Can’t Bear to Let Go Chapter 4

Tan Yu

Early the next morning, just as Wen Xubai reached the staircase landing, he had the misfortune of running into Wen Xuyuan, who was also preparing to go downstairs, followed closely by his secretary.

It seemed that not only had the man woken up incredibly early, but he had also already arranged most of his work for the day.

The only pity was Secretary Xu behind him. having rushed over at the crack of dawn, his eyes were still bleary with sleep. He couldn’t resist secretly stifling a yawn behind Wen Xuyuan’s back, only to jolt awake in fright the moment he opened his eyes and saw Wen Xubai.

Wen Xubai, however, simply averted his gaze, pretending he hadn’t seen a thing, and greeted the man in front.

“Big Brother.”

Wen Xuyuan acted as if he hadn’t heard him at all. He walked straight past him and went downstairs without turning his head.

“Uh… this…” Secretary Xu was left standing there, looking helpless.

He hesitated for a moment, but seeing his boss walking further and further away, Secretary Xu hurriedly bowed to Wen Xubai. “Third Young Master.”

Then, he quickly scurried off to catch up with his boss.

“Eh? Eldest Young Master, breakfast is ready. Won’t you eat a little before you go?” Yu Ma came out upon hearing the commotion. Seeing Wen Xuyuan already pushing the door open, she quickly tried to persuade him.

“No need,” Wen Xuyuan dropped the words coldly and led Secretary Xu straight out the door.

“This…” Yu Ma looked at the door that had been slammed shut, then turned awkwardly to look at the man at the dining table.

Smack!

Wen Tingyi slammed his chopsticks onto the table, his voice deep and heavy. “He is getting more and more disrespectful!”

His anger was impossible to hide.

Qin Yalin was startled. she quickly patted her husband’s hand soothingly. “Oh my, husband, why get so angry? Hasn’t Xiao Yuan always been like this?”

“Exactly, Dad. If he wants to go, let him go. It’s not like anyone is dying to eat with him anyway. I don’t know who he’s showing that attitude to all day long…”

The mother and son chimed in one after another, needlessly stoking the fire.

“Father, anger harms the body…” Wen Xushi couldn’t help but offer a word of comfort as well.

As they spoke, Yu Ma noticed Wen Xubai standing at the staircase and quickly called out, “Third Young Master.”

Hearing those three words, Qin Yalin’s body stiffened, and the smile on her face instantly congealed.

The face that had just been wearing a mask of understanding kindness vanished in an instant, replaced by an expression as ugly as Wen Tingyi’s. she dropped her chopsticks and said unhappy, “I’m full.”

“Madam, you’ve only eaten a little bit…” the servant behind her spoke up at the wrong time.

“Hmph, I’m full from anger, what is there left to eat? Just looking makes me lose my appetite. Let’s go, back to the room!” Saying this, Qin Yalin stood up.

Wen Xubai stood rooted to the spot, not moving.

Anyone could tell those words were meant for him.

Wen Xubai pretended not to hear. He lowered his eyes indifferently. Even when Qin Yalin walked past him, he simply kept his head bowed, saying nothing.

“Tch.” Qin Yalin looked him up and down with disgust before turning and clacking her heels loudly as she went upstairs.

“Xiao Bai…” Wen Xushi couldn’t help but try to speak.

But just as he made a sound, Wen Xuyi cut him off.

“Tsk, the family is eating. Why is an outsider coming to join the fun?” Wen Xuyi grumbled with dissatisfaction.

“Xiao Yi!” Wen Xushi was startled.

His usually gentle brows furrowed slightly. “Xiao Yi, we are brothers, naturally we are family!”

“Heh,” Wen Xuyi sneered, his flamboyant brows raising in mockery. “You two? Worthy?”

“Enough!” Wen Tingyi roared.

Instantly, everyone in the dining room fell silent. Even those who were unconvinced lowered their heads obediently, while the servants attending to them didn’t dare breathe too loud.

“It’s rare for the whole family to eat together. It’s early in the morning, what is all the noise about?!” Wen Tingyi scolded in a deep voice.

“I am sorry, Father,” Wen Xubai was the first to apologize, followed closely by Wen Xushi.

Wen Xuyi hesitated unwillingly for a moment, but eventually muttered, “I’m sorry.”

The apology wasn’t meant for Xubai or Xushi, but for Wen Tingyi.

“Sit down and eat,” Wen Tingyi glanced sideways at Wen Xubai.

Wen Xubai wanted to find an excuse to refuse, but when he met Wen Tingyi’s sharp eyes, he swallowed the words hovering on his lips.

He responded obediently, “Yes, thank you, Father.”

Only then did Wen Tingyi’s expression improve slightly.

With Wen Tingyi presiding over the scene, Wen Xuyi finally didn’t dare to stir up any more trouble.

In the enormous dining room, no one spoke. The only sound was the clink-clank of cutlery. The oppressive atmosphere made it impossible for Wen Xubai to swallow. Despite the mountain of delicacies before him, he had no appetite. The food he forced into his mouth tasted like chewing wax…

For some reason, Wen Xubai suddenly missed that bowl of “Yangchun noodles” from yesterday…

The meal was stifling. When it finally ended, everyone except Wen Tingyi let out a sigh of relief.

Wen Tingyi was supported back to his room by the servants.

Almost the moment he left, Wen Xuyi hurriedly walked out of the dining room without looking back.

