My Alleged Husband

Chapter 25: Chapter 25 Old Master Zhang’s Opinion on Xia Jing_1

Zhang Zhentian watched Xia Jing leave, his heart inevitably held a reluctance; after all, Xia Jing had saved Zhang Corporation at all costs. Therefore, Old Master Zhang did have a favorable impression of her. He just didn’t know how to interact with Xia Jing.

Old Master Zhang sat in his chair and recalled the words Xia Jing had said to him. He couldn’t understand: ”Why did Xia Jing keep saying that Zhentian should come find her and asked her to apologize to Li Haixiao and Li Jiayuan? Could it be that Zhentian said something to Xia Jing? But that’s not right. What else could Zhentian talk to Xia Jing about, besides how to get my agreement for them to be together?”

Old Master Zhang thought hard but couldn’t figure it out, so he decided to look for Zhang Zhentian for a clear explanation.

Around six in the evening, Old Master Zhang returned home. Not seeing Zhang Zhentian upon entering, he called for Aunt Xu.

”Aunt Xu, Aunt Xu...” Old Master Zhang called out in the living room.

”Master, you’re back. Dinner is being prepared; please wait a moment,” Aunt Xu hurried out of the kitchen upon hearing Old Master Zhang calling for her, thinking he was inquiring about dinner.

”Who’s asking about dinner? I’m asking if you’ve seen Zhentian,” asked Old Master Zhang.

Aunt Xu suddenly realized, and she informed Old Master Zhang, ”Master, the young master called this morning and said that if Miss Xia came looking for him, to tell her to wait at home for the young master. When the young master entered the house, he was everywhere looking for Miss Xia. He was overjoyed when he saw Miss Xia, but later, I don’t know what they talked about; the young master and Miss Xia started arguing. After Miss Xia left, the young master went upstairs and hasn’t come down since.”

After hearing Aunt Xu’s words and recalling what Xia Jing had said at the company, Old Master Zhang roughly understood.

”Alright, I got it. Aunt Xu, go back to your work,” Old Master Zhang said to Aunt Xu, ”I will go up and see Zhentian.”

”Yes, Master,” Aunt Xu bowed to Old Master Zhang and went back to the kitchen to continue preparing dinner.

Old Master Zhang poured himself a glass of water. After drinking it, he slowly climbed the stairs to find Zhang Zhentian.

Old Master Zhang arrived at the door of Zhang Zhentian’s bedroom, knocked, and entered. He saw his son lying on the bed, drunk as a skunk. He approached and touched Zhentian’s head. Seeing no response, Elder Zhang splashed the liquor from the bedside onto Zhentian’s face. Zhentian woke up instantly, prepared to curse out loud, but he held back when he saw it was his father.

”Dad, when did you get back?” Zhang Zhentian preemptively asked Old Master Zhang.

”Humph, do you have the nerve to ask when I returned? Look at yourself; what a disgrace. It’s one thing to drink outside, but you even dare to bring alcohol to your own bedroom. Don’t you have any respect for family rules?” Old Master Zhang yelled, furious.

Zhang Zhentian knew he had done wrong, so he could only stand there as his father scolded him, not daring to say a word.

”Dad, I know I’m wrong, please don’t be angry, it’s not worth harming your health,” Zhang Zhentian, concerned, patted Old Master Zhang’s chest as he spoke.

Old Master Zhang was so angry he couldn’t get his words out. He stuttered to Zhentian, ”Zhen, Zhentian...”

”Dad, don’t rush, take your time,” Zhentian urged.

Old Master Zhang sat on Zhentian’s bed, gasping for air. After a while, he finally said, ”Zhentian, I have something to ask you.”

Zhang Zhentian felt a bit puzzled; he didn’t know what his father could possibly want to ask him. It couldn’t be about company matters again, could it? Zhentian felt a twinge of unease: ”Today, I abruptly left during a company meeting and haven’t returned since. What if Dad is here to ask about that? If Dad finds out I rushed off this morning because I received a call from Xia Jing, then it’s going to be terrible. This is bad.”

