Chapter 83: Chapter 83: The Photo of Mother is Missing

The trees at South Mountain Cemetery were lush, and the ground was covered with neatly trimmed green grass, creating a serene and tranquil environment.

Ji Zeqiu held two bouquets of flowers as he walked on the bluestone path, the swaying breeze brushing across his cheeks, sweeping away his troubled thoughts of recently.

Perhaps he should have come here earlier; then he wouldn’t have thought so much.

Following the path etched in his memory, he arrived in front of his parents’ tombstone.

Because no one had visited for a long time, a layer of dust had accumulated there.

Ji Zeqiu squatted down, took out the handkerchief he brought with him, and gently wiped the tombstone, clearing the dust to gradually reveal the names inscribed on it.

Lin Xu.

It was a very common name, he had even encountered three or four people with the same name as his mother over the years.n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om

So he was only surprised the first time he heard the name Lin Xu, and then he never cared much about it afterward.

The mother in his memory was gentle and perfect, nothing like that woman.

His mother was a thousand times more beautiful than her!

Ji Zeqiu firmly thought this as he raised his eyes to look at the photo on the tombstone, and suddenly froze.

The place on the tombstone where the photo should be was empty.

How could there be no photo? He vaguely remembered that there had been a photo here when he visited before.

Ji Zeqiu then looked over at his father’s tombstone; the photo was still there.

Only his mother’s photo was missing.

Occasionally he had heard of people stealing offerings, but now even the photos?

Ji Zeqiu’s expression turned stern as he found the cemetery caretaker, speaking sharply, “We pay you so much in management fees every year, not for you to neglect your duties, and not even a photo on a tombstone can be kept secure!”

The caretaker wiped the cold sweat beading on his forehead frantically, hastily reassuring Ji Zeqiu, “Mr. Ji, please give us a little time, we’ll look into it right away! We guarantee we’ll give you a satisfactory explanation, is that okay?”

Although Ji Zeqiu was angry, considering there was no other option, he had to accept their investigation.

“Just two days, you must clear this up for me in two days!”

Having set the deadline, Ji Zeqiu left the cemetery.

His mood, which had calmed down, became irritable again because of this incident, and Ji Zeqiu hid in his car to smoke another cigarette before he left the parking lot to return home.

“I’m back,” Ji Zeqiu said to the room.

In the past, his home was always silent, until Lin Xu had scolded him once. She wasn’t anyone to him, so why should he listen to her?

Yet, every time he came back, Ji Zeqiu would inadvertently say it.

Sometimes, he didn’t even understand why he listened to her.

“Welcome back!” Lin Xu’s cheerful voice came from the kitchen.

Her sweet, jubilant voice was like the chirping of birds in the morning, crisp and melodious, giving a feeling of freedom and ease.

Was that the reason he obediently complied?

Ji Zeqiu walked towards the kitchen and saw her and the housekeeper tinkering with something, immediately raising his guard, “What are you doing?”

“I’m learning how to smash cucumbers,” Lin Xu chuckled, looking up at him.

The next instant, she suddenly frowned at Ji Zeqiu.

It made his heart skip a beat.

“What a horrible smell of smoke, you’ve been smoking again, haven’t you!” Lin Xu’s face flared with a trace of anger.

Ji Zeqiu felt a flurry of confusion.

His mother had been just like that, particularly detesting the smell of smoke.

“I just smoked for a little while.” Ji Zeqiu guiltily, quickly went to his room to change his clothes.

After returning to his room, his face again clouded with annoyance.

He had just once again projected the identity of a mother onto Lin Xu, to the point where he was even afraid of her opinion, worried she might come to dislike him.

Ji Tingyang said it was because he had never let go, which was why he always looked for his mother’s shadow in Lin Xu.

He should have let go, his mother had been gone for a long time.

Ji Zeqiu shook his head, pushing the memories of his mother out of his mind once again.

“The smashed cucumbers are ready, Ji Zeqiu, come out and try it!” Lin Xu’s cheerful voice called from outside the room.

Ji Zeqiu had been reminding himself to stay calm just a second ago, but upon hearing her words, he scurried out to try the smashed cucumbers.

“Do you think I should live outside for a while, wait until I have completely let go before coming home, so I won’t always be trying to find something of her in her?”

In the production crew, Ji Zeqiu said to his agent with a conflicted expression.

“You’ve asked me that question over a dozen times already.” The agent’s ears were about to form calluses.

Initially, when Ji Zeqiu asked him, he would seriously offer suggestions.

“Moving out is an option, how about I arrange a few months of enclosed filming for you?”

Or perhaps,

“Why not have Ji Tingyang take her away?”

Ji Zeqiu would nod seriously at the time, but as soon as he finished listening, it was just words passing by, and he did nothing. After a couple of minutes, he would start brooding with him again.

If he bothered with Ji Zeqiu now, he might as well be a dog.

The agent rolled his eyes in secret and continued with his other work.

While Ji Zeqiu continued to brood, his phone rang.

It was a call from South Mountain Cemetery.

Before he could remember what it was about, the caretaker reported first.

“Mr. Ji, last time you mentioned that the photo on your mother’s tombstone was missing, this has been investigated. Mr. Ji Tingyang was the one who took the photo, saying he was going to replace it with a new one, but for some reason, he never brought the new photo to replace it.”

Ji Zeqiu was startled, “When did this happen?”

Caretaker: “About half a year ago, because it was quite some time ago, I didn’t recall it when you asked me.”

After hanging up the phone, Ji Zeqiu’s brows furrowed tightly, and he immediately called to confront him.

“Ji Tingyang, what gives you the right to take away mother’s photo!”

There was a pause on the other end before asking, “What photo?”

“Don’t play dumb, the photo from the tombstone at South Mountain Cemetery!”

Ji Tingyang’s eyebrows lifted slightly, and after walking some distance, he finally spoke, reiterating his earlier excuse to the caretaker. “I was only thinking of changing the photo, what’s the rush?”

“What photo takes you half a year to replace?” Ji Zeqiu scoffed.

“Many of the old photos were faded, unclear, it needs time to select or restore.”

“So why go through the unnecessary trouble, the hassle of changing photos? Why not pick the new photo first and then make the swap?!”

“There aren’t so many whys. I’ll do as I please,” Ji Tingyang’s voice turned impatient and cold.

Ji Zeqiu gritted his teeth, furious to the point that even breathing became difficult. Just as he was about to speak again, he heard the crisp and clear voice of the announcer through the phone.

“Next, Lin Xu, please come to Surgical Clinic Number Two.”

“Hang up.”

Before Ji Zeqiu could react, Ji Tingyang abruptly ended the call.

Ji Zeqiu thought back to the voice he heard on the phone, staring blankly at the phone that had already gone off.

Seeing a doctor?

Was she sick, or had she been injured?

His heart was in turmoil.