Difficult To Raise Chapter 16

Chapter 16: Coffee

Jiang Yue stirred the coffee in his cup with a spoon, saying unhurriedly, “Little Ran, I want to know, why did you suddenly decide to let Little Jin acknowledge me? After all, you never contacted me before this, did you?”

Jiang Ran bit his lip, sighing inwardly. This man was truly perceptive, hitting the nail on the head immediately, and extremely suspicious.

He inhaled the bitter aroma of the coffee, feeling a little lost. “Uncle Jiang, you are an adult with far more experience than me. I won’t try to play smart in front of you. Let’s be frank. I don’t believe you haven’t investigated me. Our family is indeed facing financial difficulties right now, and I…”

He closed his eyes, the words coming out with difficulty. “I can no longer afford to raise Jiang Jin.”

Jiang Yue stared at him, his eyes flickering with surprise. He hadn’t expected the other party to be so honest. Before coming, he had assumed this cash-strapped boy would try to extort money from him.

“Is that so.” Jiang Yue said with some regret, “I sympathize with the difficulties you’re facing. However, I must be clear upfront: I will not accept a child who is unwilling or resentful. Jiang Jin is my son, that is true, but I am not obligated to acknowledge him.”

His words were half-truths. Jiang Yue genuinely didn’t want to raise a child who wasn’t close to him, especially since Jiang Jin was already quite old and difficult to manage. However, acknowledging this son was absolutely imperative.

A year ago, his wife and child, who had always kept him constrained, died in an accident. Now, apart from Jiang Jin, Jiang Yue had no other children.

He had spent years indulging in affairs, and he didn’t know what the problem was, but no matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t conceive any more children besides Jiang Jin and his tragically deceased eldest son.

Jiang Yue could not be without an heir, and the company could not be without a successor. Therefore, whether he liked it or not, he had to bring this son back.

But he certainly wouldn’t tell Jiang Ran these reasons. He intended to bring Jiang Jin back to his side at the lowest possible cost.

Jiang Ran lowered his gaze, feeling a little disheartened. He knew it would be like this. However, he also felt a little relieved now. If the other party had been too enthusiastic, given his status, it would have seemed strange.

“Uncle Jiang, please don’t worry. I will talk to Jiang Jin properly. I will… make him willing to go back.” He took a sip of the coffee, tasting overwhelming bitterness that seemed to seep into his heart. It was awful, he thought. He would never drink coffee again.

“I truly appreciate your trouble.” Jiang Yue smiled slightly and pushed a card across the table. “I am not an unreasonable person. Your family raised my son for so many years, and I must show my appreciation. The password for this bank card is Little Jin’s birthday. Please accept this small token of my sincerity.”

Jiang Ran was stunned. He hadn’t expected this move and quickly waved his hands. “No need, really, there’s no need.”

“Please, you must accept it.” Jiang Yue winked at Jiang Ran, flashing a charming smile. “It will also put my mind at ease.”

At this, Jiang Ran’s hand, which was pushing the card away, immediately froze. He wasn’t stupid; he understood what Jiang Yue meant. Jiang Yue was afraid that if he didn’t take the money, he might continue to bother Jiang Jin later. He wanted to use money to sever their relationship completely. From this moment on, Jiang Jin and Jiang Ran would be complete strangers.

Jiang Ran felt a sting in his eyes, an urge to cry, but what right did he have to cry? He had chosen all of this himself; no one had forced him.

His heart ached unbearably. He resisted the black bank card with all his might, as if it were the culprit separating him and Jiang Jin. But he had no choice. He had to reassure the other party, otherwise, Jiang Yue would not genuinely accept Jiang Jin.

Jiang Ran’s hand trembled, but he finally accepted the card.

“That’s right.” Jiang Yue smiled gracefully, then subtly glanced at his watch. “I apologize, but I have another engagement soon. Let’s end our conversation here today. Do you need me to drive you home?”

Jiang Ran said numbly, “No, thank you.”

Jiang Yue didn’t insist. He said goodbye and stood up. Before leaving, he seemed to recall something and smiled gently at Jiang Ran. “Oh, right. After I take Little Jin away, could I ask you to change all your contact information? I hope he can integrate into his new environment as quickly as possible. It would be best if he could forget everything and everyone from the past that might influence him. This is for his own good, don’t you agree?”

The words were polite, but the underlying meaning was forceful and domineering. He was afraid Jiang Ran would cling to Jiang Jin, and he was afraid Jiang Jin would constantly miss him. He wanted to sever the last thread of connection between them, turning them into complete strangers.

Lost in the vast sea of people, they would never look at each other again, never think of each other once, and never hold hands again.

Jiang Jin would no longer cry to him, laugh with him, or call him Gege affectionately.

Jiang Ran’s heart ached so much he was almost numb. He gripped the coffee cup tightly, his knuckles turning white from the force. After a long time, so long that the smile on Jiang Yue’s face was starting to stiffen, Jiang Ran squeezed a few words through his lips. “Yes, don’t worry.”

Jiang Yue drove away, satisfied. After he left, Jiang Ran noticed that the cup of coffee on the table hadn’t been touched.

Of course. How could a man like him appreciate a nondescript coffee shop like this?

He should be wearing the finest suit, sitting in a high-end cafe, drinking coffee freshly ground from premium beans imported from abroad, not enduring this place to deal with a young punk.

Would Jiang Jin become like him in the future? Jiang Ran couldn’t help but wonder—just as arrogant, just as condescending.

Would he eventually forget his Gege…

*

Back home, Jiang Ran nervously pulled out his phone and found the photo he had secretly taken—a picture of Jiang Yue, snapped when he wasn’t paying attention.

