Chapter 92 – Seeking Destiny “Main Text Ends” (3500+)
Chapter 92 - Seeking Destiny "Main Text Ends" (3500+)
The spacious hall was sparsely populated, with all eyes directed towards the entrance as if awaiting someone.
"Please prepare for boarding."
A staff member, holding a checklist, verified the departure time.
In the Empire, even if one owned a private spacecraft, they still had to adhere to regulations and apply for an exit time slot. A missed deadline would require reapplication.
Staff Member: "Three people, I see?"
Qing Er replied, "There's one more."
The staff member looked slightly troubled. "The flight departs in five minutes, sir. How about this – I'll verify your information first."
The trio exchanged glances and nodded in agreement.
As the verification process was underway, Luo Le suddenly appeared at the entrance.
Qing Er, spotting this, quickly told the staff, "They're here, they're here."
As if fearing the spaceship would depart any moment.
Qing Yi also stepped forward, saying, "We're glad you came. Let's go."
But Luo Le kept his head down and didn't budge. Qing Yi sensed something amiss and asked, "You... aren't leaving?"
Luo Le's eyes flickered slightly. "I... won't be leaving."
Upon hearing this, Qing Er rushed over. "What? You're really staying here? That admiral is obviously an unfeeling person. If he likes you now, later on, uh..."
Qing San promptly came forward to cover Qing Er's mouth.
Luo Le looked down and said, "Thank you for taking care of me all this time. And this, it's for you both."
Qing Yi stared at it for a while before reaching out to accept it, trying to sound casual. "Since you've made up your mind, we won't hold you back. When you're ready to return, just contact us. The gates of Qing will always be open for you."
A genuine smile tugged at Luo Le's lips upon hearing this. "Okay."
Qing Er: "Damn, Qing Si, you smiled! You actually look so good when you smile."
Qing San echoed in agreement.
The staff kept urging, "Are we leaving or not? We're running out of time."
Qing Yi glanced back and said to him, "If fate allows it, we'll meet again."
Luo Le was taken aback and repeated, "If fate allows it, we'll meet again."
Watching Qing Er being nudged away by Qing San, and finally seeing the spaceship take off, Luo Le kept his gaze fixed until the end.
*
Inside the villa, a lavish feast adorned the table.
The sky outside had been dark for quite some time.
Chen Chen stared at the dishes on the table, his stomach growling multiple times.
The nanny overheard it as she passed by and then returned to tell the absent-minded Huo Lanjing, who was gazing out the window, "Mr. Huo, the young master is hungry."
Huo Lanjing snapped back to reality upon hearing this. "Let's eat first."
After the nanny bid her farewell and turned to leave, she heard Chen Chen ask at the door, "Uncle, will my papa come back?"
Silence was his only response.
After they finished their meal, the two of them waited together on the sofa in the living room. Eventually, Chen Chen fell asleep.
Huo Lanjing draped a small blanket over him and continued to gaze at the entrance.
Every time he heard the sound of a hovering car passing by, Huo Lanjing would go to the floor-to-ceiling window and look out.
But none of them were the one he was expecting.
He didn't return.
The much smaller residence now felt strangely vast.
When he wasn't back before, had Luo Le waited like this too?
The wait extended through the night, but Luo Le still hadn't returned.
In the morning, Chen Chen refused to go to school, weeping for Luo Le.
Already vexed, Huo Lanjing was further irritated by his crying. He decided to send Chen Chen to Huo Fei instead.
Dropping him off, he then left.
Upon returning from a meeting, Huo Fei found Chen Chen wailing in her office, as if the heavens were collapsing.
She had no knack for comforting children, so she spontaneously granted herself a day off.
Planning to distract Chen Chen from his sorrow with some entertainment, she carried him out of the office.
Exiting, they encountered someone entering.
The person wore a long red dress, her slightly curled hair exuding a subtle fragrance, and held a lunchbox in hand.
Spotting her, Huo Fei rushed over with a mournful expression. "Baby, you're here! Help!"
The woman in the red dress, seeing the child still weeping, handed her the lunchbox and then scooped her up into a comforting embrace.
Huo Fei inwardly thought, This damn kid, next time I see him looking at her, I'll beat him to a pulp.
