NOVEL NEXT Chapter 1025-1033
Chapter 1025: Heartache (5)
Han Zhifan ignored all of Lin Sheng’s questions and fell into a trance for a while. “Lin Sheng, help me investigate something…”
Cheng Weiwan was Cheng Weiguo’s biological daughter. Cheng Weiguo came to Beijing. Cheng Weiwan went to see him. If I were any other father in this world, they’d at least try to see their daughter, even if they had no time to have a meal with them. However, Cheng Weiwan was at the ground floor of his hotel, yet Cheng Weiguo still declined to see her… Between father and daughter, something definitely must’ve happened…
With that thought, Han Zhifan continued to speak with a calm voice: “…Dig deep into Cheng Weiwan’s family situation…”
“…most importantly, the relationship between Cheng Weiguo and Cheng Weiwan…”
Deep?
Lin Sheng, who had been asking Han Zhifan questions non-stop, suddenly went silent.
All of a sudden, why was Han Zhifan asking him to dig deep into Cheng Weiwan’s family situation? And why did he emphasize the relationship between Cheng Weiguo and Cheng Weiwan…?
“What’s with you? Did something new happen?” Lin Sheng twitched his brows.
“There are some things that I can’t figure out,” said Han Zhifan.
“What is it?” asked Lin Sheng.
Han Zhifan didn’t reply anymore and reached for a cigarette. He lit it up, put it to his lips, and smoked half before he caught a glance of Lin Sheng, standing to one side. Then he moved his lips. “It’s getting late. Go back and get some rest. Sorry to trouble you over my issues and I hope you can help me resolve things as soon as possible.”
Lin Sheng could tell Han Zhifan hadn’t told him the whole situation, but he wouldn’t get to the bottom of it by troubling Han Zhifan. Upon hearing what he said, he gently nodded and said, “Alright.” Then he stared at Han Zhifan for a while and said, “Goodbye.”
Han Zhifan bit his cigarette and gave Lin Sheng, who was dozing off, a nod.
Lin Sheng didn’t linger. He turned around and walked out of the study.
Han Zhifan was sitting on the sofa. After smoking two cigarettes, he then got up and walked to the master bedroom.
Cheng Weiwan’s fever hadn’t subsided. The housekeeper must’ve been worried as she was watching over her.
The housekeeper saw Han Zhifan coming in and gently cried out, “Mr. Han.”
Han Zhifan didn’t say anything. He strode over to the side of the bed and stared at Cheng Weiwan for a while. In the end, his gaze fell on her swollen red eyelids.
Her eyes are so swollen; she must’ve cried for a long time, didn’t she?
It felt like something was lodged in Han Zhifan’s throat as his breath was unsettled for a long while. That was when his gaze fell on the housekeeper. “Watch over her. When she wakes up, remember to make her take the medicine. If she continues to have a fever, call Dr. Luo and ask him to come over to check on her.”
“Yes, Mr. Han,” said the housekeeper.
Han Zhifan didn’t say anything more and walked right into the changing room.
He came out after changing into a new outfit. Then Han Zhifan grabbed his car keys and wallet as he glanced at Cheng Weiwan, lying in bed, before leaving.
Han Zhifan went to the office and slept in the spare room at his office.
He didn’t sleep well because his mind was all over the place; he kept having wild thoughts.
He shut his eyes and laid there idiotically until ten in the morning. Han Zhifan only opened his eyes and got out of bed when the secretary entered the office to tidy up her desk.
Han Zhifan resisted the impulse to call Cheng Weiwan to ask what was going on. He resisted it until noon, which was when he finished his work. When Han Zhifan was about to go downstairs to the company canteen for lunch, the phone on his desk rang.
Chapter 1026: Heartache (6)
Han Zhifan glanced at the incoming call screen. It was the housekeeper calling.
After taking the call, he heard the housekeeper’s voice from the phone. “Mr. Han, Miss Cheng went out…”
So what if she’s gone out? It’s not like I was restricting her freedom… thought Han Zhifan deep down.
He wanted to ask the housekeeper: “Has her fever gone down?”
But the housekeeper beat him to it. Before he could ask, the housekeeper said, “…Miss Cheng’s fever hasn’t gone down yet. I wanted to call Dr. Luo over so he could check on her, but she didn’t want him to and insisted on going out…”
Her fever hasn’t gone down, yet she went out?
