Tang Hong’en might appear refined on the outside, but his character was very decisive. Once he made up his mind to do something, he wouldn’t hesitate anymore.

Whether Ji Ya frantically banged on the door or cursed at him, Tang Hong’en just led Liu Fen upstairs.

“Won’t this affect you badly?”

“Afen, this matter will have consequences no matter how we handle it. So let’s cut through the mess quickly. Don’t let Ji Ya think there’s still hope. She must realize that she can’t successfully threaten me using Jiang Yuan.”

This had been Ji Ya’s foolproof tactic. For all these years, Tang Hong’en had repeatedly compromised for his son’s sake.

And the result?

He never got what he wanted.

“If Jiang Yuan finds out…”

“As you said, he’s an adult who should learn to distinguish right from wrong. Whatever he chooses, whether he resents me or not, I’ll accept the outcome. Afen, life is full of disappointments – this has nothing to do with who I am or what position I hold… All I can do is try my best to live without regrets.”

Of course, he was willing to continue supporting his son Jiang Yuan.

But ultimately, whether Jiang Yuan wanted to be close to him wasn’t something Tang Hong’en could decide.

No one’s life should be endlessly devoted to others. While he wanted to be close to his son, he also had his own life to consider.

Being blackmailed by his ex-wife?

Not only were Ji Ya’s demands unreasonable, but even if they weren’t, it wasn’t his responsibility.

If he gave in, where would that leave Afen?

When Xia Xiaolan heard about this, she was dumbfounded. “Uncle Tang, you had Old Huang send her to the police station?”

With Ji Ya’s personality, she could probably turn the police station upside down!

Poor local police officers, Xia Xiaolan thought ordinary police couldn’t handle Ji Ya.

Zhou Cheng put on his coat. “I’ll go check on things.”

Tang Hong’en originally wanted to say his secretary would handle it, but if Zhou Cheng wanted to go, why should he care about someone else’s son? Let him go.

Who knew his precious daughter would be so eager – Xia Xiaolan immediately changed her shoes: “Uncle Tang, you and Mom rest first, don’t wait for us. Zhou Cheng and I will go check the situation. Maybe Jiang Yuan will come over soon, someone needs to explain the situation to him!”

It would be too painful to let Old Tang explain.

How could they tell Jiang Yuan that his mother was ready to trade him for benefits… and his father flatly refused?

Xia Xiaolan thought Old Tang and Comrade Afen were right to refuse. If they had agreed, wouldn’t they be just like Ji Ya? This “transaction” showed no respect for Jiang Yuan and should never have been proposed!

“Xiaolan, if you see that child Jiang Yuan, you’re his classmate, talk to him properly-“

“Ah, Mom, I know! You rest early, don’t think too much!”

Not thinking about it was impossible. Liu Fen couldn’t keep things bottled up. As soon as Xia Xiaolan and Zhou Cheng went downstairs, she pulled Tang Hong’en close.

She wasn’t complaining – she was worried about Old Tang!

“You must have been so upset earlier, her words were infuriating.”

They had been comfortable at home, but after going downstairs in the rain, Tang Hong’en’s hands, feet, and neck were cold, yet his heart was warm. Who says middle-aged men don’t have true feelings anymore, only left with petty calculations? Middle-aged men still have hearts – they’ve just encountered too much and buried their hearts deep!

Middle-aged men of Tang Hong’en’s age mostly had elderly parents above and young children below, needing to care for their families while bearing career pressures.

They appeared capable of anything, mature and steady, with wisdom bestowed by years, being the pillars of their families!

But who cares for these “pillars”?

They also need care and protection.

Tang Hong’en took Liu Fen’s hand and placed it under his nose, either wanting to smell it or kiss it.

This was an unconscious gesture, an intimacy from the heart.

“Afen, I realize I seem to have fallen in love again. When you stood in front of me earlier, when you fiercely scolded Ji Ya, my heart here was pounding so fast!”

He placed her hand on his chest, letting her feel his heartbeat:

“At that moment, I felt like I was young again, with a strong physique and abundant energy. I felt spirited, especially wanting to run through the fields… When I was young working at the grassroots level, walking through the fields in spring, with green seedlings and wildflowers blooming on the ridges, I could run whenever I wanted!”

He could not only run, but he could also pull along the girl he liked while running.

When young, one is always full of hope for the future. Maybe without money or power, but that youthful vigor becomes a precious luxury at this age that even thousands in gold couldn’t buy!

This confession was so sudden that Liu Fen was stunned and speechless.

What could she say?

They’d been married for over a year, and he suddenly told her he’s fallen in love again.

Liu Fen felt anything she might say would be wrong.

She didn’t have much education or family background; she was just an ordinary country woman. She acted from her heart – whoever was good to her, she would be doubly good to them in return.

With bad people, such a character was like a stuffed bun, easily bullied.

With good people, it was like finding a treasure. Power and wealth could buy many things, but “sincerity” could only be exchanged with sincerity. When someone gives you their true heart and you don’t cherish it, in a few decades of life, how could you be lucky enough to encounter it a second time?

This was exactly what Tang Hong’en felt now.

Liu Fen couldn’t express herself poetically like Tang Hong’en, but his confession still gradually made her cheeks flush red.

She understood.

She no longer felt the initial trepidation of being favored by a high-ranking official.

They were already husband and wife – was Old Tang saying he liked her even more?

Then she… then she should like Old Tang a bit more too!

…

Love.

It’s the secretion of dopamine.

It makes people feel joy and becomes addictive!

Its magical effect can even make a middle-aged man feel reborn.

Under its influence, people will do many things against their principles, compromise, accommodate, and tolerate… it will make a wealthy American man abandon his familiar living environment to come to live in China, which he considers backward and ignorant.

Such dedication is truly “true love.”

When the police station called South Sea Hotel, George was struck hard by his own “true love” again.

Love is a double-edged sword – as much joy as it can bring, it can bring equal pain in return!

Middle-aged men are invincible, covered in hard armor, and only those they deeply love can hurt them.

The most painful thing is having to admit that the person they love doesn’t love them back.

No matter how much they give.

Time, money, and all kinds of care – if there’s no love, there’s no love.

No matter how well it’s acted, fake can’t become real.

Moreover, favored women are always fearless, even perfunctory in their acting.

Even if he wanted to deceive himself, the other party had to be willing to cooperate!

“I need to go out.”

Mrs. Wilson noticed her son’s ashen face and guessed something. “Something happened with her, right?”

“She… anyway, she’s at the police station. I’m her husband, and they require me to go.”

Mrs. Wilson put on her coat. “Let’s go, I’ll accompany you. What is family? Family means being there for each other. My child, I think you need me right now!”