Cemetery.
Li Lam stepped out of her car she parked in front of the cemetery gate. She turned around, Gu Jiao Wu was still sitting in his car.
‘Why aren’t you following me?’ Li Lam asked. ‘Are you scared of facing the truth?’
‘Li Lam, if you’re playing mind games, I suggest you stop,’ Gu Jiao Wu said.
‘Playing mind games?’ Li Lam asked. ‘I wish the heavens are playing a joke on me.’
Gu Jiao Wu clenched his hands, and he followed Li Lam into the cemetery. His heart knew the truth, but he didn’t want to believe it. The cemetery was desolate, and surrounded by mountains. Li Lam stopped in front a tombstone he didn’t want to see.
‘Big sister, I’m here to see you,’ Li Lam said in a choked voice. ‘I’m sorry I brought him here. I don’t know if you want to see him.’
Gu Jiao Wu couldn’t believe who the photo of the smiling woman on the tombstone belonged to… Chu Da.
‘Impossible…’ Gu Jiao Wu said.
Gu Jiao Wu looked everywhere for Chu Da. He didn’t expect to see Chu Da again when she was six feet under. She died three years ago.
‘Impossible… tell me the truth,’ Gu Jiao Wu said. ‘What happened?’
Li Lam sat in front of Chu Da’s tombstone. She cried onto the bouquet of cornflowers she brought last night.
‘Tell me, what happened to Chu Da…’ Gu Jiao Wu said in a shaky voice.
Gu Jiao Wu didn’t believe a young healthy woman like Chu Da would suddenly die. It was too cruel, he couldn’t accept Chu Da died. His shaky hand stroked Chu Da’s photo.
‘What’s the point of knowing what happened to Chu Da now?’ Li Lam asked coldly. ‘Big sister, I brought the man you loved here to see you. I was wrong. I should have brought him here sooner to see you. The truth is I know you want to see him.’
Li Lam couldn’t control her tears.
‘Big sister, I’m sorry,’ Li Lam said. ‘I’m sorry for leaving you alone here by yourself for a long time. I’m sorry I didn’t bring him here sooner…’
Gu Jiao Wu pulled Li Lam’s arm.
‘Tell me, why she’s this young… why she’s taken away this soon…’ Gu Jiao Wu said.
Li Lam pushed Gu Jiao Wu’s hand off her arm.
‘Gu Jiao Wu, I’m not in a good mood to explain anything,’ Li Lam said. ‘Yesterday was big sister’s birthday, but you didn’t come here to see big sister. It’s better late than never. I’ll give you and big sister privacy to talk to each other. If you want to know what happened to big sister, come here next week, it’s her anniversary.’
Gu Jiao Wu didn’t want to believe Chu Da died.
‘Big sister is pitiful,’ Chu Da said. ‘She died one week after her birthday… big sister, I believe you want to talk to him alone. I’ll come back next week to see you.’
Li Lam left the cemetery, and Gu Jiao Wu sat in front of Chu Da’s tombstone.
‘Chu Da… why didn’t you believe in me enough to confide in me?’ Gu Jiao Wu asked. ‘Why did you choose to leave me? Why didn’t you tell me the reason why you left me? I suffered for years looking for you, missing you. Why didn’t you believe I loved you? Why didn’t you let me take care of you?’
Gu Jiao Wu understood Li Lam wanted to prolong his pain by waiting until it was Chu Da’s anniversary to tell him what happened to Chu Da.
Chu Da was a different woman to Qiao Tan Yuan. Chu Da was giving, homely, independent, hardworking and innocent. When Gu Jiao Wu lived with Chu Da, she was easy going and they lived a peaceful life together. Chu Da took care of him tirelessly. It didn’t matter if he worked overtime, she always stayed up to wait for him to eat the dinner she cooked. He had wanted to marry Chu Da, and make Chu Da happy.
‘Chu Da, why did you leave me?’ Gu Jiao Wu asked. ‘Why didn’t you give me a chance to make you happy? Did you leave me because I didn’t find you sooner? Are you punishing me because I didn’t protect you?’
A cold wind swept past Chu Da’s tombstone.
‘Chu Da…’ Gu Jiao Wu called.
Gu Jiao Wu’s phone rang, it was Qiao Tan Yuan.
‘Jiao Wu, where are you?’ Qiao Tan Yuan asked. ‘Everyone’s waiting for you to eat dinner.’
End of Chapter 127