Han Zhifan furrowed his brows then said with an angry tone of voice, “You didn’t stop her?”
“I tried to stop her. I followed her and tried to talk her out of it for a long time, but it didn’t work. She was insistent on going out…” Perhaps it was because Han Zhifan got angry, but the housekeeper’s voice sounded a lot less confident over the phone. “…I was afraid something might happen to Miss Cheng, so… so I called you…”
She’s practically garbage! Why am I paying to support her?!
As Han Zhifan complained to himself angrily deep down, he didn’t give the housekeeper a reply. He hung up the phone, grabbed his jacket and walked out of the office.
When he reached the underground parking lot, Han Zhifan entered the car and started it up. That was when he seriously thought about it. Where could Cheng Weiwan have gone with a fever?
He thought about last week. When I returned home that night, she was watching an interview about Cheng Weiguo on TV… Today’s Tuesday and Cheng Weiguo’s giving a lecture atBeijing University of Medicine at two in the afternoon… She didn’t get to see Cheng Weiguo yesterday at the Four Seasons Hotel. She couldn’t have gone to the Beijing University of Medicine today, right?
Han Zhifan thought about it, turned the steering wheel, and drove towardsBeijing University of Medicine.
It was one o’clock by the time he reached Beijing University of Medicine.
Han Zhifan found a parking lot nearby then walked into Beijing University of Medicine.
The university was filled with adverts and directions to Cheng Weiguo’s lecture. Han Zhifan easily found the auditorium of the Beijing University of Medicine.
Quite a few students walked out of the auditorium carrying notebooks.
Han Zhifan saw Cheng Weiwan with just one glance in the heavily crowded auditorium. She was standing right by the entrance.
So she did go to see Cheng Weiguo…
She didn’t look too well; it must’ve been because she still had a fever. She wasn’t in good spirits as it looked like she could faint at any moment.
Han Zhifan didn’t walk up and disturb Cheng Weiwan.
He was standing in a rather discreet spot; she wouldn’t be able to see him.
At ten to two, there were very few people at the auditorium entrance. Students who wanted to listen to the lecture were already seated in the auditorium.
Nearby, a group of well-dressed people walked in.
Edging closer, Han Zhifan saw that the person in the middle was Cheng Weiguo. The people all around him were probably all leaders atBeijing University of Medicine.
Cheng Weiguo turned and smiled right at a man about his age as they chatted.
Hatred rose from the deepest part of Han Zhifan’s heart. Han Zhifan stared at Cheng Weiguo as his fingers couldn’t help but clench into fists.
When a row of people drew closer, Cheng Weiwan straightened up.
She was standing at the entrance area and Cheng Weiguo’s group was able to see her.
Everyone saw Cheng Weiwan as a student and didn’t bother too much with her. After they swept her a look, they withdrew their gaze one after the other.
When Cheng Weiguo’s gaze finally fell upon Cheng Weiwan, the smile on his lips didn’t change nor did he stop talking. He acted as though he didn’t recognize her.He withdrew his gaze and walked past Cheng Weiwan, talking and joking around, as he walked into the auditorium.
Chapter 1027: Heartache (7)
Han Zhifan clearly saw her body trembling violently for a moment when Cheng Weiguo passed Cheng Weiwan by. Thereafter, she turned her head and looked over at the silhouette of Cheng Weiguo’s back.
Han Zhifan couldn’t see Cheng Weiwan’s eyes, but he could tell from her body that she was upset.
The auditorium doors shut behind the row of people who had just walked in. After Cheng Weiguo disappeared behind the doors, Cheng Weiwan seemed frozen as she stared in the direction Cheng Weiguo just went.
Not too long after, the sound of thunderous applause came from inside the auditorium. Thereafter, the sound of Cheng Weiguo’s voice was heard.
That was when Cheng Weiwan withdrew her gaze from the auditorium doors. As she lowered her head, she took a few steps back and leaned against the wall.
She didn’t leave, so Han Zhifan didn’t either.
After about an hour, it was time for a break, so the auditorium started to become noisy. Large groups of students walked out and entered the library restroom.
After all the students returned, Cheng Weiguo and the school leader came out of the auditorium.
The two of them talked as they stepped into the library.
This time, when they passed Cheng Weiwan, Cheng Weiguo didn’t even glance at her.
Cheng Weiwan waited for Cheng Weiguo and the school leader to disappear into the library. After standing at the doors of the auditorium for a while, she suddenly straightened up and headed into the library too.