Within the house, Luo Le was clearing out the excess items from the wardrobe, making space for his own clothes.
Gazing at the photograph on the desk, depicting herself and Chen Chen together, Luo Le's thoughts drifted back to the previous day.
After bidding farewell to Qing Yi and the others, he went to another place, the prison where Gu Heting was detained.
Although Gu Heting was in prison, his complexion was ruddy, and his face radiated the comfort of having avenged a great grudge.
He sat down with a light step and smiled at Luo Le, "Long time no see."
Luo Le paused, "Long time no see."
Gu Heting asked directly, "Do you really want to stay and accompany Chen Chen?"
Luo Le's eyes flickered, wondering how Gu Heting knew all of this.
Gu Heting said, "To be honest, I don't want you to stay."
Luo Le looked over with curiosity.
Gu Heting: "Of course, I don't want you to follow them either."
He suddenly looked at Luo Le with a serious expression. "Luo Le, for whom do you live?"
Luo Le's expression froze. "Why ask that?"
Gu Heting said: "With Huo Lanjing here, Chen Chen can receive the best education and the best resources. Even if he achieves nothing later in life, he will still have no worries about food and clothing for the rest of his life. In fact, you don't really need to stay for his sake."
Pausing for a moment, he continued, "Yes, Chen Chen is a part of you, flesh from your own body. But let me make it clear, if you stay, there's no way Huo Lanjing won't come looking for you. Then, with time, feelings might rekindle, and you two might reunite. Is that truly the life you desire?"
Luo Le desired to refute, but he also knew that what the other person said was correct.
Was that truly the life he aspired to?
Gu Heting, noticing a hint of emotion on his face, continued, "Putting aside everything else, as a member of your family, I hope you don't go against your own heart."
Seeing Luo Le pondering with her head down, Gu Heting said, "Alright, get out of my sight. I don't want to see you."
He tried to leave after he finished speaking, but Luo Le stopped him.
Gu Heting turned around and asked, "What's the matter?"
Luo Le inquired, "Do you have any regrets?"
Gu Heting chuckled, "Regret? What do I have to regret? Every action comes with a price, and this is the price I'm willing to pay. By the way, as for the Gu family, if you want it, you can keep it; if not, you can just let it go."
Luo Le gazed at his departing figure, contemplating his words.
Indeed, with Chen Chen around, she wouldn't be wronged. What good was it for him to stay?
Companionship?
Didn't Chen Chen fare well enough those three years?
After a night of deliberation, Luo Le made a decision.
-"Le Le."
As Luo Le closed the door, he was suddenly embraced by a pair of strong arms from behind.
It didn't take a genius to figure out who it was.
Luo Le pushed away the hands on his body. "Get off me."
Huo Lanjing silently retracted his arms. "Where are you going?"
On his way back, an intense urge had prompted him to come and check this place out.
So, he came with a tentative mindset.
Upon seeing Luo Le, whom he thought had left, appear at the doorway, joy overwhelmed Huo Lanjing, causing him to uncontrollably rush over and embrace him.
But now, having come to his senses, he realized that such behavior might provoke Luo Le's displeasure.
Luo Le glanced back at the large bag behind him. "I'm throwing out the trash."
"I'll help you."
Huo Lanjing eagerly approached and effortlessly lifted the casually wrapped bundle of trash.
However, upon lifting it, he saw that it was filled with items he had used when he lived there previously.
He froze in surprise. "This is..."
Luo Le glanced between him and the pile. "Still want them? Take them back then."
With that, Luo Le left without looking back.
Huo Lanjing watched his retreating figure, a sudden inexplicable panic creeping over him once more.
He dropped the pile and hurried after Luo Le, gripping his hand. "Where are you going?"
Moments later, Huo Lanjing repeated his question, still holding Luo Le's hand. "Where are you going?"
Luo Le gently pried each finger apart. "Huo Lanjing, persistence doesn't suit you. I've said it before, it's over between us."
Huo Lanjing gazed at his resolute expression, yet persisted, "Where are you going?"
Luo Le looked up at the sky, "Where am I going? I'm not sure either."
Suddenly, he turned to face Huo Lanjing, "Huo Lanjing, let me ask you one last time, have you ever loved me?"
