TMDP CH 29

Chapter 29: What Price Must I Pay?

Han Junze drove Xia Ye home. At first, he asked for Xia Ye’s address, and after that, the car ride was enveloped in soft piano music with no further conversation. It seemed like Han Junze had come solely to drop Xia Ye off.

Xia Ye’s nerves were taut the entire time. He had no idea what the mighty president of a conglomerate wanted from him. Surely, someone of Han Junze’s stature wouldn’t just act as his chauffeur, right? Was he planning to pull a typical television drama move—throwing wads of cash at him to stay away from his son?

No, that didn’t make sense. Xia Ye was already planning to leave. Han Junze had no need to chase him down and throw money his way. Besides, every interaction with the elder Han had been polite and refined. If Xia Ye hadn’t known that Han Junze was the president of Yunbang Group, he might’ve mistaken him for a university professor. The man exuded none of the usual air of a businessman.

Xia Ye’s thoughts spiraled as he overanalyzed the situation, eventually circling back to Xia Li. His nose tingled, and tears threatened to spill over again. Just as the emotion surged, the car came to a halt.

He turned toward the window and realized they had arrived at his apartment complex. Xia Ye rubbed his eyes, trying to suppress the wave of sadness, and softly thanked the elder Han before reaching for the door.

“Hmm?” The door wouldn’t open. He turned back to Han Junze in confusion.

Han Junze casually engaged the parking brake, shut off the engine, and turned to Xia Ye with a calm smile.

“Xia Ye, can we have a chat?”

So, it wasn’t just a simple ride home. Xia Ye nodded warily, bracing himself for what was to come.

“First, I must apologize. Back when you and Mingxiu were dating, we, as elders, didn’t interfere much, thinking it wasn’t our place. When I heard about your breakup, I assumed it was just a typical split between young couples and didn’t delve deeper. Who could’ve guessed how reckless Mingxiu had been? We only recently found out about the foolish things he did—the way he hastily ended things without understanding the consequences, leaving you to bear so much alone. Especially regarding the matter with Grandpa Xia. For all of this, I offer you my deepest apologies…”

Han Junze shifted in his seat, leaning toward Xia Ye, and bowed his upper body deeply—a difficult gesture in the confines of the car.

Xia Ye was startled. “Uncle Han, please don’t do this,” he said, scrambling to lean away in the corner of his seat. How could he accept such an act from an elder? “I—my grandfather didn’t blame anyone, and neither do I. You really don’t need to apologize. Besides, this is between me and Grandpa. If anyone owes him an apology, it’s me, not the Han family.”

“How can it have nothing to do with us? If Grandpa Xia hadn’t discovered your pregnancy and gotten upset enough to fall, he wouldn’t have…”

Xia Ye shook his head sorrowfully. “No, that’s not it. Grandpa wasn’t angry. He was actually very happy when he learned about my pregnancy and said the Xia family would have an heir. He rushed to visit me and was hurrying off to buy some nourishing soup for me when he accidentally fell. That’s why… this truly had nothing to do with you.”

“When Grandpa was in the hospital, he also said no one was to blame. He told me not to feel guilty or to hold anyone accountable. Grandpa said relationships come and go and shouldn’t be forced. As for the child, he called him a gift from the heavens and told me to cherish him. Grandpa never blamed anyone.”

Han Junze was momentarily stunned. The findings in their investigation had diverged slightly from reality. A wise elder, worried about his grandchild being consumed by guilt and unable to face others, had chosen not to assign blame even until the end. A person like that had indeed raised someone as kindhearted as Xia Ye.

“Regardless,” Han Junze said, recovering from his pause, “Mingxiu’s failure to care for you properly caused Grandpa Xia to worry about you to the point of overexertion. That was on us—on me and his mother—for not raising him well enough and making you suffer.” Once again, Han Junze bent forward in a bow toward Xia Ye, his insistence unwavering.

When Han Junze straightened up, he continued, “Next, I want to thank you. Thank you for giving birth to Xia Li and raising him so well, and for being willing to bring him to our family.” He bowed deeply again. “Xia Li is truly a lovable, well-behaved, and polite child. We will make sure that Mingxiu takes good care of him, so please rest assured.”

The mention of Xia Li shifted Xia Ye’s thoughts. His heart had just been filled with the pain of losing his grandfather, and now it moved to Xia Li. It had only been an hour since their separation, yet the ache in his heart was already unbearable. How was he supposed to go on living after this?

Han Junze saw the anguish on Xia Ye’s face but didn’t try to comfort him. Instead, he asked, “What are your plans from here?”

Xia Ye stared at him blankly, his heart heavy. “I… I don’t know.” When he lost Grandpa, he had Xia Li to anchor him, forcing him to stay strong. Now that Xia Li was gone, too, he had lost his center. He wasn’t even sure if he could continue living.

“Have you thought about returning to school?” Han Junze asked. “From what I know, you had excellent grades and loved studying. If not for Mingxiu, you’d likely already have your master’s degree by now, or perhaps you’d even be pursuing a Ph.D. Am I right?”

A Ph.D.? That dream felt impossibly far away now. He hadn’t even finished his undergraduate degree, and after being out of school for so long, how could he dare to think of pursuing a master’s or doctorate?

Seeing Xia Ye lower his head, Han Junze added, “Actually, I knew of you before Mingxiu brought you home. I first became aware of you back when you were a freshman in high school.” Xia Ye looked up at him in confusion.

“You applied for Yunbang’s scholarship, didn’t you? The group has a dedicated team for handling these applications, whether it’s for merit-based scholarships or financial aid. Every recipient’s eligibility is carefully reviewed, and the final list is always sent to me for approval. I personally signed every certificate. You still have yours, don’t you?” Han Junze smiled warmly.

