Chapter 103: He Will Return

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I rushed over and hugged Fatty tightly. His body stiffened briefly, but he patted my back and said, “Alright, alright, stop crying. You’re the King of Thieves, the one who kills without blinking—what’s there to cry about?”

“Let’s go to the village committee,” I said. More and more villagers were gathering, drawn by the commotion. I didn’t want to be the subject of gossip, nor did I want anyone to know that the unsolved case that had haunted us for over twenty years—my father’s murder—was actually committed by my grandfather.

Fatty was initially reluctant to leave; he wanted to help me seek revenge. But once we reached the village committee, Li Qing and my mother were tending to my older brother. Fatty and I stepped outside to smoke. I told him, “Fatty, can you believe it? The person who killed my father was my grandfather—the very City God you always talk about, a being from the spirit realm.”

The cigarette fell from Fatty’s fingers, burning a hole in his pants. He flicked the cigarette butt away and stared at me in disbelief. “No way… your grandfather?”

Fatty had met my grandfather before, but he certainly wouldn’t have remembered him as just an ordinary old rural man. Now that I had told him, Fatty would never forget.

“It’s true,” I said. “That old yellow-skinned lady told me and my brother last night. At first, I didn’t believe it either, but my grandfather confessed himself.”

“So that Sun Zhongmou was also hurt by him?” Fatty asked in shock.

I nodded.

“Did the old man ever explain? Did he have any justification?” Fatty pressed on.

I shook my head. His question hit a sore spot. My eyes stung. “I wanted an explanation, but he gave none. Instead, he was arrogant, saying that his son was disobedient and that a father could kill his own son whenever he wished.”

Fatty was speechless. I knew that anyone would be at a loss facing this truth. My grandfather’s coldness and ruthlessness were suffocating.

“Fatty, if this had happened to you, what would you do? I’m not cursing you, just hypothetically,” I asked.

“I’d kill…” Fatty began, then stopped. He rubbed his face and sighed. “Honestly, I can’t even imagine it. If my grandfather killed my father and then I killed my grandfather, back in the old days, maybe it was different. But nowadays, with the rule of law, the police would shoot me. That would be the end of the whole family.”

I gave a bitter smile and lit another cigarette. I just wanted to cry. Even when I was in the ancient temple underground, smelling the scent of death, I had never felt this hollow.

Fatty patted my shoulder. “Since you’re here, you might as well settle in. Don’t overthink it. From my experience, there’s always more to these things. The situation here is complicated beyond your imagination. Take Chen Dongfang, for example. When we first came out of seclusion, I thought he’d be our enemy. But when he and Li Qing rushed into your yard, I started to think he might be decent. So, I’m telling you, I prefer someone like Tang Ranjie—a straightforward scoundrel. No need to waste your mind on him. But Chen Dongfang? Sometimes he’s good, sometimes bad. If you distance yourself, he seems fine; if you get close, he might stab you in the back. It’s frustrating. You know, Fatty here is the last person with a sharp mind.”

“Fatty, enough. I get it. Let’s wait for Chen Dongfang to come back. He told us all to leave; maybe he’ll give us some answers,” I said.

Fatty nodded, about to speak, then suddenly changed his tone and smiled. “Ah, the savior’s here. Fatty won’t persuade anyone anymore. I’m beat. Now someone who can talk sense into you has arrived.”

I thought Chen Dongfang had returned, but when I turned, it was Han Xue. She ran over, flustered, and threw herself into my arms, teasing, “Where have you been? You left without a word and came back without warning! What’s going on at home? Why is everyone just watching?”

The scent on Han Xue was intoxicating, making me want to hold her forever and sleep beside her. I didn’t know how to answer her questions, so I cupped her face and kissed her.

She was startled; I could feel her whole body flush with warmth.

Normally, she would have rejected me this early in the morning, but today, sensing my unusual state and need, she slowly responded. She wrapped her arms around my neck as I held her close, wanting to merge her into my very being.

As the true nature of those around me was revealed one by one, I realized what I loved most about Han Xue—her innocence, purity, and sincerity.

Finally, we parted. I looked into her eyes. “Xue’er, I swear I will marry you. I will never let you down in this life.”

“Fine. Fatty will be your witness. Girl, if he ever hurts you, I’ll cut off his manhood, feed it to a dog, then eat the dog so he can never find it again,” Fatty’s voice suddenly came from behind a pillar.

I thought he had left, but he was hiding behind the pillar. Han Xue, who had thought no one was around, turned bright red as if about to melt.

Fatty raised his hands. “I didn’t see anything, really didn’t. I just wanted to tell you, Yezi, Chen Dongfang is back, probably arriving soon.”

As Fatty finished speaking, Chen Dongfang walked in and nodded at me. “Let’s talk inside.”

As we were about to enter, Chen Dongfang stopped Han Xue. He said to me, “Yezi, I know she’s family, but don’t let her know too much. It’s not that I’m afraid; you know what I mean.”

I nodded. I didn’t want Han Xue to know the complexity of my family. It wouldn’t be good for my fiancée to be burdened with such secrets. I turned to Han Xue. “Xue’er, wait here for me. I’ll be out soon, alright?”

“Okay.” Han Xue smiled at us. I knew she probably suspected something, but she trusted me enough to obey.

Inside, my older brother still kept his eyes tightly shut. I knew he wasn’t unconscious but unwilling to wake. Pride filled the room—everyone here was proud, but he was the proudest.

Chen Dongfang lit a cigarette. He looked unharmed, clearly never having fought my grandfather. I thought he would explain something, but instead, he looked at my mother and said, “Sister-in-law, it’s time to tell the children the truth.”

My mother’s eyes were swollen. She wiped tears from her cheeks and nodded. “Back then, Tianhua was investigating something—I don’t know exactly what. He never liked to talk about it. One night, he came home very late, panicked, and gave me something to swallow. It was a pill that looked like those made by Taoist priests. I thought it was a hawthorn pill, but it was bitter—bitter beyond words. I couldn’t swallow it, but seeing his determination, I did. After taking it, my whole body felt on fire, as if burning. The fever became so severe I fainted. The next morning, I woke up fine, but from that day on, Tianhua was anxious every day. Then I got pregnant with Yezi. I thought he’d be happy, but around three months into the pregnancy, he told me he was going to die. Someone wanted to kill him. I asked who, and he said it was his father.”

“I didn’t believe him at first and was terrified. I asked what had happened, but he wouldn’t say. He only said he had done something that guaranteed his death. If he didn’t die, the child in my womb would. He told me not to blame his father and to pretend I knew nothing.”

My mother wiped her eyes as she spoke.

Chen Dongfang asked, “Did Tianhua say anything else?”

My mother covered her mouth. “He said he would come back. But it’s been over twenty years. Where is he? I want to see him. I want to ask him how I’ve survived all these years.”

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