Chapter 443 - Her Fault, His Fault

The day of the press conference arrived and all morning, Feng Xuan was getting busy trying to make sure that everything was in their rightful places. It wasn't like something was going to go wrong, she was only stressing herself to not think of the things that she should be thinking about.

She was still not over her father's treachery. She had been dying to know what the secret was. It was like everyday that she wasn't getting closer to it was a wasted day. But she didn't know who else to ask.

Until she saw her father-in-law walking from backstage.

She waited outside of his waiting room. The hallway was long and he kept on stopping to greet people. It was only reasonable that he should be the one who would introduce this new invention to the world. People liked him.

But Feng Xuan wasn't liking him that moment. He knew a secret that she didn't. It was a vital piece of her being and he was keeping it.

Still, she plastered a smile on her face and kissed her father-in-law's cheek when he was near enough. Feng Xuan hung around his waiting room as a lady powdered his face and tried to make him look less tired.

At some part of Feng Xuan, she was getting worried about her father-in-law because it looked like he had been getting thinner. She quickly asked about his health once the lady was done with his face. 

"I'm fine," he said with a light chuckle. "It's just because I had only been eating the things that I'm supposed to be eating." He touched his belly. "Almost flat now, right?"

Feng Xuan nodded her head.

"It's also because the doctor is insistent that I also exercise. You know that I'm refusing chemotherapy. He's all up in this new thing called immunotherapy. But I don't think that it's making me feel better."

Feng Xuan noticed the weight loss, but she also noticed that he sounded strong. His voice was full and deep. "I think you're getting healthier."

"But I don't think that it was the treatments," said Qing Zihao. "I think it's because of my wife. She keeps me happy."

Feng Xuan was in slight awe. If she weren't so curious about her mother's secret, she would've inquired more about what activities her in-laws were into nowadays. But she had to get matters done. "I'm sorry for having to ask, but have you spoken to my father?"

Qing Zihao's face shut off almost like a window shutter closing. "I can't tell you anything about it, Xuan. You know that. I wish you didn't put me in this situation."

"I know," she said and fidgeted in her seat. Her father-in-law had cancer and she shouldn't be stressing him out right now, but she had to get her answers. "Please, my father has been avoiding me. He would not take my calls. Even her secretary had lead my calls to voicemail. I don't know what else I'm supposed to do."

Qing Zihao reached for her hand she gave it to him. His hands were rough with callous and age, but it was warm and comforting. "I feel so sorry for you, child." His eyes showed that he truly was. "No one else had been kept in the dark as much as you have. All I want is for you to know the truth. But it's not my place to tell you. If there's anything, the only thing that I could say to you that could be of comfort was that, it was not your father's fault."

"Is it my mother's?"

"That's something that you should ask your father. Because in his dictionary, it had been HIS fault."

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While Qing Zihao was explaining in front of the stage with a background of a presentation behind him, Feng Xuan and Qing Chen were in the front row seats.

Feng Xuan knew that she was squeezing Qing Chen's hand too much that the tips of his fingers already felt strangely cold.

"He didn't tell you anything, did he?" Qing Chen whispered to her.

She only squeezed harder as an answer. She was so tired of feeling this way. Everyday felt like she was dragging herself out of bed, looking at an endless sea of questions. She was tired of everyone hiding the answers from her. It was her life. She should be the one who should decide on these things. How come she was the only one who didn't know?

What was it that they were keeping from her?

She knew that she would be able to handle the truth.

She was a grown person for crying out loud! There had to be something, someone that could point her in the right direction with her queries.

"Calm down," Qing Chen whispered to her. "You're not breathing."

Feng Xuan tried her best to breathe in the thin cold air, little by little. "I need to get some air," she told Qing Chen and left.

She quickly ducked to the nearest exit and felt relief that she was out of that roomful of people. She didn't want to be there or else she would make a scene.

It's going to be quick, she told herself. She needed to break some things. She went down to the ground floor. Smiled her way to on the entrance of The Underground, quickly asking where were the spare plates and glasses.

By the time that she reached Enigma's office at the bas.e.m.e.nt of The Kingly, boxes of glasses and ceramic plates were already there. She grinned and tore through the boxes. She pulled out the plates and arranged them first before she threw them at the ground.

They made all sorts of breaking noises as they scattered into thousands of pieces before her. It satisfied her at some point. When she was done, she was out of breath.

But thankfully, she felt sane enough to get back to the party.

Or so she thought.