Chapter 2394 - 2229: Unwilling to Give Up

Chapter 2394: Chapter 2229: Unwilling to Give Up

I still don’t know what exactly makes me unwilling to let go until now.

Zhang Zhentian now finally figured it out. His grandchild didn’t come to pay him a real visit; they just used it as an excuse. The so-called visit was meant to welcome him back to the family, but in reality, it was to give him a warning, advising him not to do things that would hurt everyone in the family again. If he did, it would have wasted their efforts today, putting aside their pride to plead for him.

He really didn’t expect this. Such a young child has such deep thoughts. She didn’t understand that if he had cruelly abandoned her again, what would have been the ultimate outcome for him?

"Child, Grandpa knows that your grandparents have wronged you and your father, and wronged your great-grandfather too, but so many years have passed. We’ve all realized our mistakes; we’ve come back to this family. Although this return was through your pleading, I am grateful. However, some things are not as simple as you imagine, and some words aren’t as easily fulfilled. Do you still not understand the key in all of this?"

Zhang Ni really doesn’t want to discuss these matters with his grandpa anymore. Every time these issues are brought up, no matter who is wrong, even if he has the upper hand, some things can’t be cleared up in a few words. How could decades of abandonment vanish just because he suddenly returned this time? Even if his father could truly forgive him, Zhang Ni couldn’t. He never received their love growing up; he had longed for his grandparents to come back and put in all his efforts, struggling with every step. And in the end, they came back to have such a conversation with him. How could his heart remain calm?

"Grandpa, I know very well what you mean by these words. I also understand that some things really can’t be explained in a few words. But at the very least, you should give me a reasonable explanation, right? I don’t care what mindset my father and great-grandfather have chosen to forgive you and Grandma, but I truly can’t be as broad-minded as they are. I can’t watch as my grandparents stand before me, yet they won’t give me a reasonable explanation for why they abandoned my father and us!"

Perhaps, deep in your heart, you think abandonment isn’t a big deal. But do you know? For a child, abandonment is a significant issue. No child wants to be abandoned at birth. No child can bear being left alone at home with an aging grandfather right after birth, while their parents fly away freely. Can you imagine how much psychological trauma this causes a child? You never considered my father’s feelings. Now, even if you’ve given him a reasonable explanation, what about me? Haven’t I lived through hardships as bad or worse than my father’s childhood?"

My father and I have come this far step by step, putting in more effort than anyone else, facing challenges harder than anyone else, all for just hoping you would return home, to prove to you that we are not the worst. We wanted to show you the grave mistake you made when you abandoned us. But what did it result in? Just leaving me battered and bruised over and over again?

Grandparents, no matter how you treated my father, and regardless of how you acted towards me, I just want to know what kind of mindset led you to decisively leave the family back then? How could Grandma pretend not to recognize me, her own grandchild, choosing instead to act like a stranger? What ultimately made you choose this outcome? Why are you willing to hurt us but not stand up and protect us? Why hide behind the shadows? What kind of impression do you think that gives others?"

"Child, we know over the years you hoped we would step up and protect you, be with you. We also know that, like your father, you’ve gone through many hardships. We can’t compensate for those painful pasts. We’ve made it clear; it was a fleeting moment of folly back then, choosing to abandon for our own freedom. We truly regret it now. Since you’ve decided to let us come back, can’t you genuinely accept us from your hearts? Surface acceptance is nothing compared to heartfelt acceptance. We want not just your surface acceptance, but true recognition from the depths of your heart. We are family.

For everything we owe you, I will do everything to make amends. I won’t let these things happen to us again, and I definitely won’t let this hurt you repeatedly. We fully understand how deeply our mistakes have affected you, the shadow and the impact brought upon you. We won’t act willfully as we did before. We’ll consider the bigger picture. And we’d like you to consider our perspective as well, please? Please, don’t pressure us further; we truly can’t offer you more detailed explanations.

The more we try to explain, the more you might think we’re hiding the truth. But it isn’t like that. We just made a wrong decision back then, not knowing the consequences it would lead to. Again and again, we were forced to this very last step. Deep inside, I am very regretful. It’s not that I choose not to acknowledge you; I am afraid to. I’m scared that if I outright tell you I’m your grandma, you’ll turn away and leave, and I won’t get to see you again. I don’t want to leave a bad impression in your heart. I want to give you a perfect image, let you slowly accept me, not run away at first sight."

For those bygone rights and wrongs, I drove her out of the house, and now, where should I search for her traces?