Chapter 44: South Garden Part 3

No disguise in the world was perfect. Whether darkness or pain, when the heart held too much, it easily distorted a person’s face beyond recognition.

The study fell silent. No one spoke for a long while.

It was rare for this mother and son to sit so quietly opposite each other. The coffee table between them felt like an uncrossable chasm, buried with thirty years of cold detachment and those sordid old secrets.

“Dai Enhao doesn’t have much time left. The doctors say he might not make it past New Year.” Jiang Qiujun’s gaze dropped. “Go see him. He’s in South Garden.”

Dai Linxuan’s voice was slightly hoarse. “Okay.”

He walked to the door and heard Jiang Qiujun’s faint reminder from behind. “Since you’ve heard some old rumors, don’t get too involved with those two families. You’ve been getting close to He Xunzhang lately? Don’t play with fire and burn yourself.”

Dai Linxuan paused slightly in his steps and gently closed the study door.

He walked evenly to the bathroom. After a rush of water sounds, he had packed away all excess emotions, leaving no trace. He got some scar removal cream and bandages from Cai Bo, went up to the second floor, passed his own bedroom, and knocked on the door next door with curved fingers.

“Xiao Li?”

No response.

Dai Linxuan gripped the doorknob. “I’m coming in.”

There was no one in the room, and no water sounds from the bathroom.

Dai Linxuan went out to the balcony and glanced down. He saw Lai Li sitting sideways on the swing in the small garden, one leg stepping on the other end of the bench and the other leg pushing against the ground, his body swaying gently with the swing.

Dai Linxuan watched for a while, then went downstairs and around into the garden.

Lai Li asked without turning his head, “Done talking?”

Dai Linxuan hummed in affirmation. “Zeng Wenzhi’s case has been closed without further investigation.”

Both Jiang Qiujun and Dai Songxue had pressured the police, and with the shareholders’ meeting approaching, it wasn’t good for Dai Linxuan to be tangled in a criminal case.

The police truly had no clear evidence of “pedophilia” and could only close the case quickly.

Lai Li had received the message from Jing Zixiao half an hour ago and already knew.

“Don’t do anything reckless,” Dai Linxuan said. “The court will give him a fair punishment.”

Lai Li gave a perfunctory hum.

Seeing his careless attitude, Dai Linxuan couldn’t help but pat his head. “If you dare do anything illegal, don’t call me your brother.”

Lai Li’s face darkened abruptly. He grabbed Dai Linxuan’s collar in return and looked up. “You’re threatening me over a criminal who wants you dead?”

“Just a reminder. I don’t know what else you care about besides this.” Dai Linxuan pried his fingers open, gripped the one with the wound, tore open a bandage, and wrapped it around. For the first time, he said, “Be good and don’t stir up trouble.”

Dai Linxuan unscrewed the scar removal cream, but his hand was pressed down just as it touched Lai Li’s collar.

“I’ll do it myself.” Lai Li’s expression flickered uncertainly for a moment. “You didn’t even tell me you came back to the old residence today to talk marriage.”

Dai Linxuan paused, withdrew his hand, screwed the cap back on the cream, and tucked it into Lai Li’s pocket. “Twice a day—don’t lie to me that you applied it when you didn’t. I wasn’t hiding it from you; I just didn’t have time to say.”

Lai Li would have to be a fool to believe that. Talking marriage wasn’t a spur-of-the-moment thing; it must have been planned long ago, yet Dai Linxuan hadn’t mentioned a word last night.

“Is this your answer to me?”

“If you think it is, then it is.” Dai Linxuan grabbed the swing chain and shook it, suddenly chuckling. “When you were little, you clearly didn’t like swings, but whenever you saw me pushing Xiao Yi, you insisted on playing too. You felt like puking but wouldn’t get off. I had to push you for as long as I pushed her, or you’d sulk. Even touching you felt prickly.”

Lai Li lowered his gaze. “I’m not a hedgehog.”

“Hedgehogs are at least soft on their bellies. You’re a chestnut burr—spiky all three hundred and sixty degrees.” Dai Linxuan’s eyes curved into a gentle arc. “But still very cute and likable.”

“You’re the only one who likes it…” Lai Li’s dark pupils merged with the night. He asked softly, “Do I disgust you now?”

“Of course not.” Dai Linxuan ruffled Lai Li’s hair, giving him full brotherly affection. “How could I dislike you? It wasn’t easy raising you this big.”

He looked toward the southern part of the manor and said softly, “Get some early rest. I…”

Lai Li followed his gaze. “Where are you going?”

