Chapter 18

Chi Wanzhao had mentioned visiting the set soon, but an unexpected family matter came up. She had Zhou Sheng book the plane tickets and only texted Kong Xiyan right before boarding, saying she'd be back in a week and that Yanyan was temporarily in Zhou Sheng's care.

Kong Xiyan hated being apart from Yanyan, but her filming schedule was packed in the early stages, and she really couldn't look after the cat properly. After mulling it over, she agreed.

So after wrapping her scenes, Kong Xiyan found herself alone in the empty apartment and sighed.

When Yanyan was around, the cat would trail her everywhere. She had to tiptoe carefully to avoid stepping on her. Now, facing the bare rooms, she felt unsettled.

Kong Xiyan made a simple dinner, ate, and went to bed, but she tossed and turned. When Chi Wanzhao had been there, she'd felt awkward even at the edge of the bed. Now that she was gone, Kong Xiyan found it even harder to fall asleep.

Habits are terrifying.

Thinking about the early call time the next morning, Kong Xiyan had no choice but to get up and heat a glass of milk. After drinking it, she lay back down and only drifted off after a long while of restless turning.

On the other side of the Pacific, Chi Wanzhao and her family stood anxiously outside the hospital emergency room. The doors remained shut, and the few people waiting wore tense expressions—all except Chi Wanzhao, whose eyes were cold and distant.

After a while, the red emergency light went out, and the doors opened.

A hospital bed was wheeled out.

Everyone's gaze followed it. On the bed lay an elderly man—thin, deeply wrinkled, eyes squeezed shut, features sharp and hard. After the nurse pushed him out, the doctor followed behind, speaking in low tones with Chi Wanzhao's mother about aftercare.

Chi Yifan patted Chi Wanzhao's shoulder. "He's fine now."

Chi Xuan also took her hand. "Sis..."

Chi Wanzhao took a breath. "I'm all right."

After finishing her conversation with the doctor, Xie Dan turned and came over to the three of them, saying to Chi Wanzhao, "Xiao Wan, the doctor said he's stable for now, but there's no guarantee this won't happen again. I think you should stay a while longer. Isn't Zhou Sheng handling things in City B?"

Chi Xuan looked up at her too. "Yeah, sis—you've been gone for years and haven't come back. I've missed you to death."

Chi Wanzhao looked at her. "It's not that exaggerated; I come back every Chinese New Year. Since Dad's out of danger, I'll stay a couple of days and then head back."

Xie Dan and Chi Yifan exchanged a glance. Everyone knew Chi Wanzhao's temperament. What happened back then had hit her hard, and it was understandable she didn't want to stay in Country A.

She had hated him too, but that didn't change anything. When a man was dying, all that hatred was just an illusion.

The four of them stood outside the ward in silence. Chi Xuan could least stand this kind of atmosphere, so she spoke up. "I'll go in first to see Dad."

Chi Yifan nodded. "Go ahead."

Chi Xuan took Xie Dan's arm and went into the ward. Outside, Chi Yifan and Chi Wanzhao stood facing each other, neither speaking, the atmosphere awkward.

Chi Yifan finally broke the silence. "How's City B? Are you used to it?"

Chi Wanzhao hummed. "It's fine."

Chi Yifan said, "Good. I know you resent Dad inside. Who doesn't? Do you think Mom doesn't? Or me? But Xiao Wan, Dad raised us all these years—that's not fake. He made mistakes, hurt a lot of people, but he also gave us so much. Now that he's old, all he wants is for you to forgive him."

Chi Wanzhao turned to look at him. "Forgive him?"

"What he hopes for isn't our forgiveness—it's everyone else's."

Chi Yifan sighed. "Xiao Wan, why are you still so stubborn? You know his condition these past few years. Don't you know he wants your forgiveness?"

"Everyone makes mistakes—you and I do too."

Chi Wanzhao's face turned to ice. "Alright, I don't want to hear it."

"Brother, he wants my forgiveness so he can bring that person back to live with us? Let bygones be bygones? Sorry, but I can't."

Chi Yifan frowned. "Why are you so inflexible? Do you really want Dad to die with regrets?"

Chi Wanzhao's profile tightened, sharpness lurking at her brow, her gaze piercing. She shook her head. "If there are regrets, he brought them on himself. And I'm not like you all. I don't have that big a heart, and I can't tolerate such a thing."

"I know you want to let him go peacefully. I'm sorry, but you shouldn't have called me back."

With that, she strode out of the hospital. Chi Yifan called after her, "Xiao Wan! Xiao Wan!"

But the figure hurrying down the corridor turned a corner and vanished.

Chi Yifan shook his head helplessly, then walked into the ward.

The ICU had two rooms. They were in the outer one, with an observation room beyond. As Chi Yifan entered, Xie Dan looked behind him and asked, "Has Xiao Wan left?"

Chi Yifan nodded.

Chi Xuan slumped her shoulders and asked Xie Dan, "Mom, is sis going back to City B again?"

Xie Dan patted her hand. "No. She said she'd stay at home for two days."

Chi Xuan brightened a little. Chi Yifan looked through the window at the man lying in the bed, his expression complex.

Three years ago, Chi Chao, the kind, mild-mannered man they'd always known, had suddenly gathered them together, saying he had news to share. It turned out he'd had a secret lover for years, and not long ago, that lover had passed away, leaving behind a child.

