Page 421

Page 421

The security guard standing upright in the booth at the door let Lu Mingfei and Su Xiaoqiang through immediately after confirming their identities. In fact, there was no need to confirm their identities because the security guard knew by heart every family and car that could live in the sanatorium.

Lu Mingfei randomly found a parking space in the empty open-air parking lot, parked his car, opened the door and got out of the car carrying some fruits.

If nothing unexpected happens, Lu Mingfei came here to help Old Man Su cure his cerebral thrombosis, so health supplements and the like are actually of no use. Just bring some fruits as a token of his appreciation.

After leaving the parking lot, there is a small road made of cobblestones. It is obvious that when this place was designed, it was not considered to allow private cars to run wildly. However, on the right hand side, there is a means of transportation similar to a sightseeing car. Compared with a private car, it is much smaller, of course, it can easily seat six or seven people, and it is very stable when running on this kind of small road. I think it can also transport the elderly with limited mobility to the entrance of the nursing home when necessary.

Although it is a private high-end sanatorium without even a Red Cross sign, there are indeed several ambulances parked on the roadside at the end of the asphalt road. In the event of an unexpected situation that even the resident experts cannot resolve, the sanatorium can quickly send the patient to the nearest hospital for treatment.

Su Xiaoqiang should be a frequent visitor here. With his eyelids slightly lowered, he controlled the steering wheel with one hand and drove the sightseeing car towards the depths of the sanatorium. I don't know what kind of flowers are in bloom in this climate, and the breeze blowing in is filled with a cool fragrance.

"When my father was still able to jump and run, he would go to the pavilion to practice Tai Chi every morning. After practicing Tai Chi, he would sit there and fish." Su Xiaoqiang raised his chin towards the pond next to him with cold ripples. Lu Mingfei looked and saw a pavilion in the middle of the clear pond. The small bridge connecting the pavilion was built over the pond, and the corridor was winding like a belt.

"Uncle has a really good attitude." Lu Mingfei said.

"Because at that time he still thought that the disease was nothing serious, and he would just stay in the hospital for a few days before going home." Su Xiaoqiang said, "Later, he began to suffer from hemiplegia, and his willpower became much lower. I was really worried that he would not be able to accept the reality and would not be able to get over it."

"How could that be? My uncle once told me that he was a man of steel."

"Illness is a very torturous thing. It can burn steel into ashes," said Su Xiaoqiang.

Lu Mingfei opened his mouth, but didn't know what to say.

Leaves were falling and the sightseeing bus was driving along the cobblestone path. Most of the caregivers and staff on both sides of the road were in a hurry, but there were also old people who covered themselves tightly with down jackets or cotton jackets and stood by the pool, staring at the white storks falling from the water for a long time.

After driving for a few more minutes, Su Xiaoqiang parked the car on the side of the road, led Lu Mingfei and Hui Liyi out of the car, turned left and right in the alleys between the courtyards, and finally arrived at the courtyard where Old Man Su was staying.

The small building looks antique with green bricks and ancient tiles, but it turns out that the door is equipped with a very advanced fingerprint lock. After the gate is opened, there is a corridor paved with marble bricks. Between the corridors is a huge patio where water can flow down along the eaves. At the bottom of the patio lies smooth and translucent pebbles.

In Chinese feng shui, this kind of architectural layout is called a cornucopia.

Su Xiaoqiang hooked her finger at Lu Mingfei, and Lu Mingfei scratched his hair and walked to her.

The girl held Eiry's arm with one hand and stretched out her other hand to brush away the leaves that had fallen on Lu Mingfei's shoulder. The wind carrying the cool fragrance of flowers blew by, and the delicate copper pieces hanging from the eaves of the corridor on the side facing the patio collided with each other, making a pleasant sound.

"Eri, can you lend me your boyfriend for a while?" Su Xiaoqiang smiled, her long eyebrows curved like willow leaves. When she was not so arrogant, there were shallow dimples on her cheeks, and she suddenly looked a lot more childish.

