CHAPTER 165: CHAPTER 165 DIGGING YOUR OWN GRAVE

The events at the Yang Family were recounted by the old man at the dinner table when he returned home.

Previously, when Shen Qingqing returned to the country, she had met that aunt-and-niece duo at the compound.

She did not have a good impression of them.

Whether Yang Fen got married or not had no impact on her.

As long as they didn’t recklessly cause her trouble again like before, that would be enough.

After dinner, Shen Qingqing and Father Jiang went to the study to talk.

Jiang Zhixun was in charge of washing dishes and cleaning up.

Afraid Shen Qingqing might leave suddenly, he moved quickly, bustling about so energetically that it made Madam Jiang frown deeply.

Fortunately, despite his speed, the quality of his work was not sloppy. Otherwise, Madam Jiang would have voiced her complaints out loud.

The study room.

Father Jiang: "Besides you, your school has also recommended a few very capable teachers to work on this with you. The school has adjusted the teaching schedules for this period, so it won’t delay students’ learning. You don’t need to worry about that."

Shen Qingqing had indeed been worried about this.

Now, with the school’s support, her concerns had eased. "Then I’ll go back and make preparations."

Father Jiang nodded. "No need to be nervous; just perform as you normally do. Everyone has faith in your abilities."

Being trusted like this made Shen Qingqing feel an even heavier burden on her shoulders.

She quietly told herself that she absolutely couldn’t make any mistakes.

Not even the tiniest mistake!

Father Jiang understood her emotions. Young people needed challenges; only through experience could they strengthen their resolve and maturity.

As long as one wasn’t careless and had a certain level of ability, opportunities for growth could be provided.

"Your father was brilliant back in his day. No matter how grand the occasion, he could face it with complete calm and composure, never faltering. Like father, like daughter—you surely have his style as well."

Shen Qingqing felt comforted by this.

Thinking of her own parents stirred an inexplicable surge of courage within her. "I promise to complete the task!"

Father Jiang showed an approving expression. "Good. Don’t let us down."

Shen Qingqing nodded firmly.

Appropriate pressure acts as a driving force.

Pushing aside the chaotic thoughts in her mind, all she wanted now was to return to the school and prepare well for the upcoming work.

Father Jiang waved his hand. "You can leave now. Let Zhixun take you back. I need to handle some work."

Shen Qingqing didn’t need Jiang Zhixun to take her, but she didn’t argue. She turned and walked out of the study, closing the door behind her.

Jiang Zhixun had already finished his tasks. "Leaving now?"

"Mm."

The man turned on his heel to grab the car keys.

Shen Qingqing’s eyes flickered, and she quickly said, "I’ll ride my bicycle. You don’t need to take me."

Jiang Zhixun didn’t reply, only slowing down his steps.

Leisurely, he picked up the car keys and slipped them into his pocket.

In the meantime, Shen Qingqing headed to the courtyard to get her bicycle, trying to leave quickly.

But when she saw the bike, she was stunned.

On instinct, she bent down to pinch the tires—they were flat.

The chain was broken as well...

Shen Qingqing suspected this was one of Jiang Zhixun’s "masterpieces," but it was so childish that she wasn’t entirely sure.

For someone his age, he shouldn’t be doing things like this, right?

With his hands in his pockets, Jiang Zhixun stood at a distance watching her and asked knowingly, "What’s wrong?"

Shen Qingqing ignored him.

She greeted Madam Jiang and the old man before leaving the Jiang Family directly.

It seemed enemies were destined to cross paths; not far from the house, she ran into Yang Fen.

This time, Yang Fen didn’t come up to her but just threw a resentful glance her way, as though Shen Qingqing had wronged her, then bowed her head and left quickly.

Shen Qingqing didn’t understand what Yang Fen was thinking and couldn’t be bothered to figure it out.

"Qingqing?"

A strange male voice called out, making Shen Qingqing instinctively turn toward its source.

She saw a family of four—two kids, one walking in the front and the other being carried by a man.