He wanted to bring that child back to raise.

The news was like a bomb, blowing the Chi family apart. The man they'd believed to be devoted to his family, his wife, and his children turned out to be exactly that kind of person. What was worse, he wanted to bring his mistress's child into the Chi family?

This dealt a severe blow to the family. Xie Dan took to her sickbed for six months. Chi Wanzhao and Chi Xuan refused to see Chi Chao at all, more estranged than strangers.

Chi Wanzhao in particular had been closest to him—half father, half friend. When she heard the news, she nearly fainted from anger. She told Chi Chao in disbelief that if he dared bring that child back, she would leave the Chi family.

That was why Chi Chao never did bring the child home.

Later, he tried repeatedly to talk things through with Chi Wanzhao, but she went straight to City B. And after she left, he fell ill. Several times he was critical, yet she never came to see him.

He believed the words she'd said. He knew Xiao Wan's temper too well—it was just like his own: unyielding.

Had it not been for that, he would have already brought the child into the Chi family behind her back.

He was just afraid that Xiao Wan would leave the Chi family for good.

Even so, he had transferred one-fifth of his shares to that child.

Chi Yifan knew Chi Wanzhao still couldn't unravel this knot. The tall, upright image of her father had been shattered in an instant, replaced by the most unbearable truth.

But...

The man lying in the hospital bed still hadn't woken. Xie Dan wearily wrapped her arms around herself, and Chi Xuan put an arm around her. "Mom, let me take you home." Xie Dan nodded weakly. "All right."

She turned to Chi Yifan. "Xiao Fan, if it's nothing urgent at the company, stay and keep watch here for a while."

Ever since Chi Chao had collapsed, the company had been entirely managed by Chi Yifan. As for Xiao Wan—perhaps the shock of it all had been too much—she'd made up her mind to leave, all the way to City B, on the other side of the Pacific.

The Chi family's old mansion was in City B. Their grandfather had started a business there, but it hadn't grown large, and by their grandfather's generation it had dwindled considerably.

His father, Chi Chao, had brought considerable assets to Country A to develop. To everyone's surprise, things went smoothly, growing bigger and bigger, and they eventually carved out a place for themselves.

Originally, his father had favored Xiao Wan as his heir. Chi Yifan, though the eldest son, had never had that ambition. Xiao Wan had a natural gift for business, and he was more than happy to step aside. Unfortunately, that incident had changed everything.

Once Xiao Wan left for City B, he had no choice but to take over the company.

Chi Yifan hummed. "Don't worry, Mom. I'll wait here until Dad wakes up."

Xie Dan was helped out of the ward by Chi Xuan.

When the two arrived home, they found Chi Wanzhao sitting on the sofa, expressionless, her eyes vacant, staring straight out the window.

Xie Dan patted Chi Xuan's hand to signal her to go upstairs first. Chi Xuan went up reluctantly.

Chi Wanzhao heard the noise behind her and turned to look. "Mom."

Xie Dan came over and sat down beside her. "What are you looking at?"

"Nothing. I've been away so long, but the view here hasn't changed."

Xie Dan seemed to have aged many years. Her voice carried the traces of time. "That's right. The scenery barely changes."

"But people, well—they're not like the scenery."

"Year after year, they decline."

Chi Wanzhao understood what she was getting at. She turned her face away, unwilling to speak further.

Xie Dan moved closer and took her hand, gently smoothing down her stray hair with a tender look. "Xiao Wan, I know you can't forgive your father. When I first found out, I couldn't forgive him either."

"I couldn't believe that the man I'd shared a bed with for so many years had really betrayed me."

"And even had a child with someone else."

The pain in those words made Chi Wanzhao's heart ache. She reached out and wrapped her arm around Xie Dan's waist, feeling how thin she had become.

Her eyes reddened slightly. "Mom, am I being childish?"

She had thought that by not forgiving Chi Chao and not letting that child into the Chi family, everything would be fine—as if nothing had ever happened.

Xie Dan shook her head, stroking her hair. "Of course not. You're the most sensible and generous child I know. I understand you just can't accept it."

"But it's not that child's fault."

"We can't condemn someone just because of their origins."

Chi Wanzhao understood what Xie Dan meant.

That woman and her father had been childhood sweethearts, growing up together. Later, they each started their own families. Her father came to Country A, and not long after, that woman was also tricked into coming there.

Later, learning of the woman's difficult situation, her father helped her wherever he could, and without realizing it, their relationship grew close.

One incident brought them past the point of no return.

Though her father, weighed down by guilt, had kept away from that woman for a long time afterward, the damage was already done.

And then...

That child existed.

For years, her father had secretly supported the mother and daughter as a relative, until the woman died. Only then did he come back to confess to his family and to the child.

The Chi family wouldn't accept it.

Neither would the child.

And so she disappeared.

Never to return.

Chi Wanzhao knew this was all her father's and that woman's fault. That child had been kept in the dark.

But she couldn't help wanting to displace her anger.

That person's existence was like a stain, constantly reminding her father—and her—that the Chi family had once been through such an absurd affair.

Chi Wanzhao was held in Xie Dan's arms. She took a deep breath and opened her mouth. "Mom, actually..."

Xie Dan looked down at her. "Mm?"

"Nothing."