Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios
Gong Fan smiled self-deprecatingly. âMy existence is a mistake in itself. Since itâs a mistake, itâs better to end this mistake as soon as possibleâ¦â After saying those words, he looked down wearily.
Heâd tried and struggled, put down his pride and compromise. He meticulously made changes, gave up his pride to win Gong Jieâs favor, to win Mu Yazheâs favor, to win Hua Jinâs favor, so that everyone would like him as much as they liked Youyou. He ignored his own frail dignity, just to give everyone a reason to keep him. He had curled up inside a shell, clinging to life, for the sake of his own existence in this world, even if it only allowed him to exist one more day, see it one more time.
But, he had now given up. Heâd really given upâ¦
Exasperated, Alice put her hand to her forehead. âYouâre trying to make me completely evil. If I did that, your mommy will never forgive me. Iâd be the equivalent of an executioner, killing her most beloved.â
Gong Fan gritted his teeth. Never before had he revealed such a vulnerable side to anyone. Only in Aliceâs presence did he finally show his sadness and disappointment.
Alice knew that whether it was Gong Jie, Mu Yazhe, or Little Yichen, Gong Fan cared too much about them, so he would never be willing to show them this side of him easily. On the other hand, Alice was an outsider. This made it easy for him to set his burden aside.
Her heart ached for him. She walked over and gently wrapped her arms around his shoulders. She lightly rubbed his shoulders, which were shaking violently from the effort of suppressing his own emotions.
âIf you want to cry, just go ahead. If you keep holding back, youâd break down even if you were made of steel.â
Gong Fan kept silent, but Alice could faintly hear a few sobs escaping from between his teeth. The more he held back, the more Alice felt sorry for him. Fortunately, Yun Shishi wasnât here. Otherwise, her heart would have been completely broken for the boy!
In the end, Gong Fan didnât bawl. He tightly gripped the corner of Aliceâs shirt and suppressed his own sadness.
âJust promise me â¦â His voice was grim. âI donât want to be a burden to Youyou again. It would be best for everyone if I disappeared.â
Aliceâs lips tightened with a complicated expression, and she finally managed to nod. âLooks like Iâll have to play the devil again?â
â¦
âWhat? You want to take Gong Fan away?â Gong Jie refused Alice without thinking twice. âImpossible!â he said firmly, âI wonât let you take him away.â
âPlease, just get one thing straight. Iâm not taking him away. The boy wishes to come with me.â
The man looked bewildered and was stumped.
âIt doesnât matter to me. You can convince your nephew yourself! Besides, in his current situation, whatâs the benefit of staying with you? This is like a cancer patient who doesnât want to go to a proper healthcare facility and insists on staying at home. Is it useful? Do you think keeping him around is the best way to protect him?â
Aliceâs sharp words left Gong Jie speechless.
âSince weâve come to this point and the incident has already happened, why donât you let me take him back to the Hurricane Group with me? Besides, Gong Fan wants to come with me. Are you worried that Iâll abandon him halfway and feed him to the sharks? Iâm not a flood beast, Iâm a doctor, hmm? Donât you trust me?â