Her father was buried among them.
And at this moment, her mother, under the moonlight, with white strands among her black hair, looked lonely. Dressed in high-end clothing, she now sat on the ground, seated in front of the tombstone, softly speaking to the person within.
The two of them, whispering as if they were lovers.
Uttering words of affection.
Tang Xi, holding onto Fu Tingzhou’s arm, stood under a nearby tree. A gust of wind blew, and Fu Tingzhou opened his overcoat to wrap her in it, the warmth engulfing her whole body along with his faint scent of ebony.
Tang Xi looked at the nearby Shen Qinglin, and her heart suddenly felt sorrowful.
She leaned even closer to Fu Tingzhou.
Wanting to feel his presence.
And Fu Tingzhou, simply holding her hand, said, "Tang Xi, I will always be by your side."
Driving back home, it was about twelve o’clock at night when they arrived.
Fu Tingzhou first took Tang Xi back to Yunqing Apartment, then dropped Shen Qinglin off at her home.
Throughout the journey, Shen Qinglin engaged in simple conversation with Fu Tingzhou.
From the perspective of a mother, when Tang Xi was not around, her words to Fu Tingzhou held no tenderness, just entreaties and warnings.
She wouldn’t allow her daughter to be harmed at all.
The errors of the past, she would compensate for with everything she had.
And she had also heard about the past between Fu Tingzhou and Su Mengshu.
Fu Tingzhou clenched the steering wheel tighter. He wasn’t making a promise to Shen Qinglin, but declaring his own feelings, "In this life, I only love Tang Xi, and no one else."
The events of the past, though he had lost his memory of them,
Were still a form of torment for him.
Amnesia didn’t mean he had completely forgotten; through other perspectives and bits of conversations from some people, he pieced together some past events. It was painful for him, something he rejected, for in those fragmented recollections, he saw a version of himself that even he disliked.
After dropping Shen Qinglin off at her home, Fu Tingzhou returned to Longshan Villa.
Yellow Jade had already gone to sleep.
The entire villa was empty and silent. He had lived here before, but now, he was afraid of this emptiness.
There was no sign of life, no Tang Xi, and no Tangtang.
After going upstairs, and taking a bath, Fu Tingzhou lay in bed and took out his phone to look at the goodnight message Tang Xi sent him ten minutes ago.
Fu Tingzhou wanted to reply.
But he feared that Tang Xi had just fallen asleep, and his message might wake her up.
The next morning, Tang Xi went to the airport to pick up Si Ruoli and Gu Zhiyi.
She had sent them both an invitation a week in advance.
The hotel address was already arranged, and Tang Xi spent the morning showing them around North City.
Si Ruoli brought Tang Xi a set of winter qipao, tailored specifically to Tang Xi’s figure. Tang Xi tried it on and even sent a photo to Fu Tingzhou.
"I originally didn’t want you to come, the journey is long, and Tingzhou and I will be returning to North Island in a few days. Then I was planning to invite you to gather with us."
Si Ruoli smiled slightly and said in sign language, "No way, I must attend your wedding."
Gu Zhiyi nodded, "Yeah, my son wanted to come too. Xiaoze has been yelling at home, wanting to meet Tangtang. I was afraid the trip would tire him out, so I didn’t let him come. He’s been asking at home when he can see Aunt Tang and Tangtang."
"It’s a pity, I’m married to Ruoli, so I can’t be your bridesmaid. Otherwise, with Ruoli’s skills, these three qipaos would absolutely be show-stoppers at the event!"
"Married?" Tang Xi looked at Si Ruoli, "When did you get married?"
Si Ruoli helplessly curved the corners of her lips downward.
Gu Zhiyi spoke irritably, "Who else but with Gu Jiucheng."
Si Ruoli sighed, then approached Tang Xi, "My situation is quite complicated. It’s not that I didn’t want to tell you, but my marriage with him... it’s not out of mutual affection. He wanted the remaining shares of the Si Family, and I hoped to achieve my goals through him. So we got married... We have an agreement to divorce after one year."
Tang Xi’s brow furrowed slowly.
She had vaguely heard about the grievances between Si Ruoli and Gu Jiucheng before, and she knew Si Ruoli’s character. She held her hand, "Marriage is not a trivial matter."
"I’ve lost my home, I have nothing left, marriage is insignificant to me," Si Ruoli said with a smile, yet there was fatigue in that smile, "Don’t worry about me, I’ve come to terms with it."
Tang Xi was very concerned about Si Ruoli, but she also understood that everyone must face different things and make different choices.