Still Have This Side – Chapter 27

Divorce successful.

Jiang Shen didn’t know why he felt a headache.

Now, when he hears someone related to Qiu Baiyu say they have something to tell him, he gets a headache—it’s all that woman Qiu Baiyu’s fault!

He raised his hand to gently rub his temples, back facing Jiang Zimin, and with eyes closed, said: “Speak.”

Jiang Zimin, seeing this, ran to sit in the chair opposite him.

Every time Jiang Shen let her come to the study, he would have her sit in this chair.

She sat properly, raised her head to look at Jiang Shen’s back, and asked: “Dad, why won’t you let me and Auntie leave?”

Jiang Shen’s finger paused slightly as he rubbed his temples.

In an instant, Qiu Baiyu’s scolding words once again rudely broke into his mind—

“Born without receiving her father’s acknowledgment, her father wouldn’t even glance at her, and now she is being used by her own father as a tool to pursue a stepmother. How do you expect this child to view herself?”

Indeed… excessive.

Jiang Shen: “…”

He simply did not answer Jiang Zimin.

In the next second, he heard the child’s innocent voice lightly say:

“Dad, I know you do not love me.”

Jiang Shen opened his eyes, his mood suddenly complicated.

He indeed does not love this child; this is a mistake in his life.

He raises her but always ignores her, does not care for her.

These are the facts.

But hearing Jiang Zimin personally say “I know you do not love me,” he was still stunned for a moment.

Hearing it come from her mouth, he indeed felt it was too cruel.

How can someone treat an innocent child like this?

Jiang Zimin does not know what her dad is thinking, nor did she see him turn around to look at her, but she insists on telling him her thoughts.

Just this once, she must make him hear.

She does not want to return to the past anymore.

“Dad, I know you do not love me.

“Auntie said, we cannot force ourselves to be with people who do not love us; that way, we will be unhappy.

“So Dad, can you let me go?”

As her voice falls, Jiang Shen’s chair back finally turns, revealing his face.

Father and daughter, across a table, meet eyes.

Jiang Shen says: “Is staying not good?”

He said: “You stay here, and I can give you the best of everything, things Qiu Baiyu cannot give, and Aunt Wanyue will also often come to accompany you and teach you piano.

“If you want, I will also try to be a good father.”

This is his bargaining chip, and also his genuine thought after consideration.

If this could become a family of three, why wouldn’t he want to be her good father?

“Weren’t you always hoping I would pay attention to you, listen to you speak?” Jiang Shen said, “I will do it in the future.”

It was his first time negotiating with a child.

That is still his daughter.

The child opposite quietly listened to him speak, earnestly looking at him.

Truly as he said, these are things she had bitterly hoped for but were difficult to reach, and now they are placed in front of her, very close, so close that it seems she could touch them with just one stretch of her hand.

This is what she could not have extravagantly hoped for before.

This is what she used to think about day and night…

“But Dad…”

Jiang Zimin gently spoke.

“I no longer love you.”

Jiang Shen heard and was taken aback.

Jiang Zimin looked at him, with a sad expression, yet her tone was so calm: “My classmates, they all do not have a dad like you, only I do.

“They don’t have to wait every day like me for you to come home, only to always end up unable to wait for you, and when you do come home, you don’t want to pay attention to me…

“Dad, do you know, they say I am a child nobody wants because I don’t have a mom, and you don’t care for me.”

Jiang Shen did not speak; he did not know what to say.

“Dad, I am six years old this year, but this is the first time you are willing to listen to me say so many words.”

Jiang Zimin lowered her head, not knowing when her eyes had reddened, quietly letting a tear fall, which she wiped away herself.

“Dad, being your child is really tiring, I don’t want to be anymore…

“So Dad, please let me go, I can, I can give you money, I’ve saved a lot of pocket money, and the money in the bank card can also be yours, all of it, just let me go, I don’t want to be your child anymore, I want Auntie wuwuwu…”

She couldn’t help but cry.

She had never cried before, not when bullied, nor when hurt.

Ignored by dad, she also never cried.

Only this time, she could no longer hold back.

Being dad’s child is too hard, she doesn’t want to be anymore, and she’s afraid she can’t become Auntie’s child, can’t leave with Auntie.

Her tears are full of her sadness, grievance, and fear.

Jiang Shen: “…”

Silence invaded the entire space.

No one spoke; only the child’s low sobbing could be heard.

The man could not find words to respond; moral condemnation rendered him silent.

He heard the child’s crying, a voice coming from the child’s heart.

---

Yi Wanyue arrived early at the Jiang family home, for Jiang Zimin’s custody.

It was clear to everyone that Jiang Zimin was more suitable to be with Qiu Baiyu.

For the child’s physical and mental health, as Qiu Baiyu’s friend, she found it very necessary to get involved.

“Where is he now?” Yi Wanyue asked.

“He should still be in the study,” Qiu Baiyu said.

From the time she finished the call to going downstairs to wait for Yi Wanyue, Jiang Shen had not left the house, so he was definitely on the second floor, though whether in the study or bedroom, Qiu Baiyu was not very sure.