He searched for the photo online, and a flood of news articles instantly popped up. Jiang Ran noticed one headline: Sheng Yu Group Head Jiang Yue Meets Girlfriend Late at Night.

He clicked on it out of curiosity. The article used extensive space to describe Jiang Yue’s background. In short, as the head of the Sheng Yu Group, he was not only capable but also handsome. However, he was notoriously promiscuous, with countless scandalous headlines.

Even Jiang Ran, who wasn’t very active online, had heard of the Sheng Yu Group. Originally starting in real estate, it had expanded its industries to cover almost every sector, truly a massive enterprise.

Jiang Ran had guessed Jiang Yue was rich, but he hadn’t realized he was this rich. He was stunned by the bombshell, but at the same time, he felt happy for Jiang Jin. All he could think about was that Jiang Jin would never have to worry about money again. He could live in luxury mansions and drive expensive cars.

Unlike following him, where he couldn’t even afford to enroll in an extracurricular class.

But Jiang Ran didn’t consider whether having such a powerful, domineering, and calculating father like Jiang Yue would be a blessing or a disaster for Jiang Jin.

While he was deep in thought, the door was suddenly pushed open. Jiang Ran hastily closed the webpage, nearly breaking out in a cold sweat.

Jiang Jin’s voice sounded faintly behind him, carrying obvious suspicion. “Ge, what are you doing? Why are you so flustered?”

Jiang Ran turned around, trying hard to act natural. “Nothing, just looking at a few websites.”

“Is that so?” Jiang Jin looked at him doubtfully.

“Really.”

Jiang Jin drew out a long “Oh” and didn’t say anything more. He urged Jiang Ran to cook, saying he was hungry. Jiang Ran nodded, not thinking much of it, and turned to walk toward the Kitchen.

But as he reached the doorway, he remembered he hadn’t grabbed his phone and decided to go back for it. The moment he turned around, he was nearly scared out of his wits.

Jiang Jin was hunched over his computer, scrolling through his recent browsing history. Jiang Ran lunged forward, his voice slightly strained. “Little Jin, what are you doing?”

Jiang Jin turned around, looking at him with dark, deep eyes that made Jiang Ran feel guilty. He waited, assuming Jiang Jin had seen something, but after a long moment, the other boy suddenly burst out laughing.

“What’s the big deal? It’s just watching a video.”

Jiang Jin closed the webpage, saying carelessly, “You were being so secretive, I thought it was something serious. You had me curious for ages.”

Jiang Ran froze for a moment. He then remembered that when he had closed the webpage earlier, he must have accidentally clicked on a few pop-ups, and the first few entries in the history were likely those. He instantly felt relieved and couldn’t help but say, “Little Jin, don’t touch Gege’s things without permission in the future.”

“Got it,” Jiang Jin replied casually, clearly not taking it seriously. He leaned closer to Jiang Ran, a mischievous grin on his face. “Ge, are you shy?”

“Don’t talk nonsense.” Jiang Ran’s ears were actually turning red. He felt embarrassed discussing this kind of topic with his younger brother, especially since the videos he was watching weren’t exactly normal.

Jiang Jin looked at his flushed ears and laughed heartily.

“You little brat, daring to laugh at your Ge.”

Jiang Ran tugged his ear, watching him playfully cover his ear and whine in pain. He found it amusing, but as he laughed, he remembered that soon they might never see each other again, and his heart twisted with unbearable sorrow.

Jiang Jin glanced at him, and the expression on his face immediately faded, turning into panic. “Ge, why do you look like you’re about to cry?”

“I’m laughing, can’t you tell?” Jiang Ran forced back his tears, pretending everything was fine. “What do you want to eat today? Ge will cook it for you.”

“That’s so nice of you?” Jiang Jin smiled brightly. “Then I want braised beef, sweet and sour pork ribs, and Coke chicken wings. Remember to boil two extra eggs in the braised beef so they soak up the flavor.”

“Little glutton.” Jiang Ran smiled and flicked his forehead.

“I am not,” Jiang Jin retorted. “It’s just that Gege’s cooking is too delicious. If anyone else made it, I wouldn’t even bother if they begged me to eat it.”

“So spoiled?” Jiang Ran managed a weak smile, his voice barely audible. “What will you do… if I’m not around in the future?”

“Hmm?” Jiang Jin didn’t hear clearly and leaned closer. “What did you say, Gege?”

“Nothing.” Jiang Ran covered up his words by reaching out and pushing Jiang Jin out of the room. “Since you ordered the dishes, you can’t just stand around. You’re going to help me out today.”

Jiang Jin was already quite skilled at cooking. He washed and chopped the ingredients and scored the chicken wings. Jiang Ran only needed to manage the pan, making the meal very easy to prepare.

After the food was ready, he set aside a portion and asked Jiang Jin to take it to Old Man Chen. Jiang Jin obediently agreed, picking up the food container and leaving.

Only after the sound of the door closing did Jiang Ran return to the room and delete all the records on the computer.

Jiang Jin returned after delivering the meal, and he and Jiang Ran enjoyed a delicious dinner, sharing interesting stories while eating. Both felt an unparalleled sense of satisfaction. It was as if just being together meant they had embraced the whole world.

While Jiang Ran was in the Bathroom, Jiang Jin returned to the room. He suddenly wanted to look at the video Jiang Ran had been watching, but when he checked the browsing history, it had been completely cleared.

A wave of suspicion rose in his heart. Something felt wrong. If it were any other time, he would have dug deep to find out the truth.

But right now, a more important matter weighed on his mind, so Jiang Jin didn’t pursue it further.