"He..."
Chen Jinshao's voice trembled a few times.
Familiar faces, either dead or missing, left him at a loss.
This feeling was unbearable.
Yu Mengzhi continued, "Since your funeral three years ago, no one has seen Qi Yue. Every time I message her, I get no reply. Before coming to Jiangnan from the capital today, I messaged her, and still no reply."
"Is that so..." Chen Jinshao's mouth felt bitter.
"Perhaps she wants to forget the past and start anew."
What will be, will be.
Let it be.
"By the way, how much do you know about my uncle?" Chen Jinshao asked. He had previously learned from Songjing Yousuke that Li Qiutao also seemed to be missing. Yu Mengzhi sighed, "Uncle has indeed disappeared. He used to disappear for periods of time, but after the Spring Festival last year, he vanished completely. The Wu family spent a lot of time looking for him, but found nothing."
Chen Jinshao's spirits sank.
Three years, not long, not short, yet the world had turned upside down.
Life was like this; no one knew what lay ahead.
Yu Mengzhi took a deep breath. "I won't talk much with you for now. Many people are waiting outside to see you, and you need to be in your best state to meet them. Oh, and Yao Yao also wants to see you. I'll have her come see you later."
"Okay, I'll arrange everything according to your plan," Chen Jinshao said.
As Yu Mengzhi was about to leave, Chen Jinshao brought up Shanli Qianhuo.
Yu Mengzhi chuckled, "I'm not that wicked. Am I going to make her have an abortion?"
"You've worked hard," Chen Jinshao said sincerely.
Yu Mengzhi smiled and left the ward.
The moment she left, Xu Yao Yao entered.
Xu Yao Yao lacked Yu Mengzhi's self-control. Seeing Chen Jinshao, she immediately burst into tears. Chen Jinshao had to comfort her instead. After her emotions calmed down, Xu Yao Yao told Chen Jinshao many things about her parents and her grandfather, Xu Hanchen.
Chen Jinshao's heart grew heavy upon hearing this. He said to Xu Yao Yao, "Someone might be orchestrating these incidents. I promise you I will seek justice for them."
Xu Yao Yao, however, said, "Brother Chen, I think we should forget it."
"Why?" Chen Jinshao asked, confused.
Xu Yao Yao wiped her slightly reddened eyes. "To be able to lay hands on my parents and my grandfather, they must be very powerful figures. You've already been stripped of your military rank, and you're injured. There's no need to confront them head-on."
This was not a wise choice.
Chen Jinshao was stunned for a moment, then felt a pang of melancholy.
Indeed.
He was no longer the person he was three years ago.
Now, he was covered in injuries and held no position. How could he fight those people?
Chen Jinshao put away these thoughts and said to Xu Yao Yao, "No matter what, I will seek justice for them. Otherwise, how could I face Elder Xu? Whether we get a good outcome depends on whether heaven will have mercy on us."
Xu Yao Yao said again, "It's enough that Brother Jinshao has this intention. I believe Grandpa would be very happy if he knew."
"After I'm discharged, I will definitely visit the old man," Chen Jinshao promised.
Xu Yao Yao didn't say anything more.
The next person to enter the ward was Li Tianze. He rushed over from the capital as soon as he heard Chen Jinshao was alive.
Their reunion was filled with emotion.
Li Tianze sighed, "I truly don't know how you survived. We all thought you were dead back then. You are truly a child of destiny!"
"It's nothing major, just luck," Chen Jinshao said.
They briefly discussed the international situation. Li Tianze assured Chen Jinshao that he would help him find the mastermind and seek justice.
Chen Jinshao thanked Li Tianze.
Due to official duties, Li Tianze could not stay in Jiangnan for long and left in a hurry after visiting Chen Jinshao.
From beginning to end, there was no mention of helping Chen Jinshao regain his position.
Chen Jinshao's mind began to wander.
After meeting Li Tianze, Li Qiurong returned with Shanli Qianhuo. Just as Chen Jinshao had expected, Shanli Qianhuo was indeed pregnant. Li Qiurong said, "You two really need to be careful. Qianhuo's health isn't great, and she's anemic."
Chen Jinshao's face turned pale with embarrassment. "Mom, I'll be careful from now on."
Li Qiurong tidied Chen Jinshao's blanket and said, "You're truly something. You're about to become a father, and you're still like a child."
"Just like your father."
Chen Jinshao looked at Li Qiurong.
It was evident that Li Qiurong's expression was unnatural, as if she realized she had spoken out of turn.
"Mom, is my father still alive?" Chen Jinshao suddenly asked.
In the past, Li Qiurong rarely mentioned his father in front of Chen Jinshao, but this time, Li Qiurong seemed to have let it slip unintentionally.
Shanli Qianhuo sensed the awkward atmosphere and said to them, "I'll go out and meet the others and have a chat."
Only mother and son remained in the ward.
Li Qiurong avoided Chen Jinshao's gaze and said faintly, "What are you thinking, my child? Your father has been dead for almost thirty years. How could he still be alive?"
"Don't overthink it, just rest well."
Chen Jinshao frowned. "I can feel that you're lying to me. What reason do you have for not letting me know about my father? This isn't fair to me."
Li Qiurong fell silent.
Chen Jinshao realized his guess was correct and continued, "Mom, what's the harm in letting me know the truth? My father is clearly alive, yet you lied to me that he's dead. I don't have much time left to live. Do you want me to die in ignorance?"
"What nonsense are you talking about? You can live a good life," Li Qiurong said.
She looked up at Chen Jinshao.
She saw that Chen Jinshao's eyes were red and bloodshot, looking quite terrifying.
Li Qiurong's heart softened. She sat by the bed and said to Chen Jinshao, "Do you really want to know your father's whereabouts?"
"He really isn't dead?" Chen Jinshao asked.
Li Qiurong sighed, nodded, and said, "That's right. In fact, he never died from the beginning. He's been alive all along."
"Then why didn't he come to see me?" Chen Jinshao asked, extremely confused and somewhat indignant.
Li Qiurong smiled tearfully, her voice heavy with sadness. "Your father has been watching over you in his own way. And you've met your father long ago. The reason I didn't tell you about his existence was because I was afraid you wouldn't be able to handle it."
Chen Jinshao suddenly realized something and stared blankly at Li Qiurong.
"My dad is..."
Seeing her son's expression, Li Qiurong knew Chen Jinshao might have guessed the truth. She no longer hid anything from him.
"Li Qiutao is your father."
"The uncle you speak of is your father, Chen Yangfu."