Chapter 257: The Only Family You Have Left
"Chen Yue will get a month or two in jail because the severity of her crimes will be downplayed and that evil girlfriend will get a maximum of five years in jail. That's about it."
She sighed, reassured.
"And you won't do anything, right? You won't get in trouble?" she asked. This was the real question she wanted the answer to.
"No."
Qian Meng was so tired that she didn't question further. As to which of the two questions he had responded to, she didn't know, but she was reassured.
- - - - -
As the service happened, Qian Meng felt a sense of doom overcome her. It just didn't seem right. There was nothing special about it. Before her was one among many gravestones. There was nothing to properly indicate the value of a precious life that was lost. There was nothing left but a body. A body in a box that was six feet under the ground, left to wither away with nature and time.
Bai Yu was in front of the grave, his eyes unfocused as he remained lost in thought. Behind her, Mo Qingchen steadily and silently made sure everything was in order. He had been nicer than she had expected.
She snapped out of her thoughts and began her own role in all of this. If Uncle Bai couldn't be the host, she surely had to.
Bai Yu, too was having similar thoughts. He couldn't fathom facing the death of his son twice, this time more devastating than the last. He could hear Qian Meng saying goodbye to the last of his and Wenxi's friends as they got into their cars and drove away. But he wasn't aware of what they were saying.
Who knew what they thought of him now? What they thought of his wife and younger son who were not present at the service. Everyone knew something was amiss. Why else would a body be exhumed? Why else would the rest of the family be absent and two people who were not in the family registry be overtaking the duties that others should have?
He had been firm in his believes until the body was slowly put into the ground. He found himself wordless and full of regret. They hit him like a train once again. He was filled with regret for all the conversations and experiences that he hadn't gotten with Wenxi. As it seemed, no matter what, there would never have been enough time for it, not even if his son and he had lived for another hundred years.
A car door shut somewhere behind him, followed by the sound of rolling tires on gravel, and then there was nothing. It was quiet.
Moments later, Bai Yu felt a tap on his shoulder. He closed his eyes briefly before turning and seeing Qian Meng standing beside him. This girl had been so nice to her. He didn't deserve it after what his family had done to her.
"There are a few guests who said they will wait at your home. I tried to dissuade them," she whispered.
Uncle Bai patted her hand which rested on his shoulder. "You've done enough. Thank you for coming today."
Qian Meng shook her head.
"Qian Meng…" they heard Mo Qingchen speak. They looked over and found him staring at the car that had pulled up. It was a cop car and they could guess who was inside.
Thankfully, Bai Ye Qing wasn't there. But Chen Yue was.
She silently came down, her face haggard from the days she had been in jail. She was yet to get her bail sanctioned and await trial, so she had been in the jail all along.
She sneaked a glance at Bai Yu, but seeing he had looked away and pretended she didn't exist, she simply walked to the grave and sat beside it for a few moments. She mumbled things under her breath and even spilled some tears before she was taken away by the cops who assisted her.
There was silence after that.
"It will be dark soon," Uncle Bai said to them as the sun began to set over the cemetery.
"It doesn't matter. We can stay as long as you want," Qian Meng assured.
They had already been there for over an hour after everyone else had left, mostly in silence. Bai Yu didn't have anything to say and he wasn't even crying. He just felt numb.
"I should be at home with everyone else. They are probably wondering where I am."
Everyone had gathered at his home after the service but Bai Yu had no interest in being around them right then. Being around them didn't feel like without Wenxi. And he didn't want their sympathy and questions.
"Don't worry about anyone else. If you want to stay longer, we will." And that was the end of the discussion on Qian Meng's side.
"The two of you don't have to stay with me. You should have gone back with the others…"
It surprised him when Mo Qingchen spoke up. "I especially hate funerals and when young and promising people die. And I understand your grief." This translated to: I am not leaving either.
Bai Yu nodded. "The two of you came for the service… it means a lot to me. You didn't know Wenxi but you wanted to support me… thank you."
They could guess that Bai Yu had a lot on his mind that he wanted to unload. So, they patiently waited as he strung words to form sentences.
"The two of you… you are in love and intend to spend the rest of your lives together. You will face adversities and sometimes you will fight, but at the end of the day, the two of you will be the only family you have left. Cherish that."
Qian Meng shuddered at the thought. Uncle Bai wasn't completely wrong. Even though Mo Qingchen and she weren't in love, he was the only 'family' she was left with. She had a few other people she could trust… but Mo Qingchen was it for her.
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