Volume One, Chapter 14: I Was Born Carrying Her Hatred

When speaking of Hongfang Jiang, Xiao Qian Lü’s fingers gently glided across the photo album.

On the phone appeared another young girl, her brows and eyes bearing a striking resemblance to Zifei Jiang, yet their temperaments were entirely different.

Zifei Jiang was proud and unruly, like a haughty little princess who was willful and capricious.

Hongfang Jiang, on the other hand, was serene and gentle, smiling warmly at the camera, her eyes and brows like a small boat on the Trent River, laden with starlight.

In terms of appearance, it was difficult to say who was more delicate and beautiful, but at a glance, Zifei’s aura was more radiant and eye-catching. Even with a cold expression, she exuded a lively spirit that drew people in, inspiring admiration and pursuit.

Lü Xiaoqian said, “Your maternal grandfather had three wives in succession. Before your grandmother, he already had a son and a daughter. After your grandmother, he had two sons and a daughter. Feifei and her elder sister share the same mother; they should have stood united and harmonious. Sadly, they were treated differently from childhood. Your mother was favored more by your grandparents and was pampered, which nurtured her proud and self-important nature, becoming increasingly fierce and headstrong.”

As she spoke, Lü Xiaoqian smiled wryly and looked at Su Qiuyu: “Don’t let her know these things later. I’m telling you in confidence.”

Su Qiuyu replied earnestly, “Don’t worry, Aunt Lü. I won’t tell.”

Lü Xiaoqian’s finger slid down to reveal a wedding photo.

It was taken by the sea under a clear blue sky; distant islands and seabirds were visible. The bride nestled against the groom’s chest, their hair tangled and fluttering in the sea breeze, their smiles radiant as a sunny sky.

At first glance, Su Qiuyu almost mistook the bride for Zifei Jiang.

Only when she saw the groom beside her did she realize the bride must be Hongfang Jiang.

The bride’s makeup seemed to have finally made Hongfang bright and confident.

Lü Xiaoqian asked, “Xiaoyu, who do you think this bride is?”

Without hesitation, Su Qiuyu answered, “Hongfang Jiang.”

Lü Xiaoqian shook her head, “That’s your mother.”

Su Qiuyu gasped.

Lü Xiaoqian slid further to show another wedding photo.

The newlyweds smiled brilliantly, surrounded by a circle of relatives and friends and a shower of flowers, like the brightness of a spring day in April.

This time, Su Qiuyu was sure it was Hongfang Jiang.

Yet the groom was still the same man.

Confused, Su Qiuyu frowned and looked at Lü Xiaoqian, “Why is this man...?”

“That man is Jian Yizhi. He is your mother’s brother-in-law and also her lover.”

“…”

“That’s why I said it’s disgraceful.”

Lü Xiaoqian continued scrolling, sighing: “Your mother loved him deeply, her love as fierce and passionate as her character. But love knows its order; moreover, your mother fell in love with Jian Yizhi at Hongfang and Jian’s engagement party.”

Su Qiuyu furrowed her brows. “With her character, she wouldn’t give up.”

“Exactly. She relentlessly pursued her brother-in-law, not hesitating to be a homewrecker. With your mother’s looks and character, which man could resist her? Not to mention the thrill of an extramarital affair. Before long, they were entangled.”

“They were discovered, right?”

“Six months later. Hongfang attempted suicide but failed. Your mother, however, showed no remorse; instead, she spoke disrespectfully, which finally angered your grandfather, and your mother was expelled from the Jiang family.”

Su Qiuyu was momentarily speechless.

Lü Xiaoqian flipped to a photo of herself in her youth.

“Look, Xiaoyu.”

Su Qiuyu looked: the young Lü Xiaoqian was in her early twenties, full of vigor, her face lit with a happy and youthful smile.

Su Qiuyu smiled, “Aunt Lü was so young then.”

Lü Xiaoqian smiled as well. “Yes, youth is wonderful. Your mother and I were high school classmates. Later, she went abroad to study, and we rarely kept in touch.”

Su Qiuyu said, “After my mother was kicked out of the Jiang family, she came to find you.”

“Hm. She is proud and disdainful of the world, but in the end, hunger and poverty drove her to me.”

Su Qiuyu seemed to anticipate the next part of the story.

Lü Xiaoqian said, “Your grandfather still cared for your mother. He wanted her to admit her mistake and return to the Jiang family. To that end, he secretly caused her to lose more than ten jobs. Your mother had no steady income but still refused to go back, saying she would never bow to the Jiang family.”

“And my father...?”

“I introduced them along with Li Wei. Your mother was too beautiful; suitors were everywhere. After staying next door for a long time, many came asking about her. She rejected them all until one day, your father, newly retired, came to drink with Li Wei.”

At this, Lü Xiaoqian smiled: “Your father is upright and kind, tall and handsome. Li Wei said he was popular with girls since childhood. See, your mother’s eyes are set so high on her head that no one likes her, but she set her sights on your father.”

Su Qiuyu listened quietly, but a bitterness welled inside her.

Was this “setting her sights” really a good thing...?

From everything she had ever seen, Su Qiuyu was certain beyond doubt that her mother never loved her father.

Not even a little.

“Where is Jian Yizhi?” Su Qiuyu suddenly asked. “What happened to him? Didn’t the Jiang family do anything to him?”

Lü Xiaoqian’s expression darkened as she looked deeply at Su Qiuyu: “They did. Hongfang persisted for two years but, pressured by the family, eventually divorced him.”

“And after the divorce?”

“Hm... he came looking for your mother.”

Lü Xiaoqian hesitated to meet Su Qiuyu’s clear, determined, and beautiful eyes.

She glanced at the corner of the bedside table: “But your mother... she was already over seven months pregnant with you at that time.”

Su Qiuyu smiled, a bit pale, “I understand.”

Lü Xiaoqian sighed softly, lowering her head.

Su Qiuyu said, “With a belly that big, Jian Yizhi must have been scared off.”

“Mm.”

“So, my mother hated me. Since I can remember, she never showed me any patience and would hit me whenever displeased. I was born carrying her hatred. But why didn’t she have me aborted? If she had... she could have...”

At this, Su Qiuyu suddenly stopped.

Lü Xiaoqian’s face darkened, her hands clenched tightly on the tablet, lips pressed firmly together.

Over seven months...

Calculating the months between her and her sister, that was precisely when Lü Xiaoqian had wanted to force Xia Xia’s abortion but failed, and the child fled.

Lü Xiaoqian spoke softly but with great weight: “To abort a child that far along, the body cannot endure it easily; it takes a long time to recover. Your mother didn’t want to lie down because she had to take care of the daughter I left behind... At that time, Xia Xia needed care the most.”

Suddenly, Su Qiuyu felt the world was cruel to her.

But the thought was quickly suppressed.

It was still okay; at least her father loved her dearly.

She lowered her gaze back to the tablet. “Aunt Lü, do you really think Hongfang Jiang is the one who kidnapped my mother? After all these years, my mother has lived poorly. Hongfang must have seen that and felt no joy, right? Would she still hate her?”