Han Zhifan knew Cheng Weiwan was going to look for Cheng Weiguo. He hesitated for a while. In the end, he still couldn’t help but chase after her.
Cheng Weiguo was the first to step out of the restroom. He had a handkerchief in his hands, and he was wiping drops of water from his fingers. After he saw Cheng Weiwan, he stopped for a momentt and his warm eyes abruptly turned cold. Even his voice sounded impatient and annoyed when he spoke. “Why did you come?”
Cheng Weiwan pursed her lips for a while. She stared at Cheng Weiguo and quietly cried, “Da-”
Before she could finish saying the word “Dad,” Cheng Weiguo hastily interrupted her. “I told you so many times before. Don’t call me dad in public!”
All sounds stopped from Cheng Weiwan’s lips as an obvious hint of pain crossed her eyes.
Cheng Weiguo looked around. After confirming that no one else was around, he looked over at Cheng Weiwan like he hadn’t noticed her sadness. He spoke up again. “Getting pregnant out of wedlock at such a young age – if people found out, I’d be a laughing stock! When the time comes, it’ll affect my image. Do you know just how much hard work I put into developing my image?!”
“Three years ago, I told you that I had a boyfriend and wanted you to meet him. You agreed, but on the day, I told you that my boyfriend had urgent business, so he couldn’t make it. Back then, we met for no more than five minutes. You took a call and said you had business to attend to, so you tossed me aside and left. It’s been three years since then and I haven’t seen you once. You don’t call or text back. I just wanted to see you and find out if you’re doing well…”
The cubicle door in the men’s restroom was open.
The person who entered the restroom with Cheng Weiguo stepped out.
Cheng Weiguo was afraid other people would see him and Cheng Weiwan talking. On second thought, he interrupted Cheng Weiwan and said, “I’m very good. If you didn’t give me any trouble, I would be even better!”
The sound of running water came from the restroom.
Chapter 1028: Heartache (8)
It was the person who had entered the restroom with Cheng Weiguo. Cheng Weiguo didn’t wait for Cheng Weiwan to respond and said, “The person inside is about to come out. Hurry up and leave!”
Cheng Weiwan didn’t move.
The sound of running water stopped in the restroom and there was the sound of footsteps.
Cheng Weiguo lowered his voice and exclaimed, “Leave!”
He noticed that Cheng Weiwan wasn’t moving, so he gave Cheng Weiwan a vicious glare. Then he brushed past her, walked out of the library, and stood outside to wait.
The second after Cheng Weiguo disappeared out the library doors, the person he was waiting for emerged from the restroom.
That person saw Cheng Weiwan, slowed down, and shot Cheng Weiwan a polite smile. Then he brushed past Cheng Weiwan and exited the library.
Cheng Weiguo’s unsightly expression after talking to Cheng Weiwan immediately turned into a smile when he saw the man coming out.
Just like before, Cheng Weiguo continued to chat and joke around as they walked back together into the auditorium.
Through the open library windows, their conversation was loud and the sound of Cheng Weiguo’s candid laughter entered Cheng Weiwan’s ears. She was still standing in the hallway.
Her body shudderedgently as she lowered her head down.
Standing nearby, Han Zhifan clearly saw Cheng Weiwan’s shoulders trembling for a short while.
Cheng Weiguo seems to really hate his daughter… From their conversation, it seems like he mentioned her getting pregnant out of wedlock. Don’t tell me Cheng Weiguo thinks she’s embarrassing and treats her like that because of Hanhan?!
They’re biological father and daughter after all… Even if the fact that Cheng Weiwan gave birth to Hanhan really embarrassed Cheng Weiguo, he doesn’t need to treat Cheng Weiwan like that, right? That kind of attitude makes it seem like he wished he never had a daughter like her…
Cheng Weiwan stood in the hallway for a long time before she turned around and walked out of the library.
Han Zhifan was afraid Cheng Weiwan would discover him, so he quickly hid away.
Cheng Weiwan walked really slowly. Han Zhifan waited for her to walk some distance away before he chased after her.
Perhaps the fever made her feel terrible because after stepping out of the Beijing University of Medicine, she hailed a cab and couldn’t wait to get inside.
Han Zhifan memorized the taxi’s license plate then got into his car from the parking lot. He drove toward the direction of the taxi, chased it for a while and eventually caught up to it.
