Chapter 50: Sincerity
Under the cold-white desk lamp, Ruan Yi’s finger slid back and forth on the trackpad. The dense data on the screen was distorted to the point of being a bit blurry.
Ruan Yi rubbed her aching eyes. The electronic document showed terms like “Imported Food Procurement Order” and “Pure Water Delivery Records.”
There was also information on the servants responsible for purchasing. Every name on the list made her eyes ache with discomfort, and her temples throbbed.
The phone vibrated on the desk. Ruan Yi picked it up to check the lock screen.
When the word “Dad” lit up on the screen, her knuckles holding the phone turned a bit white, the hard edges pressing painfully into her palm.
The last time she received a message from this number, it was an unsaved stranger’s number. Her father was asking her for money because of his debts.
After taking several deep breaths, Ruan Yi finally entered the dialogue box.
Two short lines were on the screen: [Xiao Yi, are you free today? Dad wants to have a meal with you.]
Ruan Yi stared at the words in the message box which seemed to carry a trace of warmth, her eyelashes trembling uncontrollably.
The last time she ate with her father was a long, long time ago. At that time, her father would still put food on her plate.
[Why do you suddenly want to meet?]
[I said last time that I wouldn’t give you any more money.]
Her slender fingers trembled slightly as she pressed the send button.
After a long time, a long voice message finally popped up in the dialogue box.
Her father’s long-lost voice, mixed with static, came through.
“Dad is getting old. The last checkup said my body has many problems… Actually, all these years, I’ve regretted hurting you and your mother every single day.”
When he reached the part where he choked up, a suppressed sound of coughing could be heard.
“Dad doesn’t want money. I still have some left from what you gave me last time. Dad just wants to see you again, Xiao Yi.”
Ruan Yi bit her lower lip hard. She only realized she was using too much force when she tasted a bit of metallic sweetness.
On the computer screen, there was still uncompleted data investigation.
Ultimately, Ruan Yi closed her laptop. Her eyes swirled with complex emotions. She would go to this meal.
But she would no longer be that “ATM” held hostage by familial affection. She wanted to see for herself.
Whether this sudden reappearance of paternal warmth was genuine repentance or… if he had gambled everything away again.
[Fine. But I won’t prepare any money. Dad, I hope you are sincere.]
“Of course I am. I’m sincere.”
The room was lit by instant noodle cups and beer cans scattered across the floor.
In the humid air, there was a mix of cigarette smoke, sweat, and the stench of the sewers.
“Uncle-in-law, if this call had come any later, I would have been in Country M!”
“This matter must be handled immediately. The people investigating think I’ve already escaped; this is the best opportunity.”
A distorted smile floated on the man’s face.
“You’re about to become a grandfather soon.”
Cheng Huaiyuan’s rough palm repeatedly rubbed over his dark stubble, dark red cigarette grime still embedded in his fingernails. He patted the shoulder of the person beside him.
“Hahaha, you brat, you better hit the jackpot in one go. We have a deal: in the future, we split the money fifty-fifty.”
“Of course. From uncle-in-law to father—we’ll be double related. How could I lie to you!”
Secretly, the man’s heart was calculating a completely different set of thoughts.
As soon as I see this old thing, I think of that bitch Ruan Ying. Once this is done, he’ll be the first one I kill!
Ruan Yi changed her clothes, preparing to meet Cheng Huaiyuan.
She had to drive herself. Her mother’s condition hadn’t fully stabilized yet; if she found out Ruan Yi was seeing her father, it might be counterproductive.
Just as she sat in the driver’s seat, the phone vibrated again. An app notification jumped onto the lock screen: [Vita Nexus Medical: Blood Test Report Generated].
Ruan Yi’s fingers trembled slightly as she opened the app.
Amidst the dense values, the abnormal intake of several psychiatric drugs was highlighted in red boxes. The data was like two heavy hammers smashing the fact of her mother’s victimization into her face.
Recalling her mother’s agonizing appearance during her episodes, the data on the report now overlapped with it, piercing Ruan Yi’s heart like sharp thorns.
As expected, in her previous life, her mother’s condition must have already become exceptionally severe at this time.
