El hibisco como pintura

Capítulo 36

"Alright, I'll tell you now!" Grandpa Liu looked around again, and finally took out a photo from his clothes: "You've seen this photo before."

“I’ve seen him! Principal Chen looks like he’s up there.” Li Wenbin looked at Principal Chen beside him.

"There are also five men and five women up there; you must remember their names."

16 years ago

Female students: Peng Yulian, Zhu Qili, Zhang Shufen, Li Youyou, Chen Yun

Males: Wang Guisheng, Lin Hui, Gao Xiaofeng, Li Zhuo, Qiu Datong

"That was 16 years ago." As Grandpa Liu said this, his voice suddenly became distant.

Everyone seemed to be transported back 16 years by his voice. "Back then, I was an absolute poor man, but my wife Guihua and I loved each other very much. Although we were poor, we and our children were very happy. At that time, I was a cleaner at this middle school called Honghua Middle School. One night, the night sky was full of stars, and the weather was really nice. I was cleaning each classroom as usual." Grandpa Liu looked at Principal Chen: "But there was a lively scene in one classroom because there were some people having a gathering there. They were classmates from Class 0 of the first year of high school at Honghua Middle School. Everyone was skilled in a musical instrument. This time, they brought their wives and husbands back to their alma mater for a reunion. Everything was going smoothly. While I was waiting for them to leave so I could clean the classroom, my wife brought me some food."

Principal Chen suddenly burst into tears.

Looking at his mother, Chen Shuai suddenly had a bad feeling. He felt that everything stemmed from that party.

“That day, it was just like any other day, nothing was wrong, but some of them got drunk and made a mess of the classroom, so they asked me to clean it.” Grandpa Liu suddenly slapped his head hard. “I really should have refused my wife. If I had, none of this would have happened.” Grandpa Liu glared at Principal Chen and shouted, “My wife was afraid I’d cry, so she went to help me and told me to eat in peace. Unexpectedly, there was a power outage, so those people at the party lit candles. But in their roughhousing, they knocked the candles over, igniting the alcohol in the children’s palace, causing a huge fire. That fire engulfed everyone, including my wife…” At this point, Grandpa Liu suddenly burst into tears, “Only she escaped!” Grandpa Liu angrily pointed at Principal Chen, “Only she escaped!”

"That was just an accident!" Li Wenbin exclaimed.

"An accident! If they hadn't been fighting, if they hadn't asked me to clean up, none of this would have happened! But she escaped, while my wife died inside!" Grandpa Liu cried even harder. "And then?" Gao Xiaoyuan pressed.

“I was heartbroken at the time, I hated them! So I kept investigating Principal Chen, but she didn't dare tell the police the truth and blamed everything on my wife, saying she accidentally touched a candle and caused the fire! I hated her, I really hated her! I wanted to kill her then, but I held back. For the sake of my child, and to avenge my wife, I waited. I secretly followed Principal Chen, but unexpectedly she opened a new school on the original site. Later, I found a way to infiltrate it. I wanted to find an opportunity to make her receive the harshest punishment. So, I stole her child first. At that time, Principal Chen was searching everywhere for her child, and later she even found the children of the students who died and re-formed Class 0 of the first year of high school. I think she was atoning for her actions, but she should also aton for my wife!”

"So it turns out my parents were connected to Class 0 of the first year of high school fifteen years ago. It turns out we're all connected." Li Wenshan looked at everyone. "Fifteen years ago, you wanted to kill us all to avenge your wife, but why didn't you kill them all?"

"Because I want to keep some children, so my children can avenge their mother with their own hands!" Grandpa Liu shouted fiercely. "Children? Where are your children?" Gao Xiaoyuan asked. "I haven't asked my question yet," Qiu Wangzi said calmly.

“That’s right, you can ask now,” Grandpa Liu said with a sneer. “Gao Xiaoyuan is your biological daughter, isn’t she?” Prince Qiu looked at Gao Xiaoyuan sadly.

Gao Xiaoyuan was taken aback and looked at Qiu Wangzi. She never expected that Qiu Wangzi would ask such a question.

