Chapter 64: My Nature - You're My Father, But That Doesn't Stop Me from Hating You
Gu Mingxia sat by the hospital bed. Although her voice was cold, she held Gu Huaikun's hand tightly and showed no intention of letting go.
Looking at the man whose hair had turned white and wrinkles had appeared, who no longer possessed the domineering aura he once had, she felt a pang of indescribable sorrow.
The Gu family is a traditional, large clan, where a head is chosen in each generation. The daily power struggles within such a family are like the intrigue and backstabbing depicted in Hong Kong and Taiwanese dramas about wealthy families. She wondered if this man ever felt weary facing all that, and how much hardship he endured to provide them with a comfortable life. She also couldn't fathom how much time and…human effort he had sacrificed in this materialistic society to maintain the prosperity of a traditional clan!
But she couldn't love a man who was willing to sacrifice everything for his family, because such a man was destined not to be a good husband or a good father!
For the sake of his family, he could allow his wife and son to be murdered; for the sake of his family, he could ruthlessly expel his daughter, who had brought shame upon the family, from the clan; and for the sake of his family, he could ignore his daughter for seven years.
So Gu Mingxia hated this man, but no matter how much she hated him, she never thought of killing him! Perhaps this is what is called the natural bond between father and daughter. No matter how many barriers and conflicts there are, there is always a blood ties between father and daughter that cannot be severed even if they travel to the ends of the earth!
"Dad, it's been seven years since I called you that! You know, when you kicked me out of the Gu family, I really hated you! I couldn't understand why marriage had to be based on interests? Why did I have to marry a man I didn't love at all for the sake of the Gu family? But now, seeing Bai Zixuan cheat on me, willing to give up his self-respect and do despicable things for a little money, I realize that you were right back then. A man like that is definitely not worth marrying!"
“Dad, I hated you a lot during the first few years of my marriage to Bai Zixuan. I hated you as his father-in-law for watching your son-in-law suffer setbacks in the business world. I hated your ruthlessness and your failure to help him. But it wasn't until he ruthlessly schemed to leave me with nothing that I started to think that you might have had your own good intentions. A man who can't build his own empire to protect his woman doesn't deserve to be called a man.”
Gu Mingxia held Gu Huaikun's hand. Actually, there were many things she couldn't understand, but she just didn't want to think about them. Only when he lay helplessly in the emergency room, waiting for fate to decide, did Gu Mingxia become willing to think about it and admit that Gu Huaikun's opposition back then was right, and that Bai Zixuan was indeed not the right person for her.
He still remembered Gu Huaikun's words: "If you were to marry Xiao Yan, I would definitely agree, but not Bai Zixuan. His eyes are shifty, filled with too much ambition and desire. A man like that can't give you happiness!"
When Xiao Yan disappeared, perhaps to escape reality, or perhaps to oppose Gu Huaikun, Gu Mingxia chose to leave the Gu family and marry Bai Zixuan, who had nothing.
It wasn't until he devised a plan to leave with nothing that Gu Mingxia had to admit that experience still matters!
"Dad, you are my dad, but you hid the real cause of Mom and Adong's deaths for the sake of the family. I can never forgive you for that! You are my dad, and we have an unbreakable blood bond, but... that still doesn't stop me from hating you! So, you must get better. Only when you get better and live well will I have someone to hate. Dad, get well soon. The family needs you, and I... need you too!"
After Gu Mingxia finished speaking, she pressed Gu Huaikun's hand against her face. When they were little, Gu Huaikun doted on her more than her younger brother, and he basically obeyed her every request. He never disappointed her. But as she grew up, she developed her own ideas and life. It wasn't until they got married that the two of them had their biggest conflict. These conflicts drew a deep chasm between the father and daughter that lasted seven years!
Releasing Gu Huaikun's hand, Gu Mingxia stood up and leaned down to kiss his forehead.
"Dad, you get some rest. I'm going back now. I'll come see you again tomorrow!"
As soon as she turned around, Gu Mingxia felt her hand being gently grasped. Looking back, she saw tears streaming down Gu Huaikun's face.
"Xiaxia...I...I'm sorry!"
Gu Huaikun's speech wasn't very fluent, but he still stared at Gu Mingxia with his eyes open. His once bright, cold, and domineering eyes had become lifeless, just like the listless eyes of any elderly person on the street.
Gu Mingxia felt a lump in her throat, turned around and took Gu Huaikun's hand again, giving him a sincere smile.
"Don't think about anything, just rest well, cooperate with the doctor's treatment, and try to be discharged from the hospital as soon as possible!"
