Rebirth: Illuminating a Brilliant Life

Chapter 151 The Shattered Family: The Emotional Earthquake Triggered by Cheng Ran's Infidelity

Cheng Ran was like a wounded beast hiding in a dark corner, licking its wounds alone, unable to break free from the heavy blow of the divorce that was like a storm.

Deep in his heart, he stubbornly believed that the love between him and Su Xuan was like a raging, inextinguishable fire, its intensity undiminished. However, he was like a clueless person kept in the dark, completely unaware of the truth.

Little did he know that Su Xuan's resolute choice to embark on the same path in life with him was backed by such a bizarre and melodramatic secret—the intricate and complex ties from their past life, like a ghostly shadow, quietly lingered in their relationship, subtly influencing Su Xuan's choices and becoming a major reason why they had come together. All of this was taken for granted by Cheng Ran, who was kept in the dark, as guidance from pure love, which was both laughable and pathetic.

Cheng Ran's elderly father traveled a long distance to Chengdu with great anticipation, eager to see his beloved granddaughter Nianci, whom he hadn't seen in a long time.

Along the way, Nianci's adorable image kept appearing in his mind, and he imagined the joyful scene of the family gathering together. He even thought about how to arrange the local specialties he brought for Nianci. He never expected that a bolt from the blue was about to explode in this family.

That day, he hummed a little tune and swept the house like a top, cleaning inside and out, trying to make the house spotless so that his son and daughter-in-law could come home comfortably.

As he was cleaning near the bedroom drawers, he accidentally knocked over a stack of books. As he bent down to pick them up, a bright red divorce certificate unexpectedly came into his view.

The sight of Cheng Ran and Su Xuan's names on the divorce certificate made him feel dizzy and his head explode with a "buzz".

His eyes widened as he stared intently at the words, his hands trembling violently as if he had touched some terrible curse.

"How could this happen? What's wrong with these two children?" His voice was hoarse and cracked from extreme shock and anger, and his heart felt as if it were being squeezed by an invisible hand, causing him to gasp for breath.

Back in his hometown, every time Cheng Ran called to ask about his son and daughter-in-law, he always said everything was fine. But now, this divorce certificate is like a resounding slap in the face of this expectant old father.

He slumped to the ground, staring blankly ahead, his mind a jumble of thoughts. One moment he saw his son as a child, holding his hand and calling him "Dad," and the next he saw the shocking divorce certificate he had just witnessed.

After a long while, he finally came to his senses, a resolute glint in his eyes. "No, I have to find these two children and get to the bottom of this. How did such a good family fall apart?" With that, he stumbled to his feet and began searching for his phone, preparing to call Cheng Ran and confront her. He seemed determined to expose the secrets behind the divorce and get everything back on track.

Cheng Ran's father, his hands trembling, finally managed to dial Cheng Ran's number. As soon as the call connected, he roared furiously, "Cheng Ran, you unfilial son! What's going on between you and Su Xuan? How come I found your divorce certificate at home? What happened?!"

Cheng Ran remained silent for a long time on the other end of the phone, her voice hoarse and tired: "Dad, please calm down first. When I get back, I will explain everything to you."

After hanging up the phone, Mr. Cheng slumped onto the sofa as if he had lost his soul, staring blankly ahead, muttering repeatedly, "How could this be? How could such a good family fall apart like this?"

A moment later, Cheng Ran dragged his heavy steps into the house. Cheng's father seemed to have been triggered; he jumped up from the sofa, strode over to Cheng Ran, grabbed his collar tightly, his eyes red-rimmed, and roared, "You brat! How could you keep such a big thing from us? Don't you even care about our family?"

Cheng Ran looked helpless, gently removed his father's hand from his collar, pulled him to sit down on the sofa, and sighed deeply: "Dad, the things between Su Xuan and me are too complicated. We just couldn't live together anymore, so we chose to get a divorce."

Mr. Cheng was so angry that he was panting heavily. He slapped his thigh so hard that the water glass on the coffee table shook. "Complex? How complex can it be? Isn't it normal for couples to have disagreements? Why can't you two be understanding and tolerant of each other? Besides, there's Nianci. Can you really bear to let your child grow up in a broken home?"

Cheng Ran clutched her head in her hands, tearing at her hair in anguish, her voice tinged with despair: "Dad, you don't understand. Some problems can't be solved by tolerance alone. There's already an insurmountable chasm between us."

Just then, Nianci's door slowly opened, and little Nianci, rubbing her sleepy eyes, timidly walked out. Looking at the two men who were on the verge of a fight, she cautiously asked, "Grandpa, Dad, are you arguing? Is it because Nianci has been naughty?"

Cheng Ran felt a pang of sadness and quickly got up, forcing a smile as she walked over and picked up Nianci in her arms: "Baby, it's not your fault, you're the best girl. Daddy and Grandpa were just discussing some adult things. Why don't you go back to your room and sleep a little longer, okay?"

After Nianci obediently nodded and returned to her room, Cheng's father's emotions calmed down slightly. He looked at Cheng Ran, his eyes filled with heartache and regret: "Ran'er, marriage is not as simple as you think, it's not something you can just give up on. You and Su Xuan were so loving back then, how did things come to this?"

Cheng Ran stared blankly out the window, silent, as if lost in endless painful memories.

Mr. Cheng was furious, his face turning ashen. His fingers trembled as he dialed Cheng Ran's number. As soon as the call connected, he burst into a tirade: "Cheng Ran, you heartless bastard! I saw your divorce certificate with Su Xuan at home. Have you been doing something shameful outside? Get back here right now!" Cheng Ran stammered on the other end, his voice betraying his guilt.

A short while later, Cheng Ran entered the room with his head hanging low. Cheng's father was furious and rushed over, raising his hand to slap him hard: "You beast, you've disgraced our family! Have you been keeping a little vixen outside?" Cheng Ran covered his face, his eyes darting away, unable to look him in the eye.

At this moment, Nianci ran out crying, "Grandpa, Dad, please stop arguing!" Father Cheng hugged Nianci tenderly and shouted angrily at Cheng Ran, "Isn't it chaotic enough already? You've abandoned your family for that woman outside!"

Just then, the doorbell rang loudly. Mr. Cheng stormed in, and Su Xuan stood there, her expression complex. Mr. Cheng sighed deeply, "Su Xuan, it's my fault for not raising this good-for-nothing properly. He's done something so wrong to you, I will never forgive him!"

Su Xuan smiled bitterly: "Dad, it's all in the past. I came to see Nianci." Cheng Ran stood aside, filled with guilt and regret. The atmosphere in the room was so oppressive that it was suffocating, as if a storm was raging in everyone's heart.