Chapter 365 - Shocking News

*Present*

As He Lijuan was once again brought in, she told about her meeting with Han Zongying where she had confessed everything under Yunru's pressure

And now, she was extremely pale as she sensed the alarming auras, especially coming from Han Huizhong and Han Tian. She broke into a cold sweat.

I-I am so scared... What will they do now? It's been years now already! Come on! She is already dead.

Zhiyuan quietly signaled Yunru to send her back. She was to be dealt with, no doubt about it. But now wasn't the time for it. Yunru slightly nodded and said, "Leave."

He Lijuan was shocked. 

J-Just like that?

But she didn't care about it. She rushed out of the room, wanting to get away from them as soon as possible.

I will leave this city tonight itself!

Which was useless because Yunru had already taken care of the arrangements to prevent her from running away. He knew how her mind would work.

Han Huizhong collapsed back, defeated. He was trembling all over and tears fell from his eyes. The past that had shaped him to get revenge against An Guoting turned out to be his biggest nightmare.

To realize that his own daughter was behind everything crushed his heart. Everything that he did until now was meaningless. The whole revenge and justice for Han Zongying was nothing but a joke.

Where did I go wrong in raising her? What did I...

An Guoting said, "I...was too soft," he chuckled in a self-deprecating voice, "Yueqin never used to like that about me - that I was too gentle. She used to scold me a lot that I need to toughen up."

Caihong silently sniffled and tightly held her father's hand, who looked guilty and ashamed.

"I hid her truth only because I felt that no parent should come to know about this side of his daughter. It was too painful to bear. Your health had already weakened as soon as you came to know that she was assaulted. If you knew that she had forced me by the threat of her suicide, you would be devastated. I didn't want to destroy a family.

She had already ruined my life. I didn't want you all to become disappointed in her too. And honestly, I didn't care about the accusation. She played with my emotions for Yueqin, and by that point when I learned that she was never alive, I simply had no energy to confront you with the truth."

His trembling hands covered his face as broke down. "But...I had no idea that you were plotting for revenge all this time. Zongying killed herself, and I thought you would wage a war against me once again, thinking that she did so because of me. But you never confronted me. I was taken aback, but then I forgot about it because you did. But you actually never did. Then suddenly years later, I came to know that Caihong was…" he shuddered and gasped. 

"For a moment, I really wondered if you were behind that incident. But it had been more than twenty years by then, and I thought that would you really bear that grudge and wait for so long until my daughter was old enough to have your revenge? It seemed impossible. It seemed stupid. Our families had stayed away. Our businesses never crossed paths. So I thought everything related to Han Zongying was over. But Caihong and Zhiyuan were dating. Maybe that triggered you thinking about the past, and you suddenly desired to have revenge."

An Guoting's eyes were slightly swollen, tired and reddish as he looked at Han Huizhong.

"But I discarded your involvement when I learned that it was actually Xiaosi who had assaulted my daughter. And Xiaosi wasn't remotely related to the past. To everyone, it happened because he had his own grudges against Zhiyuan. So, he targeted Caihong to hurt him."

His cries that resounded in the room were so heart-clenching that everybody had tears with him in their eyes.

"But then after the reunion gathering, I finally learned the truth. It was you all along. Xiaosi was only trying to protect her. We had misunderstood him. And the moment I realized this, I felt the earth shake beneath my feet. You were always the culprit! You let my daughter suffer for nothing!" His chest heaved up and down, furious at Caihong's sadness and despair she bore for seven years.

"But even so, I said nothing. Because I didn't feel the point of doing that anymore. I blamed myself for misery," Tears fell on the floor as he sobbed, "Yueqin was right...I am stupid because I have a soft heart. I should have confessed everything years ago. Then my daughter would have never suffered…

And Caihong had moved past her grief too. She began to accept Xiaosi and Chyou. She was finally embracing the happiness and family she always deserved to have. At that point when everyone was moving forward, I didn't wish to rake the past and bring out all the buried secrets. Our children had suffered enough already by you dragging the past in their lives."

Han Huizhong trembled.

"I didn't want to do the same thing as you when everyone was finally getting their happiness. I left the past where it was and looked at the future. The only reason I visit her grave is because I could never shake off the guilt of betraying Yueqin…"

He slowly met his gaze with Zizi's. His heart was filled with mixed emotions as he stared at his daughter. It twisted in pain to know that he never knew her identity.

"Zizi."

She stiffened. Her expression looked paler than before.

Until yesterday, he was Uncle An for her. But now, that man was her biological father. She couldn't face him, so she simply kept her head lowered.

"It's a pity that Zongying hated you. I don't know what she was thinking. But trust me. I don't despise your existence. No matter how that night transpired, it wasn't your fault. If I had learned about her pregnancy at that time, I would have taken your responsibility for sure."

Zizi trembled, and her eyes teared up. 

Amidst the long silence, Caihong's phone suddenly buzzed. She saw a number and frowned.

She picked it and whispered, "I am sorry, I cannot talk right now-"

"I am sorry, Mam, but this is really urgent! Am I talking to Mr. Zhu Xiaosi's wife? Mrs. Zhu Caihong?"

She blinked. She cautiously said, "...Yes. Who's asking?"

"Mrs. Zhu. I am speaking from XX hospital. I need you to immediately come here.. Your husband had been in a car accident. He is in the operation theatre in a critical condition!"