Book Synopsis
Book Tags
Donation Rankings
Comment
0 Comments
You May Also Like
墨書 Inktalez
"What happened?" Sitting in the car, Song Pearl anxiously held her phone but ultimately did not dial the number.
"Are you always this calm?" Qing Wenyu countered without answering.
"Calm?" Song Pearl looked at Qing Wenyu. Did she seem calm to him right now?
"Since I met you, except for the initial incident with Fish Pond, you've handled everything with a detached, indifferent attitude, as if you're always an outsider."
"Are you saying I live like a walking corpse?" Song Pearl asked.
"Pretty much," he replied simply with those three words.
"I tried to call Dad today but couldn't get through. Wu Yuqian said he's on a business trip..." Song Pearl didn't want to admit that she felt too isolated. She had been trying hard to do everything well and treat everyone around her seriously; she just wasn't good at expressing herself.
She didn't care if others misunderstood her, but she thought Qing Wenyu understood her. She didn't expect him to feel this way too.
If she was cold, how much stronger could he be?
"Your dad felt unwell after getting off the plane and is now in the hospital. Wu Yuqian couldn't reach you and asked me to take you there. She's worried something might happen to your dad..."
"She really thinks ahead," Song Pearl lowered her eyes. What did Wu Yuqian mean by this...
How could Wu Qiang suddenly be hospitalized? He was always prepared; he knew Wu Yuqian wasn't his biological daughter but had raised her for so many years. Now that they had recognized each other, he still wanted her to stay by his side.
Song Pearl felt he should have been cautious. She just forgot one thing: a person's lifespan is something they cannot control.
Qing Wenyu glanced at Song Pearl's calm face, shook his head, and focused on driving. It seemed that Song Pearl was even more inscrutable than before.
The car drove directly to a hospital in D City. After going upstairs, the bright lights inside the hospital were blinding. Song Pearl hurried to keep up with Qing Wenyu's pace; without him as a guide, she would surely have lost her way.
Wu Yuqian was guarding Wu Qiang's hospital bed.
If she set aside the illusory scenes she had seen, Song Pearl felt that this version of Wu Yuqian resembled Wu Qiang's biological daughter more than she did.
Several members of the Jin Family were also keeping watch in the ward. Seeing them did not move Song Pearl; instead, she felt that Wu Qiang was also lonely.
"You all are here," Wu Yuqian said, her face somewhat pale and her expression weary. "Uncle was fine before he left, but who knew he would have a car accident and hit his head after getting off the plane? There were some delays on the way here... He had an illness two years ago; I should have known better than to let him tire himself out..." She spoke hesitantly.
Song Pearl sat silently by Wu Qiang's bedside. A nearby machine beeped rhythmically, and the person on the bed was receiving oxygen and IV fluids, not opening his eyes as he usually did to show his usual kindness and concern.
"Uncle still hasn't woken up," Wu Yuqian said from behind her. "Doctor, if there's no improvement by tomorrow morning, we can only go home and wait..."
Song Pearl quietly stared at Wu Qiang's face, feeling surprisingly calm at that moment. Shouldn't she be grieving or shedding tears? Her beloved relative lay on the hospital bed with an uncertain fate, yet she felt no sadness. She felt a bit ashamed of herself for being so unfilial.
She was heartless and should have been a demon; how did she become human? She was merely occupying a shell.
At that moment, she did not notice a white fluffy ball swaying in front of her, resembling a cat's shadow. She was unaware that her unconscious calm reaction had actually saved Wu Qiang's life.
The white mass wrapped around a pair of eyes that emitted a ghostly light as it looked at Song Pearl.
"You are quite lucky for a Fish Demon; you encountered a master who sealed your Demon Soul. If you hadn't offended me, you might have lived your life in peace..."
It looked at Song Pearl and made a sound, but the woman with an overly solemn expression did not hear it. No one in this hospital room could hear its voice because it was just an out-of-place Yao Hun.
"I want to kill the person who cares about you the most. After searching for so long, I finally locked onto my target... However, it seems I was wrong; he is dead, and you won't even know that I did this... What is the point of it all..."
"After all, you're not a real person... Demons have no heart; life and death mean nothing to you, so wasn't my effort in vain?" The White Mist swirled up and down. If Song Pearl could still see like before, she would think this mist resembled a demon.
"No, no, this is a good opportunity. Since you can't see me, I want to see your heart..." The white ball tried to get closer to Song Pearl, but as it approached her chest, it was bounced back by a force.
The white ball scattered and quickly gathered again.
It floated around the room quietly, "Interesting, everyone related to you in this house is not simple..." It finally fixed its gaze on the tall young man standing nearby.
"At least my efforts weren't in vain; sooner or later, you will have a heart..."
No one paid attention to what it was doing; everyone in the room remained silent. Until the next morning, unexpectedly, Wu Qiang regained consciousness. He opened his eyes and saw several people guarding by his bedside. Song Pearl hurriedly grabbed his hand as he attempted to lift it.
Wu Qiang's awakening relieved those waiting in the hospital room. Everyone had their own tasks; Wu Qiang insisted that they leave and that he was fine.
"I'm here; you don't need to worry." Song Pearl sent everyone out of the hospital room.
