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墨書 Inktalez
This is the third time Cheng Qiuyi has stood in front of the Cheng Family residence since returning to the country. This time, the atmosphere is heavy; dark clouds swirl ominously above Cheng Residence, and not a single breeze stirs the air, creating a sense of oppression.
The last time she visited, there were still several servants cleaning and tending to the front yard, but now the entire house is shrouded in silence. The heavy iron gate is ajar as Cheng Qiuyi drives in, and she sees no one from the entrance to the main house. It isn't until she reaches the door of the main residence that she spots Old Master Cheng hunched over, waiting to greet her.
Old Master Cheng is a remarkable figure; despite the Cheng Family's decline, he still manages to greet Cheng Qiuyi with a polite smile, maintaining his composure.
"Grandfather." Cheng Qiuyi gets out of the car and bows to Old Master Cheng. She can guess why he has summoned her, but this matter is already being handled by Ye Jing and Yuan Ying; even if Old Master Cheng were to kneel before her, it would be futile.
"Come in. A girl grows up quickly; you left home at seventeen, and who would have thought you wouldn't return all these years?" Old Master Cheng's expression is warm, as if welcoming a granddaughter who has been away for a long time rather than an enemy responsible for the Cheng Family's downfall.
The main hall has not been cleaned for days, with a layer of dust covering the furniture and floor. Old Master Cheng turns to Cheng Qiuyi and says, "The servants have all left; now it's just me, an old man. We're family, so don't mind it."
"Grandfather, you flatter me."
Only the two of them remain, free from previous formalities. They each find a comfortable position to sit down. Cheng Qiuyi waits for Old Master Cheng to speak first, but he instead puts on his glasses and begins reading.
Cheng Qiuyi remembers her mother mentioning that Old Master Cheng was well-read in his youth and carried himself with the elegance of a scholar. His dream was to become a teacher, but unfortunately, with the decline of the Cheng Family to just one line left, he had no choice but to abandon poetry and literature for business matters. Despite his vast knowledge, he was not suited for commerce; thus, the Cheng Family fell into ruin until Mother Cheng gradually held it together, only for it to ultimately be destroyed by Cheng Tianhong.
Suddenly, heavy rain falls, with large droplets crashing against the floor-to-ceiling windows, creating a cacophony. Meanwhile, Old Master Cheng holds his book steadily; he reads carefully, occasionally turning a page as if savoring what he has just read before going back to appreciate it again, completely immersed in his own world as if forgetting that there is a living person beside him.
Cheng Qiuyi recalls her last visit to Cheng Residence when Old Master Cheng was also present. At that time, his eyes revealed embarrassment and reluctance that he could not hide. After all, they are blood relatives; for the sake of his disappointing son Cheng Tianhong, he had set aside his dignity. Unfortunately, Cheng Tianhong lacks capability.
The rain continues for over an hour without signs of stopping; puddles form on the grass outside while Old Master Cheng flips through an old yellowed book. Cheng Qiuyi does not interrupt him but rests her chin on her hand watching raindrops splash into puddles, wondering what Liu Shuhan is doing at this moment.
It has been a week since their argument that night; their relationship has become quite delicate during this time. Liu Shuhan still asks if Cheng Qiuyi has eaten and urges her to wash up and rest as usual. However, Liu Shuhan passively resists any contact from Cheng Qiuyi; she avoids kisses and hugs with great effort and even retracts her fingers sharply as if they touched something dirty when they accidentally brush against each other while reaching for the remote control.
Cheng Qiuyi has tried many times to explain herself to Liu Shuhan but has been deflected by various flimsy excuses. She feels frustrated because she believes everything she does is for Liu Shuhan's benefit yet ends up pushing Liu Shuhan further away.
Later on, when Liu Shuhan finally seems willing to listen to Cheng Qiuyi's explanation, Cheng Qiuyi finds herself at a loss for words because Liu Shuhan's eyes clearly convey: Look, Cheng Qiuyi, you must have concocted an impeccable lie; I just know it.
Forget it, once the Cheng Family collapses, the next will be Ye Jing. After resolving these matters, I will confess to Shu Han, which will also prevent her from getting involved and raising Ye Jing's suspicions, Cheng Qiuyi thought despairingly.
The rain gradually lessened and finally stopped. The dry air became clear and bright after being washed by the rain, and the leaves and grass were a vibrant green. Although the dark clouds still loomed overhead, the air was no longer so oppressive.
Old Master Cheng finally put down his book, satisfied as he rubbed his eyes. "As one gets older, one thinks too much. I haven't been able to sit down and read like this for a long time. Qiu Yi, thank you."
"Grandpa, you flatter me."
The old man took off his glasses and tossed them onto the tea table, sighing, "I have lived a life of wealth but have seldom had moments of peace. Now that I am old, who would have thought that Tianhong, that ungrateful wretch, would bring shame to our family? Qiu Yi, I have lived my life uprightly, but looking back, the ones I owe the most are your mother and you."
Hearing the old man's words made Cheng Qiuyi feel uneasy. "So many years have passed; my mother has probably long since been reincarnated. There's no need for Grandpa to dwell on it." After pondering for a few seconds, she added, "But I really can't help with the Cheng Family's matters; it's already beyond repair. You know this better than I do."