Looking at her profile, Lu Mingfei seemed to have suddenly returned to Shilan Middle School many years ago. At that time, Su Xiaoqiang was still wearing a loose school uniform. They stood together on the rooftop of the teaching building in the sunset breeze. The titanium-black building in the distance looked like a square monument rising from the ground in the afterglow of the sunset. A hundred kinds of flowers and plants grew quietly in the glass greenhouse. The girl's hair was raised and rolled like clouds. Lu Mingfei's heart had never been so peaceful. At a certain moment, he turned his eyes and looked back, but his eyes met Su Xiaoqiang's. For some people, that moment is eternal.

Eiry grabbed the corner of her clothes, lowered her head and thought for a while, "Okay." When she looked up, Su Xiaoqiang's slightly embarrassed face was reflected in her wine-red pupils. The little angel breathed a sigh of relief as if a heavy burden had been lifted off her shoulders.

She turned her head and tilted it, seeing Lu Mingfei's stunned expression, she burst out laughing.

“When I was in high school, my dad kept telling me to seize opportunities. Unfortunately, just like what you said, we are from two different worlds. I can never keep up with you.” Su Xiaoqiang smiled enough and smoothed Lu Mingfei’s hair that was a little messy due to the wind. He looked up and down at this guy who had grown into a man in just two years. For some reason, his nose felt a little sour. He blinked, turned his face away and sniffed. “I also know that you told me that your superpower can cure Dad’s illness just to make me happy... Then why not make my dad happy too, Senior Brother, can you pretend to be my boyfriend for a while?”

Lu Mingfei was slightly moved and said, "Girl, you really can't hide your feelings at all. The whole world knows your little thoughts. If everyone knows what you are thinking, you will suffer one day, do you know that?"

After a while, without waiting for a response, the little girl turned her head back. She bit her lower lip with her pearly teeth, her mouth was flat, and her eyes were slightly red. Lu Mingfei quickly reached out to pinch the girl's face and said, "This is a small matter. As long as it can make your uncle happy, let alone ask me to pretend to be your boyfriend, I am willing to pretend to be your grandson."

"Bah, bah, bah, who asked you to pretend to be a grandson? Am I that old?" Su Xiaoqiang got angry and stretched his neck to bite Lu Mingfei's fingers. Lu Mingfei quickly retracted his head.

"I said."

"Ok?"

"You have to act properly. As my boyfriend, shouldn't you put your arm around my waist?" Su Xiaoqiang snorted, "Why, are you afraid that Eri will make you kneel on a durian when you get home?"

"No, no, Sakura, don't worry, I won't ask you to kneel on the durian!" Eri quickly waved her hands with a serious expression on her face.

"Sakura?" Su Xiaoqiang showed a puzzled expression. Lu Mingfei sighed and thought that he still couldn't get through this level. He could only hum and haw while hugging the girl's slender waist beside him and walking into the corridor.

Father Su's room was on the second floor. The person in charge of the nursing home installed elevators in each small courtyard. The elevators were independently powered, so there was no need to worry about not being able to use them in an emergency. The whole courtyard was quiet, with only the gurgling sound of running water outside the window.

The spacious corridor was filled with a faint scent of osmanthus fragrance, probably to cover up the smell of disinfectant.

Chapter 497 Do you question your heart?

Just as Lu Mingfei and his friends stepped out of the elevator, a group of middle-aged men and women in nursing uniforms turned out from the corner, walked past them hurriedly but quietly with their heads down, and disappeared silently around the corner of the stairs.

"Is it so humane?" Lu Mingfei was dumbfounded.

"Because the cost of recuperation here is astronomical," said Su Xiaoqiang.

They walked through the corridor and entered the ward. The ward was quiet. Eri looked around curiously. The room was also filled with the smell of incense. The windows were open. The ivory gauze curtains were slightly lifted and lowered by the wind, and the sunlight was much softer through the thick curtains.

The layout of the room was an almost exact replica of the study room that Old Man Su had in his own villa, with tea sets by the window, large books not neatly arranged on the bookshelf, many of which were still unopened, and a glass cabinet in the corner for his certificates of honor and corporate medals. Except for the hook on the wall next to the bed for hanging water bottles, this place looked no different from an ordinary room.

Lu Mingfei heard low, rapid panting sounds. On the silk bed sheet, Old Man Su was wearing only underwear and struggling to raise his upper body to sit on the head of the bed.