Shen Qingqing’s mind raced to link the identity of the person in front of her.

It was Qin Wenqiang.

Madam Jiang had previously mentioned that he’d already had a second child.

When Shen Qingqing fell ill, word eventually got out. Qin Wenqiang had been ready to reintroduce himself, but to his surprise, Shen Qingqing recognized him first.

He was so shocked that he couldn’t contain the smile on his face.

Although he knew that Qin Wenqiang was now completely absorbed in his own family life,

Jiang Zhixun still felt uneasy whenever he thought about how Qin Wenqiang had liked Shen Qingqing before he knew about it.

Standing between them, Jiang Zhixun introduced Qin Wenqiang’s wife and kids to Shen Qingqing.

Finally, he added, "Their marriage is going great; they might even have a third kid soon."

Madam Jiang had said the same thing earlier.

Shen Qingqing teased, "You’re such a good-looking couple—handsome and beautiful—you definitely should have more children to pass on your amazing genes."

Qin Wenqiang’s wife initially had a problem with Shen Qingqing.

Whenever something happened to Shen Qingqing, her husband would become restless.

As his wife, how could she not notice where the issue lay?

But after learning about Shen Qingqing’s condition and her situation with Jiang Zhixun, Qin Wenqiang’s wife couldn’t help but feel pity for her.

Shen Qingqing hadn’t done anything inappropriate or sought help from her husband, so she didn’t deserve to be blamed.

She smiled and asked Shen Qingqing, "I heard you’re teaching at Beijing University now. Your health must have fully recovered, right?"

Shen Qingqing: "Yes, I’ve recovered. Thank you for your concern."

She didn’t know she would run into Qin Wenqiang’s kids and hadn’t prepared any gifts in advance.

Luckily, she carried a stash of White Rabbit candies in her bag. She took them all out and gave each child two pieces.

It was just a small gesture, but for kids, candies were always a delight.

"Thank you, big sister," Qin Wenqiang’s elder son said happily.

Jiang Zhixun corrected him, "Call her aunt."

The little boy frowned. "Why do I have to call her aunt?"

Big sister was so pretty and young—what was wrong with his choice of words?

Getting called uncle while Shen Qingqing was addressed as big sister felt like a stab to Jiang Zhixun’s heart.

He was already a few years older than Qingqing.

Now, at thirty-three, he was inching closer to forty...

The more he thought about it, the more Jiang Zhixun’s mood soured.

His expression turned taut, and his aura grew chilly enough to scare even the kids.

As Qin Wenqiang, his childhood friend, he knew exactly what Jiang Zhixun was thinking.

So, he couldn’t help but gloat.

Back then, when Qingqing was his wife, he didn’t cherish her. He insisted on being stationed in the Northwest and wouldn’t even let her move with him.

Now, he was upset over such a trivial matter—wasn’t he just digging his own grave?

Qin Wenqiang looked at his son. "He’s not wrong, though. Qingqing really is much younger than us."

Hearing this pushed Jiang Zhixun into a borderline existential crisis.

If he got any older, Qingqing definitely wouldn’t consider dating him.

Let alone remarry him!

He clenched his jaw, realizing he had to act quickly.

Jiang Zhixun’s expression turned serious. "We have things to do. Let’s go."

Without giving Qin Wenqiang a chance to respond, he grabbed Shen Qingqing’s arm and led her to the car.

Everything happened so quickly that Shen Qingqing was still stunned as she sat in the passenger seat.

It wasn’t until the car started moving that she regained her senses.

"Can you not be so overbearing?"

Jiang Zhixun held the steering wheel and glanced sideways at Shen Qingqing.

"I didn’t want you discussing my age."

His honesty was so blunt that it was almost laughable.

Shen Qingqing snorted. "Then go be reborn or something."

She’d said something like this to him before.

Jiang Zhixun couldn’t help but chuckle, his tone casual. "So, can we remarry? Use marriage to remake me—use all the effort and skills you have, go ahead."