“Xiao Hui… um… Mr. Qi, do you have a photo of Le Xi?” he asked, his tone full of pleading. “I haven’t seen him for many years.”
"Please wait a moment." Qi Hui smiled, took out his phone from his pocket, opened the flip phone, and the screen lit up, showing a close-up photo of Le Xi on the desktop.
“This was taken recently. I took it when I stopped by Atlanta on a business trip.” Qi Hui handed him her phone, saying proudly like a mother showing off her capable child. “He’s much healthier than before, and he’s more cheerful too.”
The other person looked at the photo on their phone with lingering reluctance, tears welling in their eyes, and whispered, "His illness is cured now?"
"I'm basically the same as a normal person. Now I go to the doctor for a check-up every two months. He's one of the best cardiologists in the country, and there are no major problems anymore."
"Thank you, Mr. Qi."
“It’s what I should do. As you know, Lexi has been adopted by my mother, so he’s also one of our children. It’s only right that we do this,” Qi Hui said casually.
"...Heh, Lexi is really lucky to have met such a good person as your mother..." The other person smiled awkwardly, handed the phone back to Qi Hui, and secretly wiped his face to remove the tears from his eyes.
“Mr. Zhang,” Qi Hui interrupted him, saying calmly, “Le Xi’s success today is not due to good fortune, but rather to his strength and hard work. He has not been defeated by fate.”
"Yes, yes. Hehe, look at me... I'm really getting old... Lexi has always been very strong. His mother named him with the character 'Le' (乐), and she was right..." He lowered his head embarrassedly, talking to himself, not knowing where to put his hands, nervously wiping them back and forth on his pants.
"Mr. Zhang, this is a small token of my appreciation." Qi Hui took out a check from his bag and pushed it in front of him. "I hope it can be of some help to you."
Two hundred thousand is enough for him to live out his retirement and enough to repay his debt of gratitude to Lexi for giving birth to him.
"This..." He jumped up, shook his head frantically, returned the check, and stammered, "You...you've misunderstood...I, I'm not..."
Qi Hui sighed, calmly waiting for his stammering, disjointed explanation. After a long while, he finally spoke again: "Please accept this. It's a small token of my appreciation on behalf of Le Xi. I know your life is quite difficult right now. This money should help you. I think Le Xi would feel the same way."
"I'm sorry." He twisted his face, as if enduring immense pain, his voice trembling. "I know I'm not worthy to be Lexi's father, but I'm old. I just want to see him before I die..."
"Lexi is currently in the United States and is very busy with her studies..."
“I know. Seeing you makes me content.” He looked up at Qi Hui earnestly and sighed deeply. “Knowing he’s happy now is enough for me. I don’t ask for his forgiveness, because I know it’s too late for anything I do. That’s how it is when people get old; they always reminisce about the past and regret what they did. But regret is useless now, it doesn’t work… I came to see him just to see him. Not to acknowledge him, not to ask him for anything. I just want to see him, that’s enough. I did leave them because of money, but that doesn’t mean I’m still the same now. Xiao Hui… can I call you that? Actually, everyone is impulsive when they’re young, but some things we don’t realize at the time, we only regret when we’re old…”
Qi Hui saw Le Xi's father again two months later. During that time, Le Xi called several times, but Qi Hui didn't tell him about his father. He only subtly inquired about Le Xi's thoughts on him, and each conversation was unpleasant. Qi Hui knew that Le Xi hadn't yet resolved his issues regarding his father. Suddenly telling him that his father had come to see him might make Le Xi uneasy, or even bring back painful memories. How could he bear to let his precious child, who had finally gained some weight, suffer again?
However, after meeting Le Xi's father, Qi Hui deeply felt what it meant to "seize the day".
This man, barely fifty, lay quietly on the hospital bed, his face an unnatural, ashen yellow. The doctor's diagnosis was clutched in Qi Hui's hand, cold and stinging—late-stage liver cancer. No wonder he kept saying he wanted to see Le Xi before he died; no wonder he disappeared for so many years and then suddenly reappeared. It was all just a father's simplest wish. This father lived in a dilapidated little house, pulling a tricycle, doing the hardest manual labor. When Qi Hui found his home, he was battling the pain of cancer. Before he fell into a coma, he told Qi Hui that he deserved it, that it was a debt he owed, and therefore he couldn't find happiness in his old age.
In truth, even the most sinful can be forgiven in the face of death. It's really true.
Because they are father and son, the closest blood relatives in the world.
Therefore, all sins can be forgiven.
Qi Hui waited until dawn, checking the time to see if it was daytime in the US. He dialed the number he knew all too well, and heard the long, static of the overseas call. A slight smile crept onto his lips as he imagined his sleepy baby frantically searching for the phone.
"Hello~" Le Xi's lazy voice came from the other end of the phone. It was so far away, yet it was the closest place in her heart.
"Baby." Qi Hui couldn't help but call out affectionately, his breathing becoming cautious and careful, his ears perked up to listen to his moving voice, all driven by the warmth in his eyes.
