Chapter 5: Buried Past
`峮倭〇!{*芭呜⊙氿叄刘IX` Old Deng’s expression grew reminiscent as he spoke.
“Back then, this kid was much cuter than he is now.”
“Ever since he returned from Beiming City, he’s had the look of someone with poor sleep, a listless attitude towards life. It’s like night and day…”
Qin Liu’s memories went back a bit.
Indeed, when they first met, Liu Haoyu had that “might as well die if you don’t want to live” kind of demeanor.
His haggard eyes lacked any hope for life. He just processed supernatural events like a machine, unable to find the meaning of his own existence.
“Of course, this kid is much better now,” Old Deng said, turning his gaze to Qin Liu. “Perhaps it’s because he met you, Miss Qin.”
“While his fate isn’t great, his luck with women is quite good. Meeting a wonderful girl like you… cough, cough, cough!”
Old Deng suddenly coughed a few times. Qin Liu wanted to step forward to help him, but the old man just waved his hand and said.
“No need, no need… Where were we?”
“Oh right, the main reason he went to Beiming City was to find his father’s remains. But alas, his father passed away when he was six. After over ten years, his search yielded nothing.”
“He scoured the entire Ye Shang Peak but couldn’t find his father’s remains.”
“After years of searching, he finally chose to give up.”
Old Deng sighed.
“Years… searching the dangerous place of Ye Shang Peak for a full year… This child has gone through a lot.”
“He says it’s nothing, it’s nothing, but I know deep down that his obsession with this is deeper than anyone else’s. He only returned from Ye Shang Peak to save my face.”
Liu Haoyu’s return from Beiming City was actually at Old Deng’s request.
Old Deng was indeed getting old. On one hand, he wanted someone to take over his business. On the other, he wanted to foster a relationship between Liu Haoyu and Deng Xiaolin.
However, it was clear that the latter had failed.
No matter how shameless Old Deng was, he couldn’t ask Qin Liu to give up her position to Deng Xiaolin. Even sharing it would have been too selfish.
“Miss Qin, your strength far surpasses ours. If it’s possible… Could you please go to Ye Shang Peak in Beiming City and find Liu Haoyu’s father’s remains, to fulfill his lingering obsession?”
“I understand.”
Qin Liu had never imagined Liu Haoyu had experienced so much. She had always thought this man was simply stubborn. Now, she realized that after losing all his loved ones, he had long given up hope of living.
“Thank you, Miss Qin…” Old Deng said, catching his breath. His time was running out. His already frail body was gradually turning to dust.
In his final moments, the old man let out another sigh.
“Although I expected it, when it’s time to part, letting go is truly too difficult…”
“Xiaolin… don’t lose hope of living just because you’re alone…”
Old Deng dissipated into the vast darkness. The Soul Guiding Lantern in Qin Liu’s hand did not capture any of his soul.
After the Substitute Life Talisman was used, the caster’s soul could not transmigrate.
This old man, who had a difficult life filled with hardships, had finally left this world.
——–
By the time the car stopped, the sun had risen, and it was the morning of the next day.
“Qin Liu?”
“Qin Liu, wake up. We’ve arrived at Lingnan Town.”
Liu Haoyu patted the girl’s face, trying to wake her up.
Upon closer inspection, he noticed tears in Qin Liu’s eyes.
“Did you have a bad dream?”
For some reason, ever since he got in the car, his eyelids had been twitching, and he felt a suffocating discomfort in his chest.
This feeling reminded him of his childhood, of a day that was equally gloomy.
Had something bad happened?
As Liu Haoyu pondered, his phone rang.
Liu Haoyu glanced at the screen. It was Xiaolin calling. Before he could speak, the voice on the other end spoke first.
“Is this Xiaolin’s family?”
However, the voice on the phone was not Deng Xiaolin’s. It sounded like an unfamiliar old man, speaking Mandarin with great effort.
But Liu Haoyu could still detect a hint of dialect.
“Yes, what’s wrong?”
“Xiaolin’s grandfather passed away last night. I asked Xiaolin to find a family member, but she said she wouldn’t. Then she fainted here.”
“But her phone was still unlocked, so I asked my eldest son, who is 10, to look through her phone book to see if there was anyone to contact.”
“My son said there was someone named ‘Brother’ on here, so he called. Are you Xiaolin’s brother?”
The person on the other end continued to speak, but Liu Haoyu couldn’t hear anything anymore.
He felt a severe ringing in his ears, and his mind went blank.
It was as if he had returned to that day in his childhood when the entire world was left with only him.
After a brief conversation, the call ended, and the phone’s screen gradually dimmed.
Liu Haoyu leaned back in his seat, feeling utterly drained of all strength.
Why?
Illness?
Injury?
Or a car accident?
What was the reason?
Liu Haoyu’s eyes were filled with confusion. At that moment, a slender and soft hand gently held his.
Qin Liu had woken up. Her clear, bright eyes looked at Liu Haoyu and she said softly.
“Let’s go take a look. We don’t want Deng Xiaolin to do anything foolish.”
After Qin Liu held his hand, Liu Haoyu gradually calmed down.
Indeed, the deceased was gone. Compared to himself, Deng Xiaolin, who had suffered such a blow, was the one who needed more attention.
Liu Haoyu restarted the car and sped towards the folk custom shop.
On the way, Liu Haoyu tried calling Deng Xiaolin again, but still couldn’t get through.
He put his phone aside and focused on driving.
His back was straight, and he sat upright.
Liu Haoyu found it hard to describe his current mood. Although his mind was filled with pain and sadness, compared to before, he had become calmer.
The scenery outside the window receded faster and faster. On this two-lane road, the car was driven at a speed of 180 kilometers per hour. Fortunately, there were no other cars on this stretch of road. However, for safety’s sake, Qin Liu used her resentment to protect the car, preventing any accidents.
Even so, by the time Liu Haoyu returned to the folk custom shop, it was already noon.
The previously quiet folk custom shop was now draped with white garlands. The girl was kneeling quietly in the center of the hall, facing the direction of Old Deng’s black and white memorial photo.
Her eyes were closed, her body was motionless, and her forehead was slightly red and swollen from bowing.
