Huangfu Sisong lowered his head, supporting his forehead with one hand. He had been consumed by grief and anger for days, but the thought of possibly having a grandson offered a sliver of relief. Yet, he could not bring himself to accept Daisy as the child's mother.
Without Daisy, his son would not have died.
He deeply regretted not taking decisive action from the beginning to separate Shaohua and Daisy.
"Dad..."
"You go out first. I need to be alone." The pain of a parent outliving their child was too much for him to think about anything else right now.
Mengqi quietly withdrew. She dared not tell her parents the details of Shaohua's death, fearing it would be unbearable for them.
...
A month later, Susu learned from Tianyi that the Huangfu family would hold a funeral for Huangfu Shaohua the next day.
Susu's physical health had recovered, but the emotional scars would take time to heal.
The Huangfu family had stopped bothering Tianyi and Aoxiang. The thought that they would no longer be implicated brought her some comfort.
That evening, in their room, Tianyi asked her, "Are you going to Huangfu Shaohua's funeral tomorrow?"
Susu leaned against the bed and shook her head. "The Huangfu family announced the funeral time in the media. Many people will attend. I don't want to join the crowd. After the funeral, I want to visit his grave alone. Shenghao Guang tried to kill me twice, and fortunately, Huangfu Shaohua helped me."
Tianyi understood her feelings. "Okay, I'll accompany you then."
Susu reached out and held his hand, unsure of what to say.
She had been in low spirits for the past month, lacking motivation for anything. Closing her eyes brought back those terrifying scenes.
She wouldn't have been able to cope without Tianyi's constant comfort and companionship.
"Honey, I love you. Thinking back, you've always been so good to me..."
Tianyi laughed and interrupted her, "Stop talking. If you continue, I won't be able to hold back."
"What are you laughing at? I'm speaking from the heart." Susu glared at him.
Tianyi held her hand back, pulling it to a certain spot between his thighs, and chuckled. "I'm not joking. You're speaking so emotionally, I mean my 'here' can't hold back, it's reacting."
Susu immediately understood, her face flushing. She withdrew her hand, turned away, and said, "I won't say such things to you anymore. Go take a shower quickly, I'm going to sleep."
Without waiting for Tianyi to respond, she lay down and covered herself completely with the quilt. Tianyi had to endure his discomfort and take a cold shower.
After an intimate night, Susu lay in Tianyi's arms, her breathing ragged, and noticed it was raining heavily outside.
Perhaps even heaven was mourning Huangfu Shaohua with this rain.
Tianyi's arousal gradually subsided. He kissed her hair and whispered in her ear, "Don't think about it anymore. Huangfu Shaohua will be laid to rest tomorrow. Su Kangxi has spoken with the court. The evidence is conclusive and clear, Shenghao Guang will surely be sentenced to death. He can rest in peace."
Susu hummed and snuggled closer to him, telling herself that it was over, everything would pass.
...
The rain that started the previous night continued until the next morning, only lessening from a downpour to a drizzle.
But this rain seemed to fall directly into the hearts of everyone attending the funeral.
Numerous luxury cars were parked outside the Huangfu family's mausoleum. Almost everyone of note from Lancheng was present.
At the entrance, people were designated to register attendees and distribute white flowers. Mengyao stood at the door, handing out the flowers.
Amidst a group of people dressed in somber black suits, she spotted Song Jiaping.
Song Jiaping was walking at the rear with representatives of the Huangfu Group.
Mengyao forced herself to remain calm as she handed a white flower to the registered employee representative.
When Song Jiaping reached her, he said in a sympathetic tone, "My condolences."
Mengyao could no longer suppress her grief and anger. She threw the white flower she was about to give him aside, stood on her tiptoes, and slapped him hard.
"How dare you come to my brother's funeral! Why did you help him get rid of his bodyguards?"
Song Jiaping grabbed her hand as she raised it to strike him again. "I'm sorry. I was his subordinate and only followed his instructions. I never expected such serious consequences."
"You could follow my brother's instructions, but my father is the chairman of the group. Why didn't you report this to him?" Mengyao's unexpressed grief and anger, upon seeing Song Jiaping, made her want to vent it all on him.
Song Jiaping firmly grasped both her hands, pulling her close. He whispered, "As a mere employee, how could I casually report matters to the chairman? Miss San, if you have grievances with me, you can hit or scold me after today. If you continue like this, more people will notice us. It's not a big deal for me, but I'm afraid you might end up in tomorrow's news."
He then released Mengyao, feeling a pang of reluctance.
He couldn't remember the last time he had felt her presence so closely. It was a pity he had lost her.
Mengyao regained her composure, realizing she couldn't lose her decorum at the funeral. She took another white flower and threw it into his hand, then asked a cemetery staff member to distribute the flowers for her. She went to a nearby lounge to calm her emotions.
Song Jiaping watched her retreating figure, his heart aching.
He hadn't seen Mengyao or spoken to her in a long time. Seeing her struggling with the pain of losing her brother, he wanted to find an opportunity to comfort her privately after the funeral.
While Mengyao and Song Jiaping's argument drew the attention of everyone at the entrance, Daisy, taking advantage of the distraction, entered discreetly without registering. Holding a bouquet of white flowers she had brought, she walked alone along the tree-lined path.
Daisy never imagined that the last time Huangfu Shaohua had tricked her into going to a hotel would be their final meeting.
She regretted not saying a kind word to him then, not giving him a pleasant look.
Now that he was gone, their past grievances and calculations no longer mattered, and his image became incredibly vivid.
The moments they had leaned on each other, warmed each other, now felt real and important.
Closing her eyes, she felt as if he were beside her, his warm breath almost tangible.
But as she ascended the steps, she saw only an empty grave, cold stone, and the impossibility of ever feeling his warmth again.
After the funeral began, Daisy stood far at the back, watching the entire burial of Huangfu Shaohua with a heavy heart.
At this moment, everyone was enveloped in a somber atmosphere, and no one noticed an elderly woman in a black dress mingling among them.
Daisy quietly waited until everyone else had paid their respects and left before placing her flowers. With deep sorrow, she murmured, "Shaohua, rest in peace. I will listen to you and take care of myself and the child..."