Chapter 298: He's suffering too
Xi Hua pursued her lips, "He's that bad?"
Huo Zenghai sighed and tightened his arms around Hua's waist, "I know you think this was all his fault, and I agree. I can't think of a single reason why Xia did that. But..."
"But what?" Xi Hua asked, turning around and wiping her hands on her apron.
Huo Zenghai buried his face in Hua's hair, "But he's suffering too."
Xi Hua's temper flared. She removed Zenghai's arms from around her and walked to the dining table, "You want dinner?" She asked, changing the topic.
Huo Zenghai said nothing as he sat down to eat.
Hua finally sighed after a long time. "I don't doubt that he is suffering too. But I just... I'm not able to believe that Si Xia could ever do that. Have you tried to talk to him?"
Huo Zenghai sighed, "Yeah. But he won't reply to anything other than related to work."
Xi Hua pursued her lips, "He's feeling guilty?"
Huo Zenghai frowned, "I don't know what he is feeling. Maybe guilty it is. He just tries too hard to smother his own emotions, and he's doing a very bad job at it."
Xi Hua's voice cracked, "It can't be worse than Chen."
Huo Zenghai let out a deep breath, "It's not. Si Xia is still feeling things, however hard he tries to stop it. Chen has..."
"Stopped feeling and reacting to anything." Xi Hua finished his sentence.
The two sat in silence for some time before Hua suddenly looked up. "I'm scared Zenghai. I'm really afraid." she said, looking into Zenghai's eyes.
"Why?" Huo Zenghai asked as he took hold of Hua's hand.
"You remember the time when Mo Kio went into coma?" Xi Hua began, but Huo Zenghai understood it and nodded. "She's acting the same way." he completed her sentence.
Hua held her head and said, "I'm afraid that Chen will not snap out of it. I'm afraid of seeing this Chen. Everytime I look at her, I can feel a part of my heart breaking. I now wish that she would go back to needing Si Xia, dying to talk to him, and waiting at his doorstep." Xi Hua broke down by the time she finished. Huo Zenghai stood up and hugged her. "How did it come to this?" he muttered as he stroked Hua's head.
What the two did not know, was that Yu Chen had caught each and every word of the conversation. She listened to Hua break down and Zenghai sniffle a sob, but there was no apparent reaction in her.
Chen listened to the whole conversation and then quietly returned to the living room. She sat down on the couch and bowed her head, deep in thought.
The next day...
Xi Hua entered the apartment after her whole day of work. It had been a busy day and she was looking forward to some dinner, a bath and then a good night's sleep.
"Chen? You in?" Hua called out as she hung her coat and changed her shoes.
"I'm in the living room!" Chen's voice came.
Xi Hua was taken aback hearing the cheerfulness in Chen's voice. She had heard nothing but robotic replies from Chen for the past few days.
"Chen?" Hua was doubtful as she entered the living room.
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