funeral

Wen Tingyi's funeral was held on a cloudy day.

Actually, the original plan was to choose a day with clear skies, but the day chosen according to the weather forecast, whether by coincidence or because Wen Tingyi had committed too many sins in his life, the sky just wouldn't cooperate, and even the heavens didn't want to give him a good look.

Inside the Wen family manor, Wen Xubai attended the funeral under the identity of "Ruan Xu," joining the guests who came to pay their respects with their hands clasped together and silently reciting scriptures.

In the mourning hall, amidst yellow and white chrysanthemums surrounding a black-and-white photograph, Wen Tingyi smiled kindly and gently, appearing as a benevolent old man who had lived a long and peaceful life, looking upon his descendants and relatives who were seeing him off on his final journey. Before him were offerings of fruit and flowers, and in the center of the photograph was an incense burner filled with incense sticks and candles.

Wisps of incense smoke rose, obscuring Wen Tingyi's features. The entire mourning hall was filled with the rich, thick fragrance of sandalwood. Beside him, a highly respected monk specially invited from a temple held prayer beads in one hand, his lips moving as he silently chanted something.

Wen Xubai glanced around the hall without making a sound, and saw many familiar faces.

Wen Tingyi had a wide range of interests and his power spanned various fields during his lifetime. Therefore, among the guests today, in addition to several business tycoons who had close business ties with the Wen family and their relatives, there were also many well-known figures from the police, government, and entertainment circles.

Among them was Zheng Min, the director of the municipal public security bureau.

This person was also one of the main people in charge of investigating Ruan Qing's car accident case. Wen Xuyi has escaped danger several times over the years, and he has benefited a lot from his influence.

In fact, the police and business authorities should avoid getting too close, for fear that if anything happens, the public will protest that they have a "protective umbrella" and stir up resentment towards the rich and power among the people.

But who can blame Wen Tingyi for being so good at pretending?

To be fair, the assets he has invested in charity under various names throughout his military career are probably enough to buy a company of moderate size. Coupled with the exaggerated portrayals by the media, the old man has always appeared in front of the public with an extremely positive image.

Even the old man's sudden death caused quite a stir online, with many of his supporters weeping and expressing their admiration and regret on social media accounts, as if their own father had died.

Outside the manor, a large crowd of people who came to pay their respects, as well as reporters from various media outlets who rushed to the scene, are still gathered, all vying to take a final photo of the old man. Once the funeral concludes today, it's likely that within an hour, reports will be flying everywhere.

The fact that these bigwigs from all walks of life are willing to condescend to come here today is probably just a pretense of mourning. Their real purpose is nothing more than to play the emotional card in front of the media and ride on Wen Tingyi's popularity.

They really don't even spare the dead.

Wen Xubai glanced at the altar expressionlessly.

On stage, Qin Yalin was sobbing uncontrollably, her handkerchief covering her face. Ever since Wen Xuyi went to prison, Qin Yalin's hair had turned completely white overnight, her once taut skin had aged rapidly in just a few months, her once plump figure had shrunk drastically, and there were bluish-purple marks under her eyebrows. She had lost all interest in dressing up and looked like a walking corpse, her eyes vacant and her thin body swaying precariously. She could only stand with Wen Xushi supporting her, and even then, she looked as if she might faint at any moment.

Sensing the gaze, Qi Zui, who was standing behind Qin Yalin, raised his head and met Wen Xubai's gaze from afar.

The moment their eyes met, Wen Xubai's pupils trembled, but he immediately lowered his head as if nothing had happened.

Now is not the time for mutual respect. Too many eyes are watching them. The best way to deal with it is to pretend that the two of them are not familiar with each other.

Qi Zui understood that given their current status, they couldn't stand openly in public, so he simply darkened his gaze and then looked away.

Wen Xuchi and Wen Xushi were both present, but Wen Xuyuan was the only one missing.

He's truly focused all his attention on Ruan Yun now, even skipping his own father's funeral, clearly showing he doesn't care about his image in the media anymore. It's easy to imagine the media making a big deal out of it.

Perhaps because he had dealt with so many troublesome matters in the past, Wen Xubai subconsciously felt a headache coming on. He had been standing for too long today, and his legs were a little sore.

With a slight furrow in his usually indifferent brows, Wen Xubai pinched his thigh to stay awake.

What happens to the Wen family now is no longer his concern.

Just as I was thinking this, I suddenly heard a deep voice in my ear: "Tired?"

Hearing the sound, Wen Xubai looked over and saw Ruan Xing.

His heart sank, but he quickly regained his composure and said calmly, "No."

Ruan Xing's eyes flickered.

Wen Xubai was now at a loss as to how to face the man in front of him. After all, after learning about all his schemes, their relationship could never go back to what it was before. Although he did not show anything in front of Ruan Xing, given Ruan Xing's intelligence, he had probably already guessed a thing or two.

Thinking of this, Wen Xubai forced a slight smile and whispered, "Aren't you tired?"