"Brother, you're up so early! I haven't even gotten out of bed yet!" Lexi said coquettishly.
"I'm sorry to bother you, brother." Qi Hui chuckled.
"Hmm, it's good to apologize. Hehe..." The sound of slippers pattering on the floor came from the other end of the phone, followed by the sound of filling a container with water, and then the sound of gulping down water. "Ugh, I'm so thirsty!"
"Drink slowly, don't choke. Also, your blood pressure is low, go back to bed and lie down for a while before getting up again. Listen to me!"
"Okay, I understand. I'm in bed now. Is there anything else you need?" Le Xi's voice sounded very cheerful, as if the joy was about to burst out of the phone and show a big smile to Qi Hui.
"Baby, I miss you so much," Qi Hui said slowly, after a moment's thought.
"Me too……"
Do you have any holidays recently? Could you come back for a visit?
"It'll be soon. The design studio's work will be showcased at the end of the year, and it's also my graduation project. I can come back as soon as I'm done with that."
"Can't it be... sooner? I really miss you..."
“You can come here! I welcome you anytime. Hehe... I haven’t paid back the debt you owed last time you came! You said I could be up there…” Le Xi chuckled mischievously.
"Then you'd better come back sooner, and I'll return it to you as soon as you get back."
"You said it yourself!" Lexi exclaimed, cheering. "Great! Great! I've finally turned the tables and become the master!"
"Yao, are you talking to your handsome Eastern guy on the phone? Keep your voice down! He's still asleep!" A young man's voice suddenly came from the other end of the line, cursing a few words in English. Then the voice came through the phone, startling Qi Hui: "Hi! Handsome Eastern guy! Hello!"
Qi Hui finally managed to regain his composure, but a hint of sourness crept into his voice: "Baby, who is he? What's he doing in your room?"
“Ah? That… he… he’s my classmate and colleague in the design studio… I was very busy yesterday, working until 3 a.m., so…” Le Xi stammered as she explained.
"So?" Qi Hui frowned.
"Oh dear, you can't clear your name even if you jump into the Yellow River! Let me put it this way, his relationship with me is like your relationship with Yang Jingyu. Got it?"
"Yang Jingyu..." Colleague, right-hand man, pillar of the state, yet there's an unspoken ambiguity between them... No wonder Le Xi misunderstood back then... Sigh, now I'm experiencing that feeling of jealousy myself. A tiny bit of resentment—a former serf turned over a new leaf? Hmph...
Author's Note: I forgot to mention, this side story, "Father and Son," takes place three to four years after the main story. Lele has already gone abroad to study... *sigh*... You can treat this as a rather cheesy story...
Side Story - Father and Son (Part 2)
Having tried countless reasons, including bribery, seduction, threats, and jealousy, Le Xi finally returned to China a week later, arriving in City C after a long flight. Upon picking her up at the airport, Qi Hui, without even exchanging heartfelt words, immediately got into the car and took her to the hospital.
"Brother, where are we going?" After getting into the car, Le Xi heard Qi Hui tell the driver that they were going to XX Hospital. She looked at him suspiciously and showed an incredulous expression.
"Baby, I need to tell you something." Qi Hui hugged Le Xi tighter, letting him lean on his shoulder. Le Xi's pale and haggard face from the long flight made Qi Hui feel sorry for him, and he was even more worried that what he was about to say would be too much for Le Xi to bear.
"You say it," Le Xi said softly, as if she had realized something, quietly nestled in his arms.
"Your father has come back to find you... He wants to... see you..."
"No." Lexi turned her head to the window and said calmly, "I don't have a father anymore. I've been an orphan for a long time, you know that."
“Baby,” Qi Hui grabbed his hand and held it tightly, “Your father… has a serious illness… late-stage cancer… this may be the last time you see each other.”
The hand in his was smaller than his own, with soft, beautifully shaped fingers. This seemingly fragile hand had shouldered so much burden and shielded him from so much sorrow. This time, a pair of strong hands would support him. The small hand clenched tightly into a fist in Qi Hui's hand, then slowly opened. Time seemed to stand still, breathing seemed too heavy, and a suffocating pain filled his heart.
"Is this why you tricked me into coming back?" Lexi continued to look out the window, her voice almost a murmur, "to see him one last time."
“Baby, he is your last blood relative in this world. No matter what has happened, he will always be your father. Those two words are enough for you to forgive. I don’t want you to regret it later.”
"Qi Hui, you're a big liar!" Le Xi suddenly roared like a madwoman, turned around and glared at him angrily, punching him hard.
"Alright, alright. Go ahead and hit me, hit me until you've vented enough, then we'll go see him later, okay?" Qi Hui didn't dodge, but instead went up to hug him tightly. At first, Le Xi resisted, but later she just swung her fists and hit Qi Hui's shoulders and back, and her angry roars turned into low sobs.
"Baby, be good. Cry enough and be nice in a bit. Don't make Daddy sad, don't let him leave with regrets, okay?" Qi Hui's voice trembled with suppressed emotion.
