An excruciating death was what awaited Zhan Yahui. But before that, an excruciating torture was what she was made to go through. First, it was through watching Hou Lin suffer. That alone immensely pained her because even if she didn't admit, Hou Lin was the only person in her life she remotely had any human connection with.
He was being tortured and punished because he loyally supported Zhan Yahui through her revenge. And Jinhai made sure to make him pay every cent of that loyalty that betrayed Jun in Sky Publishing.
"Lin…"
To see Hou Lin suffer and die in front of her was a punishment far more painful than all the bruises she had on her body. She thought that Jinhai would immediately kill her, but that was far from the case.
Jinhai made her life a living hell. If she thought that his anger of losing his wife and children would make him end her life as soon as possible, then she was very wrong.
Five years of grief and suffering that led three precious people in Jinhai's life to their deaths and forever bringing a gloomy silence within the walls of the Liu villa.
It was for five years that Jinhai let Zhan Yahui live and die at the same time. He kept both her and Hou Lin alive but such that they wished for death to greet them and end this miserable life instead.
Everyday Zhan Yahui watched Hou Lin in pain.
Everyday Hou Lin watched Zhan Yahui in agony.
For both of them, death was what they wanted the most, but it was death that Jinhai never gave them.
"You will suffer. Like my children did. Like my wife did. For all those happy memories that you snatched away from us, for all that lost time that you can never give us back…you will keep suffering and you will watch your dear friend suffering too."
It was after five excruciating years that Zhan Yahui took her last breath. Throughout the five years in the dark, underworld base, screaming out with the torture of every single pain she caused to the innocent, her end came on Jun's fifth death anniversary.
Jinhai first ended Hou Lin's life in front of her eyes after which he said, "It was just one man and you were already so miserable? Quite weak of you I must say."
His cold and callous words fell on Zhan Yahui's ears but she had no strength. The truth of Ouyang Haitao had killed her from within and seeing the man she cherished the most in her own way to be tortured and killed before her eyes had made her soul beyond broken so much so that even tears had left her side long back.
"Lin…" she weakly mumbled under her breath. "You…didn't deserve this end…You didn't deserve…to be punished…for my sins…I am sorry…"
At the end, she kept whispering to herself rather than talking to Jinhai. She was zoned out, wishing for an imaginary happy ending for her and Hou Lin in her own world.
"I am sorry…If I could get…another chance…I would not…make you suffer…like this…Lin…you deserve to be so…so happy…"
Those were the last words as her eyes closed themselves.
Jinhai kept standing there, staring at her bruised and tortured dead body for hours. He didn't know what he was trying to find in her, but he didn't leave the base for a long time.
When he did, he visited the cemetery where he silently stood before Zhou Yichen and Xie Nuying's graves. Five years ago when he had learned of their deaths by Zhan Yahui's hands, he made it sure to give them a proper resting place beside their daughter's grave.
"You can be...at peace now. And... thank you for everything, Zhou Ai..."
He thanked the Zhou family from the bottom of his heart.
He then stood before the graves of his wife and his two sons, lonely and silent. He parted his lips but nothing came out of it for a long time.
"Nana, Jun, Jin…" His cheekbones hurt as he tried to rein in the tears but failed miserably.
"She is dead," he declared with a choking voice, "She is…finally dead. I am sorry that I made you w-wait for so long…I am sorry. You must be angry at me that I kept her alive for five years. It was hard for me too…But I wanted to give her the same pain that she inflicted on us and now finally…Finally you get your peace…"
Jinhai trembled with his warm tears plopping on the ground.
"I could finally give you justice…So…so can I j-join you three too? Please…? Nana, I…I cannot live without you. I cannot live without my complete family. It hurts so much…that I don't want to feel this way…So can I please die too?"
His knees grew weak and he softly collapsed, crying his heart out for the first time. "But you won't allow me, won't you?" A wry chuckle escaped his lips, "How can I be cruel to the twins and Nuo? They need me, right…? Especially now that you three aren't there…They need me more than anything. But it's just so…painful, Nana…"
After a beat of silence, he continued with a tremulous smile. "But you know what? I am so proud of the children we have raised. Jian is handling Natsukashi just like you used to. Nian's Natsukashi bakery has grown so far that you would have cried tears of joy. Nuo has taken over Liu Corps. It's a surprise, isn't it? She wasn't much interested in the company before, but she was so stubborn in taking over. You all would have loved seeing her work as a CEO…"
He gazed at Jun and Jin's stones, his gaze dimming. "So don't worry, Jin. Your sister is doing a fine job and so is…" he whispered as he stared at Jun, "Shui. Jun. Shui…Shui has been working with Yunru to revive Sky Publishing. Shocking, right? I hadn't expected this. But she came to me one day and said that she wanted to revive Sky…She had eyes just like you at the time you wanted to start your own company. I couldn't reject her wishes. It's hard, but she is doing very well."
His eyelashes fluttered with the gentle wind blowing across his face.
"Everybody is slowly moving on. Everybody is learning to move on. But it feels like only I cannot…Will I be able to, Nana? Will I be able to become as brave as our children? I don't know…"
He left the uncertainty in the silence. Soon, he felt the presence of three figures kneeling beside him and softly hugging him.
"You don't know but we do," Nuo smiled. "You are our mighty Dad and we are right here with you."
"For all these years, you helped us stand on our feet whenever we stumbled," Nian said.
"This time it's our turn to help you stand up," Jian said, gazing at the tombstones. "I know you wish to join Mom, Jun and Jin but sorry Dad. You have a long life to live."
He slowly turned his head to face him and smiled for the first time. "You have a lot to teach your grandchild."
Jinhai froze.
"It was hard giving our relationship a second chance. I didn't wish to. Not when…Mom, Jun and Jin have left us. Not when there was so much bitterness between Leina and me. But I thought and thought a lot, Dad. And I decided that I want to watch my father see the rest of his children living a happy life. I want to see him smiling and laughing," he smiled as he gazed at Jinhai, "You are gonna become a grandfather, Dad. There is no way you can leave us."
Nuo held his hand and softly enclosed it with her palm. "That's why Dad, you cannot think of dying or who will walk me down the aisle at my wedding? Please don't kill Siying, okay? Shui worked hard a lot in…" her eyes ached, "getting us back together…"
Nian chimed in. "Yes, yes so you can forget about me because I have decided to live a happy, single life and raise my nieces and nephews~"
Jinhai shook hard. "You-you…when did you…"
"We wanted to give you, Mom, Jun and Jin a surprise," Jian chuckled.
Nuo wiped his eyes and pouted. "So no more tears, Dad. We have to show Mom, Bro Jun and Jin that we are super happy!"
The three of them together supported Jinhai and helped him stand up. Jian held his shoulder and said, "Let's go, Dad. Mom, Jun and Jin aren't here in the cemetery. They will always be in the Liu villa living with us and watching us with smiles on their faces. That's their home. Always was and always will. Let's go back to them, Dad."
Jinhai lowered his head, tears quietly slipping past his eyes and silently nodding to them as they left the cemetery.
*Flashback ends*
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