Chapter 98

Chapter 98

At 8:30 in the morning, An Ye stood by the window, looking across the street.

The first person to leave was an elderly man with graying hair, exactly as Shi Tuo had described—a quiet, honest-looking man. Zhang Rou sent him off with a smile at the door where the orchids were blooming.

Then, the daughter and son ran out in a hurry.

Zhang Rou smiled as she watched them walk away, stood for a moment, and then entered the house.

An Ye extinguished the cigarette in her hand, took the large bouquet of carnations that Lan Yifang had bought from the flower market this morning, and left the house.

When Zhang Rou opened the door and saw the person standing outside, she froze for a moment.

An Ye stood there, simply dressed in a T-shirt and jeans, her hair tied in a ponytail, wearing light makeup, and holding a bouquet of flowers.

After years of hard physical training as an actress, An Ye’s overall aura had completely changed, but her facial features hadn’t. Zhang Rou recognized her at first glance.

Once she recognized her, Zhang Rou raised her eyes to look behind An Ye.

“Shi Tuo didn’t come.” An Ye handed the flowers to Zhang Rou. “I came alone.”

Zhang Rou looked at her again.

“Come in.” This time, their eyes met, and Zhang Rou understood the expression on An Ye’s face. She stepped aside to let her in.

The house was very clean, decorated in natural wood tones, and there was a faint fragrance of orchids in the air. The atmosphere was quiet and comfortable, very much in line with Zhang Rou’s style.

In the living room, there was a family portrait. Zhang Rou and a man with graying hair were sitting in the center, holding hands, while their three children stood behind them. An Ye, at first glance, didn’t recognize which one was Shi Tuo.

She felt a little confused, so she walked closer.

Shi Tuo was tall, and she had never had a moment where she didn’t recognize him at first sight. She had been looking at the tallest of the three children standing behind, who was smiling in the photo. However, that person was very thin, the white shirt nearly hanging off his frame. His cheekbones were sunken, and there was no light in his eyes.

The thinnest and tallest person in this family photo, who seemed to be on the verge of breaking like a twig, was Shi Tuo—the person she didn’t recognize at first.

An Ye stood motionless in front of the family photo.

In her memory, even when Shi Tuo was a teenager, going through his growth spurt, he had never been this thin. His muscles had always been beautiful, so much so that she sometimes resented them while trying to lose weight. She would eat just a little, and her large frame would make her back appear thick, while Shi Tuo could eat whatever he liked and still have a beautiful, thin layer of muscle. That had been the case since his voice changed.

Shi Tuo was naturally well-built with a symmetrical frame. But in this photo, he was so thin that even the shirt couldn’t cover his prominent collarbones.

“This photo was taken when I had just gotten married.” Zhang Rou handed An Ye a glass of water, looking at the photo. Her voice was soft. “It’s been almost five years.”

“The little Tuo in this photo…” Zhang Rou reached out and gently touched the sunken, emaciated face in the photo. “That was when he was in his best condition during those years.”

An Ye had already anticipated the conversation.

She knew she was being reckless. The sense that something was wrong with Shi Tuo was just a feeling. She had rushed to Singapore to meet Zhang Rou simply because, apart from Zhang Rou, she didn’t know who else to ask about the things Shi Tuo had been hiding.

However, she didn’t expect to come in and immediately see the image of Shi Tuo from over five years ago, completely unrecognizable.

She didn’t expect Zhang Rou to make no preparation and, standing in front of the family photo, reveal the one thing An Ye most wanted to know.

Shi Tuo had tendencies toward self-harm, and it wasn’t until he became too emaciated, after more than two years, that Zhang Rou discovered it.

“Shi Tuo is the kind of child that many people wish they had,” Zhang Rou said as she sat down on the sofa. “He’s thoughtful, independent, and smart. He doesn’t show any signs of me or Shi Dingbang in him. Sometimes, he’s so perfect, he seems like an angel.”

An Ye remained still, her gaze fixed on the family portrait.