What was she doing then…? How did she not notice?
She couldn’t remember. Because in her messy memories, whenever Ruan Yi tried to recall things, they would become even more disorganized.
Ruan Yi pulled up the chat with Pei Lian.
The last line in the dialogue box was her text promising to contact him as soon as the test results were out.
[Dr. Pei, the report results are out. But I have an emergency today. Can we schedule a time to talk in detail later?]
When she pressed the send button, Ruan Yi was a bit afraid of troubling him. After all, there was no reason to change the time so casually when asking for help.
The notification sound of a near-instant reply rang out.
“Okay. I have back-to-back surgeries today. Miss Ruan can set the time for later.”
Having received a response, Ruan Yi felt at ease. Watching the scenery retreat outside the car window, the neon signs gradually changed from massive LED screens to faded plastic light boxes.
High-end office buildings vanished in the rearview mirror, replaced by old residential buildings and small “fly restaurants” with simple signs.
Although the old town area with its strong “fireworks flavor” was dilapidated, it showed a bit of vividness. The somewhat lively environment allowed Ruan Yi to relax a little.
Ruan Yi parked her car at the mouth of an alley. After getting out, the back of her neck felt a bit cold. It was that feeling again.
It was a prickly sensation of being watched that followed her like a shadow. She even had this feeling at home sometimes; as long as she stepped out from under the roof, she would feel a bit of discomfort.
Ruan Yi looked down at her clothes. She was probably dressed in a way that didn’t match the old town, attracting attention.
As she turned the street corner, a familiar figure made her breath hitch.
Cheng Huaiyuan was wearing a somewhat tattered jacket, a few strands of gray faintly showing at his temples. The edges of his leather shoes were stained with mud.
Meeting Ruan Yi’s gaze, he immediately broke into a flattering smile, the wrinkles at the corners of his eyes stacking into deep furrows.
Ruan Yi’s eyes suddenly burned, and anger surged from her chest. Her father clearly could have lived a better life, yet he chose to cheat, gamble, and turn into what he was today.
But seeing Cheng Huaiyuan’s flattering expression and his cracked hands, the dull pain brought by blood ties still pierced her heart.
“Xiao Yi, don’t cry.” Cheng Huaiyuan’s raspy voice carried a tremor. His hand hovered in mid-air before he awkwardly pulled it back.
The moment he lowered his eyes, a poisonous gloom flashed in them.
“Let’s just find a restaurant nearby.”
Ruan Yi looked away and pressed a tissue to the corners of her eyes.
Cheng Huaiyuan suddenly grabbed her wrist, the warmth of his palm startlingly hot.
“Dad stewed red-braised pork at home, just waiting for you to come back and see if my skills have slipped…”
His voice choked up as he pointed to a residential building at the end of the alley with rusty outer walls.
“The sweet and sour ribs you love, I marinated them early, Xiao Yi…”
“I swear, it’s really just a meal. Cough, cough… Is Xiao Yi not even willing to have one meal with Dad?”
Her father coughed pathetically, holding her up high on a pedestal called “blood ties” with a look of hurt.
Hesitation surged in her chest, and she eventually nodded, following her father into the alley.
Outside the city alley, there was an extremely light “click.”
The first surgery ended smoothly. The nurse made a crisp clinking sound as she cleared the metal instruments.
The man’s high nose bridge pushed his mask out into an exaggerated arc. He took the mask off.
Pale fingers slid across the phone screen, receiving the latest photos.
In the images, the girl who was incredibly alluring yet unaware of it stood at the mottled mouth of the alley. Beside her, under the man’s lowered eyelids, a greedy darkness was hidden.
His Adam’s apple rolled violently, and the scalpel in his hand trembled slightly with his breathing.
[Filthy maggot.]
He whispered softly to the silent locker room, his finger pad ruthlessly crushing the head of the man in the photo.
[Does he think he’s worthy of coveting his art piece?]
A nurse’s reminder came from outside the corridor; they were already preparing for the next surgery. Yet the man’s eyes were filled with crimson.
The man clicked on a familiar contact in his list.
“I’ll give you a chance to be a ‘hero saving the beauty.'”
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