Reading He Xiaomingjin's letter, Meng Jingwei's nostrils stung, and the sharp pain in her chest almost suffocated her.
She looked at the neat handwriting, and the image of He Xiaomingjin's bright and energetic self appeared in her mind.
He was originally a sunny youth, who could have lived a relaxed life. Unfortunately, the old man had burdened him with an insurmountable load, which bent his back and left him unable to forget that 'pain' and shrouded in shadow for the rest of his life.
On this very day, 'Anthony' led his men onto the ship prepared by He Ka Yanyi at the ferry and left the Hidden Clan.
After they left, Meng Jingwei personally buried the old man, Li Zirui, and He Xiaolanya, placing them in the same cemetery as Li Yun'er.
Qing Muye was injured and recuperating at Yipinju. She went up the mountain alone to pay her respects.
Looking at the photos and names on each tombstone, Meng Jingwei sighed deeply, "In the next life, may you all be good people."
Meng Jingwei stood before the old man, looking at the photo of the old man with white temples and a white beard. Her eyes welled up, and tears flowed uncontrollably.
In her mind were scenes of her time with the old man.
Happy moments, laughter, playful scuffles, or being reprimanded and punished.
Each scene made Meng Jingwei's heart ache.
He treated her like his own daughter, and she treated him like an elder. Even without blood ties, they were closer than family.
The current outcome was truly lamentable.
"You were too stubborn, too obstinate, resorting to any means to achieve your goals. If not for that, we might have been like we were back then, me tugging your beard and calling you 'old man', and you hitting my backside with a ruler, cursing me as a 'stupid girl'. I would have served you until you were old, and you would have seen me marry and establish a family. But..."
Meng Jingwei choked, unable to continue. She knelt on the ground and kowtowed, "Thank you for your upbringing and kindness. After this farewell, I will never have the chance to visit you again. In the next life, let us not meet again."
She stood up and walked to He Xiaolanya's grave, knelt, and kowtowed, "Thank you for the gift of life."
With that, Meng Jingwei stood up, glanced at the tombstones of Li Zirui and Li Yun'er, her heart growing heavier. But she said nothing and turned to leave.
Two days later, Qing Muye, Meng Jingwei, and others prepared to board a ship to leave the Hidden Clan.
But the day before their departure, they visited a secret passage in the West District Research Institute with a mysterious woman in a red dress.
They stayed there for a full five hours before leaving.
When they boarded the ship, He Ka Yanyi led his men to see them off personally.
He Ka Yanyi gave Qing Muye a look, and the two walked aside, deliberately avoiding the crowd.
"What's wrong?" Qing Muye asked.
He Ka Yanyi glanced at Meng Jingwei not far away, "Did you go to the secret room of the West District Research Institute with Meng Jingwei yesterday?"
Qing Muye thought the matter was handled without a trace, but he didn't expect He Ka Yanyi to find out.
"You know already?"
"My mother always thought I was unaware of the secret rooms in the West District Research Institute, but little did she know, I've known for ten years. The secret passages under the research institute lead to a secret chamber with Gu worms. I went to take a look, and all the Gu worms inside are dead. What happened?"
He Ka Yanyi questioned.
Qing Muye took out a cigarette, offered one to He Ka Yanyi, and sighed, "Ah Wei had some of her memories sealed by the old man, and there was a sub-Gu within her body. To prevent any future impact on her body, she went to the secret chamber and used the mother Gu to draw out all the sub-Gus."