Leng Xiang approached him, lips moving, looking at him with full concern: “Young Master Jun, are you okay?”
He walked down the circular stairs, reached her, and patted her cheek: “What could be wrong with me?”
“Good that you’re fine.” But she didn’t relax, his calmness felt oppressive.
“Xiang’er, let’s hold Anke’s funeral in two days, nothing too grand.” After walking a few steps towards the dining hall, he turned back to Leng Xiang: “Our wedding might be delayed. After all, she was once my woman, and I don’t want to handle both events simultaneously.”
Leng Xiang was stunned. What did he just say?
She blurted out: “What did you say?”
Junhao didn’t turn back: “Isn’t this what you’ve always wanted? I’m just fulfilling your wishes.”
Marrying him was indeed what she had always wanted, but now what was she? A substitute? Or a fulfillment of a dying wish? How were they treating her?
“Hehe…” She laughed and stepped back, her eyes instantly filling with tears: “Did anyone ask me if I wanted this? I want to marry the Junhao who truly loves me, not be treated as some kind of task.”
“Xiang’er, I’m sorry. If this was her wish, I will follow through, regardless of your agreement.” He silently thought in his heart that this heart was already dead; marrying or not marrying was all the same to him.
Anke’s funeral was held as scheduled, simple to the extreme. Junhao didn’t attend to send her off, afraid he might snatch her ashes and prevent the burial. Following her wishes, he didn’t tell An Qiao about this tragedy.
Junhao never mentioned Anke’s matter, throwing himself completely into work, busy day and night. To outsiders, he hadn’t changed at all, still the Junhao with a smile as gentle as spring.
Only he himself knew that only when he was busy would she leave him, would she not wander in front of his eyes. As long as he was still, she would appear before him, sometimes looking at him with a smile, sometimes crying and yelling at him, sometimes softly telling him she loved him. Whenever he reached out to embrace her, she would fade like a wisp of light, finally disappearing from his eyes, leaving him alone to suffer in the darkness.
And Jun Hao was destined to be reluctant to let go of this woman in this lifetime!
……………………………………………………………………………….
070 Ending Time flew by, and in the blink of an eye, it was once again the coldest season of the year, which for some felt like an eternity.
Pei Xuan Yan and Nan Xing Chen finally stepped into the church, completing their lifelong commitment. Pei Xuan Yan brought back Pei Xuan Zhi, who had become almost crazy after being humiliated in Africa. Still by Jun Hao’s side was Leng Xiang, who had not agreed to marry him, waiting for a miracle to happen, believing he should be happy and that she would leave at the right time to walk her own path in life.
Jun Hao continued to be as busy as ever, returning late every night. Often, he didn’t want to go back to the place filled with their shared memories, but only by returning there, to their shared room, could he feel that she was still beside him, that she had truly existed in his life. He shook his head, not allowing himself time to get lost in thoughts.
“Hao…” Jun Hao had just parked his car in the garage and was about to get out when he heard a soft call.
He looked around and saw An Ke smiling at him, arms spread wide, waiting for a big hug.
Jun Hao shook his head, another such dream, his expression instantly turning cold. He bypassed her, no longer acknowledging her, muttering, “Don’t think that by pretending to be pregnant, I’ll believe you’re real.”
An Ke didn’t hear his low murmur, sadly lowering her head, realizing the past few months of worry had been in vain. She had truly believed his words, wondering what happiness he could have without her. Her illness had just been brought under control, and she was eager to tell him she was better, but he wasn’t paying her any attention.
“Hao…” she called again, “Are you angry with me?” She knew deceiving him about leaving was not good, but she was afraid that if she couldn’t be cured, it would only cause him more pain.
Jun Hao stopped but didn’t turn back, speaking softly, “Since you’ve already left, why are you still clinging to me? Do you know how I’ve been living these days? Don’t worry, I’ll marry Xiang’er as you said, I’ll live well and happily, are you satisfied? If you are, please don’t come to disturb me again.” He then walked decisively towards the villa without a second thought.
An Ke was shocked speechless by his words, unable to distinguish how much was true and how much was false. Aggrieved tears rolled down her cheeks, unstoppable. She trembled, watching him quickly leave, taking a long time before dragging her heavy steps outside the villa. He had decided to abandon her, so why should she linger? An Ke gently caressed her rounded belly, murmuring, “Baby, your father doesn’t want us, but don’t worry, Mom will love you twice as much.” For her own recovery, they had sacrificed one of her children behind her back, and now this was her only precious treasure.
Jun Hao had not yet entered the hall when Leng Xiang hurriedly came to meet him, her gaze scanning behind him, anxiously asking, “Where is An Ke?”
Jun Hao did not slow his pace, saying, “Didn’t we agree not to mention that name?”
“Where is An Ke?” She raised her voice to Jun Hao for the first time.
An Ke had promised to give Jun Hao a surprise, but only Jun Hao had returned, and she was still in recovery.
Jun Hao hesitated, his forward steps stopping, stunned, his eyes gradually widening – could it be that just now was not a dream? Not a dream! Before Leng Xiang could react, he had already sprinted out of the hall towards the garage. Stopping at the corner, he saw her slightly plump figure and stood still, watching her walk away step by step, getting further from him. He dared not go forward to grab her, afraid it was just another beautiful dream. Such dreams appeared nightly, and now that the real person was here, he dared not believe it. He followed her from a distance, not daring to walk too fast or call out to her, all of this feeling too unreal to him.
After a long time, the words “An Ke” involuntarily escaped his lips.
An Ke stopped, slowly turning back.
They looked at each other, neither willing to break the silence.
She was angry and thinking about how to say her final goodbye.
He was afraid, his hands clasped tightly behind his back.
“An Ke, is it really you?” After a long time, he was the first to speak.
………………………………………………………(End)
