My Alleged Husband

Chapter 2329: Chapter 2162: Regret Medicine

In reality, there is no such thing as a remedy for regret; no matter what decision you make, once you decide, there’s no way to change it.

I never imagined that one day you would be so resolute in never returning to my side, never giving me any news again. I know I regret it, but I did indeed treat you sincerely.

When Old Master Zhang heard Zhang Yichen speak like this, he felt very uncomfortable inside. No matter what, Zhang Zhentian is his son, and he hopes his son can receive his grandson’s forgiveness in his old age. This is the result he least wants to see. But what can he do? Could he stand out and scold his grandson, then make him forgive his son? That’s impossible, because he knows very well in his heart that all these things happened because his son and daughter-in-law caused trouble. If not for the two of them, his grandson wouldn’t have become what he is today, nor lost memories for so many years.

”Yichen, grandpa always wanted to ask you something. In your heart, don’t your mom and dad have any place at all?” Old Master Zhang wanted to get to the bottom of it, to know whether there was still any place for his son in his grandson’s heart.

Zhang Yichen felt uncomfortable answering when he heard his grandfather ask him such a question. No matter how he answers, it will hurt his grandfather. If he answers against his true feelings, his grandpa may be happy, but he would feel miserable inside. But if he goes with his true feelings, his grandpa is bound to feel sad and disappointed by his answer. He felt a bit conflicted.

Old Master Zhang seemed to notice his grandson’s conflicted state. He smiled and spoke to his grandson with ease, ”Child, don’t feel burdened by it, just speak honestly. No matter what you say, grandpa won’t blame you. Grandpa only wants to hear your inner thoughts, don’t say things against your heart just to make grandpa happy!”

”Grandpa, I have to admit, more than ten years ago, I always wished my parents could be by my side, especially when I was in school. I saw other classmates have their parents’ companionship, saw their parents come to school to visit them, but my parents never appeared even once. At that time, I really wished my parents would appear before me immediately. But so much time has passed, and I understand, those past things are irreparable no matter what. I know that over these more than ten years, my parents owe me a lot of love, both fatherly and motherly. I don’t blame them, but that doesn’t mean I can spend my life happily with them, because it was their abandonment that led me to where I am today. I always wished that when my parents came back, they could give me enough love. You all think I’ve become amnesiac, but only deep inside I know very well why I became like this. And because of who did I become like this, I know all the causes. I just choose not to say anything, because speaking out will only make everyone sadder and more painful.”

”Child, grandpa knows your heart has been in pain all along. You’ve suffered grievances for so many years. You’ve borne all the pain alone for so long. Grandpa thanks you for these more than ten years of choosing not to speak. But child, so much time has passed, I don’t want you to feel conflicted between your parents. I know although you’ve lost your memory, many things are still clearly remembered. You choose to continue alone because you want to escape this pain. It’s grandpa’s fault. Grandpa couldn’t give you a better family. It’s grandpa’s fault for driving your parents out of the Zhang Family in a fit of anger. If grandpa hadn’t done so back then, maybe you wouldn’t have suffered so much pain. Child, forgive grandpa’s selfishness back then...”

When Zhang Yichen heard his grandpa say such things to him, he felt very uncomfortable. No matter what, none of this is really his grandpa’s fault. Yet his grandpa chooses to take all the blame upon himself, understanding well that he’s doing so to allow reconciliation with his parents so that there’s no more discord over past matters.

”Grandpa, I understand the careful intentions behind your actions, and I know what you are doing it for. Grandpa, you don’t need to mention forgiveness to me because for more than ten years, your love has been enough. No matter what you did before, I won’t hold it against you, because you are my grandpa, the closest person to me. It was you who raised me into adulthood, if not for you, how would I have achieved this position today? You taught me the good and the evil, made me understand that in this world, there are more good people than bad ones. But grandpa, can my parents’ abandonment really be covered up by a few simple words? I have to admit, I really want to forgive them too, but whenever I think of the heinous things they did before, I can’t forgive them. I’m afraid that once I choose to forgive, they’ll do even worse things to hurt the ones I love most. Grandpa, that day when I was discharged from the hospital, there was a girl I saw at the hospital entrance who looked a lot like the figure from my dreams, but I couldn’t remember her name. How I wish the person from my dreams could come back, stand before me and embrace me. Grandpa, the past is the past; there’s no way to turn back time, what’s experienced is experienced, what’s done is done. Their actions toward me, their abandonment, won’t be nullified by a few comforting words upon their return. It’s precisely because of all they’ve done that I’ve come to understand what kind of people they are, what kind of matters could lead them to care so little for their own son.”

When Old Master Zhang heard his grandson speak this way, he understood that the matter is settled, no matter what he says, he cannot change the image of his son in his grandson’s heart. All this, all of it, is Zhang Zhentian’s own doing; a father simply doesn’t know how to intervene anymore.

”Child, if one day you find there are things hidden from you that are important to you, once you know the truth, will you hate grandpa?” Old Master Zhang finally asked his innermost question, especially fearing his grandson’s discovery that he knows where his beloved woman is but didn’t inform him, leading to possible hatred.

Zhang Yichen laughed, and said to Old Master Zhang, ”Grandpa, rest assured, no matter what happens, no matter what you do to me, I will never hate you, because everything you do is for my own good. You wouldn’t do anything to hurt me, so no matter what you’ve done, and no matter how important that business is to me, you will forever remain my dearest grandpa in my heart. I won’t change your place in my heart because of anyone or anything!”

When Old Master Zhang heard Zhang Yichen say this, he finally put down the burden in his heart.

My happiness always comes so simply; it always feels that as long as you are by my side, no matter how much hardship I endure, it remains happiness.