"Uncle's illness has indeed kept the company busy. Pearl, thank you for taking care of him during this time," Wu Yuqian said as he patted Song Pearl's shoulder before leaving with Jin Zhu and Qing Wenyu.
Qing Wenyu glanced back at Song Pearl but said nothing.
Song Pearl had been staying in the hospital room for half a month. In fact, she didn't need to do much; the special care unit had dedicated attendants who took care of everything, and meals were tailored to the patient's preferences.
She stood by the bed, only able to chat with Wu Qiang during boring moments, but the common language between the father and daughter was truly too limited.
Due to health reasons, Wu Qiang resigned from his position as Chairman of Jinmai Group and transferred all his shares. Jin Zhu naturally became the chairman of Jin Mai, taking charge of the Jin Family's assets, while Wu Yuqian, who had been working at Jin Mai, was unexpectedly elected as the general manager.
This didn't mean much to Song Pearl; she accompanied Wu Qiang back to Golden Mountain Township to live.
That was Wu Qiang's hometown. After struggling alone in a foreign land for so many years, he ultimately gave up all his money, power, and status, just so that she, as his daughter, could live safely and happily.
If he had known it would come to this, why bother in the first place? Only Wu Qiang himself knew that old age had given him a chance to start over in the second half of his life.
"Why did you give so much to Wu Yuqian?" Song Pearl had her doubts.
"Maybe if she stands at the highest point, she won't compete with you anymore," Wu Qiang smiled. "That's not something I gave her; it's all earned through her own efforts. She's smart and much more capable than you. Now that she has what she wants, I hope she won't try to outdo you anymore."
Is that really the case? Song Pearl thought about recent events. Wu Yuqian indeed hadn't caused any trouble and seemed less insincere towards her than before; instead, she displayed her true self openly.
Song Pearl looked at Wu Qiang—his graying hair, gaunt face, and eyes that held a hint of a smile. She found it hard to understand this man. In this life, he was atoning for his past; he fought hard all his life only to end up with nothing but could still view everything with detachment.
In fact, what she didn't know was that Wu Qiang was quite content at this moment because he had survived when his life should have ended and could now enjoy his later years with his daughter fulfilling her filial duties. Such days were worth more than any amount of money.
"I've already hired a general manager for the resort. You actually don't need to work so hard right now; having a child is what matters most," he said.
Song Pearl didn't expect Wu Qiang to bring up this topic. She felt a bit shy and awkward. Nothing had happened between her and Qing Wenyu; having a child wouldn't happen anytime soon.
"The general manager you hired seems very busy; they haven't shown up yet," Song Pearl avoided the topic of children. "Do you think they look down on our little place and don't want to come?"
"Hasn't he reported in yet?" Wu Qiang frowned. "He should have been here by now. Could something have happened? If not, we might as well contact the headhunting company again and hire someone else."
"Our Golden Mountain Township isn't a big city, after all, and we can't retain high-caliber talent from outside," Song Pearl interrupted Wu Qiang's plan to continue hiring. "It's better if I manage it myself; developing talent from within is more reliable. Outsiders lack a connection to Golden Mountain Township."
"You and Wen Yu are already married. I want to bring in talent to help the Resort develop better, so you won't feel out of place in your in-laws' home. At least in your career, you should be on par with Qing Wenyu..."
The blue sky had white clouds drifting by, and the pleasant chirping of birds filled the air. Wu Qiang sat in a rocking chair, looking at the mature sunflowers in the yard, his expression showing little emotion.
"When Qing Yuansheng proposed marriage for his children, it was because he recognized my position at Jinmai Group. Now, just a few months later, I've already stepped down from Jin Mai. I hope this won't affect your marriage."
"It won't. As you can see, there are no issues now; Wen Yu treats me very well," Song Pearl reassured Wu Qiang with a smile.
"Once your relationship is truly harmonious, you can consider merging the Resort into Hongqing Group. But for now, if Qing Wenyu brings this up, do not agree," Wu Qiang advised.
"No, we never talk about work at home, and it's quite democratic," Song Pearl said playfully, mimicking Wu Yuqian's mannerisms to ease Wu Qiang's worries.
Though she appeared indifferent, she held steadfastly to her responsibilities.
"Is he really good to you?" Wu Qiang looked deeply at Song Pearl.
"Really."
At that moment, a cheerful ringtone sounded. Song Pearl glanced at the caller ID and pressed the answer button.
"I've been so busy lately! Do you want to go on a trip?" The familiar voice on the other end caught Song Pearl off guard for a moment.
"Travel?"
"Right now, Resort is in the off-season for tourism, and there isn't much business. You don't need to manage Ecological Aquaculture Farm personally, so why not go sightseeing in the famous Tourist City and learn some experience?" Qing Wenyu seemed to be in a good mood, relaxed and natural.
"Well, okay."
Song Pearl thought this suggestion was good and agreed.
Sitting nearby, Wu Qiang smiled and asked, "So, is Wen Yu taking you out for a trip?"
Song Pearl blushed, "Dad, do you want to come with us?"
"Go and be a third wheel?" Wu Qiang laughed.
Song Pearl also laughed. She suddenly thought that perhaps she should find Wu Qiang a companion; it must be too lonely for him without anyone to talk to. Her hand unconsciously brushed over the charm on her finger.
Comment 0 Comment Count