"My name is He Jingtian, born in a remote mountain village called He Family Temple."
He Jingtian held a coffee spoon, gently stirring his coffee.
His expression was focused, as if lost in reminiscence and contemplation.
Angel felt that the He Jingtian in front of her was both unfamiliar and distant, yet she didn’t dare to interrupt, quietly listening.
"Do you know why I’m called Jingtian?"
When He Jingtian asked this question, he didn’t truly intend to hear the answer from Angel’s mouth.
So, without waiting for Angel to speak, he answered himself: "Jingtian is the name of an herbal medicine, and my He Family has practiced medicine for generations."
At this point, He Jingtian looked at Angel with a burning gaze, his voice deep, "Our He’s Medical Hall used to be the best in the entire County."
Angel’s eyes suddenly widened.
Seeing the change in Angel’s expression, He Jingtian smiled, but he didn’t stop continuing his story, "Do you know why our village is called He Family Temple? Because it used to be our He Family’s ancestral temple."
"Unfortunately, it later declined, and my grandpa was sent back to our old home at He Family Temple. He couldn’t bear the huge gap and hanged himself in the back mountain."
"My dad had a leg broken and got the nickname Old Crutch He. No one knew he was once a handsome noble son with mastery in medicine!"
When He Jingtian spoke to this point, there was a sense of nostalgic melancholy, mixed with a bit of regret.
Of course, these words were all told to him by Granny He when he was a kid.
How much of it was true, and how much was embellished or made up, He Jingtian couldn’t tell, and he didn’t want to know.
Because, deep in his heart, He Jingtian also hoped his father was a highly educated, skilled medical figure, rather than a rural old man with a crippled leg, slouched shoulders, and a face full of worries.
Angel opened her mouth, unsure whether she should praise the He Family’s heritage or comfort He Jingtian and his family for going through so much.
"..." Seeing Angel’s hesitant expression, as if she didn’t know how to respond.
He Jingtian curled the corners of his lips, in contrast to his earlier somberness and melancholy, he returned to a cheerful appearance.
"I say this not to claim I am pitiful, but to show you the real me!"
He Jingtian looked at Angel seriously and said candidly, "I’m not as sunny and confident as I appear, in fact, I can’t even be considered a genuinely good person."
"You know, I once disdained my impoverished family and didn’t want to face the fact that I had a crippled real father and a foolish real mother."
"Half a month ago, when I heard the news of my father’s unexpected death, my first reaction wasn’t sadness but secretly breathing a sigh of relief because I no longer had to worry about being laughed at for having a crippled real father, nor would I be dragged down by him in the future!"
"After arranging my father’s funeral, regarding my real mother who was not fully conscious, my first reaction wasn’t to feel heartache or compassion, but rather some disgust. I even thought of directly leaving her at the train station, letting her fend for herself!"
He Jingtian didn’t want to say these things, but the voice in his heart was insistent.
Since he was going to dissect himself, he might as well be thorough.
If by chance Angel one day awakens to the memories of her past life, with today’s groundwork by He Jingtian, there would be room for many things.
Although He Jingtian didn’t know why his inner voice thought this way, ever since being reborn, he was used to following the commands of this inner voice.
Dissect if you must dissect, peel off the layers if they need to be peeled.
After saying the first sentence, He Jingtian actually felt a sense of relief and liberation.
Indeed, one cannot always pretend, it is too tiring!
Anyway, now he asks nothing of Angel, being candid with himself feels comfortable.
As for how Angel would see him, it no longer mattered, right?!
"...You, how could it be?" Would it be that frightening?
Angel was taken aback.
All along, He Jingtian had appeared to her as a handsome, sunny young man, perhaps with some minor flaws, but none that seriously affected his character.
And at this moment, hearing He Jingtian’s words, Angel felt a bit dazed.
Could this be the real He Jingtian?
But, after the fright, Angel also felt an inexplicable admiration.
Because not everyone can engage in self-reflection and introspection.
Most people, even when they’ve made mistakes, won’t admit it, let alone openly reveal it.
Yet He Jingtian dared to speak this way, especially at this moment when he had gained newspaper fame for his filial piety. Was he unafraid that she might expose him?
Was he confident that she wouldn’t expose him, or had he truly recognized his mistakes and wasn’t afraid of being criticized?!