He could only hope to leave with Qi Zui before Ruan Xing fully discovered their plan. Right now, he needed to appease him to buy as much time as possible.

Unexpectedly, Ruan Xing just smiled when he heard this, and then changed the subject, "Have you gone to see Xiaoyun?"

Ruan Yun? Why are you suddenly asking this?

Wen Xubai was a little puzzled, but nodded frankly: "I looked through the window once. Wen Xuyuan was guarding inside, so I couldn't get in."

Ruan Xing's eyes, which had slight fine lines, suddenly curved into a smile. He said slowly, "Xiao Bai, come to America with me in a while, shall we?"

Wen Xubai's heart skipped a beat, and he looked at the person in front of him in surprise.

Ruan Xing smiled and said, "Xiao Yun's condition has improved a lot recently. I want to take him to America to receive the best treatment. Will you come with me?"

Wen Xubai felt somewhat at a loss.

This was the first time Ruan Xing had spoken to him in a pleading tone.

After all, even though Ruan Xing was such an arrogant person, and always had a smiling face, no one had ever dared to disobey his orders.

Beneath Ruan Xing's "smiling tiger" mask lies a heart utterly ruthless. Therefore, if he wants to do something, he doesn't even need to give orders; as long as he speaks, Wen Xubai will be there without hesitation.

But he actually came to ask Wen Xubai for his opinion?

Something seemed to be churning inside Wen Xubai, and as he looked into Ruan Xing's flickering eyes, his feelings suddenly became very complicated.

He really wanted to ask Ruan Xing: Why did you bring him along?

Did you discover something?

But the words that were about to come out just wouldn't come out. The familiar feeling of being watched came back, and Wen Xubai felt as if he had a thorn in his back.

After a long pause, he lowered his eyes, then slowly raised them again, looking directly into Ruan Xing's eyes, and said, "Okay."

The moment he finished speaking, he saw the smile in Ruan Xing's eyes.

Wen Xubai looked away and saw that Qi Zui in front of the stage had already lowered his head, as if the feeling of being watched just now was just an illusion.

The holy monk beside him continued chanting scriptures, his prayer beads spinning faster and faster, the soft, mosquito-like sound growing more and more frequent, a rustling sound that inexplicably irritated Wen Xubai.

Wen Xushi, who was standing on the stage, suddenly turned his head and said something to Wen Xuchi. Then, the person supporting Qin Yalin became Qi Zui, who had been silent all along, while Wen Xushi silently disappeared into the shadowy crowd.

Today's funeral was entirely handled by Wen Xushi, as Wen Xuyuan was not present. Wen Tingyi became a Buddhist in his later years and had repeatedly stated in the media before his death that he wished for eternal life through Buddhist rituals. The fact that the ceremony was held according to Buddhist rites is in accordance with his wishes.

Wen Xubai had no interest in what Wen Xushi was going to do. He only felt that the mourning hall was extremely stuffy. With each breath, it felt as if sand was being inhaled into his lungs, causing him great pain in his chest.

If Qi Zui were next to him, that would be great.

A thought suddenly popped into my head.

Even Wen Xubai himself was startled by this idea.

Qi Zui was right in front of him, within his sight at any moment... But for some reason, he wanted something even more greedy, something for Qi Zui to stand beside him, hold his hand, and say the words he had said to him countless times before: "I'm here."

With his heart pounding wildly, Wen Xubai quickly pursed his lips, suppressing the stinging pain caused by the sudden unease in his heart.

Just then, a commotion arose outside the hall, accompanied by the roar of car horns, coming from afar and getting closer.

The people inside the hall, who were focused on chanting scriptures, were all startled by the sudden commotion. They all turned to look at the door with increasingly strange expressions, except for Zheng Min, the director of the Public Security Bureau, who remained calm.

A vehicle flashing red and blue lights stopped in front of the funeral hall in full view of everyone. Although there was no deafening horn, its conspicuous markings still startled everyone present when they saw it.

With two clicks, a police officer in a dark blue uniform got out of the front and rear cars respectively. He solemnly opened the rear door, held the gun at his waist, and led the people out of the car.

"Tap-tap-tap" A pair of worn-out sneakers with several holes appeared in front of everyone. The person inside the car slowly poked his head out, and the silver wrist in front of him made a jingling sound. As soon as he poked his head out, he immediately grabbed the hands of two serious-looking policemen on his left and right.

The disheveled man slowly raised his head, revealing a face full of unshaven beard and a pair of empty eyes filled with panic.

The moment they saw the person's face clearly, everyone present widened their eyes. Wen Xubai was startled and unconsciously took a step forward, but was pulled back by a pair of large hands from behind.

Wen Xubai suddenly turned around, and in the noisy crowd, Qi Zui shook his head at him.

The next second, a shrill female voice pierced the sky, and a heart-wrenching scream assaulted everyone's eardrums:

"Xiao Yi!!!"