effective, but the downside is that it stings quite badly," Old Wu warned.
"Mm." Jiang Fan spread the ointment over his body. Just as Old Wu had said, it was intensely irritating. Applying it felt like being burned with a branding iron.
But to keep Tang Fugui beside him from worrying, Jiang Fan never even furrowed his brow.
Old Wu saw this and guessed that the child was doing it to keep his father from worrying, making his heart ache for him even more.
Half an hour later, the car stopped outside the Jiang Family's home.
"Thank you. Thank you so much." Tang Fugui thanked them repeatedly.
"No need to be so polite. Take the child home to rest first. Try not to bathe for the next couple of days." Like an uncle from next door, Old Wu kept giving instructions, still concerned.
"Of course, of course. Thank you. Thank you so very much."
Old Wu watched Tang Fugui lead Jiang Fan into the courtyard before withdrawing his gaze.
Just then, Xiao Qian suddenly received a text message on his phone. "Old Wu! Old Wu! There's a lead in that burglary at Chen Wenhua's house!"