“I do. I kept it safe,” Xia Ye replied earnestly.

Han Junze nodded and continued, “Your name is quite unique—Xia Ye. It’s easy to remember, so I ended up remembering it by accident. Every semester, I signed your certificates for you. You were always the top student in your year and later got into your first-choice school, becoming Mingxiu’s junior.”

“Up until now, I’ve been quite pleased. Yunbang has sponsored many students over the years, and many of them have become successful and are now working in various corners of society. Some have even joined the group. But you… you’re an exception,” Han Junze paused. “You didn’t even complete your bachelor’s degree. As someone who personally signed off on your scholarships and awards for six semesters, I’m quite disappointed in you.”

Xia Ye thought back to his diligent efforts during high school, the bright future he had when he entered university, and now, all that was left was a future full of uncertainty. He could understand the sponsor’s disappointment—he was disappointed in himself, too.

“You’ve let down the Yunbang scholarship, and more importantly, you’ve let yourself down,” Han Junze said mercilessly.

Xia Ye wanted to argue: You know it’s all your son’s fault. But he couldn’t bring himself to say it. Unwed pregnancy, dropping out of school, and having a child—all of those were his choices. He was already an adult at the time and had to take responsibility for his own decisions. Blaming everything on Han Mingxiu wouldn’t make him any less guilty; it was just a way of shirking responsibility and finding an excuse. That felt disgusting.

Xia Ye lowered his head and quietly murmured an apology.

Han Junze nodded. “You should apologize, but not to me. You should apologize to yourself. You’ve been too hard on yourself, don’t you see that?”

Xia Ye bit his lip but didn’t speak.

After a long silence, Han Junze spoke again, “Yunbang continues to sponsor outstanding students to study abroad, and there are some extra spots this year. Would you be interested?”

“Me?” Xia Ye was stunned and gasped. “I don’t want to go. I’m not going. You can’t force me—it’s illegal…”

Xia Ye panicked, not understanding why Han Junze would go so far. He had already given up Xia Li—why was he still trying to push him away?

Hearing Xia Ye’s terrified ramblings, Han Junze was confused at first. After thinking it over, he couldn’t help but laugh. “What are you thinking? Do you think the Han family can’t accept you and wants to send you abroad?” He patted Xia Ye’s shoulder. “You’ve watched too many TV dramas, kid. I’m seriously asking if you want to study abroad.”

Han Junze couldn’t stop laughing as he thought about it. This kid was honestly a hundred times more lovable than his own son.

Xia Ye, seeing Han Junze laughing heartily, felt a little embarrassed. It seemed he had misunderstood. If it wasn’t because they couldn’t accept him, then the only possibility was that they were trying to atone for Han Mingxiu’s actions.

“Well, I don’t want to go either,” Xia Ye said stubbornly, “I’m just someone who hasn’t even graduated from university. Why should I receive Yunbang’s sponsorship? To be honest, it’s all because of Han Mingxiu. I don’t want to go. I never want to have anything to do with him again.”

Xia Ye straightened his back. “Uncle Han, thank you for your kindness. But there’s no need for you to ‘compensate’ me. My life is something I ruined myself. I don’t need you to make up for it.”

Han Junze almost laughed out of frustration. “You think I’m trying to compensate you?” He sighed and shook his head. “Let me ask you, what did you do in high school to win the Yunbang Award?”

“Because I… was good enough?” Xia Ye remembered his high school days when the principal had patted him on the shoulder and said that he was the best student he had ever taught.

“Exactly,” Han Junze said. “The reason you won the Yunbang Award back then was because you were excellent. Now, the reason I’m offering you a spot in Yunbang’s overseas program is the same.” Han Junze reached into the back seat and pulled out a document. “Take a look.”

Xia Ye, confused, took the document. With the help of the car’s overhead light, he saw that it was a study abroad funding application form from his university advisor three years ago. Inside, there were his grades from over the years, along with letters of recommendation from various professors. His signature appeared on the form as well. Looking at the document, Xia Ye suddenly remembered that he had applied to study abroad. But a series of events had happened after that, and he had completely forgotten about it. Now, thinking back, Han Mingxiu had promised that if he was approved, they would go together—Mingxiu for his PhD, and Xia Ye for his Master’s degree. Xia Ye would finish his Master’s first, then stay with Mingxiu for his PhD. After Mingxiu earned his PhD, Xia Ye would still be in the U.S. working at the branch until he finished his studies and could return home with him. They would accompany each other, wait for each other—what a beautiful dream. But shortly after the application was submitted, they broke up, and Xia Ye never even got the result before he dropped out.

Xia Ye turned to the last page, where the approval stamp was clearly marked. The date on it was still three years ago.

“See, this opportunity was yours three years ago. Now, I’m just returning it to you. What’s there to refuse?” Han Junze said.

“But…” Xia Ye frowned, still feeling uneasy. “If this were anyone else, the opportunity would be gone, and no one would remember it so long, let alone offer a second chance. I feel like I’m just taking advantage of connections. I don’t like this feeling.”

“Ugh, you’re so stubborn. Don’t you think if it were someone else who hadn’t been unlucky enough to meet Han Mingxiu, you’d have already finished your Master’s and returned by now?” Han Junze said, frustrated.

“Huh?” Xia Ye blankly listened to Han Junze’s words. He hadn’t even considered going back to school. He had gotten used to not planning for his future anymore. Now, such a good opportunity had landed in his lap, but he didn’t know whether to take it or not. However, if he took it, what would he have to give in return?

“If I accept, what price do I have to pay? Is it for Xiao Li?” Xia Ye’s heart was heavy. If he accepted Han Junzhou’s proposal, would he have to lose Xiao Li forever?

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– End of chapter –

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