She was still unable to call him Dad.
Gong Ye looked at her deeply before preparing to leave.
"I'm sorry for disturbing your New Year's Eve dinner. I'll be going now. I'll visit again next time."
He rushed back to the country just before the New Year. The moment he landed, he came straight here, leaving many leaders behind.
Zhu Yunfei quickly urged him to stay, "Um, father-in-law, please stay for dinner!"
Old Mrs. Ling chimed in, "Yes, it's just a matter of an extra bowl and chopsticks. Please stay!"
"Thank you, I have something to do." Gong Ye looked at Xia Wan Tang again, his eyes filled with trepidation.
He took out a large, thick, and bulging red envelope.
"This is your New Year's money."
Xia Wan Tang stared at the large red envelope, hesitating to take it.
Her eyes had welled up too many times tonight. This red envelope was packed so full it seemed like it would burst.
She could feel his deep guilt and suppressed love.
After a long while, Xia Wan Tang finally reached out and took it.
"Thank you... Dad."
The red envelope was still warm from Gong Ye's touch, heating her heart.
Gong Ye's body visibly trembled, his eyes welling up with tears, which he fought to hold back.
"When you give birth, I'll take you home to meet your grandfather, grandmother, and mother."
"Okay," Xia Wan Tang replied.
She wasn't abandoned, so there was no blame or resentment in her heart. Thinking from his perspective, he hadn't had it easy either.
Gong Ye gazed at Xia Wan Tang deeply before turning to leave.
He hadn't taken two steps when Ling Yu Chen suddenly called out to him.
Gong Ye slowly turned back, his gaze towards Ling Yu Chen still gentle.
Ling Yu Chen walked forward and whispered something to him, after which they both walked out.
Xia Wan Tang frowned, unsure what they had discussed.
However, Ling Yu Chen returned soon after.
Xia Wan Tang looked at him, wanting to ask why they had spoken so secretively outside.
Ling Yu Chen looked at her inquiring gaze, simply patting her head and saying, "Let's eat first."
"Right, right, let's eat first. This is Wan Tang's first New Year at home! I've asked Aunt Ou to prepare a big table of dishes," Zhu Yunfei seconded.
Old Mrs. Ling then instructed someone to call Qiao Xin Yue and her father to join them for the meal.
As they sat around the dining table, a festive atmosphere finally began to emerge.
Ling Yu Chen first poured wine for Grandpa Ling and Ling Jun Ye, then poured juice for the others. He then raised his wine glass to toast everyone.
Seeing this, Xia Wan Tang quickly stood up.
"Grandpa, Grandma, Happy New Year. I wish you good health and all the best.
Dad, Mom, I wish you happiness and well-being."
Grandpa Ling nodded with satisfaction, raising his glass and smiling, "Good. I hope next year, our family will be even livelier."
He then drank the wine in his glass.
Only then did the house start to feel like it was truly New Year.
Qiao Zhen Hua and his wife and son stood up to toast.
"Old Master, Old Madam, Young Master, Young Madam... My entire family wishes you a toast..."
He wasn't one for eloquent speeches, so with red eyes, he finished the full glass of wine.
Grandpa Ling took a sip of his wine and said with a smile, "Good, please sit down."
Amidst the fragrant and steaming dishes, everyone's faces were illuminated with bright smiles.
Xia Wan Tang, however, was still thinking about Gong Ye.
Where had he gone?
Was he spending the New Year alone?
If she had asked him to stay just now, would he have remained?
Ling Yu Chen squeezed her hand and said softly, "Your dad has other matters to attend to. Don't worry, he'll be back tomorrow to celebrate the New Year with us."
Xia Wan Tang looked up at him, her eyes sparkling.
"Hurry and eat. If you don't eat enough, you'll wake up hungry in the middle of the night."
Ling Yu Chen averted his gaze, unable to meet her eyes. Her starlike eyes were a bit overwhelming.
...
Shun Shou Cemetery.
While his family was celebrating a joyous reunion, Gong Ye left the Xia family and went directly to the suburban cemetery.
In one corner, there were over a dozen tombstones, all belonging to members of the Gong family.
At night, the moon was bright and the stars were sparse. The cold wind blew fiercely, and the silvery moonlight cast a veil over the entire cemetery.
In the hazy light, shadows swayed as someone carrying a lantern moved through the somber cemetery.
Gong Ye was enveloped in coldness, his pale face devoid of any warmth. In the darkness, the scars on his face appeared even more ferocious and terrifying.
He walked past each Gong family tombstone, finally stopping before the last one.
Tomb of Lu Yun Zhi, Beloved Wife.
He slowly knelt down, staring at the three characters for a long, long time, then reached out to trace each stroke.
Every line, with utmost care.
"Yun Zhi, I'm back. I won't leave this time."
The empty cemetery was only echoed by the sound of the wind.
"I met our daughter today."
"She's grown up, she's married, and she's about to be a mother."
"She looks a lot like you. I'll bring her to see you sometime."
...
Gong Ye's voice was lost in the night. He said a lot, rambling on endlessly.
He talked to himself, sometimes with a light laugh, sometimes with a sigh.
The cold wind lessened, and the moon became brighter. The gentle moonlight enveloped him, full of longing and tenderness.
He wiped the tombstone clean, caressing it reluctantly, "Zhi Zhi, I miss you so much."
In a daze, he seemed to recall a woman with a bright smile running towards him.
"Gong Ye, are you leaving again this time?"
"Gong Ye, why are you injured again?"
"Gong Ye, I'm dying."
...
Gong Ye's eyes turned red, and he clutched his abdomen, "Zhi Zhi, my stomach hurts."
But this time, no one would tend to his wounds.
No one would pity him!!
He sighed, his voice filled with sorrow.
Gong Ye's abdomen was wet, a dark military uniform stained with blood, and a pungent smell of blood filled the air.
He walked to the next tombstone.
After talking for a while, he cleaned the tombstone again, repeating this until all the tombstones were wiped clean.
The moon was high in the sky, and the cold was biting.
The New Year's Eve bell chimed, marking the start of a new year.
The brightly lit and bustling city formed a stark contrast with the desolate cemetery.
Gong Ye slowly stood up, his legs numb and without sensation.
He shook his head and looked up at the sky, gazing at the half-moon, a strange sense of desolation washing over him.
People have joys and sorrows, the moon has its phases, life is rarely perfect, and one can only hope for partial contentment.
"Zhi Zhi, Happy New Year."
"Zhi Jing, Happy New Year."
His vision blurred further. He was like a withered branch swaying in the wind, falling powerlessly to the ground.
His bloodless lips moved twice, and his eyes slowly closed.
Someone guarding nearby rushed forward. After a flurry of activity, they carried him away and sent him to the hospital.
Gong Ye had been shot in the abdomen, and the wound had not yet healed.
With this ordeal, the wound had likely reopened.