In that instant, a hole seemed to form in Huo Lanjing's heart, expanding rapidly, as if it would engulf him entirely.
He grasped the realization and shouted with all his might, "Yes, I love you, not just in the past, but even now, my feelings remain unchanged."
How much better it would have been if he had said this earlier.
A bitter smile tugged at Luo Le's lips, "Alright, if you truly love me, then don't force me."
With his suspicions confirmed, Huo Lanjing's hands trembled as he reached for Luo Le again, "Right, to you, I'm no different from that pile of things, isn't that so?"
Luo Le had referred to those items as trash, something to be discarded.
Did that mean he viewed Huo Lanjing the same way?
After a long silence, Huo Lanjing's voice trembled, "Luo Le, don't leave."
He had done everything he could, even mentioning the Gu family for his own selfish motives.
Yet, Luo Le was still leaving.
A sense of helplessness rose like a tide, threatening to engulf him entirely.
What else could he do?
Luo Le looked at him with earnest eyes, "If you truly love me, don't bind me. The galaxy is vast, and I've seen too little of it. Our story should come to an end."
Huo Lanjing clenched his fists, "I'll be with you."
Suddenly, a faint smile tugged at the corners of Luo Le's lips. He spoke casually, "Don't look for me. If fate allows, we will meet again. Tell Chen Chen I'm sorry."
Just as the hovercar arrived, Luo Le got in and waved at Huo Lanjing from the window with a nonchalant gesture.
The car began to move slowly. Instinctively, Huo Lanjing took a couple of steps forward. Then, Luo Le's words echoed in his mind, causing him to stop and watch the hovercar depart.
It was only at this moment that Huo Lanjing felt, for the first time, that their four-year marriage had truly come to an end.
He realized that parting was more painful than being separated by life and death.
Why did it have to hurt so much?
Huo Lanjing went back to collect the wrapped items and stored them in his space. Before leaving, he turned back for one last look at the house behind him.
Upon returning home, he placed each item back into its original position.
The toothbrush and toothpaste on the vanity, the teacup on the table, clothes hung back in the wardrobe...
Chen Chen, who had just returned from a trip, stood at the door. "Uncle, where's my dad?"
Huo Fei, standing by the entrance, watched as Huo Lanjing continued to put clothes in the wardrobe, clearly not intending to respond to Chen Chen's question.
She stepped forward and patted him. "What are you doing? Where's Luo Le?"
Huo Lanjing hung another new garment without acknowledging her.
Observing his dazed state, Huo Fei's heart clenched as she grasped the situation. She stepped forward and fiercely punched him, "What the hell are you doing?"
Huo Lanjing's head collided with the wardrobe, producing a loud thud, and it tilted to one side.
Huo Fei grabbed his collar, turning his face to see tears streaming down his cheeks.
Since childhood, she could count on one hand the number of times she had seen Huo Lanjing cry.
Huo Fei hesitantly inquired, "Is it about Luo Le?"
Huo Lanjing drew in a deep breath, his voice quivering as he said, "He... he's gone."
Before Huo Fei could respond, Huo Lanjing added, "It's truly over between us."
Huo Fei grabbed his collar and shook him, urging, "Snap out of it! If someone runs away, you chase after them! Will your tears bring him back?"
Huo Lanjing struggled to his feet, muttering about it being over. He then walked into the adjacent room, the sound of the door closing echoing in the silence.
Chen Chen came back to her senses, tears silently streaming down her face.
Father doesn't want Uncle anymore, nor does he want me.
Huo Fei rushed over, "Chen Chen, don't cry, oh dear, what's going on here?"
Three days later, Huo Lanjing emerged from that room. His complexion was at its worst due to a lack of sustenance.
After a quick preparation, he took Chen Chen for the registration process and spent another day playing with him, also conveying Luo Le's message along the way.
It wasn't until the following day that Huo Lanjing left behind a letter.
- Sister, I entrust Chen Chen to you, he wrote. If fate allows us to meet again, I must give it a try.
Huo Lanjing resolved to seek out that lost connection and start anew.
This time, he would leave everything behind, including the bond he had carelessly lost. He intended to find it himself.
- The End -