This is the sentiment of most parents. Liu Yifeng’s thoughts were simpler: as long as Tongtong could have a happy childhood, have good grades, and be considered a prodigy, nothing else mattered.
Therefore, he couldn't understand Mrs. Song's actions. For so many years, her child lived under such immense pressure; didn't she, as a parent, notice it at all?
If only she had paid more attention to her child’s mental and physical well-being, such a tragedy might have been averted.
However, it was too late for regrets. Those left behind had to continue living.
They should also take this as a warning to prevent similar tragedies from recurring.
Soon, they arrived at Song Yicheng's funeral.
Mrs. Song, dressed in black and with a white flower pinned to her chest, was weeping so much that her eyes were swollen to mere slits, and she needed to be supported to stand.
Mr. Song also looked incredibly aged. Perhaps due to lack of sleep these past few days, the dark circles under his eyes were as deep as if he had painted them on.
At forty, his hair was already half white. It truly looked like he had aged overnight. Liu Yifeng remembered that when he last saw Mr. Song, his hair was still dark and lustrous, but in just a few days, it had turned this way.
One would believe him to be fifty years old. He appeared relatively calm, acknowledging the guests with greetings.
Liu Yifeng, Mrs. Tian, and the others gazed at Song Yicheng's portrait, forced to acknowledge, perhaps for the first time, that a vibrant life was gone and how fragile life truly was.
The group lit incense for Song Yicheng and then approached Mr. and Mrs. Song, offering their condolences.
Their attempts at comfort only made Mrs. Song cry even more heart-wrenchingly, despite her voice being hoarse.
"Shut up! Your son is already dead; who are you crying for now?" Mr. Song, who had been silent all this time, yelled at his wife.
Mrs. Song was startled and could only sob.
She dared not anger her husband now, fearing he would divorce her if she did.
She had already lost her son; she couldn’t bear to lose her husband too. Her sole support in life would be gone, leaving her with no will to live.
However, Mr. Song harbored deep resentment towards Mrs. Song. Seeing her reminded him of how Song Yicheng had been driven to his death. With his eyes closed, he said word by word, "Our marital bond is severed. We'll complete the divorce procedures when we get back. From now on, you'll walk your single-plank bridge, and I'll go my separate way."
Upon hearing her husband wanted a divorce, Mrs. Song panicked. "No, I don't want a divorce! Husband, if you divorce me, how can I go on living?"
"Stop talking. I don't care if you can live or not. This divorce is decided. If you disagree, I'll sue. We can't live together anymore," Mr. Song's attitude was resolute.
Mrs. Song stumbled back a few steps, her expression one of utter despair.
Seeing this, Liu Yifeng, fearing Mrs. Song might not be able to handle this, said, "Mr. Song, such a tragedy is something no one wishes for. But since it has happened, the outcome cannot be changed. Those who are alive must accept it and then slowly move forward to live their lives well.
You have lived together for half your lives, and your feelings are still there. Divorcing now would be irresponsible to both of you. Please reconsider. I believe Mrs. Song has now clearly realized her mistakes."
"Don't try to persuade me. She wouldn't have known she was wrong if she hadn't driven the child to his death. I tried to talk to her about our son many times, but she never listened.
What good is it to realize her mistakes now that the child is gone? Whenever I see her, I think of Yicheng. I just can't live like this anymore."
Hearing this, Liu Yifeng, as an outsider, felt it was inappropriate to say more. After all, Mrs. Song was the one who had made mistakes, and Mr. Song’s decision to divorce was for a valid reason; no one could fault him.
Mrs. Song also knew her marriage had reached its end. It was all her fault for tearing their once happy family apart.
With this thought, she felt too ashamed to beg her husband for forgiveness. But if they divorced, her life would be meaningless. Her son was gone, her husband was leaving, so what was the point of living?
When no one was paying attention to her, she suddenly rushed to her son's coffin and forcefully slammed her forehead against it.
She had seen such scenes on television before, where hitting one's forehead would lead to death. Since she no longer wanted to live, she might as well go with Yicheng, and she could take care of him in the afterlife.
The onlookers were terrified by this scene, frozen in place, not knowing what to do.
Fortunately, Liu Yifeng, who was closest to her, had his reactions significantly sharpened by Tongtong's training. Seeing Mrs. Song's forehead about to hit the coffin, he swiftly reached out, grabbed her arm, and pulled her back forcefully, thwarting her plan.
Instead of being grateful to Liu Yifeng for saving her, the rescued Mrs. Song blamed him for meddling and for saving her.
"Don't think you can force me to forgive you and not divorce you by threatening to kill yourself! I'm telling you, I'll divorce you even if you die, so don't try to scare me with this; it's useless!" Mr. Song mistook Mrs. Song's actions for an attempt to scare him.
Therefore, when Mrs. Song was in such a desperate state, he hadn't shown much worry or tension.
Mrs. Song had no intention of deliberately scaring him; she genuinely felt that life was meaningless and preferred to end it all.
However, seeing her husband's reaction, her heart sank further. "You want a divorce, don't you? I agree. We'll divorce when we get back. From now on, you don't need to care whether I live or die."
Watching the arguing couple, Liu Yifeng said nothing more. As an outsider, the more he said, the more annoying he would be.
The three of them stayed at the funeral for about half an hour before leaving.
Not many people attended the funeral, mostly staff from the program team, along with contestants and their parents.
It was likely that another funeral would be held later for relatives and friends.
Just as Liu Yifeng was preparing to wait for the prayer ceremony, someone unexpected arrived: Yun Duoer.
Hadn't she left City C yesterday? Why was she back today? Could she have come specifically for Song Yicheng's funeral?
Today, she was also dressed in dark clothing, holding white flowers, and walked in with a somber expression.
She placed the flowers before Song Yicheng's portrait, then removed her sunglasses, bowed deeply to the portrait, and then approached Mr. and Mrs. Song. "My condolences."
They also bowed deeply to her in return. "Thank you!"
She was then led to the guest resting area, and the prayer ceremony was to commence shortly.
Yun Duoer showed no particular reaction upon seeing Liu Yifeng, as if she were looking right through him. Liu Yifeng was accustomed to her attitude.
However, the thought that she was Su Wanru's biological sister made his feelings somewhat complicated.