He followed the taxi for some distance before he realized Cheng Weiwan was heading back to his villa.
He followed the taxi as it drove into the residential area of his villa and stopped at the gates.
Not long after, the taxi that dropped Cheng Weiwan off exited the residential area.
He knew Cheng Weiwan was back home now.
He still had meetings at the office in the afternoon, so Han Zhifan stayed in the car. However, he didn’t show the least bit of interest in heading back to the office.
The image of Cheng Weiwan and Cheng Weiguo’s encounter crossed his mind and lingered there, making him feel flustered.
When Cheng Weiwan stepped out, the housekeeper gave him a call. Now that she was back, the housekeeper called him again.
Han Zhifan waited for the housekeeper to finish speaking then told her to call Dr. Luo to come over again before putting his phone down.
He didn’t know why he had been sitting in the car with nothing to do for so long. All of a sudden, he received a call…
Chapter 1029: Heartache (9)
Han Zhifan didn’t know exactly why he sat in the car aimlessly like that for so long. Another call came in on his phone.
At first, he thought he was hearing things, so the phone rang for quite a while before he realized it was actually real.
He pulled out his phone and glanced at the screen. It was Lin Sheng calling.
He was probably calling about Cheng Weiwan and Cheng Weiguo’s situation…
Han Zhifan wasn’t sure why his heart suddenly felt a little afraid as he let the phone in the palm of his hand continue to vibrate. After a while, he finally swiped the screen.
The call went through and Lin Sheng’s voice came from the phone. “Zhifan, I investigated what you asked me to do.”
“You’re at the office, right? I’ll be there in about ten minutes.”
Han Zhifan gulped then moved his lips. “I’m not there…”
“Huh? Where are you then? I’ll come find you.” Following his reply, Lin Sheng’s instructions to his driver were heard over the phone. “Wait, I might not go…”
Han Zhifan knew Lin Sheng was about to say his office’s name, so he didn’t hesitate before saying, “You don’t have to come find me. I’m about to head back to the office.”
“Oh. Alright then. If I get there first, I’ll wait at your office for you.”
After hanging up the phone, Han Zhifan sat stunned in the car for a while before starting it up again and getting on the main road.
After Han Zhifan reached the underground parking lot of his office and parked his car, he smoked a cigarette inside his car. Then he walked into the elevator.
When Han Zhifan reached the floor of the general manager’s office and emerged from the elevator, the secretary ran over with several files. “Mr. Han, Mr. Lin is here and he’s waiting for you in your office.”
Han Zhifan didn’t say anything but took the secretary’s documents and pulled out a pen from his pocket and signed them.
Thereafter, the secretary held the signed documents to her chest and asked, “Mr. Han, you have a meeting later. WIll you see Mr. Lin or have the meeting first?”
“I’ll see him fir-”
Before he could finish the word “first,” Han Zhifan stopped.
He thought about it for a moment then changed his mind. “…I’ll have the meeting first.”
“Yes, Mr. Han.”
After the secretary left, Han Zhifan didn’t head to his office. He headed straight for the conference room.
Throughout the meeting, Han Zhifan was absent-minded.
At the conference table, it looked like his attention was long gone.
He didn’t take in a single word of what was said at the meeting. It wasn’t until the secretary discreetly nudged him when the meeting was over that Han Zhifan realized it was over. That was when he uttered his first word since the meeting started. “Meeting adjourned.”
The conference room was quickly emptied out.
Han Zhifan stared out the window in a daze for a while before getting up and walking out of the conference room and headed to his office.
Lin Sheng must’ve not slept well as he was laying on the sofa with his eyes shut, catching up on some sleep.
The secretary following behind Han Zhifan instinctively wanted to call Lin Sheng but was stopped by Han Zhifan.
After he signaled for the secretary to leave the office, Han Zhifan walked over to his desk.
Just as he sat in the chair, Lin Sheng woke up. “Are you done with work?”
After hearing what Lin Sheng said, Han Zhifan’s body tensed up for no reason. That was when he let out an “Mhm” to Lin Sheng.
In the past, whenever Lin Sheng was asked to help him investigate something, Lin Sheng couldn’t wait to report back to him with the results. However, this time, Lin Sheng didn’t say anything after Han Zhifan’s response.
Chapter 1030: A Joke (1)
Han Zhifan didn’t probe him on it.
