Looking at the old man before her, who was now sobbing uncontrollably, Wang Huaiyu covered her mouth, lowered her head, and let tears stream down her cheeks.
She knew. She had always known just how good this man had been to her.
Her recent willfulness had been shaking the foundation of their relationship, one incident after another, until finally, this time, the dam of their emotions had burst.
Pain, sorrow, longing—these feelings all flooded her heart at once, tormenting Wang Huaiyu and making the guilt inside her even more intense. In the vast room, a sorrowful silence persisted for a long time.
Sobs rose in fits and starts. Father and daughter were both lost in their own remorse.
It wasn’t until Wang Huaiyu finally mustered the courage to stand up, walk to her father’s side, slowly kneel down, and take his no-longer-young hands in hers.
Touching these hands also made her remember when she was a child, how this man would hold her hands just like this to lull her to sleep.
“Father… it is your daughter who has been unfilial…”
As she said this, Wang Huaiyu kept her head bowed, not daring to look at the expression on her father’s face. She was afraid she wouldn’t be able to hold back again.
Looking at his daughter bowing her head in apology before him, Wang Chengye suddenly felt his whole being sinking.
So tired…
His eyes no longer held their previous sparkle, and the polite smile no longer hung on his face. He suddenly felt as if he had aged, as if he could no longer manage anything.
Wang Chengye opened his mouth, but didn’t know what to say.
Anger?
Everything was already a done deal. Raging and questioning now held no meaning.
Sorrow?
The flood of emotions had already passed, leaving behind only a tired, dry wasteland.
In the end, Wang Chengye managed to force out one sentence.
“I’m tired. You may leave…”
With that, he closed his eyes, no longer looking at her.
Wang Chengye withdrew his hand, lay back down on the bed, pulled the quilt over himself, and turned over, his back facing Wang Huaiyu.
Seeing her father in this state, clearly wanting to say nothing more, Wang Huaiyu’s whole body stiffened. Her lips parted slightly, the words on the tip of her tongue but unable to come out.
She slowly stood up and walked out. Reaching the door, she looked back at her father lying on the bed with his eyes closed, then gently pulled the door shut.
Click.
But just before finally leaving, she couldn’t help but leave one last sentence.
“Father… please rest well…”
Wang Chengye did not respond.
The door closed softly, leaving Wang Chengye alone in the room.
A long time later, he finally opened his eyes, looking at the now-empty room, lost in thought.
***
After leaving her father’s room, Wang Huaiyu covered her mouth and hurried without pause along the path back to her own chambers.
In the corridor, she passed by servant after servant. They watched as this usually most particular young lady walked past with such a sorrowful expression, exchanging glances.
“What’s wrong with the young lady?”
“Hold your tongue.” An older steward glared at them. Only after she had walked far away did he sigh. “Be smart these next couple of days. Don’t crowd around the master.”
The servants fell silent, turning back to their respective tasks.
But whether they would gossip in private later, no one knew.
Wang Huaiyu fled. She pulled open her door, entered, then leaned her back against it, finally letting the tears fall.
Her mind was filled entirely with the image from moments ago: her father’s back turned to her. Those withdrawn hands, that resolute back…
It’s all my fault…
It’s all… my fault…
Leaning against the door, she slowly slid down to sit on the floor, burying her face in her knees, her shoulders shaking with sobs.
She didn’t know how much time had passed. When the tears finally dried, she used the doorframe for support to slowly stand up, dragging her feet to the bed, and sat down woodenly.
Her mind was still a mess. Her father’s back, Hongfang’s disappearance, Liu Shan’s innocent face, and the child in her womb.
She subconsciously placed her hand on her lower abdomen again.
What on earth should be done about all of this…
Outside the window, the sky had completely darkened.
By the time Wang Huaiyu woke again, it was already the next morning.
She pushed aside the quilt covering her, propped herself up halfway to lean against the headboard, traces of last night’s tears still lingering at the corners of her eyes.
Wang Huaiyu looked at the bright white light outside the window, her eyes utterly numb.
No, Wang Huaiyu…
Father has fallen. Now the entire Wang Family depends on you.
You can’t keep wallowing like this. Otherwise, how could you face Father and the Wang Family?
She closed her eyes, took a deep breath, wiped away the remaining moisture at the corners of her eyes, and stood up.
Wang Huaiyu called for a few maidservants. After changing clothes and washing up, she had transformed back into the proud Miss Wang of old.
Pushing open the door, several stewards were already waiting outside, their expressions anxious.
“Young lady! You’ve finally come out. Ever since the master fainted, so many business matters have been left without anyone to make decisions. We’ve been waiting for you!”
“That’s right, young lady. Now the entire Wang Family is waiting for you to step forward. Those business partners from before, and those rivals of ours, they’ve all noticed the Wang Family has no backbone right now. They’ve all come running to take advantage!”
“Master Zhou isn’t here either. We can only rely on you, young lady!”
The stewards all spoke at once, practically wanting to pour out every recent trouble.
Listening to all this, Wang Huaiyu felt the pressure bearing down on her like a heavy weight, making it hard to breathe.
She adjusted her breathing and spoke with a calm expression.
“What’s the rush? Who says the Wang Family has no backbone? Haven’t I come out now?”
“Losing your heads just because my father isn’t here—is that any way for Wang Family servants to act?”
“All of you, come with me to the study now. Lay everything out for me, one item at a time.”
Having said that, she walked past these stewards and headed straight for the study.
“Ah, young lady! Wait for us!”
They hurried to catch up.
Between sitting and working, time flew by. The morning light had long since been replaced by the shadows of afternoon.
Wang Huaiyu sat wearily in the master’s seat of the study, burying her head in the desk, not wanting to get up.
Only today did she realize just how hard her father worked on ordinary days. Her previous self, who only handled accounts in the accounts room, could practically be described as leisurely by comparison.
Only through this contrast did she truly understand, for the first time, her father’s hardship.
“…There’s still so much to do. I can’t rest yet.”
As soon as the words left her mouth, that forcibly sustained energy seemed to puncture like a leather sack, draining away all at once. She buried her face in the crook of her arm, letting exhaustion overwhelm her.
The study was so quiet that only the occasional chirping of cicadas from outside the window could be heard.
She didn’t know how much time had passed before she raised her head again, rubbing her sore neck, and looked out the window.
Just as she was spacing out, a series of knocking sounds suddenly came from the study door.
“Enter.”
A maidservant pushed the door open and entered, bowing respectfully.
“Young lady.”
“What is it? Speak quickly. Can’t you see I’m busy?” Wang Huaiyu didn’t even look up, a hint of impatience in her tone.
“Yes, young lady! Just now, outside the main gate… there was a person knocking, asking by name to see the head of the Wang Family.”
Having said that, she lowered her head and said no more.
Wang Huaiyu frowned and set down the brush in her hand.
Another one coming to take advantage. Probably either that Zhang Biao from the Zhang Family, or that Liu Ma from the Liu Family.
How infuriating… Don’t they have anything better to do all day?
She snorted coldly, rubbing her aching temples.
“Fine. Have them brought in. Let’s not give them another reason to laugh at us.”
“Yes.”