She took several deep breaths to calm the impact and gather courage before sitting down next to Wei Fang Yalan.
“Aunt, disappearance doesn’t necessarily mean bad news. We still have hope! Tian Lang will definitely be safe, he definitely will!” She refused to think negatively and tried to encourage her.
Wei Fang Yalan raised her tearful eyes to look at Yi An, seeing her stiff, twitching mouth attempting a forced smile.
Wiping away her tears, Wei Fang Yalan smiled bravely, holding her hand and discovering that she was actually trembling with anxiety, yet still trying to comfort her. Her forced composure touched her heart.
“You’re right. It might not be serious. Tian Lang will surely be blessed. Let’s pray for him together, don’t cry, don’t panic. We might get good news soon.”
“Yes, nothing will happen.” Nodding heavily, suppressing her panic and involuntary trembling, Luo Yi An tried to convince herself.
Wei Tian Lang was the person they both loved, and because they were worried about his safety, the distance between them had disappeared.
Supporting each other made them feel less helpless and gave them the courage to face the difficulties.
The torment of waiting made time crawl. Three days passed, and Yi An and Wei Fang Yalan’s hope was gradually eroded.
Rescue operations must be conducted within seventy-two hours after the incident. Once this golden time passes, the chance of hearing about survivors becomes almost nonexistent.
But they still clung to hope, no matter how small, as it was enough to sustain them.
For three days, Yi An hadn’t shed a single tear. Not because she was strong, but because she was afraid to cry, as crying would mean she had lost hope.
During these days, the US side would immediately notify them of any developments, but the news was never good.
Now, Wei Fang Yalan was on the phone, and Yi An held her breath, trying to guess from the fragments of conversation, hoping to hear some good news.
“What happened?” As soon as Wei Fang Yalan hung up the phone, Yi An asked immediately.
“Secretary Wang and the driver’s bodies have been recovered,” Wei Fang Yalan said with a grave expression.
Having seen many storms and having had time to prepare mentally, her emotions were now calmer and more stable.
Her words were like a cold arrow piercing Yi An, freezing her body. A chilling sensation rapidly spread from her limbs to her heart, as if throwing her into a thousand-year-old ice cellar.
“They’re… all dead?!” Her parched throat felt like it was being stabbed by hundreds of needles, and intense pain in her chest made her eyes turn red.
“It’s been five days since they fell into the sea. The chances of survival are slim,” Wei Fang Yalan said wearily, supporting her forehead to hide her heartbroken tears.
If no one had been found, they might still have reason to hope. But now, with three people in distress and two confirmed dead, with only Wei Tian Lang still missing, anyone could see the situation was dire.
The news struck Yi An like a tsunami, shattering her brave facade.
Overwhelmed by sorrow, her face pale and haggard, clear tears began sliding from her black eyes, wetting her clothes.
“As long as he hasn’t been found, there’s still a chance, right? Aunt, right?” Yi An repeatedly asked Wei Fang Yalan, still trying to deceive herself, but her reason was clear, evident from her uncontrollable tears.
Wei Fang Yalan shook her head in response, her expression distorted by suppressed grief, only letting out a muffled sob without wailing.
“Yi An, we can’t avoid accepting reality,” she said sadly.
“Is Tian Lang really dead?” Asking this choked her up, and her heart felt like it was being squeezed, making it hard to breathe.
“I’m afraid so,” Wei Fang Yalan’s tone was heavy. It wasn’t pessimism, but the signs were clear.
Yi An was devastated, feeling dizzy as harsh coldness and dark abyss surrounded her.
The happy world Wei Tian Lang had built for her collapsed like shattered stones with his departure.
Wei Fang Yalan, suppressing her pain, immediately set out for the United States, wanting to use traditional folk methods to search for Wei Tian Lang. Even if he was gone, she wanted to bring back his body so his soul would have a place to rest.
Yi An had wanted to go with her to help, but without a passport and no time to rush one, she stayed behind.
Time seemed to stand still in her endless tears, and the immense sorrow radiating from her heart enveloped the Wei household in a sad, low atmosphere.
Yi An locked herself in Wei Tian Lang’s bedroom every day, immersed in a flood of tears, constantly remembering him, neglecting food and sleep.
“How could you… leave me alone…” Soft, sad whimpers floated through the room.
Life’s every moment and deep emotions are still vivid in memory. How could all the perfect happiness be overturned in just a few days?
If only she had gone with him to the United States, perhaps the itinerary would have been different, and the accident might not have happened! Even if this misfortune was destined to occur, at least if she had gone with him, she could have accompanied him, so he would not have been alone in his suffering.
Picking up their photo, her trembling hand gently caressing his gentle smiling image, she remembered the initial heart-pounding encounter, the joy and happiness of falling in love, and then the heart-wrenching grief of eternal farewell, as tears once again surged and flowed.
“You said you would propose when you returned… you’re lying, you’re deceiving me! How can we be together forever if you don’t come back?” Pressing the photo frame to her chest, she sobbed with each word, her heart aching unbearably, and she collapsed onto the bed’s edge.
She thought happiness could last forever… but their fate turned out to be so brief?! A bone-deep pain ravaged her chest, and the overwhelming sorrow was about to drown her.
“Wei Tianlong, please come back… I beg you to come back… I can’t bear this pain!” Her desperate cry echoed in the silent room, each tear like blood squeezed from her heart.
For days without eating or drinking, physically and mentally exhausted, she was weak, the heart-rending pain spreading through her body, almost unable to breathe, clutching her chest.
How could pain be this intense? And why, despite such pain, could she not die?
If she died, would she be able to see him?
If they died, could they be together forever?
In a daze, she seemed to see Wei Tianlong smiling at her. Closing her eyes, no longer struggling to breathe, if she could hold his hand again, she would willingly follow him.
The sunlight disappeared, leaving only a broken red glow on the horizon, with dark night about to take over. The room’s brightness gradually faded, as if her desperate soul had fallen into a dead silence.
The search and rescue operation had stopped, and even the memorial ceremony proved ineffective. The entire incident was at a standstill, and Wei Fang Yalan’s continued stay in the United States would be of no help.
From grief to suppressed resilience, Wei Fang Yalan fully demonstrated the strength of the Wei family’s matriarch. The leaderless company needed her guidance, after all, the Wei Group was an inherited business from the previous generation that could not be neglected.
When her husband passed away, she still had Tianlong to support her, and only retired three years ago. But unexpectedly, this accident now left her alone to face everything. And in her loneliness, she could only be stronger and more determined to bear the burden in this chaotic moment.
Wei Fang Yalan returned wearily, not expecting to be met with another chaos—