The office was very quiet – it was so quiet that it made him feel pressured for some reason.
This kind of silence lasted for an unknown amount of time before Lin Sheng raised his head and glanced at Han Zhifan. “Got a cigarette?”
Han Zhifan shot a look at Lin Sheng but still didn’t make a sound. He pulled a drawer open from beside him, reached for a pack of cigarettes, and tossed them over to Lin Sheng.
Lin Sheng removed the packaging, pulled out a cigarette from inside, and lit it up.
He looked confused and torn about something as he smoked a little impatiently. Shortly after, the cigarette reached the very end.
He lit another cigarette. Then after he took another puff, he lifted his eyes and glanced at the silent Han Zhifan’s facial expression. He gulped and finally said, “I’ll start explaining now…”
After a long while, Han Zhifan nodded and let out a soft “Mhm.”
Lin Sheng inhaled the cigarette smoke hard. After the smoke dissipated, he continued by saying, “Cheng Weiwan’s mother and Cheng Weiguo got married after an unplanned pregnancy. After marriage, Cheng Weiguo practically never came home, so when Cheng Weiwan’s mother was pregnant, she took care of herself the whole time.”
“Cheng Weiwan’s mother’s family loved Cheng Weiwan’s mother, so they later hired a nanny for her. What I’m going to say next is what I found out from the nanny herself.”
“When the estimated date of birth came out, Cheng Weiwan’s mother called Cheng Weiguo several times but Cheng Weiguo didn’t come back. On the day Cheng Weiwan was born, it was raining heavily in Nanjing. It was difficult to catch a cab since it was the middle of the night. In the end, Cheng Weiwan’s mother reached the hospital with the help of the police. After Cheng Weiwan was born, Cheng Weiwan’s mother called Cheng Weiguo immediately. Cheng Weiguo heard she was born and was really happy at first, but after finding out it was a girl, he was a little unhappy. Thereafter, Cheng Weiguo didn’t come to see Cheng Weiwan for over a year after she was born.”
“The nanny said Cheng Weiguo didn’t give a cent to the family. Cheng Weiwan’s mother found ways to pay for all her expenses.”
“Because of work, Cheng Weiwan’s mother started to leave Cheng Weiwan at home alone from a very young age.”
“The nanny said Cheng Weiwan was really good when she was young. If she wasn’t reading books on her own then she was playing with toys. Maybe it was because her parents weren’t around and she had no one to talk to that she was a little timid. She didn’t really like to talk when she met people. After she started school, classmates called her mute for several years.”
“Cheng Weiwan’s mother treated her well and really adored her, but during the second year of elementary school, she passed away from an illness.”
“Her father only showed up on the day of her mother’s burial. He practically didn’t say anything to her. After her mother’s burial was over, he gave the nanny a wad of hush money and left.”
“The nanny said Cheng Weiwan really wanted Cheng Weiguo to treat her the way other dads treated their children. In the very beginning, after her mother passed, she called her father about parent meetings and father-related school events. However, Cheng Weiguo didn’t hesitate to decline because of work. Sometimes, she insisted too hard and annoyed Cheng Weiguo. He yelled at her, so she didn’t dare to cry in front of Cheng Weiguo again. She always hid somewhere and cried alone. Later, when she got older, she didn’t even bother inviting Cheng Weiguo to school events.”
Chapter 1031: A Joke (2)
“Since her mother’s passing, Cheng Weiwan basically spent every Chinese New Year and Mid-Autumn festival alone.”
“When she got sick, the nanny was often there, so there was someone to tend to her, but when the nanny wasn’t there, she took care of herself.”
“The nanny said after she came back from her Chinese New Year holiday one time, she saw a teenage Cheng Weiwan dragging up a gas cannister as heavy as she was.”
“When Cheng Weiwan was fourteen or fifteen years old, Cheng Weiguo was unhappy and drank every day for a while.”
“After he came back drunk, he loved to take his anger out on Cheng Weiwan. Every time he yelled at Cheng Weiwan, he always went on for over an hour. Sometimes, when yelling wasn’t enough, Cheng Weiguo would throw things at her.”
“Later, Cheng Weiguo’s career started to go smoothly and he started to not come home again like the years before.”
“The year when Cheng Weiwan turned eighteen, she accidentally got hit by a car crossing the road then she fell to the ground unconscious.”
