Chapter 105: Homeless?

Chapter 105: Chapter 105: Homeless?

Jiang Fan’s body stiffened when he heard her words.

He had wanted to wait until Sun Yanzi had recovered a bit more before telling her.

Otherwise, the sudden shock... he was afraid she wouldn’t be able to handle it.

Her consciousness was already impaired from her injuries. Another blow like this... it could lead to even bigger problems.

"Eat first. I’ll tell you everything after you’ve finished."

A faint smile appeared on Jiang Fan’s face.

"Mm, okay."

Sun Yanzi gave him a deep look, but still obediently went to the dining table, sat down, picked up her spoon, and finished all the congee in the bowl.

She didn’t say a single word the entire time. The quiet atmosphere made Jiang Fan feel completely ill at ease.

When she finished, she set the bowl aside. "You can tell me now. I can handle it."

"My dad... is he gone?"

Asking this question seemed to drain all the strength from Sun Yanzi’s body.

Jiang Fan could still see a sliver of hope in her eyes.

She had guessed the truth, but she hoped her father wasn’t gone.

That way, she wouldn’t be an orphan.

Jiang Fan hesitated for a moment. This was not something he could hide from her.

He could only nod.

"The old man is gone. And Zhong Long has been sent to prison."

"Your father... it was because he was careless while taking care of him. He didn’t turn him over, and he suffocated..."

Jiang Fan was telling a half-truth. If he told her the whole story, Sun Yanzi definitely wouldn’t be able to take it.

The light in Sun Yanzi’s eyes faded, bit by bit, until they were completely dim.

It was as if her very soul had been ripped from her body.

Jiang Fan didn’t speak either, just sat there quietly beside her.

His heart ached for her.

To suffer such a tragedy at such a young age... They say it’s tragic for the white-haired to bury the black-haired, but for the black-haired to bury the white-haired is still an unspeakable sorrow.

"So my dad... where is he now?"

"He’s at the funeral home. I was originally going to wait until you were better before telling you and taking you to see him."

"To be honest, I was afraid you couldn’t handle the shock."

"What’s done is done. You can’t torture yourself over him. It wouldn’t be good if something happened to you, too."

Jiang Fan spoke with genuine sincerity.

But to his surprise, Sun Yanzi just shook her head. "Don’t worry, I won’t."

"I want to see him one last time. Can you take me there?"

Jiang Fan hesitated, wanting to say something, but in the end, he simply nodded.

"Th-these are the clothes I bought for you. The underwear... I got it from the company, based on your old size."

Looking a little embarrassed, Jiang Fan took a bag from the closet and handed it to Sun Yanzi.

She didn’t say much, simply closing the door to change. When she emerged, she seemed withdrawn and silent.

Jiang Fan drove them to the funeral home, where they saw her father lying in the mortuary.

Someone had dressed him in burial clothes and done his makeup.

He looked as if he were just sleeping.

Jiang Fan had thought Sun Yanzi might break down and cry, or lose control of her emotions upon seeing her father.

But none of that happened. There was only quiet remembrance and peace.

"Even though you were never good to me after I grew up, you still gave me life. You brought me into this world, and you gave me a happy and interesting childhood."

"But you were also the cause of my unhappy youth and adulthood. We were father and daughter, for what it’s worth. Rest in peace."

"I hope you can reunite with Mom on the other side."

Tears fell from the corners of Sun Yanzi’s eyes as she knelt and respectfully kowtowed three times.

Afterward, Sun Yanzi refused Jiang Fan’s help, personally watching as her father’s body was cremated and his ashes placed in a small box.

Then, the box was interred in a cemetery.

The entire process took only half a day.

There was no so-called funeral, no memorial service. Everything was kept simple.

Walking out of the cemetery, Sun Yanzi stood at the gate, feeling lost.

She didn’t know where to go from here.

She didn’t want to go back to her old place; it only held bad memories for her.

In this vast city, it felt as though there wasn’t a single inch of ground for her to stand on.

An endless wave of sorrow washed over her, rising from the depths of her heart.

"BEEP—BEEP BEEP."

Three honks of a car horn snapped her back to reality. Jiang Fan had pulled up in front of her.

"Come on, let’s go home."

Seeing the gentle smile on Jiang Fan’s face, her heart felt as if it had been squeezed tightly in someone’s hand.

’Home.’ What a warm word.

She opened the car door and got in. Instead of heading straight home, Jiang Fan drove to a supermarket.

He ignored Sun Yanzi’s confused look.

He led her directly to the household goods section. Jiang Fan pushed a shopping cart, and a bewildered Sun Yanzi followed behind him.

"Toothbrush, towel, cup... pajamas, slippers..."

Jiang Fan counted off the items one by one, placing each into the cart.

"What are you...?"

Jiang Fan just tilted his head, smiled at her, and didn’t answer her question.

After filling the cart, they were heading back to the checkout when they passed the feminine hygiene aisle.

After a moment’s thought, Jiang Fan also picked up a pack of sanitary pads.

He paid no mind to the strange looks from the sales staff and other shoppers.

He placed the items in the cart without a hint of embarrassment.

Then he paid, put two large bags in the trunk, and drove them home.

Jiang Fan didn’t say a word to her the whole way, and Sun Yanzi was in a state of utter confusion.

The moment he opened the door, Jiang Fan put the bags down inside first and then turned to her. "Welcome home!"

"From now on, you’re starting a new life. So, we need all new things."

"You have to keep looking forward, you know?"

Sun Yanzi stared blankly at Jiang Fan, then suddenly threw her arms around him and burst into tears.

She was releasing all her stress, all the emotions she had buried deep inside her heart.

It was also a sign that she was truly ready to accept a new life.

Jiang Fan just gently patted her on the back, comforting her.

After a long time, Sun Yanzi, having regained control of her emotions, finally stopped crying.

She walked confidently from the doorway into the house.

She closed the door.

The motion-sensor lights outside went out at that moment, plunging the doorway into darkness, but the light from inside the house spilled onto her, illuminating her with its brightness.

A person can be haunted their whole life by what they couldn’t have in their youth.

But a single moment can also unravel a lifetime of confusion.