Chapter 23: His World Collapsed
“Make way, please make way,” a nurse ahead said to them.
Gu Huaiye couldn’t bother arguing with Gu Yuannian anymore. He followed the doctors running to the emergency room, then squatted anxiously at the door to wait.
“Go sit for a while.” Xie Miaohan came up to him. “You might block the doctors going in and out by staying here.”
Gu Huaiye looked at Xie Miaohan mechanically, then got up and went to sit on a nearby chair.
Xie Miaohan sat beside him, reaching out to hold his hand.
But the next second, Gu Huaiye pulled it away.
“Why were you in my dad’s ward?”
“He called and asked me to come.” Xie Miaohan looked at Gu Huaiye’s side profile. “He thought I had beaten you and was preparing to teach me a lesson.”
Only he didn’t expect that just as he stepped into Father Gu’s ward, Gu Yuannian followed right behind him.
Gu Huaiye touched his own face, realizing immediately.
That day he went to see Father Gu, he left in such a hurry that he forgot to cover the bruises on his face.
After an unknown amount of time, the emergency room door opened.
Gu Huaiye immediately stood up and ran toward the doctor.
“How is my dad?”
The doctor shook his head. “I’m sorry.”
Gu Huaiye felt as if all the blood in his body stopped flowing at that moment, his soul pulled from his body.
He let out a helpless laugh, then fainted.
His world had completely collapsed.
Father Gu’s funeral was handled entirely by Xie Miaohan. It cost quite a bit of money, sending him off in a grand manner.
At the funeral, Gu Huaiye had almost no expression the entire time, standing by Father Gu’s portrait with empty eyes like a marionette.
After all, they were friends in life. Even though things had been strained between them, Father Chen still brought his two sons over.
Chen Xialin cried until his eyes were red and swollen. Upon seeing Gu Huaiye, he prepared to rush up and hug him.
After just two steps, his arm was grabbed by Chen Zirui.
“Don’t go bother him.”
“But…”
Chen Zirui glared at him sternly for the first time, scaring Chen Xialin into swallowing the rest of his words.
“You crying and sniffling like this will only affect his mood. Just stay obediently with Dad and don’t go over to disturb him.”
Chen Xialin nodded with a wronged expression.
Chen Zirui turned his gaze to Gu Huaiye, struggling internally for a long time before walking up.
“Brother Gu, take care of your health.” Chen Zirui swept his gaze over Gu Huaiye and sighed. “I feel like you’ve lost a lot of weight. Have you not been eating well?”
Gu Huaiye didn’t respond. Chen Zirui didn’t dare say more, just quietly staying by his side.
After an unknown amount of time, Gu Huaiye suddenly spoke, “Do you think this counts as my retribution?”
Chen Zirui frowned. “Brother Gu, don’t think like that. Many things are not within our foresight.”
“I’ve never been filial to my dad in this life; I’ve been disobeying him since I was little.”
“Sigh, things have already happened. Brother Gu, you have to look forward.”
Gu Huaiye gave a soft “En” and stopped talking.
At this moment, Xie Miaohan walked up to them.
Dressed entirely in white, he looked even more cold and noble, his brows carrying a sense of arrogance, as if nothing was worth his attention.
Chen Zirui’s gaze suddenly met his. It felt like being pierced by a cold current, the look containing a heavy scrutiny.
This feeling made Chen Zirui very uncomfortable, but due to the occasion, he didn’t show his dissatisfaction on his face, simply nodding to Xie Miaohan.
Xie Miaohan didn’t respond to his greeting, directly moving his gaze to Gu Huaiye.
“It’s time to send Dad for cremation.”
He thought Gu Huaiye would cry and make a scene, but he had no reaction at all, not even shedding a single tear. Pale-faced, he nodded.
“Okay.”
A moment later, he looked around and asked, “Where is Little Uncle? Why haven’t I seen him?”
Xie Miaohan: “I didn’t let him come.”
Simply put, Xie Miaohan had shut Gu Yuannian out to avoid agitating Gu Huaiye.
