BXBX NOVEL Chapter 343 - An Unwanted Presence
Chapter 343 - An Unwanted Presence
"Mama! Dada!"
Chyou hopped and happily rushed to hug her parents. Xiaosi brightened and picked her in his arms and twirled her around.
"Hey, my angel is back."
"I missed Mama Dada!"
Xiaosi gravely nodded. "I missed you too."
Chyou curiously glanced at Caihong first and then at Xiaosi. "Mama Dada look different!"
"..."
Caihong coughed and looked away.
Xiaosi was speechless.
Why are you blushing now? Weren\'t you so bold last night?
Xiaosi smiled as he kissed his daughter\'s cheek. "How are we different?"
Chyou pursed her lips. "I don\'t know."
He chuckled. "Well, Mama was being a little naughty."
Caihong glared at him.
How could you?
Chyou thoughtfully stared at her. "Mama always says to be a good girl. But Mama is now naughty herself," her lips puckered in complaint.
Xiaosi nodded and accusingly looked at her. "Yes, how can Mama be so naughty and go back on her teachings?"
Caihong squinted her gaze. "Xiaosi…"
There was a hint of warning in her voice, and Xiaosi promptly backed out. They had just spent a wonderful night together last night. He didn\'t want to be transferred to another room by his angry wife and spend the other nights in a different bed.
Xiaosi put Chyou down and kissed Caihong\'s forehead.
Caihong sighed. "Do you have to go to the office today? Can you not take a day off?"
Last night was so beautiful that Caihong felt it would be just perfect if they spent this day together. Maybe they could go on an outing with Chyou and have fun.
Xiaosi sighed this time. "I am sorry, but there are some important meetings I have to wrap up. But it\'s not for long. I will be back early, and then we can go to dinner together."
Chyou brightened. "Play outside?"
Xiaosi chuckled. "Yes. Food and then lots of playing."
"Yay!" She eagerly hugged his leg.
Caihong pouted. "Alright. Come home early. Chyou and I will be ready. If you dare be late then-"
Xiaosi raised his palms. "I won\'t. I promise."
"And tomorrow, you are not working," she declared.
"I won\'t work for the whole week."
Caihong nodded in satisfaction. "Alright. Go quickly so that you can come back quickly."
She tiptoed and kissed his cheek. "We will be waiting."
Xiaosi smiled and kissed her back. "It won\'t be for long."
---
Where it was blissful for Xiaosi and Caihong, it was a completely different atmosphere for Han Huizhong. He was a serious person, always having a glare in his eyes.
But today the air was bleaker than usual. Xinyi felt it. She always did on this particular day. Han Huizhong always seemed grimmer on this date.
And now she knew why. So did Zhiyuan and Zizi.
It was Han Zongying\'s death anniversary. The day when she jumped off the balcony and gave up on her life.
It was completely silent at the breakfast table. Han Tian and Xia Liqin seemed just like Han Huizhong. None of them really had an appetite.
Han Huizhong suddenly got up and said, "I am done."
Xinyi worriedly said, "Grandpa, you haven\'t eaten much yet…"
"I am old. I don\'t have much of an appetite nowadays."
"Don\'t say like that, Grandpa," she bit her lip.
Zizi fumed. "Yes. It\'s as if you are saying you are kicking the bucket."
He smiled. "Maybe you want that to happen. After all, I have thoroughly disappointed you all, right?"
A sharp silence descended.
Zhiyuan said, "Grandpa, please eat a little. You will fall sick if this goes on. You are not eating these last few days properly."
"As I said, I am old. You don\'t have to worry about someone who has broken your trust."
Zhiyuan gritted his teeth. "Will you stop talking like that?"
Han Huizhong didn\'t respond.
"Anyway, I am heading out. Don\'t wait for me for lunch or dinner. I will be back late."
The trio shared glances.
Zhiyuan quietly asked, "Where are you going?"
"Nothing much."
He left without saying anything else. Han Tian and Xia Liqin stared at him going away. A minute later, they got up at the same time.
But Han Tian sharply said, "Stop Xia Liqin."
She froze.
"I don\'t think you need to go anywhere, right? Or maybe you do, but it must be a different place, isn\'t it?"
She clenched her fingers, and her eyes teared up.
Han Tian lowered his gaze. It was difficult for him to be so harsh to her. It hurt him as well, but he was helpless.
"So stay right here."
After he left, Xia Liqin stood frozen in her spot for a few moments.
Xinyi worriedly asked, "Mom…"
Xia Liqin snapped out and smiled. "I am heading back to my room."
As soon as she left, Zizi said, "Mom was crying."
Xinyi cautiously said, "Grandpa must have gone to visit Aunt Han\'s grave, right?"
Zhiyuan nodded. "Makes sense since it\'s her death anniversary today."
Zizi said, "And because Dad blames Mom for standing up for Uncle An, he feels betrayed. So he doesn\'t want to visit her grave."
They nodded.
Zizi sighed in exasperation. "Ugh, why did Yunru say to stop the investigation!? I don\'t understand! We were so close."
Zhiyuan remembered that he had talked to Yunru after Xinyi said how he asked to drop the case. No matter how much he asked, Yunru refused to say anything.
But what was the truth that Han Huizhong wanted to hide at first, and then Yunru wished to do the same?
What was so devastating?
---
The car stopped in front of the cemetery. He looked at the sky. It wasn\'t supposed to be rainy. Yet the clouds were dark as if they perfectly reflected how he felt in his heart.
He faintly smiled. He stepped out, and for a few moments, he stood still in front of the gate.
Han Tian silently stood behind him, his expression the same as his father\'s.
Han Huizhong took a breath and finally pushed the gate. He took slow steps as if he didn\'t really want to get there.
No father would want to face his daughter\'s gravestone and realize again and again that she was dead.
Even after so long, it still hurt.
As he reached nearer to where her gravestone was, he froze in his steps. The color drained from his face. Han Tian furrowed his brows.
"Dad?"
He didn\'t respond. He was pale and shaking with anger.
Han Tian craned his neck and looked beyond, and then his condition was the same as his father\'s.
"An Guoting!" He roared.