Gao Ming let out a long sigh. "This is another one of your mother's doings. Chen Ziyu called her, and without telling me, she drove that car to deliver money to him, then let him drive it away. The police caught them, and now she's being questioned at the police station. I'm waiting outside right now."
Chen Ziyu, who was only half a year younger than him, had grown up with him, attended school with him—once full of boundless energy, unrestrained and arrogantly flamboyant—was now dead.
Gao Xiang sat numbly on the bench in the hospital corridor, unable to convince himself to accept this reality. Ever since hearing about the crime Chen Ziyu had committed—one he couldn't comprehend at all—he had refused to dwell on it. Now, he painfully realized that what he had been doing was subconsciously downplaying and ignoring what had already happened. Yet, the word "happening" felt so trivializing that it instantly filled him with guilt: an unimaginable evil, a sudden death—could all be summed up as a mere "happening," stripped of any emotional weight, without distinction of severity or urgency.
Events kept unfolding, one after another, upheavals following in rapid succession. After all the emotions became intensely tangled, they seemed to temporarily drain his ability to feel. His heart felt hollow; suddenly, he could no longer grasp sadness, tension, or anxiety...
It wasn't until the doctor came out to announce that the surgery had been successful that Gao Xiang snapped out of his daze. Remembering that his mother was still in trouble, he grew restless. The time it would take for the patient to wake from anesthesia was uncertain, so he called Sun Ruodi and asked her to keep watch, instructing her to call him immediately if anything unusual happened. Then, he hurriedly drove back to Qinggang.
Gao Xiang went straight to the Qinggang County Public Security Bureau. Gao Ming was sitting in the reception room on the first floor, smoking. Beside him was a disposable cup serving as an ashtray, already half-filled with cigarette butts. The moment Gao Xiang called out "Dad," Gao Ming slightly shook his head and signaled with his eyes for him to stay quiet. Following his gaze, Gao Xiang saw a woman sitting at the other end of the reception room. From the side and back, she had delicate features, slightly permed hair, a slender figure, and a straight posture that made her look very young—hardly like the mother of a 14-year-old child. She stared blankly ahead, as if lost in thought.
Gao Ming stubbed out his cigarette, stood up, and led Gao Xiang outside. "That woman is Zuo Xuejun's wife, Yu Jia. She has a doctorate and works at the Provincial Water Resources Research Institute."
"Ziyu is already dead. What are they still doing here? Are they so determined to pin the blame on Mom? This is going too far."
Gao Ming shook his head. "Yesterday, without telling me, your mother took money to Ziyu and let him drive the car away. The police were tailing them, and Zuo Xuejun was in the police car chasing Ziyu at the time."
Gao Xiang was shocked. "He's not a police officer. How could he do that?"
"There must have been some misconduct involved, which is why he's also under investigation at the police station now."Gao Ming abruptly stopped speaking as they saw Zuo Xuejun and his wife emerge one after the other. This was the first time Gao Xiang had seen him head-on—a lean middle-aged man of modest height, with a refined appearance that bore no trace of the ferocity he had displayed when storming into the detention cell to violently assault Chen Zi Yu. His lips were pressed tightly together, his chin shadowed with several days' worth of stubble. His expression was weary, eyes bloodshot, and his gaze swept indifferently over the Gao father and son without any discernible emotion before he strode directly toward the exit of the police station courtyard. Yu Jia called his name, but he neither responded nor halted, forcing her to quicken her pace to catch up with him.
Another ten minutes passed before Chen Zi Hui was also released. The police informed Gao Ming and his son that she remained subject to summons and must continue cooperating with the investigation. Chen Zi Hui stood numbly, showing no reaction to their conversation. Even after returning home, her face remained expressionless as she walked straight into the bedroom and slammed the door shut.
Gao Ming sighed. "Let it be. Give her some time to accept reality. We need to discuss how to handle Zi Yu’s funeral arrangements and how to break the news to your grandfather."
