When I stepped into the familiar and warm front room of my grandmother's house, I did not catch sight of my father. Instead, my eyes were drawn to a gentle woman.
Lanxin!
As soon as I saw the woman who my father had introduced as his little wife, my heart sank:
"You sly wench, what are you doing at my grandmother's house?"
Lanxin blushed to her cheeks instantly.
However, she did not pay attention to my impoliteness towards her, and instead, spoke with a tone that was extremely sincere:
"Zhang Long, I know there are many misunderstandings and dissatisfactions between us, but now is not the time to dwell on these. Your father... He was involved in a car accident, and his condition is very serious. The doctors said... He may not be able to hold on for much longer. His only wish is to see you one last time before he passes away…"
At this point, Lanxin's eyes finally couldn't help but redden, and glistening tears swirled in them. She struggled to contain them, but they never fell.
Seeing her in this state, I couldn't help but feel a mix of complex emotions in my heart.
No matter what, Zhang Ziwen is my father, and his blood flows through my veins.
I heard that he's not going to make it, and I can't help but feel a bit sad.
After struggling to control my emotions, I asked with a worried expression:
"What's going on?"
Lanxin choked out, "Last night, after dinner, your father and I went for a walk. As we were crossing a pedestrian crossing at an intersection, a concrete mixer truck lost control and came crashing towards us. Your father pushed me out of the way without thinking, but he was hit by the car and flew seven or eight meters..."
After finishing the story of the car accident, Lanxin couldn't hold back her tears and sobbed uncontrollably.
Seeing her in such a state of grief, I felt a bit moved.
But I still believe that this woman has no good intentions being with my father.
Otherwise, she is 18 years younger than my father, so how could she possibly have married him?
Isn't she after my father's money?
I said coldly, "Isn't this the result you wanted?"
Lanxin wiped away her tears and asked, "What do you mean by that?"
I stared at her with a cold expression and said bluntly:
"My father is going to die, and then won't you be able to take over his fortune as you wish? Don't pretend to be pitiful in front of me. Stop your crocodile tears and don't disgust people here!"
"You..."
Lanxin seemed to be taken aback by my anger and couldn't say anything for a moment.
I pressed on, "What did I say? Did I say something wrong? During the three years I was abandoned by my father, did you come to see me at all? My father is about to die and only now remembers me, sending you here to find me. Don't you think this is very absurd?"
This statement completely stunned Lanxin.
Lanxin knew in her heart that my father had indeed been too much.
Although she had often advised him to visit me and try to convince me to go home, Zhang Ziwen was a born stubborn person and wouldn't listen to her at all. He treated her as if she had no son.
So, it seems no matter how much she talks, she can't explain it clearly to me.
Standing aside, my grandmother couldn't bear to watch any longer and scolded with a stern tone:
I said stubbornly, "She's just a fox spirit, how can I speak to her?"
Grandma said seriously, "Regardless of the situation, your stepmother came looking for you to go back with your father. You can't treat her like this."
I asked rebelliously, "Then what should I do?"
Grandma said with deep affection, "Dragon, you're no longer a little child. You can't be too headstrong. You shouldn't call your stepmother 'fox spirit' left and right. It's not only unkind but also hurtful to her self-esteem. Go back with her and see your father one last time. Otherwise, you will regret it for the rest of your life!"
I thought Grandmother made a good point, so I stopped arguing with Lanxin.
I walked straight to the Audi A6 sedan, opened the door, and sat in the back seat.
Lanxin was relieved to see that I was willing to go back home with her.
Worried that I might change my mind suddenly, she first took her leave from Grandma and then rushed into the car's driver's seat, quickly started the engine, and drove away.
The car inside emitted a wonderful aroma.
It was a faint sweat smell, the scent of a mature woman, the smell of high heels' leather and nylon stockings, mixed together to form a special aroma.
For a boy just turning eighteen, full of youthful vigor and hormonal surges, it was undoubtedly a powerful temptation.
However, when I think of this woman as the one who seduced my father, causing him to get into the accident that almost cost him his life, I felt a strong rejection towards her.
That fragrance that once captivated me now smelled horribly offensive, as if it had been instantly overtaken by decay and regret, emitting a repulsive sour and moldy odor.
As I pondered how to face this woman, Lanxin spoke first:
"Do you really see me as a fox spirit in your heart?"
"What else could it be?" I coldly looked at her through the rearview mirror.
Lanxin pulled at the corners of her mouth: "That's because you don't really know me!"
I said very directly, "For a woman like you, I don't need to understand. I just want to know why you married a man who is 18 years older than you, aren't you after my father's money?"
Anyway, I've already offended this woman.
There's nothing wrong with saying the truth that I've been harboring for a long time to strike her down. At least it can vent my anger.
Lanxin hesitated for a moment and said, "You said wrong, I didn't see his money in the first place."
I asked, "Then what do you like about him?"
"I was with your father because of gratitude..." Lanxin began to tell the story of her relationship with my father.
"Actually, she was a university student."
Because her family was poor, her parents couldn't afford to pay for her university education. To complete her studies, she was reading and working part-time outside the campus.
One night, she was returning to school after working at night, and she was stopped by a group of gangsters.
The gangsters, seeing that she was very beautiful, had ill intentions towards her.
Just as they were about to rape her, your father suddenly appeared.
The gangsters, seeing that your father had interrupted their plan, were very angry and started hitting your father.
In the middle of the fight, one of the thugs stabbed your father three times with a knife.
Your father fell to the ground, soaked in blood.
The gangsters, thinking they had caused a fatal incident, all ran away in a panic.
She immediately called an ambulance, took your father to the hospital, and after a series of medical treatments, he was out of danger.
That's how they met.
As a result, my father provided her financial support and helped her finish her university education.
After listening to Lanxin's story, my mind immediately flashed back to a day when I was 10 years old.
Judging by the timeline, Lanxin's story seems to be true and she is not lying to me.
Although this is the case, I still feel that she's insincere and I don't want to let her go.
I said in a derogatory manner, "What a heroic rescue story! Are you telling me that you and my father had already hooked up from that moment on?"
Lanxin was now both ashamed and anxious, her face flushed red.
For a moment, she looked at me through the rearview mirror, with a faint hint of resentment in her voice:
"Zhang Long, please don't use the harsh term 'hooked up' to tarnish the pure feelings between me and your father, okay?"
Her voice was soft and slightly trembling, and her tone was also some what helpless.
The expression of resentment hidden beneath her firmness and grievance. The glow in her hair and the tears in the corners of her eyes blended together.
