Both men turned to her and said in unison, “It’s nothing.”

 That only baffled An Xiaxia further.

 Sheng Yize cleared his throat. “Did you wash your hair yesterday?”

 “Wait… is it really greasy?” An Xiaxia blushed. “I’ll go wash it now!”

 She didn’t get to wash it in the village yesterday, so it was probably a little dirty.

 Once she was gone, Sheng Yize asked the nanny to take the three kids to wash up, then darted a look at Qi Yanxi. “What do you think you’re doing?”

 “Screw you! That has nothing to do with you!” said Qi Yanxi cockily. Sheng Yize didn’t lose his temper, but only chuckled. “I see you’ve grown a temper, huh? Fine, take a left turn once you’re out the door and stand in the middle of the road. I couldn’t care less if you die or not!”

 Qi Yanxi bickered with him as usual until he suddenly dropped his head and said in a defeated voice, “Damn it. In the end, you’re still the one who sticks around to squabble with me…”

 Sheng Yize’s face turned grim. “Enough of that! You make it sound like you have some terminal illness. Go back to the hospital, or I’ll make you!”

 Qi Yanxi made a face at him, then bid Grandpa and Grandma Sheng farewell. “Grandpa, Grandma, see you!”

 “Bye bye!” Grandma Sheng replied. She couldn’t help but ask Sheng Yize once Qi Yanxi was gone, “What’s going on with the kid? Is it serious?”

 Sheng Yize smirked. “Will you believe me if I tell you that it’s cancer?”

 The elderly couple was astonished. “Little one, is that true?”

 Pepsi overheard the conversation. Scratching her head, she climbed the stairs on her short little legs and banged on the door to the bathroom.

 “Mummy… Mummy, help!”

 Hearing her baby voice, An Xiaxia wrapped her hair in a towel hastily, opened the door, and asked in confusion, “Pepsi, what’s wrong?”

 Peppi said, “Papa says Uncle Flower is ill!”

 An Xiaxia’s eyelid twitched and she asked in a trembling voice, “What’s wrong with him?”

 Pepsi searched her memory. “Cancer… Mummy, what’s that? Is it worse than poo poo?”

 An Xiaxia blanched.

 No, it couldn’t be…

Qi Yanxi was in such good health. How could he…

She couldn’t believe it!!

 –

 Yu City cemetery.

 Qi Yanxi placed a bunch of baby’s breath at Mu Li’s grave.

 On the tombstone was Mu Li’s photo from her high school graduation. Back then, she still had an inexperienced and nervous look in her eyes. She was smiling slightly, which was the prettiest Qi Yanxi remembered her looking.

 “I’m here,” he said quietly. The frivolous and arrogant youth had long left him.

 He went on nagging with a little smile, “I wonder how you’re doing all the time on the other side. I burned a lot of joss paper for you, but I do wish you were still living somewhere in this world… oh, your dad quit gambling. I found a stall for your mum next to a school and she opened a convenience kiosk there. Business is good… I’ll do all I can to take care of them.”

 They had never recovered Mu Li’s body after so many years.

 “Come to think of it, I was such an idiot back then, being played around by that woman. You were a dummy yourself. All you needed to do was tell me that you were the one who helped me out.” Qi Yanxi smiled self-mockingly. “Alright, I know it was all my fault and all I’m doing now is shirking my responsibility. Are you mad at me? If so, come back and get even with me. I hope… you’re still alive.”

 Looking up, the blue sky and the white clouds felt like something from another lifetime.

 “I’m all alone again.” He sighed softly.