☆、06
II
Clear Ridge was typically a tranquil, uneventful county town. Clear Ridge Winery stood as the largest private enterprise locally, and Chen Li Guo had long been regarded as the wealthiest man in the area—a natural celebrity. His son Chen Zi Yu’s arrest, medical parole, escape, and accidental death inevitably became a persistent hot topic locally. As the story passed from mouth to mouth, it spawned countless bizarre versions. Legal programs and newspaper columns from the provincial capital flocked to cover the story, making it impossible to conceal from Chen Li Guo. Having just undergone surgery, he now faced this upheaval. Under the double blow, he appeared to have aged abruptly.
Chen Zi Yu’s funeral was handled with extreme simplicity. No relatives or friends were notified; only Gao Ming, Chen Zi Hui, and Gao Xiang attended. Defying all objections, Chen Zi Hui insisted on seeing her younger brother one last time. However, at the sight of the body—shattered from the cliff fall and painstakingly reassembled—she completely broke down, collapsing to the ground in wracking sobs. Gao Xiang held his mother, simultaneously feeling the suppressed pain within his own heart begin to spread.
Regardless of what the person lying there had done, he had still grown up with him—he was his closest kin. He couldn’t maintain the composure his father showed.
After cremation, Chen Zi Yu was buried beside his deceased mother. Returning from the cemetery, Gao Xiang went to his grandfather’s bedroom and found him staring blankly out the window. Unsure how to comfort him, Gao Xiang could only remind him to rest and take his medicine.
"Xiao Xiang, you should return to the provincial capital."
He shook his head. "I’ll leave in a couple of days. I’ve arranged everything at the company—there’s no hurry."
"Go back sooner. Spend more time with your girlfriend. She doesn’t know why you’ve been so tied up lately, never around, and she’s very worried about you."
Gao Xiang gave a faint, wry smile but said nothing.
"She’s a good girl—well-mannered, thoughtful, and attentive. When do you plan to get married?"
Gao Xiang was surprised his grandfather had the leisure to bring this up. "She’s still young; we haven’t thought that far ahead."
The door burst open as Gao Ming dragged Chen Zi Hui inside, exclaiming frantically to his father-in-law, "Dad, you have to stop her this time. We can’t let her act recklessly anymore."Gao Xiang said irritably, "Dad, Mom, do you really have to argue in front of Grandpa at this moment?"
"Your mother has already made a scene at the County Party Committee and County Government. Hear what else she plans to do before you say anything."
Chen Zi Hui forcefully shook off his hand, her eyes bloodshot, and spoke word by word: "That's right, I've been to the County Government. Tomorrow I intend to go to the City Government to report Zuo Xuejun for abusing his power as a state civil servant, driving my brother to his death—his actions are equivalent to murder. If the City Government doesn't handle it, I'll take my petition to the Provincial Government and keep appealing. In short, I will see him brought down."
Gao Xiang spoke with difficulty, "Mom, you gave a statement at the Public Security Bureau. We've reported the situation and received an explanation. Zuo Xuejun was in the police car at the time, but he wasn't the one driving. The relevant departments are investigating the incident and considering disciplinary action against Zuo Xuejun. Ziyu was fleeing, and the police were bound to pursue him. The car accident was just an unfortunate accident..."
"Nonsense! If he hadn't personally gotten in the car, constantly urging the police to speed up and leaving Ziyu no way out, Ziyu would never have had the accident. Their so-called consideration of disciplinary action is just about making big issues small and small issues disappear. I know you all gave up on Ziyu long ago. With him gone like this, the Chen Family avoids further disgrace. You probably couldn't be more pleased..."
Gao Ming interrupted her angrily: "Chen Zi Hui, have you lost your mind? If you treat me as an outsider and say such things about me, fine. But your father is bearing the pain of losing a son in his old age, and your son has always cared for Ziyu like a younger brother and is just as heartbroken as you are. How can you think your grief is the most genuine and greatest, and that everyone else deserves your accusations?"
"Then don't stop me from seeking justice for Ziyu."
"Be reasonable, will you? Justice? Have you considered that others might have a completely different view of justice? Zuo Xuejun pursued Ziyu relentlessly—wasn't he also seeking justice for his daughter? If you hadn't helped Ziyu escape, he wouldn't have..."
