Chapter 73: Standing Strong Alone

These words seemed to trigger a long-forgotten memory in Zhao Hongxia.

Little Zhao Hongxia stood on the high sea wall, wiping away tears and whimpering softly.

On the beach below the sea wall stood a man, head tilted back, arms spread wide, a warm smile rippling across his face.

"Miss Xia, don't be afraid. Jump down. Dad will catch you. Jump down..."

Then Zhao Haixia closed her eyes, leaped down resolutely, and fell into a warm embrace.

"Alright, open your eyes. Dad said he would catch you. Look, you're fine now, aren't you?"

"Mm~."

Zhao Hongxia hugged her father's neck, smiling with pure joy.

"Miss Xia, be braver from now on. When things happen, don't cry, don't be afraid, because Dad will always be by your side, accompanying you, protecting you..."

But what happened later?

When she was bullied and fell time and again, where was he?

When she went hungry and was swallowed by darkness, where was he then?

Now he comes to tell her not to be afraid with such words; she suddenly finds it ridiculous.

She is not afraid, but not because of him; it is because she has learned to be strong, learned to make herself powerful.

She is no longer that little girl standing on the sea wall, crying and shrinking back, too afraid to jump.

So—

Thus, Zhao Hongxia angrily retorted: "Of course I'm not afraid. Why should I be afraid..."

But was she truly unafraid? Of course not. Although she had recognized Lu Guanchang by now, she still felt a certain fear, after all, the way he appeared was simply too bizarre.

Although it was broad daylight and the blazing sun shone brightly outside, both still felt a chill run through their bodies, their hair standing on end, and a cold sweat breaking out on their spines.

"Miss Xia, do you still remember me? I am your... your..." Lu Guanchang's voice grew quieter and quieter.

"You are Lu Guanchang. I know." Zhao Hongxia cut him off directly.

"Sigh."

Lu Guanchang sighed deeply.

When his daughter received the letter written on Shen Siyuan's behalf, he had been nearby; naturally, he knew what attitude Zhao Hongxia held toward him, so he was not surprised, yet he still felt a sense of loss.

But Lu Guanchang did not know what he should say.

In the end, he only spoke three words, filled with guilt.

"I'm sorry."

But Zhao Hongxia showed no great reaction, merely looking at him coldly.

Lu Guanchang thought for a moment and said, "Can we sit and talk?"

Zhao Hongxia continued to look at him with full wariness, unmoved; however, Sun Mahayana behind her gently tugged her hand.

He understood Zhao Hongxia; he knew she still held anger in her heart, but since she had come to Binhai on this trip, she naturally wanted to hear what he had to say; it was just that her heart was still unsettled for the moment.

Lu Guanchang did not mind and sat down by himself nearby.

Seeing him leaning on his cane, trembling and unsteady, a flicker of reluctance passed through Zhao Hongxia's eyes, but it quickly subsided.

She was no longer a little girl; she had experienced countless storms over these years. Though her heart was not as hard as iron, she was not easily moved.

"What do you want to talk about?" Zhao Hongxia said coolly.

"Don't you want to know why I can ride the wind? Don't you want to know why I can vanish and reappear..."

He knew how to converse, instantly sparking the interest of both.

As he spoke, his seated body, like a fading ink wash painting, quickly faded and disappeared, but soon reappeared, still sitting there.

This time, it finally completely aroused the curiosity of both.

Sun Mahayana even imagined a scene where his long-unseen father-in-law had retreated to the mountains, cultivated successfully, and now descended to find his wife and daughter.

Zhao Hongxia held similar thoughts; this would make her father's image in her mind slightly more palatable, at least not choosing to abandon his wife and daughter for another woman.

Thus, the two chose to sit down nearby.

Sun Mahayana even took the initiative to ask, "Would you like some tea?"

Zhao Hongxia's current circumstances were very good, so the hotel she stayed in was naturally not bad either; not only was it a sea-view room, but this hotel also provided such tea.

"No need to trouble yourself."

Although Lu Guanchang said this, Sun Mahayana still brewed a pot of tea.

Lu Guanchang then began to speak about what happened after Zhao Hongxia and her mother left.

He chose not to conceal anything, and his tone was very calm, yet Zhao Hongxia grew more and more disappointed as she listened...

This was not the answer she wanted to hear.

So Zhao Hongxia spoke sarcastically, "Do you know how we lived after you left?"

Lu Guanchang shook his head and sighed, "I know. Life must have been hard. I am sorry to you and your mother."

"No, we lived very well. Mom met Second Dad, that is, her current husband. Second Dad loves Mom very much; he treats her and me very well. We live very happily..." Zhao Hongxia said, staring into Lu Guanchang's eyes.

Lu Guanchang knew that Zhao Hongxia said this on purpose to provoke him.

But Lu Guanchang did not get angry; instead, he smiled and said, "That is best. I am sorry to you and your mother. If you are living well, my heart feels more at ease."

Hearing this, Zhao Hongxia felt even angrier, unable to contain her rage; she jumped up instantly, ready to explode.

But just then, Sun Mahayana, sitting beside her, reached out and pressed her hand, shaking his head at her.

Seeing this, Zhao Hongxia quickly calmed down and couldn't help but smile self-mockingly: "I'm so old now; I thought nothing could make me angry anymore, but I didn't expect that seeing you would make me angry."

She spoke calmly on the surface, but in truth, she was still furious.

Hearing this, Lu Guanchang wasn't angry either, and said with a smile, "Then let me tell you something that'll make you happy."

So he continued to talk about his own affairs. By the time he got to how he had accidentally died from tumbling down a flight of stairs, the two of them were already staring wide-eyed…

When he went on to say that only after death did he discover he had worn a green hat his whole life and raised another man's son, and that the moment he died the lover moved right into his house, they were already gaping, unable to close their mouths…

"Are you feeling any better now?" Lu Guanchang asked Zhao Hongxia.

Zhao Hongxia came back to herself and immediately said, "You deserved it."

Lu Guanchang wasn't angry at hearing this either. He nodded and said, "You're right, I deserved it. This is my retribution."

Hearing him say that, Zhao Hongxia actually fell silent.

"After I died, I couldn't rest easy. A wisp of my soul drifted in the human world until, by a twist of fate, I met Master Shen. I begged him for help, to let me meet you one last time. That's how that letter came about, and how the two of us met again…"

Zhao Hongxia and Sun Mahayana were both very shocked upon hearing this. So when people die, they really do become ghosts.

Then they sighed with feeling — so there really are such formidable experts in this world, experts who can make a ghost manifest visibly before the living.

"Do you know what reason I gave Master Shen when I begged him to let me see you?" Lu Guanchang asked, looking at Zhao Hongxia.

"How would I know." Zhao Hongxia still had no good attitude.

"I told Master Shen that I couldn't accept it — a lifetime of effort, making a wedding gown for someone else. I wanted to leave everything to you…"

Hearing this, Zhao Hongxia's already unhappy expression grew even uglier.

"So the reason you wanted to see me was to help you fight for the family property?"

Lu Guanchang didn't deny it, and said very frankly, "That's right. That's what I was thinking from the start."

Hearing this, Zhao Hongxia immediately got up and walked into the house. A woman nearly fifty years old, she couldn't help the tears welling up in her eyes at that moment. The last shred of fantasy she still held about her father was completely shattered at this point.

He only ever thought about himself — even after death, it was still the same.

Lu Guanchang wanted to call her back, but before he could speak, Sun Mahayana asked, "Then you don't think that way anymore?"

Zhao Hongxia, who was heading back to her room, heard Sun Mahayana's question and came to her senses, unconsciously slowing her steps.