21|Explosion and Relaxation

His hands were trembling, and so were his pale lips. Her body turned pale, as if she had collapsed and aged in an instant.

She was silent.

She parted her lips, so...

Did they see him as 'fake' or 'two-faced' that they were now giving this reaction? They became alienated.

Shura is also included.

This was pretty brutal.

At that moment, she heard a voice in her mind.

"How long will you run away? It's time to face it"

It was the voice of the system.

He bowed his head. He was right. He ... made a mistake, she. No matter how much he denies it. Her biggest mistake was not telling them. He preferred death. She didn't care about anyone and she just left everyone behind. It was...a crappy decision.

"I'm sorry…" his voice was rather low. Apologizing was hard, standing here was hard. She was finally starting to leak everything she was holding back inside, perhaps even her own self. The last drop overflowed, and she began to leak through that crack, with the dam broken by the torrent of emotion.

Slowly, drop by drop, she dripped from her misted eyes. "Sorry"

He didn't see anyone there because his head was down. That their hard faces soften, that they sigh with distress or look sadly...

She stood there and wept in a low voice. Perhaps for hours, in silence.

They could not help but feel distressed. They knew about Yun's condition. Still, they had to go.

It was necessary to cry.

How can a person try to load everything himself? How can they allow this when they are rotting silently in a corner?

Crying wasn't a bad thing. On the contrary, it would cause relief by throwing away all the troubles inside.

But now they're starting to regret it. They were in distress, and seeing him ripped apart like that, they began to question whether they had made a mistake.

Rance couldn't stand it and was the first to make the move.

Although Elena was mild-mannered, she could be tough and stubborn in her place. Others were hesitant.

He gently hugged her and patted her back.

"Well," he said, "everything's gone"

"You must have suffered a lot"

"You are so tired"

"But you did a good job"

He whispered soothingly in her ear "I'm proud of you"

At that moment, Yun didn't hesitate. She hugged her father in her thin arms and closed her eyes. His little body was still shaking, but he was as relaxed as a kitten that had found its shelter.

He was tired.

And he was slowly falling asleep.

He opened his eyes slowly. Breathing slowly, she listened to her father's heartbeat. And all the anxiety, hopelessness, and uneasiness he had felt before seemed to be coming to an end.

For the first time in a long time, he felt like a child. First time in a long time!

True, he was always crushed by mountains of responsibility. He was alone, always alone.

But now, for the first time, he felt a father's affection, protection, and strength. It was the first time he felt a sense of security, for the first time in so long. They called the father 'mountain'. It was true. It was your mountain. You took refuge in him, he protected you and always made you feel safe.

And for the first time in a long time, he felt safe.

His stiff shoulders relaxed even more.

He closed his eyes again tiredly. "Daddy, I'm sleepy" his voice was still hoarse. "I am tired"

"Your room is ready"

His father's deep but sensitive voice brought even more peace to his heart.

He slowly guided Yun, walking towards his room. Lying on the bed, she covered herself, put a small bustle on her forehead, and went out, pulling the doors and the door to the light.

The face, which had softened as soon as he pulled the door, instantly hardened again.

"You were too harsh," he criticized, a disapproving mark of disapproval in his tone.

There was silence for a while. Then with a sigh, "Let's go to the living room," Hofan looked at Nanren. "After all, we deserve an explanation from the person who designed them."

Nanren calmly met the sharp gaze thrown at him, and with a short answer, walked into the hall.

-To be continued-