1953: I am not obliged to do so.

I am not obliged to do so.

"She chose to inflict harm on herself by slitting her wrist! From what I know, she's already an adult, so as a grown-up, shouldn't she be responsible for her actions?"0

A hint of detest surfaced on Mu Yazhe's face. "I have something on this afternoon, so I won't be able to visit her."

"Enya… only listens to you, though! She wouldn't listen to us no matter how much we tried counseling her! We're truly at a loss on what to do! As the saying goes, 'he who hides can find.'" Since you're the person she's hung up with, shouldn't you be the one to help my daughter get over her feelings?"

There was a sharp glint in his eyes as he wrinkled his brows in irk. "I don't think I'm obliged to do so."

"Yes… You've indeed got no obligations to do so, but you shouldn't be so heartless! Don't you have even the slightest bit of feelings for her at all? Just what exactly transpired between the two of you? You both used to be good terms; why are you suddenly acting like a stranger to her now?!"

Feeling anxious beyond herself, Jiang Qimeng stared pleadingly at the man with watery eyes as she repeated her pleas again and again.

His gaze gradually turned cold. It was apparent that his patience was running out.

Taking a glance at him, she braced herself and forced her words out through clenched teeth. "Do you know… that my daughter likes you?"

"Yes."

"You do?" His answer came as a shock to her.

He looked up and stared coldly into her eyes, which was full of surprise. "What about it? What kind of response do you expect me to give her? Don't tell me that you share her sentiments, wanting me to go against the world for her and return her passionate feelings while disregarding moral values?"

"I…" Feeling somewhat stumped and embarrassed, she regarded her cousin with a flushed face before she asked, "Do you have feelings for my daughter, then?"

He mulled on that question for a second before he nodded. "Yes."

"It's not impossible for you two to be together if you like her, too. Didn't the son of the Wangs from Huachen International marry his cousin? There's also—"

"Hey, do you know what you're talking about?" interrupted the man at once, unable to continue listening.

"Of course, I know! What's wrong with you two being together if you have romantic feelings for each other? At most, we won't disclose your marriage to the public. Given our families' ties, we can have a tighter knit with your union—"

"That's enough." He suddenly tossed the documents in his hand onto the table. It was a clear sign that he had reached the end of his patience. "Never once have I said anything about having romantic feelings for her."

"Didn't you just say—"

"My feelings for her are purely siblings' love, but such feelings have been obliterated to almost nothing by now, so I don't want you to bring up this matter again! It'll only disgust me!"

With that, the poker-faced man abruptly rose to his feet, loosened his tie, and headed to the door.

Jiang Qimeng immediately followed him. "I give you my promise of my silence about this matter! Could you please agree to visit my daughter and, at least, talk her out of committing suicide again?"

The man's indifference to her daughter's plight infuriated the woman greatly. Suddenly, she broke down into tears. "Yazhe, will it help if I go down my knees to beg you?!"

All she wanted was for her daughter to live happily and well. Alas, that useless daughter of hers did not have the will to continue living now.

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