Chapter 188 - The Secret Behind her Mother’s Sudden Death (1/2)
Chapter 188 The Secret Behind her Mother’s Sudden Death
The atmosphere in the room grew grave. Mo Huawen was shocked. He smiled after a while and said, “Why do you all want me to remarry? Even you are telling me this. Your mother only pa.s.sed away less than two years ago…” He raised his wine cup and drained it, his smile growing bitter.
The words rushed out of her mouth, “Father, Mother will understand and she will not blame you. She held my hand then and told me that if there is a good girl, for you to marry her. Just remember not to ill-treat Tong’er.”
She held the corner of the table with a shaky hand. It was as if that was the only way she could push down the pain in her heart.
Her mother’s pale face appeared before her. She had been thrown from heaven to h.e.l.l that day!
She could not bear how her mother did not even get to see her father for one last time. She could not bear how heartless the man was. He was still fooling around with a concubine while her mother was on the brink of death. He even threw out the servants that Nanny Ming sent over…
Her mother died. She stood in the corridor watching coldly as her father rushed over in a panic. He saw how he stumbled and fell into the door. Her heart filled with hatred as she watched him call out “Luo Xia”. She felt that everything was a joke. Her mother was already dead. Who was he acting for?
“Tong’er, what else did your mother say…?” Mo Huawen said with difficulty. His hands, which were holding the chopsticks tightly, shook. His eyes were deep and dark under the candlelight. Yet, they were filled with strong sadness. He reached out for the wine flagon beside him with shaky hands and poured himself another cup of wine. He drained the cup once more.
Mo Xuetong had felt that he had failed her mother then. As such, she had not told her father what her mother had said at all!
“Mother told me not to blame you and that it has been hard on you. She told me to be an obedient daughter who will take care of you. She even placed a flower that you picked for her the day before by her pillow… she only said that it was as if she had been looking at you.” Mo Xuetong swallowed with difficulty and could not continue saying anything. Tears slid down her cheeks.
She was beyond upset then. She held her mother’s hand and refused to let go, waiting for the moment when those hands turned completely cold. Her world was cold at that moment too. Other than the coldness, was hate…
Across her, Mo Huawen’s eyes shone with tears. He said hoa.r.s.ely, “Your, your mother. Did she leave behind anything?”
“Father, Mother left behind a letter she wrote on her deathbed. It was for you…” Mo Xuetong shook as she took out a letter. The letter was already very old; however, one could still see the corner that had once been soaked. The color on the corner was different. She could almost see her mother half-lying on the bed and writing the letter with shaking hands.
“You, why didn’t you give it to me…” Mo Huawen tried to hide the pain he felt as he took the letter.
“Father, did you even look at me then? Even if I wanted to say anything, you must first allow me to. Furthermore, I did not wish to tell you then…” Mo Xuetong took a deep breath and smiled slightly. However, the smile on her tear-filled face made one’s heart twinge for her.
The child had misunderstood him. Mo Huawen took the letter in his hands and felt that it was unbearably heavy. He had not taken care of the daughter she had left him. He had almost let her die in Auntie Fang’s hands. His heart hurt and felt empty when he thought of that.
He could not help but say…
“Tong’er, I went to Auntie Fang’s courtyard that day because His Majesty had sent a secret edict. I must not let others discover that, which was why I went to Auntie Fang’s courtyard. It was not because… I only realized that your mother had pa.s.sed away when I sent the secret envoy away. She was still fine the day before and told me that she was going to take you on a trip. But…” Mo Huawen said. It was an explanation he wanted to give to Mo Xuetong for many years.
He looked at his crying daughter. Her eyes were like Luo Xia’s. He could not stop himself then and felt extremely guilty. He felt that he was a bad father and had failed Luo Xia’s dying wish.
“Father…” Mo Xuetong sniffled and cried out softly. The trouble that she brought with her from her past life was finally released. She felt much more relieved, and the smile on her face grew brighter. Her tears fell into the wine cup before her. She suddenly felt like drinking wine. She stood up abruptly and picked up the wine jug with her slightly less injured hand. She poured a cup for Mo Huawen and then for herself.
“Father, Mother would not want to see you being so sad. It is New Year’s Eve tonight and we shall treat it as if we were spending it with Mother. Father, drink this cup of wine. I was an insensible child in the past and misunderstood you. I hope you will forgive me.” She raised the cup in her hand and knelt down heavily in front of Mo Huawen, raising the cup high up above her head.
In her past life, she had hated her father her entire life because of this. She had ignored her father’s opinions because of her hate. She had slid further and further away from him and died tragically because of Auntie Fang’s and her daughter’s plots.
“Tong’er!” Mo Huawen hurried to help her up. “Our Tong’er, you’ve grown up!”
Mo Huawen wiped his eyes in a dark corner where the candlelight did not reach. He sighed and a smile appeared on his face. He suddenly smiled, took the wine that Mo Xuetong offered him, and drained it all.
No matter what, he still had an obedient daughter. She was his daughter with Luo Xia. That was enough!
“Father, did Mother fall sick suddenly?” She picked up the wine cup beside her. It was sweet. Mo Lan had prepared fruit wine, but it tasted bitter now.
Even her father had felt that her mother had pa.s.sed away suddenly. That meant that her mother’s illness had not been truly critical. So why did she leave behind her last words in a letter to her father? Did her mother sense that she was going to die? Why? A rush of coldness surged up in her heart. She looked down to hide the coldness in her eyes.
“Your mother has always been poorly. But she was not that ill that time. The physician even said that she was fine a few days prior to her death. He said that she only needed to rest well. But who would have thought that she would take things so hard… cough, cough, cough…” Mo Xuetong did not hear the ends of the sentence clearly. It was as if Mo Huawen had suddenly swallowed those words.