“A good Samaritan took out her phone and called Cheng Weiguo, but he didn’t pick up. After she woke up, the first person she thought about was her closest relative, Cheng Weiguo. She called him too but he still didn’t pick up. She called him relentlessly many times until Cheng Weiguo finally picked up. However, he only asked if she was done and if she realized how annoying she was.”
“Then Cheng Weiwan graduated high school. The nanny didn’t take care of her anymore, but the nanny told me that Cheng Weiwan attended medical school at the college where Cheng Weiguo worked…”
“The nanny said although Cheng Weiwan didn’t say it, she could tell Cheng Weiwan craved her father’s love. Also, Cheng Weiwan really hoped for the wholesome family other kids her age had.”
“She worked really, really hard to make this dream come true, but it never did.”
“After Cheng Weiwan went to college, she didn’t stay in contact with the nanny. I took a special trip to the college and tracked down her classmates. Then I tried to contact a few of them. I was able to contact some of them, but the numbers a few of them left with the college were no longer in use. Fortunately, there was a woman who was quite close to Cheng Weiwan who still keeps in contact with her. She told me that aside from the few girls who stayed in the same down as Cheng Weiwan, nobody knew Cheng Weiwan was Professor Cheng Weiguo’s daughter.”
“It was Cheng Weiguo who didn’t allow Cheng Weiwan to tell people at school.”
“Cheng Weiwan often bumped right into Cheng Weiguo, but Cheng Weiguo wouldn’t even smile at her.”
“On Teacher’s day, many students gave Cheng Weiguo gifts. Cheng Weiwan also gave him one. Cheng Weiguo would always smile at other students and act concerned about their academic careers and health. He even gave money to some students who had issues at home, but Cheng Weiguo never said a word to Cheng Weiwan. At the time, Cheng Weiwan made her own money for her daily expenses. At the very beginning when she didn’t write stories to make money, she didn’t have enough money to pay tuition, so she called Cheng Weiguo to tell him she was short of money. Cheng Weiguo impatiently sent her some money, but from then on, Cheng Weiguo would ask ‘Do you need money again?’ whenever she called him.”
“That female classmate told me that wasn’t even the worst of it. The worst was when several troublemaking guys started wreaking havoc because their family had a little power.”
Chapter 1032: A Joke (3)
“For some reason, one of them favored Cheng Weiwan. He wasn’t really into her – he just wanted to mess around.”
“Cheng Weiwan rejected him. One night, the group stopped her on her way back from the library to her dorm.”
“Several of them were a little drunk and made a move on Cheng Weiwan. They even tried to drag her to KTV. At the same time, Cheng Weiguo passed by and didn’t interfere…”
“That woman told me not to believe what Cheng Weiguo says about how much he takes care of his family, how he raised his only daughter after his wife passed away, and how difficult it is to act as both parents at the same time. In reality, it’s all fake. Cheng Weiguo never really cared about his daughter!”
“Cheng Weiguo gave birthday gifts to people he wasn’t even close to. However, he never even gave his biological daughter birthday wishes on her birthday, let alone a gift.”
“That woman also said Cheng Weiguo only thinks about himself. He’s never thought about Cheng Weiwan and in his eyes, if he could turn back time, he wouldn’t have his daughter to begin with. There was one time at college when Cheng Weiwan called Cheng Weiguo on the phone. They all heard Cheng Weiguo say that the biggest regret in his life was having a daughter like her.”
“If that wasn’t enough, Cheng Weiguo showed the cruelest side of himself to Cheng Weiwan. What’s most cruel was…”
Lin Sheng, who had been speaking non-stop, suddenly stopped there.
It seemed like he was hesitant about whether or not he should continue.
From when he started until now, Han Zhifan hadn’t uttered a word, but seeing as he was conflicted, Han Zhifan flatly said, “Say it. It’s okay.”
Lin Sheng pursed his lips for a moment then after a while, he continued, “…what’s cruelest was three years ago, after you broke up with her, Cheng Weiguo found out she got pregnant out of wedlock and gave her a call.”
“That was the first time Cheng Weiguo called her. The woman who told me about it said she was right next to Cheng Weiwan at the time. She said Cheng Weiwan was really happy and so excited to take the call that her fingers trembled.”
“However, after she took the call, Cheng Weiwan was only able to cry out ‘Dad’ before Cheng Weiguo started yelling at her. Cheng Weiguo called her shameless, called her a whore, and basically yelled every nasty thing in the book. He even warned her to abort the child over the phone!”
