Fu Hanjiang was stunned. This was the first time he had any memory of Xiangsi mentioning her mother in front of him.
He hesitated, "Your mother is buried here?"
"Mm."
Sheng Xiangsi nodded, looking up at the mountain with a melancholic expression, enveloped in sorrow.
Seeing her pale face, Fu Hanjiang silently took her hand.
"Is today your mother's birthday or… anniversary?"
"Neither."
Sheng Xiangsi shook her head, sighing deeply, "I just… miss her. I wanted to visit."
As she spoke, her eyes quickly filled with a mist, becoming moist.
Fu Hanjiang tightened his grip on her hand, "Let's go."
The mountain path was not easy to walk on. Fu Hanjiang held her hand, guiding her carefully.
"This way, slow down."
Holding his arm, Sheng Xiangsi stepped onto a flat stone and stopped, looking up at him.
Fu Hanjiang was puzzled, "Are we there?"
"Fu Hanjiang." Sheng Xiangsi shook her head, "Wait for me here. If you go any further, my mom will see you."
"??"
What did she mean by that?
Fu Hanjiang immediately understood, but with it came an uncontrollable anger!
"Sheng Xiangsi!"
He was so angry that he let go of her hand, pacing back and forth.
Stopping in front of her, he asked indignantly, "You don't want your mom to see me?"
"Yes."
Sheng Xiangsi nodded without any hesitation.
Looking at the increasingly furious man, she couldn't understand. "Are you angry?"
"Shouldn't I be angry?" Fu Hanjiang laughed angrily, his face turning green, "Given our relationship, I've come all this way, shouldn't I pay my respects to your mother?"
"Our relationship?"
Sheng Xiangsi repeated, then asked him with a blank expression.
"What relationship? What are you to me? My ex-husband? Or a current boyfriend with someone else in his heart?"
"Xiangsi…"
"Stop."
Sheng Xiangsi felt exhausted, not wanting to argue with him, "My mom loved me dearly. Even on her deathbed, she was worried about me… I don't want her to know that my love life is such a mess."
She raised her face, her big wet eyes filled with grievance.
"Didn't you say you'd treat me well in the future? Are you going back on your word now?"
"!"
Fu Hanjiang was at a loss for words. He had said that, but was it supposed to be used in this situation?
Yet, seeing Xiangsi on the verge of tears, he couldn't refuse her.
"Wait for me here." Sheng Xiangsi spoke again, almost pleadingly, her tone soft and sweet.
"I'll be quick."
Fu Hanjiang suppressed his displeasure, gritting his teeth, "Alright."
"Thank you."
He handed her the flowers, watching her walk away step by step.
He felt an impulse to follow her secretly…
But it was just a thought.
At this moment, in Xiangsi's heart, he was not qualified to see her mother. Whose fault was that? He once had the qualification.
At that time, he was her husband.
But back then, he didn't care about that qualification!
Regret was useless.
In the future, he would reclaim that qualification someday!
...
Standing in front of the tombstone, Sheng Xiangsi was in a daze for a moment, then squatted down and placed the two bouquets of flowers.
On the tombstone was a picture of her mother, still young.
Recalling the day her mother passed away…
No matter how many years passed, Sheng Xiangsi always felt a suffocating pain, followed by heart-wrenching sorrow!
If it weren't for her, her mother wouldn't have had an accident…
"Mom, Mommy."
Sheng Xiangsi raised her hand, her fingertips gently brushing over her mother's photo.
Tears silently fell, "Mom, Xiangsi is here to see you."
Guilt and longing overwhelmed her like a tidal wave.
Sheng Xiangsi wrapped her arms around the tombstone as if embracing her mother, sobbing uncontrollably, "Mom, I'm sorry. I'm so sorry…"
But no matter how many times she apologized, her mother would never hear it.
"Xiang... Xiangsi?"
Suddenly, a female voice came from behind.
Sheng Xiangsi froze, slowly raising her head to look.
"Is it really you, Xiangsi?"
Qiao Xiutong, holding a bouquet, her eyes reddened, collapsed in front of Sheng Xiangsi on her knees.
Tears streaming down her face, "It's been so many years. You've grown so much."
As she spoke, she scrutinized Sheng Xiangsi.
To an outsider, it might seem like a caring elder!
But Sheng Xiangsi's eyes remained cold. Qiao Xiutong… the person who caused her family's destruction, the one responsible for her being under someone else's roof!
Ignoring moral decency, she stole her sister's husband, a wretched woman!
Why pretend now? Where were these tears when she was committing those shameful acts?
Her grandfather died from anger, and her grandmother severed ties with her…
These tears now were probably for Qi Chengzhi, right?
This pair of wretched people truly deserved each other. One comes, and the other follows!
Qi Chengzhi tried to bribe her, so what was Qiao Xiutong planning now?
"Xiangsi."
Qiao Xiutong pointed to the tombstone, "All these years, while you weren't in Jiangcheng, I've regularly come to clean your mother's grave. This tombstone was just renovated last year…"
"So what?"
Every word from her made Sheng Xiangsi want to vomit, "Do you think these acts can erase your crimes?"
"No, that's not…"
Qiao Xiutong paused, covering her face, sobbing loudly.
"Xiangsi, we've long known we were wrong! But back then, we were young, and our feelings got the better of us. You've grown up; can't you understand? Feelings between men and women are uncontrollable. But we know we were wrong now, sob sob…"
How disgusting.
Sheng Xiangsi stood up, not wanting to watch her perform.
"Xiangsi!"
Qiao Xiutong hurriedly raised her hand, grabbing her, her fake tears still wet, "I beg you, save Chengzhi? I'll kneel and kowtow to you, just please save him. He's your brother! Can you really bear to let him die?"
"Yes."
Sheng Xiangsi looked down at her.
"A bastard. Better off dead!"
"You…" Qiao Xiutong choked on her anger.
"Hmph." Sheng Xiangsi sneered, "Angry? But do you have the right? Did you think about today when you destroyed my family? It's retribution!"
She shook her off and turned abruptly.
"Sheng Xiangsi!"
Seeing that pleading was useless, Qiao Xiutong's face twisted, "I destroyed your family? Don't speak nonsense! It was you… Sheng Xiangsi! You killed your mother!"
"!!"
Sheng Xiangsi froze, her vision turning red.
She couldn't stay here any longer!
Clenching her fists, she quickened her pace.
"Ha ha! Sheng Xiangsi, what are you running for? You're a cold-blooded, selfish wretch, a jinx who let her mother die! You, it's you! Ha ha…"
The malicious voice pursued Sheng Xiangsi.
Her face turned paler, almost unable to stand.
She started running, stumbling, feeling lost. Where was this place?
"Xiangsi?"
Suddenly, she heard someone calling her.
Fu Hanjiang saw her and jogged over, supporting her arm, "Xiangsi, what's wrong? Why is your face…"
...so pale?
Before he could finish speaking.
Xiangsi threw herself into his arms, hugging him tightly.