Chapter 9

Ake has already told me, do you still not admit it? She said that kid has been to your house, and you also went to meet his father today

He scratched the back of his head a little and shyly said, "Does what I just said still count?"

I thought this should be a moment that moves one to tears, yet apart from feeling grateful for my father's thoughtfulness, I have no intention of shedding any tears. I believe my father still does not understand me; the reason I couldn't bear to part with it back then was for the person who gave it to me, not for this music box.

One's eyes widened, the emotions on the face gradually unfolded, and the corners of the mouth began to rise: "Really? Really! So it turns out to be like this?"

I also started glaring at him and said, "What kind of nonsense are you talking in the middle of the night?"

I truly saw my father. Thirteen years are all written on his face. It seems that my father's hair has turned white especially quickly; a man in his fifties should not have this much gray hair

Where did someone suddenly say: "Let's order!"

I believe it is you who is acting irrationally

Call me at 10 PM and 1 AM

As soon as I got home, I called Ake.

When I opened it, I was astonished to find that it was exactly the same as the music box that Cai Yunhe had given me back in the day

Pointing at me with a finger, he said: "He Xiaoyi, you, you ... ... " but couldn't finish his sentence for a long time

He let out a sigh, which was unlike him, and said: "I have long said that those who become general managers at such a young age are not to be trusted. Why did you not listen?"

I thought carefully and could not recall what I had done

It seems he is right downstairs at our home; this kid can do anything. So, I went out.

Father was somewhat excited, repeatedly saying: "She has grown into a young lady, she has grown into a young lady."

One said selfishly: "If you don't come out soon, I will shout at your building!"

He looked at me in surprise for a moment, and then suddenly said: "I don't care that you are older than me"

Where he said he invited my father and me to dinner

That's all, just this.

I was thinking when suddenly someone grabbed my hand and said, "Xiao Yi, I like you, I really like you, will you give me an equal opportunity?"

Suddenly, I thought of something, and said to a point: "Where he is my half-brother. He came to my house just to see my mother, and I actually saw his father just to meet my own father"

I was very curious and asked, "What exactly have you heard?"

What exactly have I done? Moreover, even if I did do something, do you really need to speak to me in this manner?

How could you meet each other's parents so quickly? How long have you known each other?

I was struck by a sudden thought amidst the vastness, and so I said to him: "I have grown old, and I shall continue to grow old forever"

That night, I lay in bed unable to fall asleep. To my left was my father, to my right was my mother, and as I lay on my back, I pondered where to turn. Ever since that place appeared, my days seemed to have entered an uncontrollable state, suddenly filled with many people and many events, which I found difficult to sort out repeatedly.

Downstairs, I saw a face full of grievance, helplessness, and anger intertwined together

I looked at my father and said very earnestly: "Thank you, Dad"

We did not embrace; I sat opposite him, not even uttering the word "father." I knew that deep down, I still harbored some resentment towards him, for he was the reason my mother and I endured so many years of wandering. Because of him, the concept of a father has vanished from my life. However, I still missed him a little, wanting to see this man whom I had called "father" for twelve years, wanting to know if he still recognized me as his daughter

I learned to shrug a little helplessly, and then said to him: "If you admit that you haven't said anything, we can still be friends"

After speaking, I went straight upstairs

The more unclear things become, the more chaotic it gets, including the matters below, which have added another line to my otherwise mundane life

"He Xiaoyi, come out here! Come out immediately!"

What? What are you talking about?

I was taken aback and quickly shook off his hand. Although I had always understood that he cared for me, I had always regarded him as a child, sometimes as a good buddy. Suddenly, faced with such a confession from him, I found myself at a loss for words, unsure of how to respond in a way that was clear yet would not hurt him or our friendship.

I thought to myself, why doesn't this person clarify things? The phone is at home, I will definitely confront her about it later

One merely stared at me

It is true, Akko might be just playing tricks on you

Then he took out a box from the bag beside him and handed it to me

I smiled; he did not understand

Well, how can I expect him to understand me? Yet, I have just destroyed that broken box, only to find another identical box that I cannot throw away. Life is truly quite marvelous

I finally called out to Dad, I thought I would never do so, but some things that we are born with are not easily changed by the passage of time

What has happened? What have you been doing lately

What is wrong with me

Did she say anything else to you

Holding the music box that my father had treasured for over a decade, I suddenly felt a multitude of wrinkles forming in my heart. These wrinkles prevented me from questioning my father as to why he allowed us to leave in such a manner, and why he had never sought us out all these years. The wrinkles in my heart resembled my father's white hair, inscribing the past while simultaneously forgetting it.

Father said: "Back then, your box was broken, and I saw that you were reluctant to throw it away. I thought you must have liked it very much. Later, I saw an identical one in a store, so I bought it, but by then you had already left..."

I saw my father's lips tremble a few times, as if he wanted to say something, but in the end, he did not speak. However, his eyes were already filled with tears

It is truly baffling; I am asking what the matter is