Su Xiaoqiang is a daughter that comes late in life for her family. It is said that Aunt Sophia and Old Man Su got married in a certain cathedral abroad, and there was no change in the baby's belly in the next six years. Old Comrade Su also put in a lot of effort and finally reaped the rewards. He finally had a daughter when he was nearly forty years old. At that time, Aunt Sophia was still a young girl of twenty-five or twenty-six years old in the prime of life.

But although he always portrayed himself as a tough guy, in Lu Mingfei's impression, Old Man Su was no different from the old man next door with a Beijing-style buzz cut who played chess next to the old locust tree downstairs in summer with a cattail leaf fan. He was just an ordinary old man with a little belly, a little baldness, and a super old-fashioned mustache. He neither liked to wear Armani suits like other nouveau riche, nor did he follow the upper class to go to Italy to customize a high-end outfit. He just liked to wear bamboo cloth shirts and double-breasted sweaters, and always wore baggy trousers. He always liked to hold a pair of iron balls in his hands. Sometimes he drove to the school to pick up Su Xiaoqiang, and everyone else thought that this old man was the grandfather of the little goddess.

Su Xiaoqiang also complained about this to his father, advising him not to dress so old all the time. He was only 60 years old but looked like an 80-year-old man. When he went out with Aunt Sophia, people thought she was his mistress. Su's father said that the coal boss had his own aesthetic taste. Besides, what's wrong with a mistress? Doesn't this also show that your mother was well raised by me? She is 40 years old but looks like she is 30. I am getting older and older while she is getting younger and younger.

No matter how harmless he dressed himself up as if he were a sheep waiting to be slaughtered, he still had the temperament of a thug, and his occasional glance back was as sharp as a knife.

It is obviously impossible for Old Man Su to build such a huge mining empire from nothing without some skills and abilities.

But now, this thug who disguised himself as a sheep is lying powerlessly on the hospital bed, his eyes are cloudy and lifeless, the muscles all over his body are atrophied, his cheeks are slightly sunken, the throbbing blue-black blood vessels can be seen under the dry skin on his arms, and his beard has turned gray.

Lu Mingfei could imagine how much torture the illness brought to the old man. He was the kind of person who never gave up, but now he could hardly take care of himself. He must be in great pain.

Su Xiaoqiang had already sat down beside the bed. She sat upright, her slender shoulders clearly lonely, but she tried hard to make them look broad, as if Su Xiaoqiang could prove to her father that even without him, she could still hold up the sky and this family would not suddenly collapse.

"Dad, Mingfei and I are here to see you." Su Xiaoqiang tucked in the quilt for Old Su, held his chin with one hand, and stared into his father's eyes.

Cerebral thrombosis can cause hemiplegia and confusion. Fortunately, the area of ​​Su's brain blood supply disorder is not in the language center, so it has not yet caused symptoms such as aphasia.

"And Mingfei's sister Xiaoli." Su Xiaoqiang added.

Hearing Lu Mingfei's name, Old Su's eyes seemed to brighten up at some point, and he cleared his throat. Su Xiaoqiang quickly leaned over and took the spittoon from the side to help his father expel the phlegm accumulated deep in his throat.

"Mingfei, come here and sit next to me." After clearing the phlegm, Old Su felt much better, but his palm movements seemed a little strange, which was obviously a sign of damage to the motor center. It is not difficult to imagine that the lesions and the diseased areas have seriously affected the motor system, but the old man still patted the seat next to him and motioned Lu Mingfei to come and sit.

"I haven't heard you say you have a younger sister... She's a really pretty girl. There are wax apples and oranges in the refrigerator, as well as strawberries picked from the greenhouse. Don't hesitate to help yourself."

Uncle was still as enthusiastic as before. Lu Mingfei took two steps at a time and sat down beside the bed. Old Su looked him up and down carefully.

"I heard from Xiaoqiang that you went to study in Chicago after graduation. Is the climate and environment here so nourishing? I haven't seen you for only two years, but you've grown so big. You're more handsome than before, and much more beautiful than when I was young."

