Chapter 489: Jiang Yixia Relents and Finally Agrees

Chapter 489 -260: Jiang Yixia Relents and Finally Agrees

“I won’t take it back.” Jiang Yixia patted her back.

Jiang Silu wiped her tears, stood up, opened the door, and shouted downstairs, “Bro! Sister Wen Wan! Mom agreed!”

Jiang Sifan’s voice came from downstairs. “Got it.”

Wen Wan’s voice followed. “That’s great!”

Jiang Silu glanced back at Jiang Yixia and said with a smile, “Mom, just wait here. I’ll go help you pack.”

She turned and ran out, her footsteps a flurry of THUMP-THUMP-THUMPs, like a gust of wind.

Jiang Yixia sat on the edge of the bed, listening as her daughter’s footsteps grew more and more distant, until she couldn’t hear them anymore.

She looked down at her own hands. Her fingers were rough and her knuckles prominent—the marks left by years of hard work.

She remembered the way Lu Fan had stood at the top of the stairs, looking like he wanted to say something but held it back.

‘He knew I wouldn’t stay, so he didn’t even try to persuade me.’

‘It wasn’t that he didn’t care; he just knew me too well.’

She stood up, walked to the window, and pushed it open.

A cool breeze wafted in, carrying the scent of the frangipani in the courtyard.

She took a deep breath, then slowly exhaled.

‘Maybe Silu is right. I should be a little kinder to myself.’

Downstairs, Jiang Sifan sat on the sofa, holding his phone but not looking at it.

Wen Wan stood beside him and said softly, “Your mom agreed.”

“Mhm.” Jiang Sifan nodded.

“Aren’t you happy?”

Jiang Sifan looked up at her and broke into a smile. “I am.”

He paused, then added guiltily, “It’s just… I feel like Mom has had it too hard all these years.”

Wen Wan didn’t say anything, just sat down beside him.

The two of them sat side by side in silence.

That afternoon, Lu Fan had furniture and daily necessities delivered.

Sheets, duvet covers, pillows, towels, slippers—everything was there. He had even prepared toothbrushes and toothpaste.

Jiang Silu bustled about her new room for a good while, hanging her clothes in the closet piece by piece, arranging her books on the bookshelf, and placing the little trinkets she’d brought back from school on her nightstand.

She stood in the middle of the room, spun around, and grinned.

‘This is my room now.’

‘Not a temporary place to stay, but a real room of my own.’

When she went downstairs, she saw Jiang Yixia standing at the door of her own room, holding a jacket and hesitating over where to hang it.

“Mom, let me help you.” Jiang Silu walked over, took the jacket from her hand, and hung it in the closet.

The closet was huge. The jacket, once hung up, looked lost in the empty space, taking up less than a quarter of it.

Jiang Yixia looked at the closet and suddenly laughed. “This closet is bigger than the living room of my little apartment.”

“Then you’ll just have to buy more clothes to fill it up,” Jiang Silu said with a laugh.

Jiang Yixia shook her head but didn’t reply.

Then Jiang Silu helped her make the bed.

The sheets were light blue, a comfortable-feeling cotton-linen blend.

She tucked the four corners under the mattress, pulling them perfectly taut, then fluffed the pillows and placed them at the head of the bed.

“Mom, you should try this pillow tonight. See if it’s soft enough,” Jiang Silu said, then went to arrange the things on the nightstand.

Jiang Yixia stood in the doorway, watching her daughter bustle about. Her heart felt warm, yet tinged with a familiar ache.

‘This child,’ she thought. ‘She’s been so sensible since she was little, always rushing to do everything herself, never giving me a thing to worry about.’

“Silu,” she called out.

“Hm?” Jiang Silu turned around.

“Thank you.”

Jiang Silu paused for a moment, then smiled. “Mom, why are you thanking me? The one you should be thanking is Dad.”

Jiang Yixia fell silent.

Jiang Silu walked over, took her hand, and said earnestly, “Mom, Dad made mistakes in the past, but he’s trying to change now. It’s okay if you don’t forgive him, but you have to be kinder to yourself. You’re living here not because you’ve forgiven him, but because you want to live in a big house and be more comfortable. What’s wrong with that?”

Jiang Yixia looked at her for a long moment before smiling. “When did you get so good with words?”

“I’ve always been good with words, you just never noticed,” Jiang Silu said with a grin.

Jiang Yixia, amused, reached out and pinched her cheek. “Alright, you little chatterbox, go help Wen Wan get settled.”

“You got it!” Jiang Silu turned and ran out.

Jiang Yixia stood in the room, gazing out the window. Sunlight streamed in, falling on the bed, the floor, and the walls, filling the entire room with a cozy warmth. She took a deep breath, then slowly let it out.

‘Maybe living here won’t be so hard after all,’ she thought.

Dinner was served in the villa’s dining room.

The long table was laden with dishes: steamed sea bass, spareribs in black bean sauce, blanched shrimp, baby Napa cabbage in superior broth, stir-fried beef chow fun, and a slow-cooked soup.

Jiang Silu sat next to Lu Fan, with Jiang Yixia next to her. Jiang Sifan sat across from Jiang Yixia, with Wen Wan beside him.

The five of them sat around the dining table, a warm yellow lamp overhead casting a glow on each of their faces.

Jiang Silu picked up a piece of sparerib, took a bite, and her eyes lit up. “This is delicious! Who made it?”

“The chef made it. If you like it, I’ll have him make it every day,” Lu Fan said with a smile.

“If I eat spareribs every day, I’ll get fat,” Jiang Silu said, even as her hand was already reaching for a second piece.

Jiang Yixia took a sip of soup and glanced at Lu Fan.

Lu Fan was putting some food on Jiang Silu’s plate, a smile on his lips. His features were relaxed, and he looked to be in a very good mood.

“Lu Fan,” she called out.

Lu Fan turned to look at her. “What is it?”

“This house… how much did it cost?”

Jiang Silu’s hand froze. She looked at Lu Fan, then back at Jiang Yixia.

Lu Fan chuckled. “Why are you asking that?”

“I want to know.” Jiang Yixia’s tone was calm.

Lu Fan glanced at her, thought for a moment, and stated a number. “Fifty million.”