Dai Linxuan didn’t hide it. “Mom brought Dad home a few days ago. I’m going to see him.”

Lai Li immediately said, “I’ll go too.”

Dai Linxuan’s refusal reached his lips, but he thought better of it.

They walked along the asphalt path toward the southern building, passing the lake and the music room.

Qiu’en Manor was the land Jiang Qiujun and Dai Enhao bought before marriage, covering over ten thousand square meters, nestled against mountains and by water, exuding refinement everywhere. Back then, the Dai family was at its peak, wealthy and bold, spending a full six billion to build this new residence.

Lai Li suddenly asked, “Were they very much in love before?”

Dai Linxuan knew what he meant and replied flatly, “Back then, Dad spent half a year drawing the manor’s design by hand, stroke by stroke, as a token of his marriage proposal sincerity.”

Up until Dai Enhao’s car accident, his story with Jiang Qiujun was still a beautiful tale.

In this circle, few people truly married Cinderella or the poor boy after all. Mutual understanding and love were already hard; let alone overcoming obstacles. Most couldn’t last long before value clashes led to breakup, without even needing family intervention.

Thus, after Dai Enhao’s accident, many sighed in pity for his unrequited devotion.

Jiang Qiujun marrying Dai Enhao might have been for his status, wealth, and power, but conversely, a man in high position marrying a woman with no background—aside from true love, what else explained it? The poor man’s sincerity was worthless; the rich man’s was priceless.

In the early years after Dai Enhao’s accident and Jiang Qiujun’s power consolidation, conspiracy theories abounded, with criticism everywhere, even overt mockery and innuendo. Jiang Qiujun never changed her expression because of it, and those people gradually lost interest and stopped mentioning it.

South Garden was a bit far from the Main Building. It took them five minutes of slow strolling to arrive.

The floor-to-ceiling windows on the first floor had no curtains drawn. Dai Enhao lay in bed with a tracheotomy tube inserted—something he hadn’t had last time. Dai Yi sat by the bed, wiping his hands with a towel.

Dai Linxuan stopped and grabbed Lai Li’s arm, a complex emotion flashing in his eyes. “Wait a bit before going in.”

In twelve years at the Dai family, this was Lai Li’s first time seeing Dai Enhao. His heart stirred no ripples; he glanced once and looked away.

Dai Linxuan sat on a wooden chair nearby, elbows on his knees, fingers crossed and loosely supporting his chin.

Lai Li’s gaze fell on the top of his head. “You have a white hair.”

“Hm…” Dai Linxuan was somewhat absent-minded. “Don’t worry about it.”

Lai Li ignored him and reached up to part his brother’s hair, gently plucking that strand.

He held it up for a look and softly exclaimed, “Oops, my mistake. It’s not white.”

Dai Linxuan laughed. “I’m only eight years older than you. I’m not that old yet, am I?”

Lai Li stayed silent and continued fiddling with his hair.

“Not satisfied until you find a white one?” A faint sting came from his scalp, and Dai Linxuan said helplessly, “Planning to pluck me bald?”

He wasn’t angry at Lai Li’s behavior, which wasn’t ambiguous but rather childish.

When Lai Li was little, he liked these intimate little gestures too, especially in the mornings when he woke earlier. He’d silently play with Dai Linxuan’s hair without a word.

Dai Linxuan leaned back, letting Lai Li mess with his head.

Five minutes later, Dai Yi left South Garden, head down lost in thought, without noticing them.

Dai Linxuan patted Lai Li’s hand. “Enough playing. Let’s go in.”

As soon as they entered the room, Dai Enhao’s eyeballs turned, following their figures.

Dai Linxuan called out, “Dad.”

He didn’t make Lai Li call him; there’d be no response anyway, so it was pointless. He walked to the window and drew the curtains.

While Dai Linxuan had his back to the bed, Lai Li swiftly and precisely pinched a small tuft of Dai Enhao’s hair and yanked it out by the root.

Dai Enhao’s eyeball slowly shifted to the far right, locking dead onto Lai Li’s face, as if conscious.

Lai Li stared back fearlessly for a moment, then recalled Dai Enhao’s past indifference and neglect toward his brother. He reached out and yanked the nasal feeding tube, shoving it roughly twice into the nostril.

Even a vegetable felt pain. Dai Enhao’s facial muscles twitched violently.

When Dai Linxuan turned around, Lai Li had his hands in his pockets, looking like he hadn’t done anything, without a shred of guilt for bullying a vegetable. “Is Dad dying soon?”