"Why do you always have to bother me! I've finally found happiness! I've finally made it this far!" Le Xi cried out, sobbing like a wounded little animal.
The door to the special care ward was ajar. Lexi's father had regained consciousness once the day before yesterday, but then fell into a deep coma and never woke up again. Inside, nurses were providing care, and there were various plates, tweezers, and forceps on the trolley.
The patient lay unconscious on the bed, his body manipulated and cleaned at will. Catheterization, nasal feeding—one tube after another was inserted and pulled out, living without dignity, barely clinging to life.
"Baby, come here." Qi Hui supported Le Xi's limp body and slowly led him to the bedside, letting him see the old man lying on the bed, struggling on the brink of death. The only words the old man uttered during his last moments of lucidity were: "Le Xi, why hasn't he come back yet? Doesn't he forgive me?"
“Mr. Zhang, Lexi is here.” Qi Hui forced himself to speak in a cheerful voice to the unresponsive old man on the hospital bed. “Look, Lexi is back. He’s come to see you.”
Lexi gazed at the old man on the hospital bed. The man had a face similar to hers. He was the man her mother had once deeply loved, the one who gave her life, and the one bound by her destiny.
"Call him 'Dad,' maybe he'll hear you," Qi Hui encouraged Le Xi in her ear.
Le Xi frowned, opening her mouth but unable to utter a single word. Father? When she needed him most, he was embracing another woman. He didn't deserve to be a father. She had wondered countless times why he insisted on marrying her when he clearly didn't love her. Why did he have a child? Why did he only realize his regret at the end? Once it's done, there's no turning back. Everyone knows this, yet so many people still follow in his footsteps. It's ridiculous, truly ridiculous.
Le Xi chuckled softly without warning, reached out and grasped the old man's thin, bony fingers, but still refused to utter those two words.
What a terrible sin!
The thin, bony finger twitched, grasping Le Xi's finger in response to Qi Hui's repeated calls. The old man on the bed struggled to open his eyes, but he could no longer speak, only staring intently at the person before him. His cloudy eyes were quickly filled with tears, and he struggled to speak, but only managed dry sobs.
Le Xi moved her lips, wanting to say something, but couldn't, and just looked at him quietly.
"Mr. Zhang, what do you want?" Qi Huiqiang asked, perking up as he followed the old man's movements, his hands searching around. "Here?"
He opened the bedside table drawer, and inside lay a sheet of paper, neatly arranged. Qi Hui took it out and handed it to Le Xi.
The entire page was filled with three words written crookedly.
sorry.
sorry.
sorry……
Tears finally welled up and streamed down her face. Lexi sobbed uncontrollably, clutching her father's hand and burying her face in it: "Dad... Dad... I... forgive you... forgive you..."
After many years, I can finally approach my father like a spoiled child. My father, as tall as the sky and as broad as the earth. But how can time be turned back? How can reality be changed?
At 3 a.m., Lexi's father fell into a coma again due to respiratory failure and required emergency treatment. Overwhelmed with grief and fatigue from the long flight, Lexi finally collapsed. After emergency treatment and fluid resuscitation, she quickly regained consciousness and immediately struggled to get up to see her father. Qi Hui couldn't stop her, because the doctor had also said that, given his condition, the patient might not make it to dawn.
"Dad, let me comb your hair. You'll still be a handsome old man over there." Le Xi picked up the comb and gently combed her father's hair, her voice low and her face bearing a calm smile, like a close father and son.
"Dad, wipe your face again. Don't cry anymore after this. Men look ugly when they cry."
"Dad, do the clothes fit? My brother prepared them. They look quite nice. I didn't expect him to have such good taste!"
"Dad, my brother is very good to me. Please tell Mom, Grandma, and Aunt Lan that we will be fine."
"Dad, we will be very happy. You must remember that your son is very strong. He always strives to be a better person."
Qi Hui stood at the door, his eyes slightly red. He silently watched as Le Xi dressed his father, chatting and laughing as if they were having a heart-to-heart talk. Outside the window, the wind rustled the leaves in the night sky, creating a peaceful, tranquil sound. All the lights in the building across the street were off; everything was quiet. The curtains were lifted intentionally or unintentionally by the wind. Slowly, dawn broke, and the outlines of trees and houses gradually appeared in the darkness. One by one, the lights in the houses were turned on…
The funeral was kept simple. Qi Hui asked Le Xi if she wanted her father's grave next to her mother's and grandmother's. Le Xi smiled and said softly, "No, let's not. We've had enough entanglement in this life. In the next life, let's not meet again. That's probably what they want most."
The brand-new tombstone simply bore her father's name, and the person in the photo wore a peaceful smile. Le Xi smiled at the photo, then turned to Qi Hui and said, "Brother, can I be alone with Dad for a while?"
Qi Hui nodded and gently patted his head: "Okay, ten minutes. Don't take too long. I'll wait for you downstairs and come up in ten minutes."