Chương 18: Filled With Regrets

"W-what?" Xu Suying retracted her hand from her purse. What was it that would make someone like Xiong Jingfei this excited?

Xiong Jingfei grinned, wanting to share the news with her best friend. She wrote down, 'They're filming that scene today!'

"Really?" Xu Suying exclaimed, jumping up with excitement as well. Causing the students around them to loudly "shush" them. Both of them smiled at each other in embarrassment and sat back down. "What are you still doing here? Go! Go!"

Xu Suying helped pack up Xiong Jingfei textbooks and papers on the table. However, Xiong Jingfei did not leave without giving her a small punishment. Xu Suying rubbed her left cheek pinched by Xiong Jingfei who rushed out those library doors.

"I feel like I forgot something..." Xu Suying smacked her forehead and dug through her purse for that small piece of paper. She unfolded it and read the name she wrote down. "Yang Zheyan... Oh well. I helped consummate their marriage faster."

****

Everyone was giving Xiong Jingfei the stare seeing her run towards the main entrance. However, she did not care because the library building and the main entrance is quite a distance. She can't afford to waste any time. When she reached the gate, she looked to the left and right, hoping a taxi will come by. Unfortunately, there was no taxi or any other cars in sight. She may have a better chance by taking the bus, but it would not go to the rural area.

While thinking of a solution, a luxurious black car came to an abrupt stop in front of her. The window rolled down, and a tranquilizing voice, asked, "Need a ride?"

Xiong Jingfei bent down to see the owner of the car that was attracting onlookers. Her face turned sour, seeing the owner. With a huff, she walked the other way to check if there was any other oncoming car.

Yang Zheyan got out of his car and strolled after her nonchalantly. "You won't find any cars here at this time of the day. You'll have to wait for a very very very long time for a chance 'if' any cars come by."

He purposely put in many "very" in his sentence to let her know that it'll take a long time. She appeared to look like she was in a hurry somewhere. So her best choice will be only him.

Xiong Jingfei ignored him with her back turned towards him.

An Jing is a private college, so it's rare for any taxi to come in the area. They also didn't have any reason to either. It was a waste of gas, time, and money. More than half or if anything all the students who attend An Jing University comes from a wealthy family. Their family will have a chauffeur who will drop and pick them up once their classes are over.

Sadly, Xiong Jingfei was in a different situation from the other students. She was cut off from her father's money tree when she moved out of his house.

"You ungrateful brat!" Xiong Guozhi shouted, standing at the top of the twenty-plus flight of steps. Then he pointed his finger at seventeen-year-old, Xiong Jingfei. "Try taking another step out that door! Do not call me father anymore!"

Xiong Jingfei scoffed. Taking another step, she opened the door, letting the sun radiant into the dark house.

"Y-you! I'll see how you can live without my money!" Xiong Guozhi tried a different method to threaten his daughter from leaving. Seeing her put down her bag, his anger started to dissipate. Maybe this naive daughter of his has thought things through.

Xiong Jingfei only put her bag down to grab her tablet. She wrote, 'I don't need your money. I still have what my mother left for me. In case you forgot who is the true lady of this household. It is Yin Yingtai!'

"Don't bring your mother's name in this!" Xiong Guozhi anger returned as quickly as it left. Xiong Jingfei was trying to provoke him by using her mother's name. She knows very well that her name is forbidden in front of him.

'You seemed to have forgotten about my mother,' Xiong Jingfei frowned, then wrote the last piece she had left to say to him. 'I, Xiong Jingfei, promised and swear upon my mother, Yin Yingtai. I will not use your money the moment I leave.'

"Stop!" Xiong Guozhi rushed down the steps only to be held back. "I said, stop!"

"Honey!" Li Roulan pulled Xiong Guozhi back with all her might. This is a once in a lifetime chance for Xiong Jingfei to leave the Xiong household. She will at all cost make it so that Xiong Jingfei will never return! "Let her go! We can't stop her!"

Xiong Jingfei stared at her father face that was filled with worries and anxiety. She can't remember the last time her father had shown any concern for her. Well, it was too late now. She already made up her mind to leave.

"Let go of me!" Xiong Guozhi harshly pushed Li Roulan out of his way.

