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墨書 Inktalez
He slammed the door and pushed my clothes onto a chaise longue.
“Funeral? Whose is it? Why didn’t he mention it before, and only now tells me?”
I hadn’t heard of anyone in his family being seriously ill or elderly. It could be a friend’s or a business partner’s. In the past, he wouldn’t have let me attend such events because they weren’t occasions for bringing a female companion. If he did bring someone, it would certainly be justified, as one should indeed be Solemn in front of the deceased.
I picked out a black dress and wore a thin white sweater underneath, tying my hair up and applying light makeup to my face.
When I came out, Xiao Minxing had also changed into his outfit; he wore a black suit with a white shirt featuring subtle patterns.
Neither of us spoke as we got into the car, drove out of the courtyard, and headed towards Haicheng.
On the way, he made several phone calls, seemingly contacting friends and mentioning some terms related to politics and business that I didn’t quite understand. I leaned back in my seat, turning to gaze out at the Trees passing by outside.
The Car stopped in front of an ordinary courtyard, and someone immediately came out to greet us.
Both sides of the road were lined with vehicles already parked inside the courtyard—some were understatedly luxurious while others were high-end and grand. Just looking at those car brands felt like being at an auto show; any one of them was worth several hundred thousand or even over a million.
Xiao Minxing followed the staff's instructions to park the Car in an available spot, then got out with me.
The courtyard was large, but the house looked quite old, as if it had been around for some time. It was a typical two-story building with a shallow roof style; from the outside, you could see through to the back wall of the house. It wasn’t easy to find such houses in Haicheng.
The Funeral Hall was set up at the entrance, directly facing the Entrance, where there was a black-and-white photo surrounded by flower wreaths. The photo was of an elderly man I had never seen before.
However, among the close relatives seated there paying their respects, there was one person I recognized.
Ye Guang.
He, like everyone else sitting, wore traditional mourning clothes, with a white cloth tied on his head, sitting at the edge with his head down, staring only at his nails.
After we approached and paid our respects, those people stood up to return the greeting.
He remained seated, not moving or looking at us.
I suddenly thought of the phone call he made last night; he was crying on the phone but said nothing. Could it be because of this?
Who was the deceased to him? His grandmother or maternal grandmother?
Xiao Minxing had a solemn expression. After paying his respects, he signaled for me to step back with him, but we ran into Su Qian who was about to enter at the Entrance.
He followed a man in his fifties, slowly walking inside. When he saw me, he merely glanced over without any reaction or expression.
Compared to him, I felt much less composed. Since last night and this morning, I had been discussing matters concerning him with Xiao Minxing, so seeing him now stirred mixed emotions in me. If it weren't for the crowd, I would have almost wanted to rush up and tell him that we were being followed during our trip to Yunnan.
But as soon as I met his indifferent and unfamiliar gaze, I instinctively stepped back.
Then there was Xiao Minxing. He suddenly tightened his grip on my hand, his nails digging into my flesh without any courtesy as he pulled me to a corner of the yard.
The muscles in his face were tense, giving off a sense of hatred as if he wanted to chew on my flesh.
I didn’t dare look at him and shifted my gaze toward the Entrance, watching as groups of people entered and exited.
I also saw Zhuo Feng and Mina; they were both wearing black dresses with a white flower pinned to their chests.
In such attire, Mina appeared even thinner, her cheeks reduced to a narrow line, and her gaze was vacant. She mechanically followed Zhuo Feng inside, and then the two came out together.
Zhuo Feng quickly spotted us and pulled Mina over to greet Xiao Minxing.
Mina politely nodded at him, then forced a smile at me without saying a word.
To avoid Xiao Minxing and to figure out what had happened to Mina, I took her outside.
In the time we were inside, there were even more cars outside, lined up for a long stretch. Those who had gone in to pay their respects were scattered everywhere, some by their own cars. We walked quite a distance before we managed to escape the crowd.
I asked Mina, "What happened to you, dear? You look terrible right now."
She glanced at me lightly and suddenly asked without any context, "What do you think is the purpose of living?"
This question made it clear how serious her situation was. In the past, I would be the one asking such questions; she would patiently explain how wonderful life is and how meaningful it is to be alive. Now, the roles had reversed, and she was asking me such things. If I were to consider my own mindset when I asked similar questions, I would want to take her straight to see a psychologist.
"Of course there are many beautiful things! Did you forget that Chanel released a new foundation this month? It's super useful—breathable and radiant! And there are those clothes from your favorite brand; the autumn collection has so many new styles..."
Before I could finish my sentence, Mina shook her head and said, "What’s the point? A woman beautifies herself for the one she loves."
"No, that's not what you usually say! Don't you often say we live for ourselves? Why are you bringing up pleasing others when it comes to buying something? What on earth happened?"
In the end, I couldn't get much out of Mina. Her mental state was too strong; even though she was going through a tough time now, it was impossible for me—who usually knew little about such matters—to reach her heart with my words.
But I knew something big had happened.
She had no choice but to find Zhuo Feng to ask.
Zhuo Feng was always by Mina's side, taking care of her meticulously, so he should know the details.
When returning with Mina, Zhuo Feng was still standing and talking to Xiao Minxing. Their relationship seemed to have changed a lot since that incident in Yunnan. If it weren't for knowing their past, one would almost think they were longtime friends.
Looking around, it didn't seem like the right time to discuss such matters in this setting, so I could only find another opportunity to meet him.
I stood next to Xiao Minxing while Mina returned to Zhuo Feng's side. When the board members arrived to greet everyone and began the formal ceremony, I realized that the late Elder Ye was not only a symbol in politics but also an undeniable titan in business. Especially since her descendants were now engaged in important work across various positions.
Those who came to pay their respects, even if not for her sake, would still want to earn a living under her descendants and make a name for themselves.
Ye Guang stood quietly among the crowd, appearing very insignificant. If one didn't know him, they wouldn't even notice his presence.
However, his gaze was either fixed on his own nails or on that photograph, with a layer of mist covering his bright black eyes.
It was already past noon when we left the funeral. Xiao Minxing didn't drive home but instead headed into Haicheng.
I didn't know what he intended to do, nor did I want to ask.
He quickly parked the car in front of a restaurant and coldly said, "Go to the second floor; someone is waiting for you there."
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