Chapter 49 - Cen Muqi, Can You Come and Hug Me?

Ji Naitang rolled his sleeves down and calmly said, “I didn’t show you this so you can compensate me. I just want to tell you when I needed help when I was young, no one helped me. And now, I don’t need it.”

“It’s my fault. I didn’t protect you. Every time I saw them abuse you, my heart hurt. But I……”

“Do you want to say ‘But what could I have done?’ I’m tired of hearing that. Actually, I don’t really hate Ji Weilou. Although he abused me, at least he abused only me. He didn’t hurt anyone around me. That’s not the same as what you people did.”

Ji Naitang started to walk away. Qiu Yue could only stand there and look at his departing back. She had been thinking that she and her son would one day make up with each other. But now it seemed that it wasn’t possible.

Ji Naitang looked like he was leaving breezily, but his hands by his sides couldn’t stop shaking. Humans were like this sometimes. The more you tried to forget it, the more you couldn’t forget it.

He hailed a taxi after he walked out the hospital. He was planning to return to the apartment, but he suddenly changed his mind when he got in the taxi. He was going to the cemetery.

It was almost 4:00 in the afternoon. Few people would normally come to the cemetery at this time. Ji Naitang walked slowly. There was no one around and it was very quiet.

He stopped slowly in front of a tombstone. He crouched down on the ground and leaned against the tombstone. He choked out, “Brother, I miss you a lot.”

Like before, only the cold tombstone responded. “I came here in a hurry, so I forgot to bring your favorite lilies. Will you blame me?”

Tears fell on the tombstone. It was like a sign was given to the overcast sky. Large drops of rain started falling down. It became a huge downpour in an instant.

Ji Naitang was drenched in a short period of time, but he didn’t want to move. He simply sat on the ground. He actually didn’t come here often. The main reason was he didn’t know if Ji Moyu wanted to see him.

He couldn’t help but think of the time seventeen years ago when he first saw Ji Moyu. Ji Naitang thought sadly that if he hadn’t chosen Ji Moyu back then, maybe Ji Moyu would be living a good life right now.

The tragedy started because of him. And it was him who completely pushed Ji Moyu into the abyss. So, Ji Moyu must hate him. He definitely must not want to see him.

“TangTang, don’t go out. It’s too cold outside. You still have a cold.”

Ten-year-old Ji Moyu pulled on Ji Naitang, who wanted to go out and play in the snow. Ji Naitang pouted, “But I want to have a snowball fight.”

“But you’ll have to take more medicine if your cold gets worse. Do you want to take medicine?”

Ji Naitang thought about it and asked, “If I take medicine, will you coax me with candy?”

“Yes.” Ji Moyu answered without hesitation, but he added, “But I want you to get better soon because being sick is very painful and the medicine is very bitter. I don’t want you to suffer.”

Ji Naitang’s small face looked out of the window at a loss. He muttered, “When my cold is gone, the snow would be melted.”

Ji Moyu couldn’t bear it and comforted, “Don’t be scared. When I grow up, I will take you somewhere where it snows year-round to play, okay?”

“There’s really such a place?”

“En.”

“Then you have to take me, brother. Let’s pinky swear.”

“Okay. Let’s pinky swear. TangTang, I will take you wherever you want to go.”

Two small figures leaned together happily. It was snowing outside, but they were very warm.

It was not like now when one person leaned on a cold tombstone alone without that warmth.

Ji Naitang’s memories were interrupted by his phone’s ringtone. He took out his phone with some difficulty. The phone was drenched in rain for long, but it was still working. However, it was raining too hard, so he couldn’t see who was calling him.

He pressed the answer button and placed it on his ear. Cen Muqi’s voice sounded from the phone. “Ji Naitang, you’re not home yet?”

Cen Muqi was probably home and called him when he didn’t see him. Ji Naitang tried several times, but he couldn’t say a word.

Cen Muqi was puzzled. “Are you okay, Ji Naitang? It’s raining really hard. If you’re at the hospital, wait for the rain to stop before you come back.”

Ji Naitang’s nose felt tart. His voice contained a sob, “Cen Muqi, can you come and hug me?”