But the next second, Gu Huaiye’s answer surprised him.
“Let him come to see my dad off. After all, he is my dad’s younger brother. I have no reason not to let him come in to mourn.”
Since Gu Huaiye said so, Xie Miaohan had no reason to refuse, turning around to go out and call Gu Huaiye’s Little Uncle.
Chen Zirui watched Xie Miaohan’s retreating figure, thought for a moment, and turned to Gu Huaiye with determination. “Xie Miaohan threatened my dad not to let me come see you. I haven’t been deliberately avoiding you this whole time; I am working hard to fulfill our agreement.”
Gu Huaiye’s eyes changed slightly, then he pulled the corners of his mouth.
“I know. Work hard then, don’t let your dad down.”
Chen Zirui thought he was disappointed. He opened his mouth to explain, but Xie Miaohan had already returned from the call, so he had to shut his mouth aggrievedly.
About twenty minutes later, Gu Yuannian arrived.
Compared to when they met at the hospital last time, Gu Yuannian looked much more haggard, his temples graying and his eyes full of red veins.
He didn’t dare meet Gu Huaiye’s gaze.
At that time, when Father Gu was sent to the emergency room, Gu Yuannian was afraid of hearing bad news, so he ran away before the surgery results came out.
To say he didn’t regret it would be a lie. He hated himself for being too emotional; he shouldn’t have rashly run to his big brother and spilled everything in one breath.
He felt relieved, but he indirectly caused his big brother’s death.
He knew in his heart that a large part of the reason for this situation was his greed.
If he hadn’t hidden his reckless investments from his big brother, or secretly acquired Xie Miaohan’s shares to satisfy his ambition, the Gu family wouldn’t have gone bankrupt.
Gu Yuannian offered incense to Father Gu’s portrait, then walked up to Gu Huaiye.
He lowered his head, not daring to look into Gu Huaiye’s eyes.
“I’m sorry.”
Dropping that sentence, Gu Yuannian left. He felt he had no right to stay any longer.
“Time to go.” Xie Miaohan patted Gu Huaiye’s shoulder. “We have to send Dad for cremation.”
“Okay.”
For half a month after the funeral, Gu Huaiye barely spoke, his emotions flat, seemingly uninterested in anything.
Xie Miaohan was a bit worried about him and had already booked an appointment with a psychiatrist.
As the appointment date approached, Gu Huaiye’s mood suddenly improved. He always had a smile on his face, seemingly returning to his old self.
Xie Miaohan observed him for two days and, seeing nothing unusual, quietly canceled the appointment.
“Hey, shouldn’t you give me some money to buy a gaming console?” Gu Huaiye lay on the sofa, staring at him with a smile. “I’m bored to death staying at home every day. No friends to go out with, and I don’t know where to go alone. Get me a gaming set.”
“Okay.”
Xie Miaohan went back to the study to get a credit card with no limit, but at the door, he turned back and swapped it for a debit card.
He knew Gu Huaiye had developed a habit of secretly stashing private money recently; a debit card would be more convenient.
“Here.” Xie Miaohan handed the debit card to Gu Huaiye. “Withdraw however much you need.”
“Thanks.” Gu Huaiye didn’t stand on ceremony with him.
At night, Gu Huaiye came back carrying the gaming console and sat in the living room unpacking it.
Xie Miaohan sat on the sofa, staring at him with a gentle gaze.
Halfway through unpacking, Gu Huaiye suddenly stood up, took the debit card out of his pocket, and returned it to Xie Miaohan.
“Just keep it with you; you can spend it anytime,” Xie Miaohan said.
Gu Huaiye frowned, seemingly disgusted as he shoved the card into Xie Miaohan’s hand.
“Forget it, I’m bad at keeping things safe. It’ll be troublesome if I lose it.”
Gu Huaiye ran back to continue unpacking.
Xie Miaohan, however, felt a trace of unease in his heart. He took out his phone to check the messages and found the transaction notification for the debit card.
He checked the price of the gaming console again, and his face darkened slightly.
Gu Huaiye actually didn’t embezzle any private money this time.
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