Chapter 40

“Living apart” — those two words were uttered by Yu Zhezhi through gritted teeth. Looking back, she felt truly helpless.

She originally didn’t have to come, and she truly did have a meeting scheduled. However, the meeting was canceled at the last minute due to unforeseen circumstances, leaving her with a block of time she could have used for other things.

She had already arranged for someone to pick up Hua Luoyue. Worried about traffic, that person had even set out for the airport early that morning. According to the original plan, the earliest Yu Zhezhi would have seen Hua Luoyue was that evening. Afterward, she would have helped her tidy up a bit, given her a thorough briefing, and waited until the next day to visit Father Yu together.

However, Father Yu had apparently misremembered the time. Not having seen anyone return for a while, he called his daughter to ask. At the time, Yu Zhezhi’s attention was entirely on the documents in her hands. Accustomed to being asked such things by Assistant Li, she instinctively said Hua Luoyue wouldn’t arrive until the afternoon.

Father Yu then asked if she had already set out. Yu Zhezhi, being quick-tongued, said it wasn’t necessary. She regretted it as soon as the words left her mouth, but it was already too late.

Between admitting her mistake efficiently or explaining the entire cause and effect over the phone, Yu Zhezhi decisively chose the former. Father Yu felt her attitude was perfunctory, but he figured she was just busy with work and stressed out, leading to a momentary oversight.

Thus, he insisted on going with Yu Zhezhi to pick her up, so the girl would feel the family’s sincerity.

Sacrificing an afternoon of work—work that wasn’t particularly critical or urgent—versus dealing with at least several days of explanations and potential arguments. Yu Zhezhi weighed the options for thirty seconds and ultimately decided to follow her father’s wishes.

—After all, one has to meet the family during the New Year eventually.

But it wasn’t until she picked up her father and got in the car, seeing his completely unperturbed expression, that Yu Zhezhi suddenly had the feeling she had been played. While in the car, Father Yu even gave her a lecture in the tone of someone who had “been there.”

Dating isn’t like doing business; you can’t just focus on efficiency. [unauthorized copy]You have to invest time and energy without expecting a return. Only by giving your heart can you get a heart in return…

Yu Zhezhi’s ears automatically filtered her father’s long-winded speech, but one sentence was forced into her brain: “Since you haven’t seen each other in so long, you must show a bit of enthusiasm.”

In the end, Yu Zhezhi was practically pushed out of the car by her impatient father.

After waiting for a while, she finally saw Hua Luoyue. The moment her eyes landed on her, Yu Zhezhi truly felt a sense of joy. Finally, she didn’t have to stand there listening to her father’s nagging.

Hua Luoyue, on the other hand, was momentarily stunned. Even as she was being pulled by Yu Zhezhi to meet Father Yu, she hadn’t quite processed it. This was her first time meeting Father Yu, and the gentle-looking man clearly wasn’t there to interrogate her.

Besides, the airport was at least an hour’s drive away. Having made the trip twice, Hua Luoyue already found it long. Even sitting in a car the whole way was exhausting. If it weren’t for “work” and her mother’s surgery, she would have preferred to stay in City X for the holidays.

The fact that Father Yu was willing to spend this kind of time and energy showed, at the very least, that his attitude toward her was positive. But this “enthusiasm” felt a bit surreal to Hua Luoyue.

Ever since she heard from Yu Zhezhi that Father Yu wanted to give her a welcoming gift, perhaps due to the pressure, Hua Luoyue had intermittently dreamed of some plot points involving him. In the original story, Father Yu had even less presence than she did as a cannon fodder. He occasionally popped up to target the female lead, only to be slapped in the face and exit the stage.

However, his methods weren’t particularly extreme; he always put his daughter first. He was simply too worried about his daughter being deceived, so anyone coming from the outside looked like they had ulterior motives. Of course, in the end, he was successfully won over by the female lead and became closer to her than to his own daughter.

But that was a late-stage development. In the script, the mentions of him and the original host were few and far between; one could only discern from fragments that he had absolutely no appreciation for “Hua Luoyue.”

So what was going on now?

Hua Luoyue couldn’t ask questions ​unauthorized copy​to his face, so she could only smile shyly and follow Yu Zhezhi to greet him.