“She didn’t want to do it, so she collided with Cheng Weiguo. That was the first time she ever clashed with Cheng Weiguo. Cheng Weiguo was p*ssed. Right there, he said they were no longer father and daughter, and she was never allowed to mention him!”
“The woman that after Cheng Weiwan hung up, she looked just fine. She told them she had something to do and left first, but the woman noticed something was wrong. She secretly followed her and saw Cheng Weiwan hiding in an isolated corner, crying and heartbroken, all alone.”
After reporting everything he learned, Lin Sheng lifted his head and looked over at Han Zhifan.
He was sitting at the desk with a calm expression on his face. It looked like he hadn’t heard a thing that was just said.
The office fell silent for a while before Lin Sheng spoke up again. “She’s Cheng Weiguo’s daughter. You said you wanted her to live a life worse than death, which was equivalent to making Cheng Weiguo live a life worse than death. You even said you wanted Cheng Weiguo to taste the pain and agony that Han Zhili’s death brought to you. But…”
As Lin Sheng said this, he remembered what he helped Han Zhifan do to Cheng Weiwan. All of sudden, he couldn’t quite continue.
Chapter 1033: A Joke (4)
The office fell silent once again.
Lin Sheng knew that even if he didn’t finish speaking, Han Zhifan knew what he meant.
He stared at Han Zhifan for a moment then let out a sigh and changed the subject. “…What are you going to do next?”
Han Zhifan kept the same attitude as before and didn’t utter a word.
Lin Sheng continued to say, “I feel pretty horrible right now. Even though I’m part of a triad and I’m not considered a good person, I still feel it’s wrong to bully a weak woman like this…”
“In the past, I could use Lili’s death to justify it, but now… Say… What the hell is this… After everything that happened, it was all a freaking mistake…”
“Tell me, what’s the difference between Cheng Weiguo did and what we’ve done?”
“I f*cking…”
Lin Sheng wanted to say “f*cking want to slap myself in the face a few times,” but he never managed to finish that sentence. “If there’s nothing else, you can leave now,” said Han Zhifan abruptly after being silent all this time.
“Huh?” Lin Sheng was stunned at Han Zhifan for kicking him out all of a sudden.
“I said, you can leave now.” Han Zhifan repeated what he just said.
He noticed that Lin Sheng wasn’t moving and he continued: “Would it be okay if you left first?”
This time, Han Zhifan’s voice trembled softly. Although Lin Sheng wanted to ask Han Zhifan why he asked him to leave, his question suddenly died in his mouth.
He wasn’t stupid. He could tell this meant Han Zhifan couldn’t control his state of mind.
He and Cheng Weiwan weren’t close. After he found out about Cheng Weiwan and Cheng Weiguo’s relationship, he felt terrible deep down. Han Zhifan liked that woman, and now that he’d realized what he did was merely his self-righteous idea of revenge, it must be hard to take in…
Before everything began, he was afraid Han Zhifan would regret his actions. Now, look what happened…
As a friend, Lin Sheng was a little worried that Han Zhifan wouldn’t be able to take this kind of hit. He couldn’t help but ask, “Are you alright on your own?”
Lin Sheng paused for a moment then said, “Do you want me to get some drinks with you?”
Han Zhifan shook his head in silence. All he did was reach out and point to the office door.
Lin Sheng knew Han Zhifan wanted him to leave.
He didn’t continue to linger there. He got up and walked out the door.
Before he pulled the door open, Lin Sheng was still worried. He turned around, looked over at Han Zhifan and said, “What’s done is done. Don’t be too sad.”
Han Zhifan ignored Lin Sheng, or rather, Han Zhifan seemed to not have heard him as he motionlessly stared transfixed at his desk.
Lin Sheng moved his lips, wanting to persuade him some more, but he thought anything he said would pale in comparison to how Han Zhifan felt. In the end, Lin Sheng let out another sigh, pulled open the door, and walked out.
Han Zhifan was the only person left in the office. He sat in the chair like a statue without moving an inch.
The room was very quiet – so quiet that Han Zhifan could hear the sound of his own heart racing.
He didn’t know just how long he held the same seated position. All he knew was that the bright sun outside the window had turned red and had started to set by the time his ears rang with Lin Sheng’s words from that afternoon.
“Cheng Weiwan’s mother started to leave her at home alone from a very young age.