Shen Peichuan pursed his lips and didn’t know how to respond. Despite her young age, she was kind and very thoughtful. It was just that fate had been cruel to her.
Sang Yu tilted her head and looked at him, “Why are you upset?”
She could sense that he was disturbed. This was the first time she saw such an expression after getting to know him.
Yet, Shen Peichuan didn’t say anything.
After settling into her seat, Sang Yu didn’t ask him anything further. She thought to herself that he was also human and must have his own problems too. It would be rude of her to babble away incessantly.
Perhaps he wants some peace.
Along the way, they remained silent. As a matter of fact, Shen Peichuan was struggling to think of a way to break the news about her mother to her. On the other hand, Sang Yu assumed something else was weighing on his mind.
When they arrived at the police station, Shen Peichuan had his men go ahead while he spoke to Sang Yu in private.
They alighted from the car, leaving Shen Peichuan and Sang Yu inside.
“What did you want to tell me?” Sang Yu felt something was amiss as Shen Peichuan usually wasn’t this undecisive.
He looks really unhappy today. Is something bothering him? Suddenly an idea flashed across her mind.
“Mr. Shen?” Sang Yu laughed. She tried to cheer him up by teasing him. “You’re already so old. Why are you acting young by being emotional?”
Shen Peichuan looked up at her. She grew up under such unfortunate circumstances and yet didn’t give up. Moreover, she didn’t lose the zest for life too. In fact, she studies hard and gets herself into a good university. At the same time, she took care of her mother, who was serving her sentence.
He reached out to stroke her on her head. There wasn’t any particular meaning behind it. He just wanted to console her as he sympathized with her circumstances.
Stunned, Sang Yu’s body froze. She never expected him to touch her.
After all, he was someone principled and was always conservative when it came to the opposite gender.
Why would he…
“Are…” Sang Yu stuttered, “Are you alright?”
“Your mother, she…”
“What about her?” Sang Yu blinked. Despite being in prison, her mother was in good health. What could happen to her?
Therefore, Sang Yu wasn’t prepared for the worst.
“Why aren’t you saying anything? Does she want to see me? I haven’t seen her in the last few days and didn’t hear anything about her sentence being shortened. So what’s going on?” Sang Yu pressed on with her questions.
“She fell sick suddenly… and had passed on.”
Sang Yu’s face turned ashen the very next instant. She couldn’t believe her ears and felt as if she were struck by lightning. And after that, it felt like someone had splashed her with a bucket of ice water, causing her whole body to feel numb. She looked at him bewildered. “Wh-wh-what did you say?”
Shen Peichuan repeated himself, “Your mom has passed away.”
“You’re lying!” she interrupted him abruptly. “I just saw her a few days ago, and she was still doing fine. How is it possible that she’s dead?”
This isn’t real. Am I dreaming?
Yes, it has to be a dream. My mom must be missing me, so she’s telling me through my dream to visit her.
That has to be it.
“I’ll visit her tomorrow.” She repeated those words incessantly. While doing so, she opened the car door and got down. Shen Peichuan quickly followed and grabbed her by the arm. “You have to calm down.”
“How could I possibly do that?” Her mom was the only one she had left. And he had just told her she lost her last remaining family member.
There was no way she could accept it.
“You’re lying to me, right?” Her eyes were swollen red while her limbs were all trembling, not knowing where to grasp for support.
Shen Peichuan replied coldly, “No, I’m not lying. It’s true.”
Sang Yu burst into tears and then laughed before wailing again, just like a madwoman.
“Calm down.” Not knowing how to console her, Shen Peichuan raised his voice so that she could hear him.
Despite how tenacious Sang Yu was, she still emotionally depended on her mother a lot. Now, she had become an orphan as her closest family had left her.
“I want to see her.” Her voice was completely hoarse.
Shen Peichuan looked at her in concern, “Will you be alright?”
She nodded with conviction.
