Rebirth: Splendid Marriage in the 80s Chapter 2463 - 2399: Not Really Stealing Love

A pang struck Chiang Xiao's heart as she caught the tangled feelings in Nian Che's voice.

Was there perhaps some twisted connection among the trio from those old times?

Back when Old Madam Nian dragged her son Nian Tang to stir up trouble at the Meng Family, was it truly over some hidden truth in that diary?

Right now, the urge hit her to head over to Meng Xinian and get him to the hospital.

Regardless, he ought to understand the actual events, didn't he?

Yet she hesitated, fearing that stepping away would mean missing key revelations, and she dreaded Nian Che turning violent against the Meng father and son.

Thus, Chiang Xiao chose to remain and eavesdrop.

Inside the room, Old Meng paused quietly before letting out a heavy sigh, then remarked, "Nian Che, have you truly not let go even after so many years? Chao Jun was completely unaware of your attachment to Chenger at the time. Moreover, Chenger and Chao Jun shared genuine affection back then. Chao Jun didn't steal her from you or anything. You really can't fault him for it."

"I'm not holding it against him," Nian Che replied with a cool detachment in his voice. "The Nian Family is what I fault. My real father and mother brought me into the world outside of wedlock, but he lacked the guts to claim me openly. Instead, he had his brother take me in as part of the Nian Family. Sure, my adoptive father was kind enough, but it always came with this distant courtesy that left me feeling like a stranger."

"Brother Nian only ever praised you highly—how could you keep harboring grudges toward him?"

"When he picked up on my fondness for Chenger, he berated me severely, then rushed to set up meetings with potential suitors for her, searching high and low for the right match to wed her off in a hurry. He even cooked up a reason to ship me off to a distant spot."

Nian Che recounted these events in a composed and even manner.

Yet that very composure infused his statements with a subtle wave of feeling.

From beyond the door, Chiang Xiao sensed the deep-seated bitterness he held back.

"Had he not exiled me like that, promising for those six months that good results might lead him to pair Chenger with me, why would I have toiled so hard overseas for half a year? Little did I suspect that in those six months, Chenger would encounter Meng Chaojun, fall for him, and fix their wedding plans."

"How does any of that tie to Chenger and Chao Jun? Brother Nian passed away ages ago—do you still bear him ill will?"

Nian Che chuckled softly and let the subject drop.

Chiang Xiao stole a cautious glance through the gap and spotted him positioned beside the bed, gazing down at Meng Chaojun.

"Eldest Uncle Meng, take a look at my brother-in-law here, just lying in wait for death—he's aged, his locks turned gray, his features bloated and twisted, far from the man he used to be. Now glance at me; don't I seem to be holding up fine?"

As Nian Che ran a hand over his cheek, he added, "That blaze back then scorched my face and ruined it completely. To fix it, I headed overseas, scraping together funds by any method, tracking down specialists, enduring operation after operation. The suffering defies words. So tell me, reflecting on it all now, is my brother-in-law the one living contentedly, or is it me? Or put another way, am I the unfortunate one, or is he even worse off?"

So Nian Che's features got scorched and scarred in that blaze long ago? That explained his departure abroad.

What exactly unfolded back then?

Did it link somehow to Nian Chengcheng or Meng Chaojun?

In any case, an odd vibe had always crept in while she listened to Nian Che talk, and that unease swelled even more intensely now.