“The journey must have been exhausting,” Father Yu said, smiling at her warmly. “How about we go back and rest for a bit? You can go to the hospital tomorrow.”

Yu Zhezhi interjected, “It’s better to stop by the hospital first so she can have peace of mind.”

Father Yu relented. “Then the hospital first, and straight home to rest afterward. I’ve already had your room prepared.”

Yu Zhezhi gave Hua Luoyue a look, and the latter knew she should nod and agree. The itinerary was settled just like that.

Yu Zhezhi had driven herself—at Father Yu’s strong insistence, as it showed more “sincerity.” Naturally, she drove on the way back as well. Father Yu insisted on sitting in the back, ushering Hua Luoyue into the front seat while handing over a box of pastries.

“Have you had lunch? You must be hungry after the trip. Have some snacks to tide you over,” Father Yu said.

Yu Zhezhi glanced at the box and saw it was from the most famous shop in City A, where there were always long lines. She wondered if her father had actually stood in line himself. Only now did she realize the level of effort her father was putting in. But looking at the instinctively tensed Hua Luoyue next to her, she decided not to voice this observation.

“Eat something; dinner will probably be quite late,” Yu Zhezhi added.

Only then did Hua Luoyue reach out, take the box, and whisper a “thank you.”

She had expected Father Yu to grill her on personal matters—how she met Yu Zhezhi, her family background, or even their relationship. But Father Yu only asked how long the trip from City X took and what she liked to eat, saying he’d have someone prepare it for dinner. These questions were much easier to answer than emotional ones. Hua Luoyue didn’t need to recall the script or worry about the exact wording; she just had to answer honestly.

The drive to the hospital was shorter than the drive to Yu Zhezhi’s private residence. Yu Zhezhi unauthorized copy parked in the hospital garage, and Father Yu insisted on waiting outside for them, saying he happened to need to buy things at a nearby mall and to call him when they were out.

“Don’t forget to call me when you leave,” Father Yu emphasized repeatedly. “I gave the driver the day off and I don’t want to take a taxi back.”

Yu Zhezhi could only say, “Fine, fine, I remember.” She strongly suspected her father was simply worried they would slip away and not go home with him.

As Hua Luoyue followed Yu Zhezhi into the hospital, she finally found a chance to ask what was happening. Yu Zhezhi explained the earlier situation, though Father Yu’s attitude was equally baffling to her. Her father wasn’t cold, but he wasn’t exactly a boisterous or overly enthusiastic person either. There had to be a reason for him to be so proactive with Hua Luoyue.

While she stood in the corridor watching Hua Luoyue enter the ward, a doctor she knew came over to greet her. Her mother had just been transferred, and they had checked her immediately. Even though the treatment plan had been changed while she was still in City X, the results weren’t obvious—in fact, they had almost no effect.

The doctor didn’t dare say this in front of Hua Luoyue, so he spoke to Yu Zhezhi first, saying they would try a different medication over the next few days. The new medicine was more expensive, but that wasn’t an issue for Yu Zhezhi. With her approval, the doctor felt slightly relieved, though he still tactfully mentioned it might not necessarily work.

Yu Zhezhi wasn’t particularly surprised or indignant. When she decided to support the surgery, she was already prepared to throw money into a black hole. Deep down, it was really just about buying psychological comfort for Hua Luoyue.

Thinking more closely, she asked the doctor, “Did my father visit earlier?”

“You mean to visit this lady?” The doctor thought for a moment and shook his head. “I don’t recall seeing your father in the last two days, but he did call me yesterday to ask about her condition.”

“And you told him the truth?”

The doctor nodded. “After all, the risk is real.” It wasn’t good to give too much hope, only to cause more pain in the end—or even invite trouble.

Yu Zhezhi said nothing more. Hua Luoyue came out empty-handed, looking a bit regretful. “I forgot to buy flowers this time. [bailiantales.com]I’ll make it up tomorrow.” She didn’t want to keep Father Yu waiting outside too long.

Yu Zhezhi said goodbye to the doctor and went downstairs with Hua Luoyue. Looking at her expression, she didn’t seem too sad. Instead, the fact that she forgot the flowers seemed to bother her more. Yu Zhezhi felt relieved that she wasn’t agonizing in pain, but also worried she was being too optimistic and harboring unnecessary expectations.

