During lunch break that day, Mu Mian once again opened the chat interface with the intermediary. The last time he contacted the intermediary was a week ago. After waiting for another week, Mu Mian completely lost his patience.

He couldn't help it and tapped on the keyboard again.

Mu Mian: [Hello, is there any news? ]

1 was online all day. After Mu Mian sent the message, he only waited for more than 40 seconds before the other party restored the message.

1: [This is a difficult matter. We haven't found a suitable heart yet. I think I should return the deposit to you.] Mu Mian had expected this outcome, but when he saw 1's reply, he was still heartbroken.

Mu Mian was unwilling to lose his last bright path, so he humbly asked the other party: "Sir, is there no other way?"

1: [What else can I do? I can't just kill people!]

Mu Mian narrowed his eyes.

For Mu Qiu, he really dared to kill people.

Mu Mian was a little absent-minded at work in the afternoon. When it was time to get off work, he packed up and went home. Du Tingting went out for a walk, and only Aunt Zhang was at home. Mu Mian told Aunt Zhang: "Make some braised pig's trotters tonight. Both mother and daughter love it."

"Yes, sir."

Seeing Mu Mian about to go upstairs, Aunt Zhang said to him with some concern: "Sir, the young lady will be back this afternoon."

Last night, Mu Qiu sent a text message saying he was meeting up with friends, and then he didn't come back. His daughter had always been well-behaved, and Mu Mian never suspected Mu Qiu of lying. When Aunt Zhang told him Mu Qiu was back, Mu Mian didn't take it seriously.

Aunt Zhang added, "The young lady's mental state wasn't quite right. When she came back, her eyes were red and swollen. She must have been crying."

"Crying?"

Mu Mian frowned and said, "I understand." Then he went upstairs.

He knocked on Mu Qiu's door, pushed it open and walked in without waiting for Mu Qiu's consent.

Mu Qiu was not asleep. She was watching a movie, the Korean movie "The Eraser in My Head". Mu Qiu wiped her tears and nose with a tissue while watching, looking a little nervous.

Mu Mian turned off her iPad directly.

Mu Qiu raised his red eyes, silently protesting against Mu Mian's domineering behavior.

Mu Mian said: "Today, the people over there replied to my message."

Hearing this, Mu Qiu's pupils trembled slightly.

"What's the result?"

Under Mu Qiu's expectant gaze, Mu Mian shook his head reluctantly. Seeing this, Mu Qiu's eyes instantly dimmed, gray and lifeless. "Is that so..."

Mu Qiu smiled bitterly and comforted himself: "It's okay, Dad, don't feel guilty, you have done too much for me."

Mu Mian was not comforted.

Looking at his daughter's beautiful young face, Mu Mian felt a sharp pain in his heart. "Qiu Tian'er, Daddy can't protect you this time." Mu Mian burst into tears. He held his forehead with one hand, his snot and tears dripping onto his trousers.

"Qiu Qiu'er, Daddy is incompetent and can't protect you..."

"Dad is useless..."

The middle-aged man's tears burned Mu Qiu's heart.

Mu Qiu hugged his father's shoulders tightly and cried to him, "Dad, you are the best dad in the world. I am already very satisfied just to say goodbye to Mom and Dad before leaving."

Compared to those who passed away without even having the chance to say goodbye, Mu Qiu was already very lucky.

It was a good thing that Mu Qiu thought this way, but Mu Mian couldn't accept such a result. "You are my baby, Daddy can't bear to see you go."

"Dad, please don't do this. It makes me feel bad..."

The father and daughter hugged each other and cried in despair.

At dinner, the father and daughter tacitly agreed not to talk about the matter again, both pretending to be relaxed. Du Tingting didn't notice the secret between the father and daughter. She told Mu Mian: "Song Ci called me today."

"She?" Mu Mian didn't want to talk about Song Ci any more, so he didn't ask any more questions. Mu Qiu, however, after hearing this, asked with concern, "Did your sister have a good time in Austria?"

"Of course she had fun, but she was worried about Song Fei."

"Song Fei?" Mu Qiu asked, "What happened to Song Fei? Didn't she wake up? Why are you still worried about Song Fei?"

Mu Mian also looked at Du Tingting, feeling a little curious.

"You don't know, do you?" Du Tingting told them, "Song Fei actually went to Congo, saying she was going there to study viruses." Du Tingting shook her head and said with emotion, "I heard that Congo is a very chaotic place. Song Ci is naturally worried about Song Fei going there."

Mu Mian snorted coldly, saying without any sympathy: "If something really happens, she deserves it. She knew it was dangerous over there, so why did she go there!"

Mu Qiu frowned, a little worried about Song Fei's situation. "I've also heard that there's political unrest in Congo. A few days ago, I saw news reports that there were riots and deaths. What if Song Fei is really in trouble? What should we do..."

When Mu Mian heard this, he stopped eating and stared at the bowl of soup in front of him, lost in thought.

Song Fei was a person of her own opinion, and Du Tingting didn't want to talk about her affairs. Thinking of another thing, Du Tingting held Mu Mian's hand and said to him, "In two days it will be the anniversary of my father-in-law's death. I won't accompany you to pay homage to him this year."

Mu Mian's father was an alcoholic. The year Mu Mian graduated from university, he got drunk and fell into the river. When his body was found, it had already taken on the appearance of a giant.

After his death, Father Mu was cremated, but his ashes were not buried but placed directly in the resting place.

Du Tingting was a bit superstitious. She didn't want to go to a place like the Resting Hall, which was filled with gloomy energy, while she was pregnant. Mu Mian naturally had no objection. He said, "You shouldn't go to such places while you're pregnant. Just stay at home and recuperate."

"Um."

Mu Mian asked Mu Qiu again: "What about you? Will you come with me?"

Mu Qiu shook his head and said, "I won't go either." Anyway, he would be meeting his grandfather in the underworld soon and was too lazy to make a trip.

"Then I'll go alone."

...

The next day, Mu Mian got up early, changed into a pure black suit, and drove to the resting place alone to pay tribute to his deceased father.

On the way, he stopped at a small shop and bought a bottle of Erguotou. Mu Mian's father, Mu Congjun, was an alcoholic. Mu Mian came to visit his father and brought nothing but a small bottle of wine.

Mu Mian took out the Erguotou he brought last year, put it in a small bag, and then placed the newly bought wine next to the urn.

Staring at his father's photo on the urn, Mu Mian's eyes showed no nostalgia or emotion, only indifference and mockery. "Dad, Erguotou, this is your favorite. I brought it for you."

As he spoke, a sardonic smile played on his lips. "Every time you got drunk, you beat my mother. Eventually, she couldn't stand the bullying anymore and hanged herself. I've always wanted to ask you, when you woke up that morning and saw your dead wife hanging from your door, did you regret it for even a second?"