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墨書 Inktalez
According to the customs of Qin Cheng, the deceased must be kept at home for three days before being cremated.
Jono knew that Qiao Chen was under a lot of pressure with her studies. As a senior in high school, she had always struggled academically, and now she needed to work even harder to get into college on her own merit.
So she decided to send her father for cremation the next day. Staying by his side would only add to their sorrow without any other purpose.
With no relatives around, it was just Jono and Qiao Chen. They barely had enough hands to carry the coffin, and if it weren't for Huo Yawen's help in calling another doctor from the hospital, they would have struggled to lift the coffin out of the funeral home.
As they watched Qiao Chen's father being taken in for cremation, Qiao Chen covered her sister's eyes with her hand, holding her protectively.
But Qiao Chen stared unblinkingly at the scene.
Later, the staff handed them an urn containing the ashes, and they proceeded to bury it at the cemetery.
By the time everything was over, it was already afternoon. Jono felt utterly exhausted and initially wanted Qiao Chen to come home with her to rest for the night before heading back to school the next day. However, Qiao Chen insisted that she couldn't afford to fall behind in her studies.
Huo Yawen drove Qiao Chen to school first.
As she got out of the car, Qiao Chen leaned over from the back seat and said to Huo Yawen, "Yawen, don’t be fooled by my sister acting tough and doing everything herself; deep down, she's still a softie. Please take good care of her!"
Both Huo Yawen and Jono turned their heads at Qiao Chen's words.
It was Jono who first patted Qiao Chen on the head. Huo Yawen might not have known the full story, but she did; this girl had said yesterday at the wake that Dr. Huo and her sister were a perfect match!
Today, she was already familiar enough to drop the formal title "Dr. Huo" in favor of "Yawen."
"Don't listen to him, kids these days really have no sense of propriety. Just ignore it!" Jono quickly explained to Huo Yawen.
Huo Yawen, sitting in the driver's seat, smiled slightly. He looked seriously at Qiao Chen and said, "I understand. I will treat her like a girl." Dr. Huo still wasn't used to the term "soft girl."
Qiao Chen and Huo Yawen exchanged a glance typical between men, and just as Jono was about to lecture Qiao Chen, he quickly got out of the car.
Once Qiao Chen left, Jono felt a bit awkward.
Huo Yawen said nothing more, turned on the music in the car, and then started the engine to leave the school.
Meanwhile, Qiao Chen stood at the school gate watching the car drive further away. She didn't enter the school but turned and walked in another direction.
*
Huo Yawen dropped Jono off at the apartment building and opened the car door for her as she got out.
"I won't go up with you. You should rest well. If you feel tired, take a few days off from work. I don't have any surgeries scheduled for the next couple of days, so keep your phone on 24/7. If you have any issues, just call me. Even if you're tired, make sure to cook something for yourself instead of ordering takeout."
Huo Yawen felt he had too many things to remind Jono about; a few words simply weren't enough. He almost wanted to follow her upstairs.
But he knew that Jono needed some time alone right now.
Jono nodded and gave Huo Yawen a reassuring look before turning to head upstairs.
The hallway was quiet, with only the sound of her footsteps echoing.
She never felt any regret about losing the title of Young Lady, nor did she think living in such a small place was particularly stifling.
However, her father's departure left her feeling completely hollow, as if her entire being had been emptied. She felt that her future was like the dimly lit hallway, devoid of any glimmer of light.
"Snap—"
With the sound of footsteps, the motion sensor light in the hallway flickered on.
Jono, there is still sunshine in your life!
There will surely be someone who illuminates the path of your existence.
*
Downstairs, a white SUV parked from evening until deep into the night, finally starting up and leaving in the early hours of the next day.
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