Luckily, she did not fall down the flight of steps and was caught by Xiong Changchang.

"Mom!" Xiong Changchang shrieked, holding the unconscious Li Roulan in her arm. "M-mom... Dad! Mom is not responding!"

Xiong Guozhi attention instantly went toward his wife whose eyes were closed, and his second daughter, whose face was filled with tears.

Xiong Jingfei wanted to laugh at the show Li Rouland, and Xiong Changchang was putting on. Only Xiong Guozhi will fall for Li Roulan usual trick of "fainting" when in shock. She lost count of how many times this has happened. Whenever Li Roulan was on the losing end of the stick, she'll pull this method.

When Xiong Guozhi looked back up, his daughter, who was leaving him gave him a sad smile. Xiong Jingfei put her hand together in front of her and gave him one last bow in respect. Grabbing her luggage, which was only a bag, she closed the door behind her.

Xiong Jingfei leaned against the closed door. Goodbye, father. If I don't leave now, I won't know how I died living under the same roof with demons lusting for power.

"Xiong Jingfei!" Xiong Guozhi roared, attempting to chase after her but was held back by Xiong Changchang. He wanted to shove her away, but Li Roulan was in his lap too. He couldn't do anything but was stuck between the two of them.

Xiong Jingfei smile and the look in her eyes brought an indescribable feeling over him. He can't recall where he saw those eyes, but it was telling him she was going to leave to never return. He had to stop her or else he'll be filled with regrets! All these feelings were confusing to him, considering he had never experienced this. It's just that he felt that he went through this before...

"Dad, mom is waking up!" Xiong Changchang smiled, helping her mother sit up.

This time Xiong Guozhi focus was not diverted, his eyes remained on the closed door. He was hoping it will open and Xiong Jingfei will be standing there telling him she was kidding. He too will forgive her immediately. He waited, but the door remained closed like in the past.

"Past?" Xiong Guozhi muttered, feeling ridiculous for saying a word that did not seem to fit. Suddenly an electric shock-like struck his body and rolled his eyes upward.

When he regained his composure, he found himself standing outside a small ancient designed courtyard. He heard a long sigh coming from behind, so he quickly turned around to find an old man with a head full of white hair. He was sitting on the steps up to a room.

Xiong Guozhi was taken aback seeing someone wearing a robe like back in ancient times. The old man's outfit had holes and appear to be worn out. Besides, he couldn't recall how he even came to this place.

The whole place was odd and gave him a nostalgia feeling.

"Excuse me, sir?" Xiong Guozhi called out to the old man, but he did not respond. Maybe the old man has a hearing issue and did not hear him. He walked up to the old man, but he still did not give any reaction to Xiong Guozhi. Instead, he was looking at his callous hands. "Hello, do you know where this is?"

The old man did not respond. He made another long sigh and wiped the sweat off his forehead. Apparently, he had just finished sweeping the steps.

"Can he not see me?" Xiong Guozhi waved his hand in front of the old man's face. Still, he did not get any response out of him.

"It's been a long time since you have left..." The old man gazed up at the clear blue sky. "Father regrets deeply."

"Y-y-you... You're..." Xiong Guozhi stuttered unable to find the right words to what he was seeing. This old man looks like...

"My daughter... I clean your courtyard every day. Do you know that?" Tears began to fall out of the old man's eyes. He wiped away the tears, but they continued to fall. "Hoping one day, you'll open these doors to tell me you're back and had been living well all this time. But those doors remained close after all these years."

The old man sighed again, using his ragged, dusty robe to wipe the corners of his eyes. "I don't even know where you're at. I couldn't find a trace of your whereabouts after your body was taken away."

"Dad? Dad? Daddy?"

Xiong Guozhi covered his head and pressed his hand against his head to suppress the pain. He let out a loud groan.

"Mom, dad woke up!" Xiong Changchang had joyful tears instead of scheming tears this time. Her father, without warning, fainted on the spot scaring her and her mother.

"Honey, are you alright? You had us worried." Li Roulan touched his forehead with the back of her hand. "H-honey, why are you crying?"

"Why?" Xiong Guozhi touched the corners of his eyes, and it felt moist, "I don't know."