With little light coming from a lamp that Han Meixiu bought with her as she couldn't sleep without one, the two women suddenly looked at each other. Both became widely awake but couldn't utter a single word. Shock was written all over their face.
"I'll give you 10 minutes." Major Li said followed by a receding foot steps.
'F&%k! I really hate you Brother Jin!' Li Xiaozhi cursed before she moved like a tornado around the room.
Han Meixiu just stayed in the bed the entire time. She actually felt dizzy following Li Xiaozhi's movement. When the latter was about to leave she turned to her.
"If I forgot something, please send it to me or give it my brother. Sorry, you were bothered by this. See you around! Bye!"
The door was already closed when Han Meixiu responded, "Bye".
When the room went back to its tranquil state, Han Meixiu couldn't sleep anymore. She slowly moved the beds back to their original position.
She looked around and slightly shook her head. Their room looked like a hurricane just passed through.
After she was able to arranged all the things that were misplaced, she sat calmly on her bed.
'Xiao Xiao, I really hope we won't meet in an unfavorable situation.' She silently prayed as she watch the dark sky. There would still be few hours before she could see the first sign of another day.
*
Inside the hut, Han Meixiu wasn't lying down. She was actually sitting near the window like a look out. Major Li surprisingly left them alone.
"Mr. Di, since I already remembered everything, I would like to fulfill my part of the deal. What is it that you want to ask me?" She said while constantly looking outside the window.
Mr. Di clasped his hands. It wasn't obvious that they were slightly shaking.
Han Meixiu turned her attention to Mr. Di who didn't answer her. She thought she must repeat her statement thus she called him out again.
"Mr. Di?"
The man didn't budge. His head was slightly lowered looking like he was detaching himself from the world.
"Cousin." He said after he deeply sighed.
"My cousin?"
Mr. Di slightly nodded.
"Mingxia. Tell me something about her."
Han Meixiu was extremely puzzled. But she still talked. She started how they met, her activities, engagement, marriage and such.
Han Meixiu was actually conflicted if she should go in details but looking at Mr. Di who was still eagerly listening, she hesitantly continued.
She ended her story with Mingxia getting a divorce and the death of her husband. She didn't include other details like her plans and their meetings after she informed her the death of Wang Jinyi.
"I see." His voice was too soft as if it was just part of the air circulating around the hut. His head was still lowered and his breathing was somewhat controlled as if he was calming himself.
"Mr. Di...is Mingxia, related to you?"
Few minutes painstakingly passed before the man answered.
"Who knows?" He responded with another question while he lifted his head and looked outside the window.
Since Mr. Di didn't really want to further tell her what she wanted to know, all Han Meixiu could do was to make her own deduction. Of course, he didn't ask about Han Mingxia if her cousin wasn't related to him.
But when his reaction was this dismissive, there was no more room for another prying question. Besides, she felt that there would be a slm chance of meeting Han Mingxia again.
Her self-moving thoughts halted when she heard his voice again.
"Do you have anymore pending questions?" Mr. Di asked. It was a question to divert her attention.
Han Meixiu perked up. Of course she has. And yes, questions.
"Did my father marry my mother because it was a mission?" Han Meixiu directly asked the question without batting an eyelash. Her previous thoughts about her cousin were suddenly thrown in the corner of her mind.
The question was the one she wanted to ask her father after hearing the case of Han Mingxia. And now that she remembered, Mr. Di might know. She wanted to give it a shot.
"Only your father can answer that. Missions are normally known by only three parties, the leader, the assigned person and the client. For those who aren't involve, they don't an idea, except only, if the mission needed some assistance."
"I see. How about my mom, do you know her?"
"If I know your father, it's only expected that I know her, too."
She wanted to ask selfishly if there was a time she was mentioned by any of her parents but decided not to. For Han Meixiu it sounded childish. But her sullen reaction didn't go unnoticed by the man.
With an understanding gaze, he gave her the words she might have been wanting to hear.
"They love you." He said truthfully. It might be hard to understand because their situation was complicated but Mr. Di was sure those two held dearly this young woman in front of him.
Though he witnessed it separately, as both Han Yun Xiang and Zhang Huiling didn't really met up even after the latter left the Han Residence.
Han Meixiu lowered her head hiding the emotions swirling around her eyes.
'Love, huh!' It sounded surreal. There was a fuzzy feeling starting to sprout with her.
"It might not be the kind of love a normal family could give but I'm sure, they do - in their own way. The moment we became part of that organization, we are bound not to have a normal life, much more having a family." Mr. Di continued as he warmly looked at the young woman.
Looking back, Han Meixiu thought why did her parents create their own family if that was the case.
But then again, her mother was probably still unaware of her father's situation based from what she knew.
If she was just like before, without someone to comfortably lean on to, she would probably shed endless tears by now. But realizing she already has her own family, details about her parents didn't render her too emotional anymore.
She could more or less managed her roller coaster emotions without being lost.
Her slight smile made Mr. Di realized that Han Meixiu already matured. The air around her emitted calmness akin to a contented individual.
"I was the one assigned to help your mother escaped the Han residence." He continued.
The sentence made Han Meixiu's heart stopped abruptly. She wasn't expecting that.
As she looked up, she saw the man smiling faintly. Looking at his eyes that was emitting a lonesome yet warm feeling, Han Meixiu's eyes felt damp. He was contagious.
The man in front of her wasn't just an acquaintance.
Unlike the bright and calm setting of the winter afternoon, her insides were in a chaos. It was hard to explain how she felt.
Her mother who was 'imprisoned' was helped by Mr. Di.
"Thank you.." She genuinely said smiling softly.
Mr. Di lowered his head slightly before responding.
"No. It was an order. Besides, I should be thankful to your mother. She took care of the people I couldn't, even if I wanted to."
"You were ordered? It was a mission? By whom? My father?"
"No."
"But during that time, black.com was no longer in Q City. How?"
"It was dangerous, but wasn't impossible." Mr. Di simply answered. That's why he was specifically assigned to do the job, because it was extremely dangerous.
"If not my father then, who?"
"Someone who has higher position than him and me."
"Position? What's my father's position?"
"Ask your husband."
"Zijian knows?"
Mr. Di only smiled, confirming her words.
It was only the time Han Meixiu realized, she never asked report about her father. It was only about her mother. She felt a slight pang in her heart. She has been biased. Maybe because she didn't really have a much memories about him.
"My father, does he really love my mother?" She was actually in between of believing and not that particular sentence.
"Yes, that's what I observed."
The answer made her smile. She didn't know but confirming the feelings of her parents gave her happiness that despite the fact that they weren't around when she was growing up, she was born out of love.
She suddenly missed Liu Zijian.
'Love, huh. I probably love him.'
She subconsciously checked the time, there would still be two hours before she could bother Sir Sigma. She normally wanted to make a call but since she's in the camp, she must abide the rules.
That was the longest two hours for Han Meixiu.