“I have a feeling…” Yu Zhezhi paused, then shifted the topic. “Is giving flowers some kind of special ritual?”

“Maybe to make up for some regrets,” Hua Luoyue said.

“She’s almost entirely unconscious,” Yu Zhezhi pointed out. It was highly likely her mother would never know, even until death, that her daughter insisted on bringing her flowers or even being by her side.

“I know…” Hua Luoyue gave a light smile and said calmly, “It’s not for her. It’s for my own regrets.”

Only when the abuser is lying unconscious in bed is it possible to pretend to be a deeply loving daughter? Yu Zhezhi found it somewhat ironic, but she couldn’t say anything harsh to someone nearing death.

Hua Luoyue showed no intention of explaining further.

When they returned to the parking lot, Father Yu was standing by the car door with a bag from a convenience store. He looked surprised to see them. “So fast?” He looked at Hua Luoyue’s face, afraid she had been crying.

Yu Zhezhi ushered Hua Luoyue into the car while making a casual excuse: “The doctor needs to change her meds and do tests in a bit; staying there would only interfere with their work.”

Father Yu didn’t ask more, only saying, “Then let’s go straight back so Little Hua can get some rest.”

Once in the car, Father Yu remembered to ask his [unauthorized copy]daughter, “By the way, is it okay that you didn’t go to work today?”

What’s the point of asking now? Yu Zhezhi was amused by the absurdity, but she didn’t bother complaining. She said lazily, “It’s fine as long as I make up for it with overtime tomorrow.”

Father Yu said, “That’s perfect. Then Little Hua can just rest at home tomorrow.”

Yu Zhezhi: “…” Is this ‘sympathy’ a bit too sincere?

But on second thought, she wasn’t about to compete with Hua Luoyue for affection. Since it was for her benefit, she accepted it on her behalf. Besides, Father Yu was using this as an opportunity to get Yu Zhezhi to come home more often, so she softened and didn’t say more.

“If you want to go to the hospital, I’ll have the driver pick you up,” Yu Zhezhi told Hua Luoyue. Whether it was the Yu residence or Yu Zhezhi’s office and private apartment, the hospital was quite a distance away. Accommodations near the hospital had actually been arranged, but since Father Yu insisted on expressing his “fatherly love,” those would stay empty for a couple more days.

Yu Zhezhi drove to the house, and Father Yu got out first to call someone to help Hua Luoyue with her luggage. When there was no one else in the car, Yu Zhezhi said to Hua Luoyue, “You’ll have to bear with it for these two days and make a few trips back and forth. My dad will eventually feel too embarrassed to keep you at home.”

Hua Luoyue nodded. While she didn’t mind the travel time, staying with Yu Zhezhi’s father for a long period was stressful. Not only was it inconvenient, but it would be trouble if she accidentally said the wrong thing. If it was just a day or two, she could get through it by being careful.

But after getting out of the car and into the house, Hua Luoyue realized she had relaxed too soon.

Father Yu had already gone into the kitchen to instruct the chef on tonight’s dishes—the chef he had specially hired for the occasion. When he came out and saw Hua Luoyue standing somewhat awkwardly in the living room, he greeted her with a smile.

“It’s still early for dinner. Why don’t you let Zhezhi take you to your room to rest? We’ll call you when dinner is ready,” Father Yu said. “By the way, I’ve already had your luggage sent to the room. Take a look and see if anything is missing.”

The nanny responsible for tidying the house happened to come out and led the two upstairs. Yu Zhezhi had originally just intended to play the part of a host, but when the [Read on BaiLianTales]nanny led them to a certain door, her brow twitched violently.

“If I remember correctly… this is my bedroom, isn’t it?”

“Yes…” the nanny said without hesitation. “I cleared out two empty closets specifically this morning. It should be enough for Miss Hua to put her things for these couple of days. Mr. Yu already had someone come to take measurements, but widening the closets requires custom work, so that will take a few days…”

“Did you not prepare a guest room?” Yu Zhezhi interrupted.

“No, uh…” The nanny hesitated, looking at Yu Zhezhi and then at Hua Luoyue. She finally couldn’t help but ask, “Do husband and wife still need to sleep in separate rooms?”