Chapter 11 What They Really Cared About
That was how I dragged myself through the remaining two years of junior high.
Mu Weiyi still had no confirmed whereabouts. My parents gradually lost hope. Their health declined too.
Especially my father. He developed high blood pressure and heart disease and kept ending up in the hospital.
My mother carried the entire toy factory on her own. She overworked herself and eventually collapsed in bed.
The family never got better. Because Mu Weiyi was gone, everyone sank into heavy gloom.
The only decent news was that I did well on the senior high entrance exam—my score landed in the highest tier.
Relatives came to visit. One patted my father's shoulder and spoke earnestly.
"Brother Mu, I'll say something unpleasant. A missing child isn't easy to find. The lucky ones come back in three to five years. The unlucky ones... even twenty or thirty years isn't impossible."
"Now that Nanfang is so promising, you mustn't hold her back anymore. Focus on her. At least you'll have someone to rely on when you're old, right?"
Through the door, I heard my father stay silent. Then came the faint sound of choked sobs.
They had never truly let her go. Her three-year-old princess-dress photo still hung in the living room.
Just like I could never truly let Changsheng go.
After a while, he finally spoke.
"You don't understand. Her mom and I only focused on Nanfang because we had no choice after Weiyi disappeared."
"We're not heartless. We're not afraid of having no one to care for us in old age. We're only afraid that one day we'll be old, we'll die, and if Weiyi comes back, there will be no one left to protect her!"
"That child Nanfang has always been stingy and sensitive. She wasn't likable. Her mom and I were harsh with her—scolded her, hit her. Now we're making it up to her only so she won't hold a grudge against this family. In the future, we hope she'll treat her sister better..."
I pressed myself tightly against the wall. My teeth clenched so hard they hurt. I made no sound.
But my body shook violently.
I had thought their change in attitude toward me came because I was outstanding enough to take Mu Weiyi's place.
I was dreaming.
They still only cared about Mu Weiyi!
The relative let out a deep sigh.
While they talked, I clenched my fists and slipped away from that painful place without a sound.