The old man nodded. "I know; I'm not looking for you for that." His face flushed red and pale in turns before he gritted his teeth and spoke again. "Qiu Yi, I am old now, and Cheng Tianhong is not long for this world either. This can be seen as repaying the debt he owes your mother. Once he is gone, Shen Wenqin will likely not hold up either. The Cheng Family... will truly fall apart."
"Grandpa, what do you want to say?"
"I hope that you can remember a bit of your past feelings for the Cheng Family and look out for Cheng Boming."
Cheng Qiuyi did not expect Old Master Cheng to make such a request and felt somewhat troubled. "Grandpa, this..."
"Cheng Boming is already ten years old this year. You don't need to treat him like a younger brother; just occasionally remind those in the Cheng Family who are raising him not to let him be mistreated until he can support himself."
The old man's words were sorrowful, and thinking about it made Cheng Qiuyi feel a bit sorry for Cheng Boming.
The fault lay with Cheng Boming's parents; he was still a child under ten whose mind had yet to mature. Cheng Qiuyi shouldn't project her biases against his parents onto such a young child.
However, it was truly impossible for Cheng Qiuyi to personally care for such an annoying child. After considering it carefully, she said seriously, "Grandpa, I will find him a boarding school. I will cover all his expenses until he graduates from university; as for anything else, I'm sorry."
Cheng Qiuyi's willingness to go this far could be considered generous enough; it was already much more than what the old man had anticipated. He sighed with emotion, "Qiu Yi, you have always been a good child since you were young; it is the Cheng Family that has wronged you."
Cheng Qiuyi lightly tugged at the corner of her mouth, managing a smile.
After chatting for a bit, Cheng Qiuyi's phone vibrated. She took it out to check and saw a message from Liu Shuhan: [Qiu Yi, are you coming home for lunch? I'm at home.]
This was the first time in many days that Liu Shuhan had actively contacted Cheng Qiuyi. Cheng Qiuyi was overjoyed and quickly replied: [Yes, I’ll be home soon.]
The old man noticed that Cheng Qiuyi had something to attend to and didn’t keep her, saying, “Hurry back before the rain starts pouring. Don’t keep the folks at home waiting.”
“Yes, Grandpa, I’ll come to see you again when I have the chance.”
The old man waved his hand, “I won’t have many peaceful days left. Just let me enjoy these few days alone.”
His words sounded a bit strange, but Cheng Qiuyi was eager to get home and didn’t think much of it as she stood up to leave.
Not long after getting on the road, heavy rain began to pour again. The Cheng Family residence was located in a remote area with narrow roads flanked by mountains. Cheng Qiuyi slowed down; she was worried Liu Shuhan would be anxious and quickly called her.
“Qiu Yi, are you home yet?” Liu Shuhan asked.
“Not yet, I’m still near Cheng Residence. It’s raining heavily, so I might be late.”
“Why are you still driving in such heavy rain?” Liu Shuhan said anxiously. “Can’t you wait until it stops?”
Cheng Qiuyi turned the steering wheel around a bend and cheerfully replied, “My dear wife is finally willing to talk to me; how could I not go back? Even if it were pouring knives, I’d still rush back.”
“Stop joking around. Drive slowly and be careful.”
“Got it.” Cheng Qiuyi kissed the receiver playfully. “Just wait for me to come back; I’ve missed you so much these past few days.” Anyone listening might think she hadn’t seen Liu Shuhan in ages.
Before she could hang up, a sudden landslide appeared on the mountain ahead. It was too late to hit the brakes as her car collided with a massive falling rock. Cheng Qiuyi's vision went black as she lost consciousness.
"Qiu Yi? Qiu Yi, what's wrong?" Liu Shuhan only heard a loud noise coming from the phone, and she shivered in fear, calling out several times, but Cheng Qiuyi did not respond at all.
"Qiu Yi, are you there? Qiu Yi? Cheng Qiuyi!"
"Qiu Yi, say something! Cheng Qiuyi, stop playing around! Respond to me!" Liu Shuhan's voice was hoarse from shouting, but there was no sound from Cheng Qiuyi on the other end of the line.
What should I do? What should I do? Something must have happened to Cheng Qiuyi!
Liu Shuhan didn't even know where Cheng Qiuyi was; she couldn't even call the police. She collapsed onto the floor, her fingers trembling as she dialed A-Zhi's number.
"Miss Shu Han? Is there something wrong?"
Tears streamed down Liu Shuhan's face as she trembled uncontrollably, barely able to hold the phone. "A... A-Zhi, Qiu Yi... she's... in trouble!"
"What?" A-Zhi was feeding a baby with a bottle when he heard this and immediately handed the baby over to Yan Cailing. "Miss Shu Han, don't panic. Where are you right now? Take your time and explain."
Liu Shuhan sobbed as she replied, "I... I don't know... Qiu Yi said she was at the Cheng Family and was on her way back when suddenly there was a loud noise, and I couldn't reach her anymore..."
"Don't worry; I'll take people to look for her right away!"
"A-Zhi, you have to bring Qiu Yi back. I'm begging you!"
Qiu Yi, Qiu Yi, you must be okay. Please be safe! It was my fault; I shouldn't have doubted you or held a grudge against you. Just come back safely, and I'll make you something delicious, okay?
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