bookbashuk Chapter 357 You Just Want Him to Leave Me
Chapter 357 You Just Want Him to Leave Me
Ming Xiangyang's body lay in state in the mourning hall for three days. During these three days, all funeral arrangements were handled by Shen Li and his uncle's family.
The servants were assigned to do most of the work; Shen Li couldn't really do much. Lu Sheng accompanied her the whole time.
Lu Zhou mostly came to help, while only Lu Cheng was busy with work.
On the last day, Mr. and Mrs. Shen arrived, and the entire Lu family was also present.
Within the Lu family, only Lu Cheng, Lu Sheng, and Zhao Qing knew the true cause of Ming Xiangyang's death. Seeing Shen Li constantly in tears, they felt a pang of pain in their hearts, but they also understood that her grief was irreplaceable.
It was winter break, and Lan Wei and the others had all returned to their hometowns. Shen Li was immersed in grief and didn't bother to inform them about the matter.
On the day of the funeral, a cold wind was blowing.
Ming Xiangyang's uncle walked up to Shen Li, looking somewhat hesitant, before finally speaking: "There's something I'd like to ask you for a favor."
Shen Li raised her tear-streaked face, her voice hoarse: "Please speak."
"Xiangyang has no biological descendants. According to custom, his portrait should be held by his wife or a descendant."
He looked at Shen Li, his tone sincere, "So, could you please... hold his portrait?"
Without the slightest hesitation, Shen Li immediately nodded: "Okay."
He's willing to give up his life for himself, so what's a little thing like this?
She gently took the portrait; Ming Xiangyang's eyes were bright in the photo, as if he had never left.
Ming Xiangyang's final burial site was chosen at Babaoshan Cemetery.
Shen Li personally saw him off on his final journey, and after properly handling all the affairs of the Ming family, she dragged her tired body back to the villa.
She allowed Uncle Hu to continue living in the Ming family's old house, and the business was still managed by him and Mingcheng. She only instructed them to send her the reports every quarter for review.
Upon returning home, Shen Li could no longer hold on and fell seriously ill.
"Why hasn't her fever gone down yet? Should we take Sister Li to the hospital?" Lu Zhou woke up first, touched Shen Li's forehead, and said anxiously.
Lu Sheng pressed his hand down and said in a deep voice, "Wait a little longer. The Chinese medicine I brewed for her is effective, it's just taking a little longer to work, but she will definitely get better."
Lu Cheng looked at Lu Sheng, a hint of doubt in his eyes: "Big brother, where did you get this Chinese medicine from?"
"I bought it from the pharmacy," Lu Sheng replied calmly, avoiding his gaze.
The three of them said nothing more, but simply stood by the bedside, waiting anxiously.
That night, they stayed in Shen Li's master bedroom the whole time, without leaving for even a moment.
Half an hour later, Shen Li's body temperature finally slowly came down, but the three of them still stayed by the bedside, not daring to relax in the slightest.
She felt weak and sore all over, so tired that she didn't even have the strength to open her eyes. In her hazy state, she seemed to see Ming Xiangyang's figure.
Overjoyed, she excitedly ran towards the figure, but just then, her older brother suddenly appeared, grabbed Ming Xiangyang by the collar, and was about to punch him.
"No! Big brother, don't hit him!" Shen Li rushed forward desperately to stop him, her voice trembling with tears.
The older brother turned his head, his eyes reddening, and looked at her with a hurt expression: "Lili, you want him, but not me?"
"No, I didn't... How could that be?" Shen Li shook her head vigorously, her mind a mix of anxiety and confusion.
"You just want him to leave me." The older brother's tone was full of despair, and his eyes pierced Shen Li's heart.
Shen Li slept for a long time in a daze, having a series of chaotic dreams.
Once she regained some consciousness, she felt a warm touch on her hand—her right hand was being held tightly by someone, Lu Sheng;
There was also a familiar warmth on my left – it was Lu Cheng.
She subconsciously shifted her foot, bumping into something soft again. Looking down, she shook her head helplessly—it was Lu Zhou.
He was curled up at her feet, sleeping soundly. The bed was a mess of people, yet it exuded an indescribable warmth.
Lu Sheng was the first to notice that Shen Li had woken up. When he looked up, he saw her slowly lifting her heavy eyelashes, her eyes still hazy from just waking up.
He instinctively reached out and touched her forehead, his fingertips feeling her cool but steady body temperature. His tense shoulders relaxed slightly, and he whispered, "Hmm, the fever has finally broken."
Shen Li grabbed his wrist with her other hand, her palm still weak from her illness, her mind replaying the chaotic dream from the previous night.
"Big brother, I dreamt about you last night." Her voice was slightly hoarse, still carrying a lingering sense of daze.
Lu Sheng's expression suddenly stiffened, his fingertips curled slightly, and his tone held a barely perceptible tension: "What did you dream about me about?"
Shen Li raised her eyes and stared at him intently, his image reflected in her dark eyes, without speaking immediately.
Lu Sheng's heart jumped into his throat, and he even slowed his breathing.
He used to be indifferent to metaphysics, but after experiencing the bizarre event of swapping souls with Lu Sheng, he became completely convinced—there are always too many things in this world that science cannot explain.
After a long silence, Shen Li finally spoke, her voice pleading, "I dreamt that you hit Ming Xiangyang... He's gone now, please don't hit him anymore, okay?"
Lu Sheng felt relieved and let out a long sigh. He reached out and ruffled her hair, his voice incredibly soft: "Okay, okay, it's my fault. I won't do it again next time."
At this moment, Lu Cheng, who was next to him, also woke up and looked up.
Seeing that Shen Li was weak but her complexion had improved, everyone breathed a sigh of relief.
Shen Li personally attended the seventh day after Ming Xiangyang's death.
Now that he's gone, all she wants is to make sure his funeral arrangements are handled properly, as a way of showing her respect.
The seventh day after her death was just past, and it was Shen Li's birthday. But Ming Xiangyang's departure weighed heavily on her heart, and she had no interest in celebrating her birthday at all.
Her family understood her feelings, and no one dared to mention her birthday. They simply gathered together for a home-cooked meal, without even inviting Shen's mother.
Shen's father was naturally aware of the cause of Ming Xiangyang's death. Seeing his daughter's taciturn and dazed appearance all day long, he was filled with understanding and heartache.
After Ming Xiangyang left, Shen Li often stared blankly at a certain spot, her eyes empty and unfocused.
Fortunately, Lu Sheng stayed by her side the whole time, without saying a word, just quietly keeping her company and giving her the strongest support with his silence.
These quiet days continued until after the end of the year, when everyone returned to normal, with those who needed to go to work going to work and those who needed to go to school going to school.
Due to a lingering injury from a previous attack, Lu Sheng was transferred from the front lines to a behind-the-scenes position. The position was not low, and every bit of glory he received was earned by risking his life.
Now he has a regular schedule, going to work on time during the day and always going home on time to be with Shen Li after get off work.
After the start of the school year, Shen Li found an opportunity to tell Lan Wei about Ming Xiangyang.
Upon hearing this, Lan Wei's eyes immediately reddened, and tears streamed down her face like a broken string of pearls, causing her to tremble all over as she cried.
Seeing her distress, Shen Li couldn't reveal the true cause of Ming Xiangyang's death, so she could only gently pat her back to comfort her.
"Where is he buried? I want to see him," Lan Wei asked, sniffling and her voice choked with emotion.
Shen Li nodded, her tone gentle yet firm: "Okay."