Wen Xubai and Wen Xushi exchanged a glance, nodded politely to each other in farewell, and went their separate ways.

Wen Xubai returned to his room to change clothes, then grabbed his car keys and set off.

A white Audi sped along the highway, driving all the way out of the city.

He hadn’t wanted to drive a Wen family car. Not for any other reason, but because most of the Wen family’s cars were exorbitantly priced, many even custom-made. Driving them on the road was simply too conspicuous. Even this white Audi was the result of him painstakingly searching the garage to pick out the least flashy vehicle available.

The car eventually stopped outside a flower and bird market. Wen Xubai parked, put on a mask and hat, and finally got out.

The tall, upright man navigated through the crowd, accompanied by the endless sounds of chirping birds and barking dogs. After nearly getting splashed by water dumped from the upper floors three times, he finally arrived with a dark expression in front of an extremely narrow shopfront.

The shop was mixed in among a cluster of pet stores and seed shops, completely unremarkable. Hanging precariously above the door were the words “Shicheng Detective Agency.” The character for “Detective” (Zhen) was missing a corner, dangling gloomily. The plaster on the wall had mostly peeled off; no matter how one looked at it, it didn’t resemble a legitimate business.

Wen Xubai: “…”

But since he was already here, Wen Xubai chose to lift the yellowed crystal bead curtain at the entrance and stepped inside.

“Hey! Hit him, hit him! No, why are you running?”

The moment he stepped through the door, he heard a man’s anxious shouting mixed with the sounds of video game combat.

“Where did I run? You’re the one running, okay???” Another, slightly younger male voice retorted.

“Boss, you’re running the wrong way!!!” the boy screamed.

“Damn it!!!” The man, who had his legs crossed up on the table, was startled. He retracted his legs, swallowed the half-eaten vegetable leaf hanging from his mouth, and hurriedly focused all his attention on the mobile game. In front of him sat a half-eaten box lunch.

Wen Xubai: “…”

He suddenly began to doubt his own judgment.

“Eh? Who are you?” The young boy, perhaps tired of playing, looked up to take a sip of water. He spotted the “uninvited guest”—Wen Xubai—standing there, though who knew how long he had been waiting.

“Who is it?!” The man turned his head mumbling, having just swallowed his food.

The moment he saw Wen Xubai, his whole body shook. As if waking from a dream, he instantly jumped up from his chair!

“Boss Bai! You’re here!” Tan Yu’s eyes went wide. He scrambled to clear a space, gesturing for Wen Xubai to sit on the computer sofa he had just occupied, while he grabbed a small stool for himself.

He didn’t forget to kick the young boy standing next to him, ordering, “Go, go, go! Hurry up and pour Boss Bai a glass of water!”

Then he squeezed out a face full of smiles and looked at Wen Xubai. “Boss, would you like tea or coffee?”

Wen Xubai slowly took off his hat and said indifferently, “Plain water is fine.”

“Eh, coming right up!” Tan Yu responded quickly, then glared at the person standing next to him. “Why aren’t you moving yet!”

“Ah? Oh, oh, oh, right!” The boy seemed to have not seen a customer in so long that he was momentarily flustered. Upon hearing the order, he clumsily rushed off to pour the water.

Wen Xubai glanced at him and asked, “Where is the stuff?”

“Oh! It’s right here! Wait a moment, I’ll get it for you immediately!”

Tan Yu had intended to exchange a few pleasantries, racking his brain for an opening, but seeing the boss choose to get straight to the point, he simply cut to the chase as well.

Glancing unconsciously, Wen Xubai noticed that while Tan Yu’s desk was a mess, the files and documents on his shelves were arranged in perfect order.

Tan Yu rummaged through the packed shelves for a moment and quickly found what he was looking for.

With a wave of his large hand, he swept all the miscellaneous junk off the table in front of Wen Xubai, leaving only a document bag.

Tan Yu said happily, “Boss, the information you wanted is all here!”

Wen Xubai casually opened the bag and slowly began to flip through the documents and photos inside.

The top photograph showed a middle-aged man who looked to be forty or fifty, unshaven, with a fierce look on his face. The subsequent photos were of a car accident.

Wen Xubai flipped through several in a row. In the photos, the middle-aged man stood dazed amidst soaring flames, his face filled with horror.

As he flipped through them, Tan Yu explained from the side.

“Boss, I checked it out. This man’s name is Li Haiqing. He was born in Guizhou and made a living driving trucks when he was young. After the accident, he entered the prison in the local jurisdiction. However, due to good behavior, his twenty-year sentence was reduced to eighteen. He was just released recently. Unable to find work, he’s making a living working at a construction site in Jiangcheng.”

The next few photos were indeed candid shots of Li Haiqing’s life: moving bricks, buying vegetables, eating…

Tan Yu stroked his chin and sighed with emotion. “Sigh, speaking of this guy… when he hit those people back then, if he had just honestly turned himself in, he wouldn’t have been sentenced so heavily. After all, that sedan was driving illegally and didn’t slow down. But who knows what he was thinking? He insisted on running. And there you have it—hit and run!”

Tan Yu spread his hands with a slap.

Wen Xubai held the photo, lowering his head in deep thought for a long time. After a while, he asked, “Did you find his address?”

“Found it!” Tan Yu quickly tore off a sticky note from the side, scribbled down a string of words with a flourish, and handed it to him.

Wen Xubai looked at the address, his gaze growing deeper and darker.

“Thanks.”

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