Everyone Loves Pei Jiyu

CHAPTER 17 - Father

Father soon returned with two people following him, a man and a woman dressed in white. He was rejecting their offer to support him.

This stubborn old man!

Lu QingFan then went up and whispered, "Father, JiYu is back."

When Father lifted his head, I saw a pair of muddy old eyes. People's eyes never lie, and it was here that I finally believed that Father had somehow aged without me realizing it.

Importantly, during this period, I was not beside him.

Feeling guilty, I called out, "Father."

When he saw me, a moment of excitement flashed across his eyes before it calmed down, and his appearance returned to that old man in my memory.

"I have already severed our ties, and you still have the face to return? Get out of my house!" he yelled angrily at me.

As his body could not bear such agitation, the nurses immediately rushed forward to support him. "Mr. Pei, please calm down!"

Despite that, he pushed aside the nurses and flung his cane towards me, hitting me accurately on the forehead.

"Such an unfilial son, scram!"

I clutched my forehead, stepping back as I watched Lu QingFan rush forward and supported Father. Surrounded by a group of medical staff, he was brought back to his bedroom, and there was nothing I could do.

For a long time, I sat in the living room downstairs. A young maid also kept sneaking glances at me.

On my forehead, there was also a huge swelling that caused me to consider taking out my aspirin to relieve the pain.

It was then that Lu QingFan finally came down from upstairs. He reached out his hand as if he wanted to touch my forehead, but ended up retracting it, thinking I wouldn't notice.

He didn't even dare to show his concern towards me publicly. Was he afraid that I would get entangled with him over such a small show of concern?

"Father didn't mean to do that. It's just that he's been in a bad mood lately," he said.

"I know." How could I not know my father was a person with a bad temper and wore a stony face all day long.

When I was a child, I always thought that he didn't like me. So, I secretly asked my mother if I was picked up from the streets, as he had never given me a gentle smile.

Mother didn't know whether to laugh or cry. She just held me in her arms and lightly said, "How could Father not like little JiYu? It's just that Father is too shy, so he hides his love for you secretly in his heart, not saying it out loud. So, even if there was one day that Father makes JiYu sad, JiYu must not blame him, because he really loves you."

In this world, the only Mother understands Father.

I stood up and said, "I'll go back today and find time to come back in the future."

"I'll see you off," Lu QingFan said.

I thought about it for a while, but I didn't refuse. This may be the last good intention I would be able to accept from him.

As I didn't want him to know where I lived, I told him to drop me off at a place near Meng SiQi's apartment.

During the winter, nighttime arrived very quickly. In a blink of an eye, the outside shifted to endless darkness.

Lights from the street lamps flickered like brilliant stars, and as we passed the roadside billboard, I saw the Ferris wheel again.

I suddenly remembered that when I was young, my mother once took me and Lu QingFan to the amusement park.

At that time, he had not been adopted for long and was still someone very unfamiliar and reserved. I went to pull his sleeve and said, "Should we sit on the Ferris wheel together?"

Standing straight in place, he pursed his lips, neither agreeing nor disagreeing.

So, I asked again, "Let's go together, ok?"

In the end, he didn't agree.

Thinking that one day he would agree, I waited in vain for so many years. Actually, the act of sitting on the Ferris wheel was not necessary; it was just that I wanted to be together with him.

That young child had waited for a long time as the people gradually dispersed, and the Ferris wheel stopped rotating. However, the person he was waiting for did not give him the answer he wanted.

In an instant, he was forced to grow up.

"Lu QingFan, do you remember my mother?" I couldn't help asking him.

"Why mention her all of a sudden?"

"At that time, in order to marry my mother, my father almost severed the relationship between him and his father."

I suddenly thought of this old story that my mother told me when I was very young.

Lu QingFan was slightly surprised, as had never heard of this.

"She wasn't a daughter of a respectful or humble family. Before she met my father, my mother was just a cleaning woman in the Pei's office building. It was when Father accidentally bumped into her water bucket that they got to know each other."

One's status was not insurmountable. As long as both people were willing to struggle for each other, there was always the possibility of being together.

So, I always willingly believed in love, willing to wait.

However, this was something that Lu QingFan would never understand.

Hence, the story of Pei JiYu and Lu QingFan came to an end that spring afternoon with the flowers in full bloom, with no possibility of continuation.

I told him to drop me off on the streets.

He asked, frowning, "It's so late already. Where are you going?"

I showed my wristwatch to him. "It's only a quarter past eight, and I'm already an adult, so there would be no one who would abduct me. Besides, Pei JiYu is not that valuable."

The tone of my voice carried slight dissatisfaction, as I didn't want him to know where I lived currently.

"Are you on guard against me?" He was immediately aware of my intention.

"You think too much," I said. "I'm just looking for a place to have dinner."

I have never thought of putting up a guard against him and was just trying to protect myself. I was afraid that after waking up, I would instantly fall into another long dream again.

Having decided to completely break away from the past, I will slowly learn to forget.

"I'll accompany you," he said.

"Lu QingFan, I'm already 26 years old and can take care of myself," I insisted.

No one could beat me in terms of stubbornness, and I watched as Lu QingFan's car disappeared among the stream of vehicles.

In this city, the nights were freezing cold. I stuffed my hands into my coat pockets and walked slowly along the street.

Used to the nightlife, there were many people on the streets. As the city gradually ceased to dream, those who dream in their sleep would have no choice but to wake up.

There was no longer a hand, handing over an unbloomed flower in the dream.