"Xiaxia, your mother...Adong...you...don't...be in danger..."
Gu Huaikun's language system was affected by a brain hemorrhage, making it difficult for him to utter a complete sentence. However, Gu Mingxia clearly understood this sentence. It seemed that everyone who knew Gu Mingxia wanted to find out the truth had advised her to give up and had also told her that there would be danger.
But... what kind of danger could there be?
"Dad, you know I can't give up on investigating. Okay, you get some rest. I have things to do, I'll come see you again after get off work tomorrow!"
"No...danger...Alan...doesn't want this..."
Pulling her hand away from Gu Huaikun's, Gu Mingxia turned and walked out of the ICU ward with a heavy heart. Taking off her mask and letting out a long sigh, she gave a cold snort when she saw Gu Huaixin and Qin Yueru.
"Uncle Lin, don't let those two people come near my dad again. If you can't do that, I'll hire someone else to take care of him!"
Hearing Gu Mingxia say this, Lin Fu looked very serious.
"Don't worry, Miss. With me, Lin Fu, here, I guarantee they won't get a single step near Master!"
Gu Mingxia nodded, then glared at Qin Yueru, who immediately turned and walked away in fright. Only then did she call Xiao Yan to go back together.
"What, you're planning to forgive him?"
On the way back, Xiao Yan casually asked a question, but Gu Mingxia leaned back in her chair, pinching her brow with her hand, and didn't answer his question for a long time.
Just when Xiao Yan thought Gu Mingxia didn't want to answer him, Gu Mingxia's slightly tired voice reached his ears.
“I always thought I would be happy to hear that he was critically ill, but that wasn’t the case. When I heard that he was critically ill and saw that his hospital room was empty, to be honest, I was terrified. Suddenly… suddenly I felt that if he died too, who would I hate in the future? I… I suddenly realized that I never really wanted him to die. My so-called hatred was just an excuse for not being able to forgive him, yet not wanting him to die! Xiao Yan, do you understand? If he dies too, then I will have no family left in this world, no blood relatives left!”
"Xiaxia, if hatred makes you suffer, you... can try to forgive him. No matter what, he is still your father. In this world, family is very important because you can find another one to replace friendship and love if you lose them, but family is irreplaceable. Once you lose it, you can never get it back!"
Xiao Yan spoke casually, but he couldn't hide the faint melancholy and sadness in his voice. Gu Mingxia, preoccupied with her own thoughts, didn't notice his unusual demeanor.
"Family ties are like a one-way journey. You never know at which stop your loved ones will get off. Once someone gets off, there's no going back, because it's a one-way train that can only move forward and never return! Xiaxia, do what you want to do, and never do things you'll regret later!"
Gu Mingxia relaxed her brow and looked at Xiao Yan with tender eyes.
"And you, have you ever regretted anything? Have you ever done anything that you'll regret later?"
Xiao Yan's hands froze for a moment as he drove, but he quickly regained his composure. His face was cold, his eyes were expressionless, and even his voice was devoid of intonation.
"No! I would never do something I'd regret!"
Is that so? So you can stay away for seven years, so you can abandon me for seven years without asking about me, right? Gu Mingxia's pride prevented her from asking these questions. She looked at Xiao Yan for a long time. In fact, for so long, she had wanted to know why Xiao Yan had disappeared for seven years, but her pride prevented her from asking. So, since Xiao Yan didn't say anything, she remained silent as well.
Why are you staring at me? Do I have something on my face?
Feeling Gu Mingxia staring at him, Xiao Yan turned his head and reached out to flick her nose. Gu Mingxia smiled awkwardly, sat up straight, and looked out the window.
"It's nothing, I just find it strange that such profound and philosophical words are not something a big ice block like you would say. I wanted to see if this was really the Xiao Yan I knew seven years ago!"
Sensing the hidden meaning in Gu Mingxia's words, Xiao Yan merely raised an eyebrow without offering any explanation. Gu Mingxia put her hands behind her head and simply closed her eyes to rest, trying not to think about anything.
Xiaxia, one day I will tell you the truth about everything, but not now. So please believe me, no matter what has happened or what will happen in the future, my heart for you will always remain the same!
"Xiao Yan, is your sister-in-law with you?"
Liang Yuhao's voice came through the Bluetooth headset. Xiao Yan glanced at Gu Mingxia, who looked exhausted, and spoke softly.
"Yes, is there anything you need from her?"
"It's nothing, I just couldn't get through to her on the phone. The company just received a registered letter from Nanjing addressed to my sister-in-law, and since I couldn't reach her by phone, I took the liberty of signing for it!"
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