Chapter 451 - 249: Son Forgave Dad?

Chapter 451: Chapter 249: Son Forgave Dad?

One hundred thousand.

Where was she going to get one hundred thousand?

She lowered her head, feeling troubled.

Xiaoya looked at her and offered some comfort. "Regarding the funds, President Lu said he would provide his support."

Jiang Silu lifted her head, looked at Xiaoya, and asked earnestly, "My dad will support me?"

"Yes. Before we came, President Lu told us that the budget doesn’t matter. As long as you can happily start your business, the cost is irrelevant," Xiaoya explained.

Upon hearing this, Jiang Silu quickly shook her head. "No, I can’t do that. Wouldn’t that make me one of those rich kids who just waste their parents’ money online? I have to write an IOU. I’ll borrow the one hundred thousand from my dad..."

Xiaoya smiled and nodded.

Then, the two designers beside her began to explain the details of starting a business: how to register a studio, how to find clients, how to create quotes, how to sign contracts, and how to avoid legal risks.

The male designer with glasses was very thorough, explaining everything item by item, from contract clauses to invoice details.

The female designer with short hair added a lot of practical experience, such as how to communicate with clients, how to handle revision requests, and how to protect her design copyrights.

Jiang Silu listened intently, filling several pages of her notebook with notes.

Her handwriting was small and dense, but every character was written with great care.

By the time the meeting ended, the sky had already grown dark.

Standing at the entrance of the coffee shop, Jiang Silu looked down at the notebook in her hands, a sense of calm suddenly washing over her.

One hundred thousand. She had borrowed it.

An IOU was written, a thumbprint was pressed. Everything was crystal clear.

Lu Fan hadn’t wanted to accept the IOU, saying she was his daughter and there was no need for such formalities.

But Jiang Silu insisted, so he didn’t argue further.

As she walked back toward her dorm, she took a deep breath and called Jiang Yixia.

The phone rang twice before someone picked up.

Jiang Yixia’s voice came through the phone, tinged with a smile. "Lulu? What’s up? You sound happy."

"Mom, I’m going to start a business," Jiang Silu said, her voice filled with excitement.

Jiang Yixia paused for a moment, puzzled. "Start what kind of business?"

"A design studio. I studied landscape design, and I want to go out on my own. Dad lent me one hundred thousand for startup capital, and I gave him an IOU," Jiang Silu said quickly, as if she were giving a report.

The other end of the line went silent for a few seconds.

When Jiang Yixia’s voice returned, it was filled with emotion. "Your dad... he lent you one hundred thousand?"

Jiang Silu nodded, then, remembering her mom couldn’t see her, quickly added, "Yeah. He also sent a designer to help me—Sister Xiaoya, the one who helped me with my draft last time. She brought several people with her, and they taught me so much about starting a business."

Jiang Yixia didn’t say anything.

After a moment, she finally spoke. "Then you work hard. Don’t let your father’s kindness go to waste."

"I know, Mom. There’s something else I want to tell you," Jiang Silu replied.

"What is it?"

Jiang Silu hesitated for a moment before briefly explaining what had happened with Wen Wan.

Her mother had come to the school to take her back for a blind date after accepting a bride price of three hundred thousand.

Lu Fan had given them four hundred thousand to settle the matter.

Now, Wen Wan was with her brother, and the two of them were doing well.

After listening, Jiang Yixia was silent for a long time.

Only the sound of breathing, slow and steady, could be heard over the phone.

Then she sighed. "She’s a pitiful child, too. Your brother should treat her well."

Jiang Silu agreed. "Yeah, I think she and my brother are a good match."

"Alright, you get back to your work. I’m going to call your brother," Jiang Yixia said with a laugh.

After hanging up, Jiang Yixia sat behind the counter of her flower shop and stared into space for a long time.

The lights were still on in the pastry shop across the street, and through the glass, she could see Chen He wiping down tables.

Lu Fan wasn’t there. She didn’t know where he had gone.

She picked up her phone, found Jiang Sifan’s number, typed a few lines, and then deleted them.

She typed again, and deleted again.

She thought about what Lu Fan must have looked like signing that four-hundred-thousand check. She hadn’t seen it, but she could imagine.

’He must have been expressionless, signing his name as if it were the most ordinary thing in the world before pushing the check across.’

’That’s just the kind of person he is. He never says a word, but he gets everything done.’

She took a deep breath and typed out a message.

Jiang Yixia: [Son, do well. She’s a good girl, so don’t let her down. Your dad is playing the part of a good father, too.]

After sending it, she placed her phone on the counter and leaned back in her chair.

The fragrance of the flowers in the shop drifted over, sweet and cloying.

She closed her eyes, and Lu Fan’s face surfaced in her mind.

’This man... you hate him, but you don’t even know how to hate him.’

In the men’s dormitory, Jiang Sifan had just stepped out of the shower, his hair still wet.

He was drying his hair with a towel when his phone buzzed.

He picked it up and saw it was a message from Jiang Yixia.

He stared at the message for a long time.

His eyes reddened, but he held back his tears.

He sat on the edge of his bed, placed the phone on his lap, and stared at the screen with his head lowered.

The dorm room was lively. Gao Lao and the others were playing a game, keyboards clacking away. Qiu Zai was yelling, "Top lane, top lane!" while Brother Ming shouted, "Back to base, back to base!"

He couldn’t hear any of it. He couldn’t hear a thing.

He just kept staring at the message, for a very long time.

Then he picked up his phone and typed a few words.

Jiang Sifan: [Yeah, I will.]

He wondered if it was time to forgive his father.