Zhang Zhentian feared Old Master Zhang had come to question why he suddenly left during the company meeting. He didn’t want to deepen his father’s misunderstanding about Xia Jing because of him.

It seemed Old Master Zhang noticed Zhentian’s nervousness: ”What are you so nervous about?”

”No, nothing, Dad. I haven’t done anything wrong; why would I be nervous?” Zhang Zhentian said defensively to Old Master Zhang.

”If you’re not nervous, that’s good!” Old Master Zhang knew what Zhang Zhentian was anxious about, and he just watched him with a smirk that was not quite a smile.

Zhang Zhentian felt a chill run down his spine under Old Master Zhang’s smirk, and he quickly asked, ”Dad, what do you want to ask? Just tell me.”

”Rest assured, I’m not asking about the reason you suddenly left this morning.”

Upon hearing this from Old Master Zhang, Zhang Zhentian’s heart relaxed a bit.

”Because I already know that you left suddenly this morning because Xia Jing called you, that’s why you left.” Old Master Zhang brought up the very issue that Zhang Zhentian was worried about.

”Since you already know, what else could you want to ask me about?” Zhang Zhentian asked Old Master Zhang, confused.

”Zhentian, I want to know if you said anything to Xia Jing?”

”Dad, what could I possibly say to Xia Jing? Really.”

”If you haven’t said anything, then could you tell me if you ever said anything to Xia Jing before because of Li Jiayuan’s matter?”

”Dad, did Xia Jing say something to you?” Zhang Zhentian voiced his suspicion.

”You don’t need to worry about that, I just want to know if you said or did something because of Li Jiayuan that might have led her to misunderstand?” Old Master Zhang still clung to this question when asking Zhang Zhentian.

It seemed that his father knew something; otherwise, he wouldn’t keep bringing up this issue. Since that was the case, it might be better to just tell him.

”Dad, you’re right, Xia Jing indeed has some misunderstandings about me, but it’s not all my fault!” Zhang Zhentian argued his case to Old Master Zhang.

”Alright, Zhentian, to speak from the heart, Dad thinks that Xia Jing is a good girl, quite a character. Though she is a mercenary, her heart isn’t bad—she’s a kind girl. You should treat her well,” Old Master Zhang earnestly said to Zhang Zhentian.

Old Master Zhang didn’t plan to continue probing into the matter between Zhang Zhentian and Xia Jing; he decided to let things take their own course. Xia Jing had already left, and whether they could be together in the future would be left to fate.

”Dad, does that mean you agree to my being with Xia Jing?” Zhang Zhentian excitedly asked Old Master Zhang.

”Yes, I agree, but whether you can be together in the end still depends on you two.”

”Good, that’s no problem, as long as you agree, that’s enough. Thank you, Dad.” Zhang Zhentian, moved, suddenly hugged Old Master Zhang, which took the latter by surprise. Since Zhang Zhentian met Xia Jing, it had been a long time since he had hugged his father, but now he embraced Old Master Zhang because he consented to their relationship.

”Sigh, you are thanking me now, but who knows if you will still thank me one day when you find out I knew about Xia Jing’s departure and I didn’t tell you. I’m afraid at that time, you might hate me, your father, to the bone!” Old Master Zhang looked at his ecstatic son and silently thought, ”What a pity, Xia Jing has already left. Sigh!”

Zhang Zhentian had no idea what Old Master Zhang was thinking. He let go of Old Master Zhang and was about to run off to find Xia Jing, but Old Master Zhang could guess what he had in mind and called out to Zhang Zhentian.

”It’s so late now; there’s no need to go looking for Xia Jing. Waiting until tomorrow won’t be too late.”

”Right, right, right. Look at me, I’m so excited I got carried away. I should let Xia Jing have a good rest.” Zhang Zhentian thought Old Master Zhang made sense, yet he didn’t know that at that very moment, Xia Jing had already boarded a flight to the UK.