Taking the Initiative to Approach Jiang Shuqin

"The doctor just came by," Jiang Manting sighed. "It seems Grandpa saw Auntie once before, and he hasn't been able to stop thinking about it since. Combined with his recent serious illness, he's now showing signs of dementia."

"So... Sis, is there any way to cure Grandpa?" Jiang Yutong quickly asked.

"The doctor didn't say," Jiang Manting shook her head. "But this is a matter of the heart. I believe emotional wounds need emotional remedies."

"Emotional remedies?" Jiang Yutong frowned. "Sis, are you talking about Auntie?"

"Yes," Jiang Manting nodded. "I’m afraid we’ll have to bring Auntie back to help Grandpa recover."

"But if Grandpa could cut ties with her for so many years and never mentioned her when he was lucid, maybe Auntie did something that deeply hurt him," Jiang Yutong said with a frown. "Wouldn’t it be inappropriate for us to reach out to her like this?"

Jiang Manting had naturally considered this.

But...

She shook her head and said, "For Grandpa’s sake, we have no choice."

Jiang Yutong fell silent.

Indeed, given Grandpa’s condition, finding Auntie and having her stay by his side was the best option for them.

"Alright," Jiang Yutong nodded. "Let’s do as you say."

But would Auntie even agree to come back and stay with Grandpa?

Jiang Yutong’s brow remained furrowed.

For some reason, she had a foreboding feeling—like something unexpected was about to happen.

Jiang Manting didn’t dare delay. She immediately tried to contact Jiang Shuqin.

She knew Jiang Shuqin wouldn’t agree to meet her outright, so she had someone track Jiang Shuqin’s whereabouts.

When Jiang Shuqin stepped out of the beauty salon after her treatment, Jiang Manting appeared before her.

Jiang Shuqin studied Jiang Manting, feeling an odd sense of familiarity—as if she’d seen her somewhere before.

A flash of memory crossed her mind.

That’s right.

She was the woman who had been standing beside Jiang Liangjun—her so-called dear father—that day.

Jiang Shuqin’s expression instantly turned cold. "Who are you?" she demanded sharply.

"Auntie, hello," Jiang Manting extended her hand. "I’m Jiang Jianjun’s granddaughter, Jiang Manting."

Jiang Shuqin let out a cold laugh.

So, this was the eldest daughter of her brother—the one she’d once held as a baby.

Too bad her "dear brother" was just like her "dear father." Neither had ever truly cared about her as family.

"What do you want from me?" Jiang Shuqin’s voice grew even colder.

"Auntie, maybe we could—"

Before Jiang Manting could finish, Jiang Shuqin cut her off. "Over twenty years ago, I severed all ties with the Jiang family. I am not your aunt."

"Ms. Jiang," Jiang Manting quickly corrected herself. "Could we sit down somewhere and talk?"

"Fine," Jiang Shuqin replied icily.

She wanted to see just what the Jiang family wanted from her now.

Jiang Manting led her to a nearby café.

"Speak. What is it?" Jiang Shuqin sat stiffly, her demeanor haughty.

"Aunt—" Jiang Manting caught herself and corrected, "Ms. Jiang, I’d like to ask you for a favor." She took a deep breath. "Grandpa... he’s not well mentally right now."

Jiang Shuqin frowned dismissively. "If he’s mentally unwell, get him a doctor. What does that have to do with me?"

"Ms. Jiang," Jiang Manting pressed on, "he keeps calling your name. It’s an emotional wound. Maybe if you stayed by his side for a while, he could recover. That’s why I’m here—to ask if you’d be willing to stay with him for some time."

"You wouldn’t have to do anything, just talk to him."

Jiang Shuqin sneered inwardly.

She had only taken a bit of the family’s money—money she hadn’t squandered. She’d used it to help Lin Chang grow his business. What was so wrong about that?

Yet, just because of that, Jiang Liangjun had ruthlessly disowned her.

For over twenty years after their estrangement, Jiang Corporation thrived, and the Jiang family basked in high society’s admiration. Her "dear father" had never once tried to see her.

Now that there was trouble, suddenly they remembered her?

Did they really think Jiang Shuqin was someone they could summon and dismiss at will?

Jiang Shuqin curled her lips into a cold smile. "I am no longer a daughter of the Jiang family. I have no ties to them. Your grandfather’s illness is none of my concern. I won’t go see him."

"Ms. Jiang, I don’t know what happened between you and Grandpa," Jiang Manting pleaded, "but he’s still your biological father. Can’t you just spend some time with him?"

She didn’t know the details, but knowing Grandpa’s nature, she was sure he wouldn’t have willingly done anything cruel to Auntie.

Jiang Manting frowned, puzzled.

What could have made Auntie hate Grandpa so much?

"What does being my biological father matter?" Jiang Shuqin scoffed. "If he truly cared for me as his daughter, he wouldn’t have despised the man I loved and tried to tear us apart!"

"And he certainly wouldn’t have disowned me just for taking a little money from the family!"

"Tell me, what kind of father does that make him?"

Jiang Manting’s eyes narrowed in realization. "You said you took money from the family—when was this?"

"Twenty-three years ago," Jiang Shuqin answered without hesitation.

Twenty-three years ago...

Jiang Manting’s frown deepened.

She remembered her father mentioning that, back then, Jiang Corporation had faced a severe crisis, teetering on the brink of bankruptcy.

Grandpa had sold off much of the family’s assets and begged for loans everywhere, barely scraping together enough to save the company.

But that money had been taken—stolen—and Grandpa had been so enraged he coughed up blood and was hospitalized for over a month.

She had once asked her father who took the money.

He had refused to answer.

Could it have been Auntie?

If so, then Grandpa’s decision to disown her made perfect sense.

She had met Auntie’s husband, Lin Chang. He was no good man. Maybe Grandpa had opposed their marriage out of fear Lin Chang would mistreat Auntie, leading to misunderstandings between them.

And as Grandpa stood in the way of their relationship, the rift between him and Auntie only grew.

Then, when the company was in crisis, Auntie had taken money meant to save it and given it to Lin Chang.

No wonder Grandpa had cut ties in fury.

If that was the truth, Jiang Manting wouldn’t blame Auntie for refusing to reconcile.

But with Grandpa’s current state...