Xiao Qing was the first to speak, her voice filled with gratitude. "Thank you for not minding the trouble and for taking in our little treasure for a few days. I’ve caused you inconvenience. I came today to take her back home."
As soon as she finished speaking, Ye Han’s recently dried tears started to flow again.
In fact, Xiao Qing felt a bit frustrated inside. She didn’t know what was wrong with Mrs. Lu, who started crying at the sight of her. It was enough to make Xiao Qing feel a strong sense of guilt.
She looked at Lu Zhiyuan, "Uncle, what’s wrong with Auntie?"
Hearing Xiao Qing calling him, Lu Zhiyuan suddenly realized something was amiss. Why was his daughter-in-law referring to him as "Uncle" and "Auntie"?
No, no, no, these weren’t the main issues. The main point was, wasn’t she supposed to be dead?
"Shuqing, you... how could you be..."
Before he could finish, Xiao Qing interrupted him with a smile, "Uncle, my name isn’t Shuqing, I’m Xiao Qing. I only arrived in Empire last week, it’s my first time here."
She captured the astonishment of both Lu Zhiyuan and Ye Han, and after a pause, she continued, "Actually, you aren’t the first ones to call me ’Zhuang Shuqing’. But truly, I’m not her. It just so happens that we look alike, that’s all."
Seeing that Xiao Qing didn’t seem to be lying, Ye Han’s heart felt like it was being rubbed with sand, achingly numb.
There are so many look-alikes in the world that it could indeed be just a coincidence. Zhuang Shuqing’s death certificate was right before their eyes, and even her ashes had been handed over to them. How could a person come back to life after dying?
"Shuqing... no, may I call you Qingqing, would that be alright?" Ye Han looked at her with hope.
Xiao Qing nodded with a smile. Her parents used to call her that too, and she didn’t mind the nickname.
Ye Han wiped the tears from the corner of her eyes, "Qingqing, don’t blame me, you look exactly like our deceased daughter-in-law..."
Xiao Qing opened her eyes wide in disbelief. Her speculation had actually come true!
"My daughter-in-law, oh... she and my son were in a car accident a few years ago. My son became blind, and my daughter-in-law... she passed away..." Having said that, Ye Han began to cry again.
Lu Zhiyuan sighed deeply from beside her, his eyes reddening as well.
The incident from five years ago had become taboo in the Lu Family household. This text is hosted at noveⅼfire.net
He knew that in the past five years, Ye Han had never mentioned Zhuang Shuqing in front of him. When overwhelmed by longing, she would hide in the bathroom to cry on her own, crying for an hour or two before coming back out.
Lu Zhiyuan would never forget that time, four years ago when Lu Jinyang tirelessly worked for three straight days and nights, falling ill in the hospital. Ye Han said nothing. Only after Lu Jinyang was out of danger and back home, did she lock herself in the bathroom for five hours.
Five hours, what an unimaginable duration!
All Lu Zhiyuan knew was when she came out from the bathroom, her eyes were so swollen that her eyeballs were nearly invisible.
Xiao Qing was too shocked to speak.
Her knowledge of the Lu Family, aside from the occasional mentions by Xiao Anze, was limited to the information she had looked up just before her visit.
But the information did not mention the incident from five years ago.
Nanny Zhang came out of the kitchen and was extremely surprised to hear Ye Han’s words. She looked at Ye Han, then at Xiao Qing, and finally glanced at the little treasure before heading back to the kitchen.
"Mommy, why is Grandma crying again?"
Xiao Qing intended to say something to lighten the mood, but the words just wouldn’t come out. Instead, she said, "Mommy doesn’t know either. Can you go and comfort Grandma?"
Little treasure nodded vigorously, slid down from Xiao Qing’s embrace, and ran to Ye Han’s side. With her chubby little hands, she clumsily yet amusingly wiped Ye Han’s tears.
Before long, Ye Han stopped crying. She picked up the little treasure and sat her on her lap, looking her over, "I was wondering why little treasure looked so familiar. It turns out she’s yours..."