“Fine, I’ll take you there.” Shen Peichuan looked at her as he spoke. “Do you need me to support you?”
Sang Yu shook her head.
Then Shen Peichuan walked ahead and escorted her in. Along the way, he explained, “It was very sudden. She passed before medical help even arrived. The coroner has completed his report, and I’ll take you there later. Someone professional will also explain everything to you.”
Sang Yu didn’t say a word as she followed him in.
As Shen Peichuan turned around, he could see that she wasn’t in the mood to listen to anything he said. Hence, he remained silent throughout. When they arrived, Sang Yu requested, “I want to go in alone. Just tell me where she is.”
“Number 203, you will find her name there,” Shen Peichuan replied. No matter how difficult it was, she still had to see her mother alone.
“I got it.” Just as she spoke, Sang Yu walked through the corridor and pushed open the massive swing doors. It caused a cold draft to gush out just like it was winter. Nevertheless, she didn’t feel it at all. It wasn’t her body that felt cold; it was her heart that was frozen.
In a short moment, she arrived at number 203 and saw the name on top of it. When she reached out to pull open the locker, she suddenly paused. At that moment, she lost the courage to do it and to see her mother’s face.
By avoiding it, she could still tell herself it was all a misunderstanding. But once she saw it for herself, the illusion would be over.
“Mom, you won’t abandon me, will you? You won’t have the heart to leave me alone in this world, right? I know you won’t do it. You even endured Dad’s beatings just for my sake. How can you leave just like that? How can you bear to leave me alone? It’s all not real. It can’t be! Someone must be playing a prank on me. That must be it.” The moment she finished, she pulled open the locker where the body was stored. Along with the mist that escaped, a familiar face emerged.
Despite it looking pale, Sang Yu recognized her easily.
At that moment, all her hopes and dreams were crushed that instantly. Reality had struck as her only family had abandoned her.
Suddenly, she dropped to her knees and began to wail, “Mom…”
Shen Peichuan could even hear her cries from outside. Sighing, he leaned against the wall and didn’t enter so as not to disturb.
“She went in alone?” One of his subordinates asked as he approached.
Shen Peichuan grunted in acknowledgment.
“That girl is really brave to enter a morgue like that,” the man added.
“She probably didn’t have the time to think about that,” Shen Peichuan replied.
Given how devastated she was, that was probably the last thing on her mind.
After some thought, the man agreed. “That’s true.”
Leaning against the wall, he continued, “She really is pitiful.”
Instead of answering, Shen Peichuan asked, “Do you have a cigarette?”
The man nodded and slipped one out from the packet of cigarettes in his pocket. After that, he flipped out his lighter and offered Shen Peichuan a light.
The morgue was both secluded and quiet. Both of them smoked while standing quietly by the corridor.
“What’s your relationship with her? Are you really a couple? I’d never have guessed,” the man suddenly remarked.
Everyone who worked with him understood his character. Despite how principled he was, his thinking was still old-fashioned.
Shen Peichuan looked up and asked, “Why is that so?”
“You look like someone who’d probably prefer a person your own age because you will worry about what others may say if you’re going out with someone younger. We’ve been working together for such a long time that I know you inside out,” As he spoke, the man put his arm around Shen Peichuan’s shoulder. “Times are different now, so don’t be too old-fashioned. Age is no longer an issue anymore. Many older men are in a relationship with younger women. Furthermore, you’re not that old. At most, you’re just older than her by about ten years, which is really nothing…”
“Why are you being nosy?” Shen Peichuan cut him off abruptly. “She just lost her family, and you’re talking to me about this. Do you think it’s appropriate?”
Realizing his mistake, the man cleared his throat to hide his awkwardness. “I’m sorry. I realize I still have something to take care of, so I’ll take my leave first.”
Just when he was leaving, the cries from inside stopped. He turned around to look at Shen Peichuan, “Why is it quiet now?”
