Xia Weiliang received a call from the police station.
Little Jinzi was braiding her hair, tying it into numerous small braids.
"Liu Wanquan was found? Dead?!"
Xia Weiliang sprang up from the sofa, startling Xiao Jin.
After hanging up, her eyes widened in shock, her heart pounding.
The police said someone found a male body in the river during their morning exercise that day. It was confirmed to be Liu Wanquan, and the preliminary conclusion was suicide due to guilt.
Xia Weiliang certainly had no good feelings for Liu Wanquan, but it was still a life. Hearing that he died so suddenly was quite shocking.
Her phone rang again, this time it was Xiao Yi.
As soon as the call was connected, she couldn't wait to say, "Teacher Xiao, do you know..."
"Mm, I just received the news."
Xiao Yi seemed to be in the car, his signal intermittent. "Don't worry about Liu Wanquan's matter. I've already arranged for people to handle the follow-up at the police station. Also, I sent someone to Liu Wanquan's hometown and found out some things from back then..."
He paused again. "If you don't want to continue, I won't investigate."
The results of the investigation might not be what she expected.
Xia Weiliang opened her mouth, unsure how to reply for a moment.
But the person on the other end responded, "Alright, I know what to do."
He knew?
Knew what?
Even Xia Weiliang herself didn't know what her true expectations were. Su Dan Novel Network
After another silence, Xiao Yi spoke:
"I'm sorry I wasn't by your side."
His voice was deep, and a hint of exhaustion could be heard.
Xia Weiliang quickly said, "I know you're very busy, you don't need to apologize for something like this. Besides, I can handle it myself, don't worry."
He chuckled, "Mm."
The phone signal was lost again, and they had to hang up.
Soon, she received a WeChat message from him: "Wait for me a little longer, it will be soon."
Although it sounded like something a scummy boyfriend would say when making empty promises, Xia Weiliang didn't doubt him.
"Okay! I'll wait for you!"
Putting away her phone, her mood finally calmed down a bit.
——
Xia Yiran drove back to the villa, her face pale as she went upstairs.
"Yiran? Where did you go?"
Su Hui came out of the kitchen, "Mom baked cookies, do you want some?"
"No."
She said this curtly, went upstairs to her room, and slammed the door shut.
Su Hui stood there, her disappointment evident on her face.
Since their argument last time, mother and daughter hadn't spoken.
She knew her daughter was still angry with her, so she took the initiative to cook, making the cookies she was good at.
Upstairs, Xia Yiran returned to her room, her hands trembling slightly. She shakily walked to the mirror and saw a flustered face.
She quickly turned away and looked down at her clothes. With fumbling hands, she took them off and stuffed them into a garbage bag.
She then went into the bathroom and turned on the shower, letting the hot water wash away the chill from her body.
Covering her face with her hands, she could no longer hold back her tears.
How did things come to this?
She didn't want this either!
But...
But...
Soon, the news of Liu Wanquan's death also reached the hospital.
In the ward, Bao Fang cried inconsolably. Liu Yaozong held his mother while wiping away tears with his sleeve.
"What should I do? What should I do?"
Bao Fang was helpless and heartbroken. She suddenly opened her mouth wide and gasped for breath, her face turning red.
Frightened, Liu Yaozong quickly called for a doctor. After a long while, she finally recovered.
Liu Yaozong gritted his teeth and advised, "Mom! You still have me!"
"Yaozong..." Bao Fang looked at her son blankly.
Although Liu Yaozong was also very panicked, the fear of being left alone in the world at any moment surrounded him. But seeing his mother like this, he forced himself to say, "Mom, from now on, I'll take care of you."
"Yaozong..."
Bao Fang looked at him as if she didn't recognize him, then surprise filled her eyes.
"Son, you've finally grown up... Mom has really been waiting for this day for a long time... But, but your father will never see it..."
Hearing his mother mention his father again, Liu Yaozong felt an unspeakable sadness. "Mom, Dad loved you, loved you... why do you still think about him?"
Bao Fang shook her head, "You don't understand, you don't understand."