“You take me up.”

“Alright.”

Arriving at the study door, Qiu Baiyu raised her hand to knock on the door.

Inside, as expected, came Jiang Shen’s voice.

“Enter.”

The tone had calmed a lot.

Qiu Baiyu’s eyebrows furrowed slightly.

Such a calm voice, is this the same person who just argued with her until both their faces were red?

Could this be the CEO’s way of managing emotions?

Without thinking much, Qiu Baiyu directly opened the door, bringing Yi Wanyue inside.

The two saw him standing by the window, just extinguishing a cigarette in his hand.

When he turned and saw Yi Wanyue there too, he hurriedly pushed the white ashtray inward and quickly hid it.

“Xiaoyue? Why have you come?”

Jiang Shen, while speaking, also waved his hand at the air in front, fearing the smoke smell would reach Yi Wanyue, and then glanced at his wristwatch.

“Isn’t it still early for class time?”

Qiu Baiyu said: “I had her come, to let her hear your ridiculous ideas too.”

Yi Wanyue looked at him and directly said: “I heard you are going to divorce, and you still want Xiaomin’s custody?”

Jiang Shen: “…”

He glared at Qiu Baiyu.

This woman actually went to Xiaoyue to complain about him?!

Qiu Baiyu looked back, her expression unchanged: Dare to do, not dare to admit?

Yi Wanyue timely stepped in to end the staring contest, telling Qiu Baiyu: “You go out first, wait a moment, I’ll talk with him alone.”

Qiu Baiyu glanced at Jiang Shen, then turned and left.

After Qiu Baiyu left, Yi Wanyue’s expression instantly became serious: “You should not do this.

“You did not ask if I accept, nor did you ask if the child accepts; you are too selfish like this.”

—Too selfish.

Jiang Shen stopped in place, his eyes lowered.

Then he turned and walked to the window, lifted his head to look at the sky outside, his back full of silence and hesitation.

---

Qiu Baiyu stood outside the door, glanced at Jiang Zimin’s room, thought for a moment and still walked over.

Jiang Zimin now very much needs her company.

She knocked on the door, then gently opened it: “Xiaomin.”

Entering the room, she saw Jiang Zimin sitting on the bed holding a stuffed toy, tears falling “pat pat”.

She paused for a moment, then hurriedly walked over to hold her in her arms: “Don’t cry, don’t be afraid, Auntie won’t leave you.”

Hearing her voice, Jiang Zimin immediately cried even harder, and after crying for a while, she sniffled and asked: “Dad, Dad, has he decided…

“He told me he wants to think, think a bit, has he decided…”

She had just cried in the study, and Jiang Shen took a tissue to help her wipe her tears, then let her return to the room, saying he wants to think.

So has he decided?

Qiu Baiyu on hearing, couldn’t help but ask: “He told you?”

“Did you go find him?”

Jiang Zimin nodded in her embrace.

Qiu Baiyu asked: “What did you say to him?”

Jiang Zimin said while shedding tears: “I don’t want to be his child anymore, I want to be Auntie’s child…”

When Qiu Baiyu heard this, she was slightly stunned.

If another child said this, it might be angry words or a joke, but with Jiang Zimin saying this, she believes it.

For a moment, she was quite moved.

This child who initially bitterly sought fatherly love has today actively removed “father” from her heart; is this not a kind of bravery?

Qiu Baiyu gently stroked her back, softly said: “Wait a bit more, Auntie Wanyue is discussing it with Dad.”

When Jiang Zimin heard that Yi Wanyue had also come, her sobbing stopped for a moment, and while wiping tears, she said: “Aunt, Auntie hello…”

Auntie helps her, Auntie is good.

Dad does not help her, Dad is not good, she does not want to be Dad’s child anymore.

Qiu Baiyu rubbed her head, her gaze inadvertently fell on the wall, then began to look around the entire room.

Even though it is a six-year-old child’s room, it is much larger than the place she lived before.

Jiang Shen is not a good father, but economically, there is indeed nothing to say; he has provided Jiang Zimin with the best conditions.

This kind of condition is something she cannot reach for a while, and might even be difficult to replicate in a lifetime.

—Will Jiang Zimin be unaccustomed after losing it?

“Xiaomin, listen to Auntie, if you go with Auntie, you might not be able to live in such a big house.”

“Then where will we live?”

“We have a place to live, it just might not be as big as this, but there will definitely be a place to sleep.”

“Having a place to sleep is good enough…”

“Is it okay to not have a lot of pocket money each month?”

“It doesn’t matter…”

“Wherever Auntie goes, I will go…” Jiang Zimin wiped her tears, tightly hugged Qiu Baiyu’s waist, her mouth turned downwards, and a crying voice inadvertently overflowed from her mouth, “As long as Auntie won’t leave me…”

“I won’t.”

Qiu Baiyu gently hugged her back.

“I won’t leave you.”

Her grandmother didn’t leave her, and she also won’t leave Jiang Zimin.

