222 UNCOMFORTABLE

There was another long moment of silence in the living room. Chu Ling and Zhong Tian did not know how to begin the conversation. As people who had remained on top of the social hierarchy in Supreme City and the country, they had never had to admit their wrongdoing.

Therefore, they felt uncomfortable about the situation.

Since the last time they had seen Hu Lei, they had talked about the union between their son and Hu Lei. They had realised that they had been a little haste in their judgement. However, they had not had the intention of apologising for their poor behaviour.

They had hoped to slowly mend the relationship with Hu Lei slowly. They believed that if they showed a difference in attitude, she would see their intention for reconciliation. After a while, they would be able to move past the unpleasantness.

However, they had not anticipated that the elder would find out about the matter that occurred years ago. They had never explained the actual process of how Feng'er had gotten well when he had been at the brink of death. They had only told him that they had found a godly doctor to treat him.

It could be assumed that Zhong Feng had told his grandfather the entire story. And the elder was not happy with his son and his daughter-in-law.

The two of them could remember that elderly face looking down at them.

"Is this how I raised you, Zhong Tian? Has our family become a den for ingrates?" The old man had shaken an angry fist at his father.

"And you," he had turned to Chu Ling. "How can you sleep at night as a mother after treating the child who saved your son so poorly? You even tried to oust her?"

"And do not speak of the compensation you gave the doctor. Can the gift of life that the girl gave be bought? Is my grandson so cheap?"

The old man had ranted and chided them.

At the beginning, the two people had been unwilling. Chu Ling had even brought up the matter of Hu Lei leaving Zhong Feng for years and returning like nothing happened.

Elder Zhong had looked at her like she was crazy. As an old fox, he had some knowledge about people. And he had wondered why there was a sense of haunting in Hu Lei's eyes. Hearing about her absence, he felt that the matter was not simple.

"Why do you want to involve yourselves in every details of the children's life? If Zhong Feng can be with her after that time, who are you to speak to the contrary? Do you believe that he is stupid and cannot make his own decisions?" He had responded.

After a while, he had sighed, looking at their faces. "Do you genuinely believe that Hu Lei is a bad child?"

As Zhong Tian and Chu Li looked at Hu Lei seated across from them, they felt the guilt in their hearts weigh them down. They had never thought that Hu Lei was not a good woman. In fact, she seemed perfect for Zhong Feng. She made him happy.

Chu Ling had begged and even kneeled down to them, asking them to think of another way to rescue her baby. When she had met the grown up Hu Lei, the memories of that time had come flooding back. She had felt like the girl had come back to haunt her.

Zhong Tian had also felt burdened because Zhong Feng's poor health had been as a result of his own failings. And Hu Lei and her father had been the ones who had helped him remedy the consequences of failing to guard against the plots against his family.

Yes, they knew that their bias against the girl had been from their own hearts.

And, they needed to make amends.

"Hu Lei, we came to apologise to you." Chu Ling firmed her resolve and spoke up.

Hu Lei did not expect her mother-in-law to speak such words.

Without giving an opportunity for a response, Chu Ling continued. "We know that we have been harsh in our judgement of you. We are sorry."

Hu Le felt like she could not bear this apology. "There is no apology necessary. You were just trying to protect Ah-Feng."

Chu Ling sighed. "That was only part of it. Actually, we were also uncomfortable with you because of the matter that happened years ago. We know that you do not remember."

"Ah-Feng told me a little about it."

"It was such a dark time in our lives that we do not like thinking about it. We should not have blamed you. We should have thanked you."

Hu Lei finally understood the matter, and the resentment that she had for these older people reduced. In her life, she had seen a lot of people die, both as a doctor's assistant and as a killer. She knew that in those moments, there was no meaning to human dignity. Those facing death begged, cried and forgot about shame.

And their loved ones would spare nothing, even their souls, to have one more moment.

In such a time, there was no status, just life and death.

And no one wished to remember the moments during which their souls, hearts and minds were torn and exposed to the world.