Jiang Yixia saw how agitated Jiang Sifan became after learning the news. She knew it would take him some time to accept it, so she didn't press the matter.
Meanwhile, Jiang Sifan was in his dorm room, his face a mask of anger.
For all these years, he and his sister had been called fatherless bastards since they were children.
He'd gotten into more than a few fights over it.
Thankfully, Jiang Yixia never blamed him. Every time something like this happened, she would just comfort the two of them.
Jiang Sifan sent a message to Jiang Silu: "He just waltzes back in now and says he wants us back?! Does he have any idea what we've been through all these years?! Sis, you absolutely can't forgive him!"
Jiang Silu quickly replied: "Mm-hmm, I know."
Seeing Jiang Silu's response, Jiang Sifan finally breathed a sigh of relief.
He gritted his teeth, even considering looking for another part-time job.
'If we didn't need a father's company during our childhood, then we need him even less now that we're grown up.'
Jiang Sifan could support himself now, and in the future, he would be able to support his sister and mother too.
'I don't need this kind of irresponsible father!'
「Elsewhere.」
Jiang Silu lay on her bed, thinking about everything that had happened today.
Although everything had happened so fast, it left her with little time to process it all.
She was well aware of the suffering her mother and brother had endured over the years. But her mother wanted her to forgive their father, while her brother insisted on never forgiving him.
Jiang Silu remembered the first day of school, when her roommates had all been accompanied to campus by their laughing, chatting parents.
Even though her own mother was with her, she had always longed for a complete family.
From childhood to now, this wish had always felt like a distant, unattainable dream.
Now, her biological father had finally appeared.
And judging from their first meeting, this Uncle Lu seemed pretty nice to her.
'Then why did he betray Mom and deceive her again and again...?'
Jiang Silu suddenly felt that the world of adults was so hard to understand.
Just as she was about to clear her mind and go to sleep, the dorm room door opened.
It was Lu Yao, back from her outing.
She was dressed stylishly today in a tight-fitting shirt and denim hot pants.
After walking in, she first looked toward Liu Shiting's bed and said in a soft, delicate voice, "Oh, Shiting, you're staying in the dorm tonight?"
Liu Shiting nodded and replied, "I have a minor course tonight, so I didn't go home."
"Haha, perfect! I brought back some late-night snacks. Want some?" As Lu Yao said this, she also asked Song Miaomiao and Jiang Silu, "Miaomiao, Silu, do you two want any?"
"No, thanks. You guys go ahead," Liu Shiting explained. "I'm on a diet."
"Oh, come on! Your figure is already so good, what's there to diet for? I'm so jealous of your body, and you're so classy too," Lu Yao praised effusively.
Song Miaomiao, however, said she had already brushed her teeth and wasn't going to get out of bed to eat.
So, Lu Yao walked over to Jiang Silu and said, "Silu, how about you? I can't finish all this by myself."
Jiang Silu found it hard to refuse her enthusiastic offer and nodded. "Okay."
She then got out of bed, and the two of them ate the snacks together.
During this time, Lu Yao would occasionally ask Liu Shiting again, "Shiting, are you sure you don't want any?"
"I'm sure," Liu Shiting said with a smile.
Watching this display of special attention from her own bed, Song Miaomiao felt a little disgusted.
Ever since Lu Yao found out that Liu Shiting had a BMW, came from a very wealthy family, and frequently carried designer bags, she had been constantly trying to suck up to her.
In Song Miaomiao's eyes, this behavior was simply hypocritical!
Don't be fooled just because there are only four girls in one dorm room.
There could very well be five different group chats!
One big group for all four girls, and then a separate group chat for every possible combination of three.
This was the epitome of fake friendships among girls.
As soon as one person was absent, the others would start complaining about her.
"By the way, Shiting, I have a competition downtown tomorrow. I was wondering if I could borrow that bag of yours?" Lu Yao said with a smile.
Liu Shiting didn't have much of a reaction. She just nodded and said, "Sure. Just grab it yourself tomorrow."
"Thanks, Shiting! What do you want to eat tomorrow? I'll bring it for you." Lu Yao was excited. "How about I get you the newest cake from Prince Karma?"
"No need."
It wasn't that Liu Shiting was being polite; she just didn't find cakes that cost so little particularly tasty.
Lu Yao, of course, didn't see it that way. She just thought Liu Shiting was classy and kind.
The thought of being able to carry that designer bag made her excited and happy.
Then, Lu Yao's gaze shifted to Jiang Silu's desk. "Silu," she asked curiously, "how much did you pay for that bag of yours?"
"Mine was only about ten yuan or so," Jiang Silu explained.
"Aiyo, you're too pretty to be carrying such a cheap bag! By the way, several of the upperclassmen in my dance club are single. I'll organize a get-together sometime, and we can all finally get ourselves some boyfriends!" Lu Yao said excitedly.
Jiang Silu gave an awkward laugh. "I'm not really thinking about dating right now, so I'll pass."
"I don't want to date either," Song Miaomiao called out from her bed.
"You guys just don't get it," Lu Yao explained. "Once you have a boyfriend, you don't have to spend your own money on food or drinks. You can save so much each month to buy makeup and bags."
Jiang Silu, however, had a different opinion. "Actually, I think that when two people are dating, you can't just let the boyfriend pay for everything. The girl should pay too. That's how you build a stable, long-lasting relationship."
"You can't eat stability," Lu Yao said, shaking her head. "Silu, trust me. You're so pretty. If you found a boyfriend, you wouldn't be carrying that kind of backpack. Those upperclassmen I know, their families are all pretty rich. They'd buy you all sorts of luxury goods."
Seeing that her and Lu Yao's views were too different, Jiang Silu didn't say any more.
While she did feel a bit envious of Liu Shiting and Lu Yao carrying their nice bags, she believed in living within her means.
And she certainly wouldn't use a boyfriend's money to pay for things.
「Late that night.」
Lu Fan was looking at a gift list on his tablet.
'For Silu, let's get a full set of Chanel bags and cosmetics. Oh, right, the weather's getting a bit cold, so buy her two luxury down jackets. And her phone is really laggy and old. Girls usually like Apple, so get her a top-of-the-line iPhone 17 Pro Max.'
'Sifan... what do boys need? Let's get him a set of clothes first. I checked his height, he should be about the same as me, so just match my size. Right, since he's studying finance, he probably does a lot of data analysis and model building. I bet his computer isn't very good. Let's just buy him an Alienware.'
'If I buy gifts that are too expensive, they'll be even less willing to accept them once they find out the price. It's better to buy things that are just a step above what normal people can afford. That way, even if they accept, they won't feel too much of a psychological burden.'
After Lu Fan finished meticulously selecting the gifts, Jiali immediately nodded. "Understood, Boss. These gifts will be delivered to the Young Master and Young Miss tomorrow."
"Mm, thank you for your hard work."
Although Lu Fan didn't know if his two children would accept the gifts, he figured his daughter would be easier to win over. A daughter is always a little closer to her father's heart, after all.
All he could do now was hope he wouldn't get news that the deliveries had been rejected.