The next day;
Tianzhu's residence, Kitezh City, Novarusk Republic;
At dawn, Tianzhu was in the shower, letting the hot stream cascade over his skin. He didn't seem to be moving. Just stood still with his head bowed and eyes closed.
The memory of his Mother's death played in his head. On the eve of the New Year, she was lying there in the bathtub with a cut on her wrist. A five-year-old Tianzhu was staring at her blankly as the water-filled tub changed red.
Then the scene shifted. Tianzhu sat stiffly in the arms of his older sister as mourners offered their condolences. His father, dressed in a black suit, smiled and bowed, and shook hands with them.
But he never came to Tianzhu. Not once did he ask him how he was holding up. To hug him and say, I'm here. To tell him that it is okay to cry.
Even at the funeral, Tianzhu wasn't allowed to cry. Instead, his father had sternly said, "You're the man now. Stand tall."
The memory flashed to middle school…
"Tianzhu, drop the sword. I said Drop it."
"Dad, I was just."
"I said DROP IT!"
*Cling*
The sword was dropped onto the polished wooden floor.
"If you dare to pick up swordsmanship again, I will break your legs. Go and study." His father warned him with an intense glare to the point that a 14-year-old Tianzhu trembled.
In the present, Tianzhu opened his eyes slowly, as another memory returned. A 17-year-old Tianzhu was at the airport. His flight is just an hour away. He was scouted by a top guild.
But his father never showed up. Only Xueli had come. Just his sister was there for him.
The scene shifted again to when Sister gave birth. His brother-in-law ran away just before she went into labor. She was all alone in the hospital. A 22-year-old Tianzhu, who was on an important mission assigned in Shen Triad, left in the middle of his mission and came to her side. During the next 10 days, he saw her friends and acquaintances, their relatives, and even their hateful step-siblings come to see her.
Yet, their father, who was living in the same neighborhood, came to visit her.
Back to the present, with such disappointing memories he had of his father, who recently passed away, Tianzhu's hand reached out to press the shower button. The water stopped instantly.
He stood there for a moment as he murmured aloud. "Jiejie knows that I'm not interested in meeting him even if he were on his deathbed. Why does she have to do this…"
A few hours ago;
Tianzhu, Theo, and Vera sat at the dining table, having dinner. The atmosphere looked quite tense, with no one speaking because of Theo's outburst a while ago. Vera was forced to meddle in, talking about everything that came to his mind to change the mood.
Beside them, a humanoid assistant stood silently, the sole servant of their 12-room mansion. Amy is a butler robot that does everything, from cooking to helping the kids with their studies. The only function it doesn't have is fighting.
As Theo silently ate his meal while Vera chattered about her upcoming December excursions, an outdoor trip to Yelagin Island, ice skating on the weekend, but most importantly, a four-day Trip, which required parental supervision, Tianzhu's phone buzzed.
As he took a look at the screen, his brows furrowed as it was an unknown number.
He picked it up. "Hello?"
On the other end, a professional yet polite voice greeted him. "Hello, Mr. Qin, this is Sasha from the Reception Desk at Egmor HQ, Moscow. I was informed that you are currently on leave. I hope I'm not disturbing you."
"No, it's fine. What is it? Something urgent at the company?" Tianzhu asked. He didn't particularly care for the answer. He no longer worked at Egmor Group as a security chief. He left it a few years ago and is now only a store owner.
"I received a message from someone trying to reach you," Sasha continued. "A woman named Jiang Xueli. She claims to be your elder sibling. She mentioned that your number had changed and that you weren't responding to her emails. She left a message. Would you like me to forward it to your email?"
Qin Tianzhu blinked. "Jiejie? Ah, yes, she is indeed my sister." His grip on the phone tightened as he said. "Alright."
Opening the mail app, he then tapped the message.
Xueli's voice played a second later, soft but clear. "Hey… It's me," she began. "I hope you're doing well. I… I promised that I won't contact you again through public channels like this. I'm sorry. But the situation is urgent."
There was a pause.
"Sigh… Dad passed away, Xiao Zhu. I know your thoughts will not change. But before his death, he regretted a lot of things. Since he is no more, I thought it was time to put away that resentment. If it is not too much trouble, can you come back home with Veronika and Theodore to attend the funeral?"
The message ended.
Tianzhu stood in silence for a long moment. No anger. Just a numb silence. However, his grip on the phone tightened on the sides.
As Tianzhu disconnected the call, Vera eyed him curiously. "Uncle, what is it?" She couldn't help but turn curious, seeing a change of expression on Tianzhu's face. He seldom loses his calmness when it doesn't concern her or Theo.
Tianzhu sighed, shaking his head. "Your grandfather passed away, dear."
"Oh, are we going then?" As Vera asked expectantly, Tianzhu shook his head. "No. We will go after the funeral."
A few days later;
At a columbarium in Hangzhou City, Southern Wu;
Tianzhu stood in front of the compartment where his mother's portrait and ashes were stored. He stood there in silence.
Xueli approached, carrying a bouquet. "Xiao Zhu…" As she called out with an emotion thickened in her voice, Tianzhu slowly turned around and smiled faintly. "It's been a while, Jiejie."
Tears welled in Xueli's eyes as she nodded. Her voice broke a bit, "Yeah... it has been." After a brief pause, she asked with her eyes wandering around. "Where's Theo and Vera…"
At that, Tianzhu's eyes darkened. He let out a sigh, shaking his head.