The Glory After Rebirth [重生之尊荣]

Chapter 280- 282

Chapter 280: A Father-Son Reunion

Ling Zhang had thought he'd forgotten this man's face, that he might not be able to recognize him even if he was standing right in front of him, but the fact was that the moment he clapped eyes on him, he came to know this person was his father, the swirling mist in his mind quickly dissipating, revealing those memories which were so real.

People here had been taking good care of him. His face was very clean, without the stubble of untrimmed beard or tousled hair that Ling Zhang had expected to see. Instead, his hair had been neatly tied up. However, his cheeks were very thin, so thin that they were sunken. His complexion was sickly and pallid, and he smelled of medicine, as though he'd been taking drugs instead of having meals for a long time.

Yuwen Tong consolingly tightened his grip on Ling Zhang's hand and then gently released it and told Ling Zhang to go to the bedside to see his father.

Ling Zhang stood straight beside the head of the bed, gazing at the man lying in it, lips pressed tightly together, eyes prickling with tears uncontrollably. He recalled his childhood, how broken-hearted he'd been and how hard he'd wailed after this man left home; he also recalled that in his last incarnation, after the Ling family were exterminated, this man had still never shown up, and that Ji Yin had told him this man had almost died of grievous injuries, been comatose for many years and only suddenly come to half a year ago but become a retard owing to mental disorder.

It was quite a while before Ling Zhang sat down, eyes still on this man who should've given him piggybacks and taken him to stroll along the streets when he'd been a little boy. After a long time, the sorrow inside him gradually ebbed away. He realized that he'd grown up after all, and no longer had those intense expectations buried under bitter complaints or needed his father to put him on his shoulders in the streets. Soon he'd get married and have a family of his own, and might adopt a boy and piggyback him in the streets to have fun if that was what life held in store for him.

Yes, he'd grown up and was no longer a child. He had to stop being childish and start being a poised adult.

"Father."

Ling Zhang swallowed hard to fight back the sadness, complexity, grudge, anticipation and joy, calming himself down.

"He's drunk some decoction. It'll be another hour before he–"

Mr. Mu wanted to tell Ling Zhang that Ling Zhaowu wouldn't wake up until an hour later, but before he could finish his sentence, the man in bed suddenly moved slightly. His hands which had been lying quietly on his chest twitched and then his fingers bent briefly, as though he was about to awake.

Astonished, Mr. Mu looked at Ling Zhaowu with a quizzical expression on his face.

This detail escaped Ling Zhang's notice. Fixing Ling Zhaowu's face with an intent stare, he called again, "Father."

This time, his voice was much more collected and louder than that of the last call.

He contemplated Ling Zhaowu expectantly, hoping to see him wake up. He'd heard Mr. Mu say that it'd be an hour before Ling Zhaowu awoke, but he'd still involuntarily called him again.

Right at this moment, Ling Zhaowu who had been lying with his eyes closed all along had a twitch in his eyelids, as though he was trying hard to lift them.

Ling Zhang found himself holding his breath, staring unblinkingly at the pair of eyes.

All the others also looked at Ling Zhaowu.

Ling Zhaowu's eyelids twitched once again and then, slowly, he opened his eyes.

Stupefied, Ling Zhang looked at his open eyes, which were very clear but also seemed to be quite bemused. He first glanced at the ceiling, then turned to look at Ling Zhang, his eyes dilating slightly as they met Ling Zhang's. Almost believing that Ling Zhaowu recognized him, Ling Zhang subconsciously tensed his back.