Where Winter is Warm Where Summer is Cool

I was not surprised to see Jian Zhenlin’s stunned and wretched expression, but I suddenly felt a little ridiculous. I did not want to hurt anyone but being repeatedly hurt made me feel very depressed and aggrieved.

“You shouldn’t talk like that.” A voice pierced the silence.

I laughed. “Do I have to get your permission for what I should or shouldn’t say? Xichen, you try to control too much.”

He frowned and stood up, looking at me with some disapproval. 

“Six years have indeed changed you a lot.”

I grunted slightly and turned to my father. “What exactly is it that you want from me?” I didn’t want to waste any more time here.

“Xiao Jie, actually Xichen–”

“I don’t think I came here to talk about him.” I coldly interrupted what my father wanted to say about Xi Xichen next.

Jian Zhenlin sighed and nodded towards Xichen who was looking at me with a deep gaze too hard for me to understand.

After a long moment, he pulled out a document from the mahogany table and walked towards me. I forced myself to stand still and waited for him to approach.

Xichen handed the document to me, but I did not reach out to take it. I glanced at it lightly, and saw it was a letter of alienation of property.

The title said: The Lin Ting Garden Property in Jian’s Name.

“Little Jie, this has been your home since you were a child. I want to leave this house to you.”

“No need,” I said, not missing a beat.

“I have already purchased a property in the nearby district, and you don’t like us…” Jian  Zhenlin seemed to notice that the “us” was a bit inappropriate, and paused before speaking again, his tone a bit cautious. 

“I live here with your Aunt Shen and the others and I…they can move there right away.” The last words were said brokenly.

I stayed silent and looked at him with a blank face.

“Little Jie, I regret sending you to France but it was too late. For six years you were almost disconnected from us, but you are my only daughter.” Jian Zhenlin said, his voice almost incoherent.

Is this my father, the same man who had been so successful in the business world? 

Suddenly I realised that he was just a middle-aged man who was tired of the world. Six years had made him much older.