Tang Zhongcheng, after his death, seemed to have been reborn. His mental state actually looked better than when he was alive.
"Xiaomin, your brothers will all be starting their own families. Managing the mother-in-law and daughter-in-law relationship is never easy, and your mother will inevitably be wronged. Why don't you have her live with you from now on? That way, I can rest assured." Su Dan Novels Network
...
Unlike Tang Yu and the others, Tang Xiaomin could still hear the last words Tang Zhongcheng hadn't had time to say.
Even in death, he still cared about Zhang Meiyu.
"Since you can't let go, why didn't you do these things yourself? The one who should have stayed with her until old age was you."
Upon hearing this, Tang Zhongcheng's face was filled with regret.
"It's impossible in this lifetime. If in the next..."
"This lifetime has been painful enough, why bother to remain entangled in the next life?" Tang Xiaomin interrupted him.
Although her words were cold and heartless, on second thought, they made sense.
Tang Zhongcheng nodded, a bitter curve appearing at the corner of his lips.
"Yes, I only brought her pain. Not bothering her is the best for her."
After a long silence, Tang Zhongcheng spoke again.
"Xiaomin, how is your mother doing now?"
After his death, Tang Zhongcheng had not gone to the hospital to see Zhang Meiyu. He feared that his presence would bring her bad luck.
"The doctor saved her. There's been no rejection so far, and her condition is gradually improving. She should be able to live a normal life soon."
"The doctor also said that this is the best post-operative recovery case in his career."
The heart seemed to have been made specifically for Zhang Meiyu, fitting perfectly after the transplant.
This last part, Tang Xiaomin did not say.
"That's good," Tang Zhongcheng showed a relieved expression.
"As long as she can be well from now on, I have no regrets even in death."
Fate played a cruel trick, as if heaven intentionally punished him, preventing him from living in the same world as Zhang Meiyu.
Life had reached its end, their fate was severed, and it was time to leave this world.
"Xiaomin, thank you for listening to me ramble. I'm most sorry to you. I can't make up for it in this lifetime."
Tang Zhongcheng looked at Tang Xiaomin apologetically, his heart filled with regret.
He loved his family, his wife, his children, everything he once possessed. Especially now, as he was about to depart to another world, the sense of reluctance surged like a tide.
Tang Xiaomin, sitting on the railing, swung her legs back and forth, as if indifferent to Tang Zhongcheng's words.
Looking at her, it seemed as if she didn't care about Tang Zhongcheng at all, or even wanted to ignore him.
Alas...
It seemed that even in death, Tang Xiaomin would not forgive him.
He wanted to say more, but the words caught in his throat, and he found himself speechless.
"Xiaomin, I'm leaving now."
Tang Xiaomin still did not speak, her cold gaze fixed on the distance, lost in thought.
Tang Zhongcheng turned to leave. He had missed the opportune moment for the ghost messenger to guide him, and now he had to take the Yellow Springs passage from within the Xianfu Group to reach the underworld.
What awaited him would be an entirely new trajectory.
As he reached the staircase, Tang Xiaomin's faint voice suddenly came from behind him.
"You're really not going to see my mother? This will be your last chance to see her. Are you sure you're not going?"
Putting herself in his shoes, if Tang Zhongcheng had sacrificed himself and given Tang Xiaomin a heart, she would have been moved, perhaps even forgiven Tang Zhongcheng.
Zhang Meiyu was the love of Tang Zhongcheng's life. More than anyone, he wanted to see Zhang Meiyu. In ordinary times, he would have spared no effort to see her.
But now he understood; there is a love that is called letting go.
"I'm not going."
As he spoke these words, a bitter smile played on his lips.
"It's time to let her go."
To hear such words from a man who had been so persistent, Tang Xiaomin almost couldn't believe it. But it was the truth.
"I'll accompany you on this final journey."
Upon hearing this, Tang Zhongcheng was also surprised that Tang Xiaomin would take the initiative to send him off.
They held an irreconcilable enmity. Though she wouldn't kill him, she certainly didn't give him a warm reception.
"Alright."
The atmosphere was relaxed along the way. Strictly speaking, this was the first time they had been together so comfortably. Yet, it was also the last.
"Dad, how did you and Mom meet? Mom was a lady from a wealthy family, and she was also snobbish. How did she fall for you?"
Tang Xiaomin, like a daughter from an ordinary family, curiously inquired about her parents' romantic history.
The coldness on her face had vanished, replaced by a carefree innocence, like a spoiled child seeking affection.
Tang Zhongcheng was stunned by this sight. Such sweet, happy moments were only something he dared to imagine in dreams.
Suddenly, he couldn't help but shed tears. He cried in front of Tang Xiaomin, then wiped his tears away silently, experiencing an unprecedented sense of happiness and fulfillment.
She had finally, after all, fulfilled his daughter's dream.
Seeing this, Tang Xiaomin suddenly chuckled.
"You're already dozens of years old, and you're still crying? Aren't you ashamed?"
"Or is it that when you were pursuing Mom, she made you suffer, and thinking about it still makes you feel bitter?"
"After all, you were a nobody back then. Pursuing her must have been quite difficult, right?"
Tang Xiaomin smiled sweetly, without any malice.
The more she spoke, the more Tang Zhongcheng's tears flowed uncontrollably, rendering him unable to utter a word.
Later, Tang Xiaomin stopped talking and walked beside him in silence.
Only after Tang Zhongcheng had composed himself did he slowly begin to recount the past.
"In the beginning, I was just a small employee at the Zhang Corporation. I was fortunate enough to be assigned as the general manager's assistant.
At that time, I just wanted a good job to improve my life.
But then I saw your mother. She had just returned from studying abroad. In her youth, she was the most radiant red rose in Shanghai, coveted by countless men.
Whether it was her beauty, her temperament, her taste... she was on a different level from me.
In today's terms, she was a goddess, and I was just a mortal looking up at her, unworthy of her in every way.
The men pursuing her lined up for blocks. With my status, position, and capabilities, I didn't even have the right to pursue her.
Due to my work, I had many opportunities to see her. She was confident, noble, and beautiful, captivating me.
To drive away her suitors, I even acted as her bodyguard, warning those men to stay away from her. I was badly beaten by a rich young master.
Every time I was beaten, your mother would send me to the hospital and even pay for my medical expenses."
...
Speaking of the past, Tang Zhongcheng could talk endlessly for days and nights, with a constant expression of happiness on his face.
"Beaten into the hospital by a love rival, Dad, you were really pathetic," Tang Xiaomin teased.
"Heh... you don't understand."
"Your mother is extremely protective. The more I was beaten by those suitors, the more she hated them, and the more she felt sorry for me. This was self-harming my 'five hundred' to kill the enemy's 'five thousand'."
"Haha... still playing the victim, aren't you? You're even harsh on yourself. True to your nature."
Tang Xiaomin laughed heartily.
"Heh."
Tang Zhongcheng smiled sheepishly.
Then, he did something he had wanted to do for a very long time.