Chapter 12: I Really Miss You

All of Su Yan's words were choked back by the moisture in his eyes.

She could afford to not care about anyone, but she could never afford to not care about Su Jianguo.

Aside from Granny Li, he was her only living relative in this world.

Seeing that she truly had stopped speaking, Su Jianguo suppressed his joy and deliberately put on an expression of unbearable pain, fumbling his way as he lay down on the kang.

By the time Li Qiuhua and Su Mo returned, Su Yan had already gone back to her own room.

Hearing the movement, Su Jianguo cautiously opened his eyes and then let out a long sigh of relief.

Li Qiuhua questioned him with dissatisfaction, "Jianguo, such a major matter—why have you never mentioned it to me before?"

"Keep your voice down, don't let Yan Yan hear you."

"You only have her in your heart!"

The resentment Li Qiuhua had been suppressing suddenly erupted.

Ever since Su Yan had been brought back, she had felt Su Jianguo's favoritism deeply.

This favoritism wasn't just directed at the children; even she was no exception.

Seeing the serious expressions on her and Su Mo's faces, Su Jianguo sat up from the kang.

"Mo Mo, you go back to your room first."

"Dad, Mom didn't mean anything by it, please don't be angry."

Even though the fury in Su Mo's heart was even greater than Li Qiuhua's, she didn't show a hint of it; she even took the initiative to mediate.

"I'm not angry. Go back to your room," Su Jianguo's voice was calm.

Su Mo's eyes wavered, and she walked out unhappily.

"Qiuhua, we've been married for so many years, I thought you would have understood me by now." Su Jianguo spoke again, but it was neither an apology nor an explanation.

"You should have known before you married me that Yan Yan is more important to me than my own life. No one can replace her position in my heart."

His voice was heavy with suppressed emotion.

Li Qiuhua suddenly felt a sense of panic. "I wasn't trying to target her, I just wanted you to be able to share some of your love with this family."

"It's not that I don't love this family. Mo Mo and Qiangqiang are also my children, and I am fulfilling my duties as a father to them. But the debt I owe Yan Yan is something I can never repay in a lifetime."

These words sounded more like Su Jianguo was talking to himself.

Li Qiuhua didn't even dare to breathe heavily. She loved Su Jianguo and had been his happy wife for over a decade, but now she was truly afraid. Because she knew that to Su Jianguo, she could never compare to that dead woman.

She didn't want to compete with a dead person; right now, this man and this home belonged to her!

"The marriage engagement was decided before Yan Yan was even born. I didn't mention it before because Yan Yan wasn't here. But this marriage will absolutely not be changed. You must understand this, and you must also tell Mo Mo."

Su Jianguo actually mentioned Su Mo at the end. Li Qiuhua's heart trembled, and her expression grew even more unsightly.

"Jianguo, what do you mean by that?"

She asked a question she already knew the answer to, too guilty to look him in the eye.

"You are Mo Mo's mother; you should understand many things better than I do. You and Mo Mo saw the Gu family's attitude today. I still hope our family can live in harmony and not let outside matters cause conflict."

Su Jianguo had ultimately saved face for Su Mo, but the meaning he intended to convey was crystal clear to Li Qiuhua.

Li Qiuhua didn't even dare to make excuses for Su Mo; she didn't dare say another word.

In the dead of night.

Su Jianguo, who should have been fast asleep, sat alone in the courtyard, leaning back in his chair and looking up at the bright moon.

After an unknown amount of time, his eyes grew slightly moist. He carefully took out the necklace around his neck—the necklace he wouldn't have handed over even if a robber had held a knife to his throat, even if it meant death.

It had only an extremely ordinary pendant, and even the pattern had been smoothed out, yet he stroked it with affection.

With his movement, the pendant opened, revealing a tiny photograph inside.

In the photo, he was only twenty years old, full of vigor, with a woman leaning closely against his side.

Her eyes were as clear as water, and she wore a beautiful, gentle smile.

"Xiangrou, Yan Yan has returned to us. She has grown up well, beautiful and intelligent, just like you. If you could see her, you would surely like her."

"Xiangrou, regarding the engagement we set for Yan Yan, she doesn't seem to like it very much. Gu Yang is a good boy worth entrusting her to; Yan Yan will realize that sooner or later. But if Yan Yan truly doesn't like him in the end, I won't force her. I think you would feel the same, right?"

He murmured softly about everything regarding Su Yan, as if the person in the photo were right in front of him.

"Xiangrou, are you doing okay over there? I have always listened to you, married another woman, and lived my life well."

"Xiangrou, please wait for me, okay? I really miss you..."

Su Jianguo held the pendant against his heart and slowly closed his eyes.

A single tear slid from the corner of his eye.

Early morning.

Just as Su Yan finished washing up, a ghostly figure appeared out of thin air.

"My Lady, I have some leads on the matter you asked me to track last time."

Su Yan didn't speak and went to Su Jianguo's room first.

"You're injured like this, just rest for a day. Is the factory going to stop running without you?"

As soon as she reached the door, she heard Li Qiuhua's concerned complaining.

"The factory director is bedridden with illness; as the deputy director, it wouldn't be right for me to drop the ball at a time like this. Besides, they are just superficial wounds; it's nothing." Su Jianguo's voice was full of confidence, sounding as if he had indeed recovered.

At that moment, Su Yan lifted the door curtain and walked in.

As soon as Su Jianguo saw her, he immediately put on a smile. "Daughter, if you don't want to go to school today, don't go. If you want to go somewhere, let Auntie Qiuhua take you."

"Yan Yan, you've come at the right time. Quickly persuade your Dad to stay home and rest." Li Qiuhua knew that as long as Su Yan spoke, it would be more effective than ten thousand of her own words.

Just as Su Jianguo was about to explain to Su Yan, she said, "If you want to go, then go."

Su Jianguo: "..."

Li Qiuhua: "..."

Her saying this was clearly something neither of them had expected.

In particular, although Su Jianguo had already made up his mind to go, he was now incredibly disappointed.

Why didn't his daughter care about him at all?

"The doctor instructed that although the facial injuries aren't serious, you still need to apply medicine on time to avoid infection, so apply the liquid before you go." Su Yan made a point to mention this.

Su Jianguo naturally agreed, but after a few minutes, when he saw his multicolored face in the mirror, he wasn't in such a hurry to leave anymore.

His right cheek was red, swollen, and bruised, and there were cuts of varying depths at the corners of his mouth and eyes. It had already looked quite obvious, but the doctor had prescribed purple antiseptic liquid to kill bacteria and reduce swelling; once applied, his entire face looked even more wretched.

"It looks great. You go ahead." Su Yan actually said this meaningfully, before finally adding, "Also, pay attention to the wound on your left arm these next few days; try not to use your left hand."

After yesterday's events, Su Jianguo followed her every word, even refraining from simple movements.

(End of Chapter)