She wants to take her away, leave this sinful plot line, and go live a normal life.

“You are here.”

Suddenly, Yi Wanyue’s voice came from behind.

Qiu Baiyu hurriedly turned to look.

She saw Yi Wanyue with a relaxed expression, a smile at the corner of her mouth.

Qiu Baiyu’s eyes slightly widened, surprise overflowing in her expression: “He agreed?”

Yi Wanyue nodded: “Mm, he agreed.”

He no longer holds onto the child’s freedom; he is willing to let go.

Qiu Baiyu was immediately overjoyed.

Jiang Zimin also broke into a smile through her tears: “Great!”

Yi Wanyue then noticed she had been crying, walked forward, bent down, and helped her wipe away the tears: “Were you scared?

“Good, it’s okay now, Dad agreed that you and Auntie can leave.”

Jiang Zimin hurriedly used the back of her hand to wipe her tears, smiling while nodding.

“But from his hesitant reaction, it seems even if I didn’t say anything, he would agree to give up Xiaomin’s custody,” Yi Wanyue looked at Qiu Baiyu, “Before I came, did you say something to him?”

She had hardly said a few words; Jiang Shen himself stood by the window, calmed down for a while, and then said he would give up Jiang Zimin’s custody.

The change was natural yet caught people off guard.

As if he was joking earlier about wanting Jiang Zimin’s custody.

After Qiu Baiyu finished listening, she looked down at the child happily wiping her tears.

She raised her hand gently to touch the top of the child’s head and smiled: “Not important anymore, the result being happy is enough.”

---

That night, Jiang Shen again called Qiu Baiyu to the study.

This time, there were also an assistant, an insurance agent, and a lawyer present.

They were to draft a divorce property division agreement.

In this matter, Jiang Shen is the leading party.

Because before marrying the original owner, they signed a prenuptial agreement, at divorce the property division is decided by the male side, so Qiu Baiyu is here to listen to the inventory.

Fortunately, Jiang Shen still had a bit of conscience and did not let her leave with nothing.

Probably to repay the original owner’s grandmother’s kindness, Jiang Shen indeed divided her a considerable amount of money and a set of property, to prevent her from taking the child and ending up on the street.

Qiu Baiyu listened, her spirits lifted.

She didn’t know how the real world’s rich people live, but novel CEOs’ money really can be given casually!

The part given to her was quickly brought over.

Next is for Jiang Zimin.

More than hers, a lot more.

The assistant said: “President Jiang has set up an educational trust fund for Miss, from elementary to university tuition can be withdrawn each year, to prevent situations where insufficient funds cause academic interruption.”

Qiu Baiyu listened very calmly.

Although it sounds like they are pointing out she has no money, she doesn’t care at all; instead, she thinks the more Jiang Shen spends on Jiang Zimin, the better.

This is what Jiang Shen should do, as he is Jiang Zimin’s biological father.

After discussing the education fund, they also talked about other trust funds, insurance, and many miscellaneous things. The withdrawal conditions are mostly things an ordinary working person like Qiu Baiyu normally doesn’t encounter, and the beneficiaries are all Jiang Zimin.

Even several houses are allocated to Jiang Zimin, plus two shops, with a one-time division very clearly.

All these things combined, Jiang Zimin can live carefree for a very long time.

Qiu Baiyu, as Jiang Zimin’s future guardian, listened quite satisfied.

Being able to pave the way for the child’s future, this truly sounds like a father.

“President Jiang, you seem to have suddenly grown a conscience.”

Jiang Shen, who is drinking coffee: “…”

He really doesn’t like hearing this woman speak!

---

Monday afternoon, at the entrance of the Civil Affairs Bureau.

Qiu Baiyu looked at the divorce certificate in her hand, her eyes bright.

She finally got rid of the title “Mrs. Jiang,” and the fact that this world has no divorce cooling-off period is really great!

As soon as Jiang Shen stepped out of the Civil Affairs Bureau door, he turned, got in the car, and left without the slightest reluctance.

Qiu Baiyu also does not need his reluctance; even though she is usually calm, at this moment she cannot suppress the upward curve of her lips.

She is very happy, so happy that she wants to find someone to share it with.

She subconsciously took out her phone, prepared to tell her friends, then froze upon seeing the current contact list.

She had forgotten, she can no longer see her good friends…

Holding the phone, her hand drooped dejectedly, then lifted again.

She has a new friend here.

She clicked on Yi Wanyue’s chat box.

She opened the camera function, aimed it at the divorce certificate, and clicked.

After checking the picture, she sent it.

[Divorce successful.], she sent.

Yi Wanyue helped her, Yi Wanyue is a good person, and she is willing to share with her.

Yi Wanyue quickly replied: [Congratulations!]

[If you need help moving, you can find me, I will come to help you.]

Very supportive and very considerate.

She is a very good friend.

Qiu Baiyu’s smile deepened as she raised her head to look at the sky.

The sky is very blue, golden sunlight fell at her feet, a breeze came, and the world felt renewed.

Today’s weather is really good~

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