Before he could finish,
Chen Zi Hui, burning with rage, lunged at him. Gao Xiang quickly stood up, stepping between them, and shouted: "Enough! What will Grandpa think with you arguing like this?"
The room fell silent. Chen Li Guo, who had been quiet all along, spoke up: "Zi Hui, I've failed you and Ziyu's mother."
As soon as he said this, tears streamed down his aged face. Chen Zi Hui stood rigid, her anger dissipating as tears rolled down her cheeks.
"But Gao Ming is right. The Chen Family still needs to establish itself in Qinggang and run the business. The liquor company is at the most critical stage of its development. You can't go all out like this—it benefits no one."
"Business, business—all you care about is business. Does that mean Ziyu died for nothing?"
"Stop dwelling on this, Zi Hui. I was never meant to have a son in this life. If we hadn't had him back then, your mother wouldn't have passed away so early."
Chen Zi Hui was both furious and heartbroken: "What kind of talk is that? How can you say my perfectly good brother was never meant to be?"
"Perhaps it's fate. Those who are gone are gone, but the living must carry on."Although Chen Zi Hui offered no further rebuttal, Gao Xiang knew his mother often persisted in her stubborn ways to the point of obsession. He was due to return to the provincial capital the next day and decided to have a serious talk with her before leaving, only to find she had already slipped out without a word and wasn’t answering her phone.
He and his father were frantic, pacing helplessly, when Chen Zi Hui returned. Ignoring Gao Ming’s urgent questions, she said to Gao Xiang, “Xiao Xiang, don’t rush back today. There’s something I need you to do.”
“What is it? Where did you just go?”
“I went to Zuo Xuejun’s house to see his wife, Yu Jia.”
Both Gao Ming and Gao Xiang were stunned. Gao Ming wrung his hands anxiously. “I told you not to cause trouble for Zuo Xuejun, and now you’ve gone to harass his wife at home? What exactly are you trying to do?”
“When Zuo Xuejun’s daughter was found to be pregnant, she was already five months along. But at the time, she had a severe inflammatory infection and couldn’t undergo an induced abortion. Treatment dragged on until now—by my count, she’s about six months pregnant. The county hospital is worried about the risks and suggested she go to the provincial capital for the procedure. Do you understand what six months means? It’s already a formed little life. Even if born prematurely, it could survive. Besides, inducing labor at this stage is dangerous for the girl too. If that’s the case, it’s better to let her give birth.”
The same expression appeared on the faces of Gao Ming and his son—mouths slightly agape, staring at her in disbelief. After a long moment, Gao Ming finally asked, “Who told you this?”
“That’s none of your concern. I just went to see Yu Jia and negotiated with her. I demanded she let her daughter carry the child to term and hand it over to us. In return, I’ll stop bothering Zuo Xuejun. Otherwise, I’ll escalate my complaints step by step, determined to bring him down and ruin any chance he has left in his political career.”
Gao Ming muttered, “You’re insane. You’ve definitely lost your mind.”
Gao Xiang watched his mother’s eyes gleam with fervor, her expression fanatical, and he shared his father’s sentiment. Struggling to speak, he said, “Her daughter is only 14. How can she possibly give birth? She won’t agree to such a deal.”
“I don’t believe she’ll stand by and watch me destroy her husband’s reputation and career.”
This chilling threat sent a shiver down both Gao Ming and Gao Xiang’s spines. Gao Ming forced out the words, “She won’t pay any attention to you.”
Ignoring her husband’s interruption, Chen Zi Hui spoke directly to Gao Xiang. “She refused to discuss it with me, and your father certainly won’t step in to handle this. Xiao Xiang, I want you to talk to her properly. Make the stakes clear, and most importantly, ensure she understands the consequences if she doesn’t agree.”
Gao Xiang stopped his father from erupting and said angrily, “Mom, I won’t help you with this.”
“If you won’t help me, I’ll do it myself. None of you can stop me, and don’t expect me to back down. If things spiral out of control, don’t blame me.” She added through gritted teeth, “That’s Ziyu’s flesh and blood, and a descendant of our Chen Family. No matter the cost, I will bring it back to the Chen Family.”
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