"Xiaoyuan, now you know your place, right?" Grandpa Liu smiled at Gao Xiaoyuan. "I..." Gao Xiaoyuan froze.

Chen Shuai and the others stared at Gao Xiaoyuan in astonishment, never expecting things to turn out this way. "He wouldn't drag an innocent person into this for no reason, so I guess Gao Xiaoyuan is Grandpa Liu's daughter," Qiu Wangzi said, looking at Gao Xiaoyuan.

Gao Xiaoyuan remained silent, clearly unable to accept this reality.

“Son, the people sitting around you are the murderers who killed your mother. You must avenge your mother with your father!” Grandpa Liu shouted excitedly.

"I..." Gao Xiaoyuan looked at the people around her. Should she seek revenge? How did things turn out this way? She was originally an innocent person, but now she had become the protagonist of this whole affair. What should she do? What should she do!

"Xiaoyuan, you can't be soft-hearted! Your mother died such a tragic death! Today, Dad won't let a single one of them go!"

Gao Xiaoyuan stared blankly at Grandpa Liu. He was her father, her biological father, yet she had fallen in love with her enemy's child. What should she do now? What should she do? Was she going to kill all these people? Was she really going to become the next murderer?

"I……"

"Oh, Xiaoyuan, I know you can't bring yourself to do it. Go away! Leave this place to your father!" Grandpa Liu looked at Gao Xiaoyuan sadly.

"What are you going to do? You're going to... with them..." Gao Xiaoyuan looked at Qiu Wangzi. He had lied to her; she should hate him. Gao Xiaoyuan then looked at Chen Shuai. His mother had shifted the blame to her own mother, but he had been very good to her. Should she hate him? Gao Xiaoyuan truly didn't know what she should do.

"Xiaoyuan, get out of here right now! Hurry up!" Grandpa Liu shouted.

"Are you really going to do this? Are you really going to let them die?" Gao Xiaoyuan asked sadly.

"Yes, they're going to die! None of them are getting away today!"

"dad……"

Upon hearing this, Grandpa Liu was stunned for a moment, then tears welled up in his eyes. "Child, I'm content with just hearing you say that!" After saying this, Grandpa Liu suddenly pushed Gao Xiaoyuan forcefully toward the door.

"Dad, what are you doing!"

"Get out of here! Get out of here right now!"

At that moment, Xu An, Chen Shuai, and Li Wenshan simultaneously pounced on Grandpa Liu, forcefully pinned her to the ground, and snatched the gun from her hand.

"Let me go!" Grandpa Liu shouted desperately, startling Gao Xiaoyuan. "Don't hurt him!"

"If he doesn't die, we will!" Li Wenbin suddenly raised his spear and pointed it at Grandpa Liu's forehead.

"No!" Gao Xiaoyuan, Qiu Wangzi, and Chen Shuai cried out at the same time, but it was too late. A pool of blood spurted out, spraying towards Qiu Wangzi, Chen Shuai, and Gao Xiaoyuan.

Chen Shuai froze as he looked at Grandpa Liu, who was lying dead in a pool of blood.

Prince Qiu rushed forward, snatched the gun from Li Wenbin's hand, and shouted, "What have you done! What have you done!"

Gao Xiaoyuan stood there blankly, looking at Grandpa Liu. Suddenly she laughed, a very sad laugh. "I should have listened to my dad. That way, he wouldn't have died. I killed him. It was me!"

"Xiaoyuan, this isn't your fault!" Prince Qiu rushed over and hugged Gao Xiaoyuan tightly.

Gao Xiaoyuan laughed and forcefully pushed Qiu Wangzi away. "You're a liar! You lied to me! You're all bad people! Bad people!" Gao Xiaoyuan suddenly rushed towards Lin Nana and placed her finger on the thin line between Lin Nana and Principal Chen.

"Xiaoyuan!" Chen Shuai exclaimed in surprise.

Tears welled up in Gao Xiaoyuan's eyes. "I hope there will be no more hatred in this world."

Gao Xiaoyuan slowly tightened her grip on the thin thread...

(End of article)