"No way, I've seen my uncle's appearance when he was young in Xiaoqiang's photo album. He was also a handsome young man in the area. Otherwise, how could he have married such a beautiful wife like Aunt Sophia." Lu Mingfei acted obediently.

To be honest, whether it is Chu Zihang's family or Su Xiaoqiang's family, Lu Mingfei feels more familiar with them than his aunt, and they are more like his family.

After Qiao Weini and Lu Lincheng left China in 04, Lu Mingfei had been living with his aunt. Since then, they had been transferring money to his aunt's bank card on a monthly basis. Lu Mingfei never knew how much money that amount was, but he knew that since he had been staying at his aunt's house, their living conditions had suddenly improved. His uncle drove a BMW, Lu Mingze wore famous brands and attended the most expensive aristocratic school in the local area. He was even honored as the Prince of Ze in the school because of his lavishness.

Even so, aunt still disliked Lu Mingfei and wished to trample him into the dust. Lu Mingze's pocket money was never limited, but Lu Mingfei had to rely on running errands for his uncle to buy cigarettes or going out to buy soy sauce to deduct a little from that money for pocket money. He never had clothes of better quality, and he was not like his cousin who always got aunt's support, even when he fought with others at school.

In fact, Father Su knew about Lu Mingfei's situation. Like Chu Zihang's mother, he also proposed to bring Lu Mingfei out to live with them, and expressed his willingness to sponsor his schooling until graduation, but Lu Mingfei declined.

But Lu Mingfei was very grateful to them from the bottom of his heart. It was thanks to the care of Chu Zihang and Su Xiaoqiang's families during those years that his high school life was not a mess.

In Lu Mingfei's eyes, Old Man Su has always been a very close elder, and he is willing to behave well in front of his elders.

"Come here, Mingfei, hold my hand." Old Su grunted and sat up straight. Lu Mingfei quickly reached out to help the old man support his back and cover the old man's hand.

The dry and broad palm was warm, and it was not as well-maintained as Lu Mingfei had imagined, but was covered with hard calluses.

"Is that little girl really your sister?" he asked.

"She is not much younger than me. She was born in Japan. She lived with relatives in the mountains of Kobe until she was ten years old. Later, my parents went abroad for archaeological research and took her with them, so we have only lived together in recent years." Lu Mingfei had already thought about how to lie to Comrade Lao Su about Eri's identity before he stepped into this ward. It was not difficult. He had been trained in the academy and knew what subtle expressions people would subconsciously make when they lied, so he was able to restrain those expressions.

"She has never been back to China before, right? Then you should take her around, or she will forget her roots after living abroad for too long."

After saying this, the two of them fell into a strange silence. After a moment, the old man said, "You are already halfway through college. Has Mingfei found a girlfriend in Chicago?"

Lu Mingfei's heart skipped a beat, knowing that the meat type would have to take the stage again.

He exchanged glances with Su Xiaoqiang inconspicuously, pretending to be a little embarrassed and his eyes were wandering.

“Actually, I came to visit you this time because I have something to tell you, uncle…” Lu Mingfei considered his words carefully while observing his uncle’s expression. “Su Xiaoqiang and I still get together as often as before in Chicago… We are actually in a relationship now…”

Old Man Su was stunned for a moment, and the air in the room suddenly became quiet. Lu Mingfei shrank his neck, feeling a sharp wind blowing.

"Go out for a while." Old Man Su patted the back of Su Xiaoqiang's hand. The little angel looked at Lu Mingfei a little worried and apologetically. Lu Mingfei nodded to show that he was fine.

"Your sister should go out for a while too." Old Man Su said to Lu Mingfei. Lu Mingfei did not hesitate. He beckoned Hui Li over with his finger and whispered a few words in her ear. The girl then happily followed Su Xiaoqiang out.

Lu Mingfei thought that he and Su Xiaoqiang were about to be beaten or scolded for their misjudgment, and he prepared himself mentally, but Old Man Su just sighed, reached out and patted his shoulder with difficulty.

"I actually knew that you rejected our Xiaoqiang in that cinema that day. She cried to her mother after she got home. I happened to come back to get some documents and heard it from behind the door." Old Man Su's tone was very gentle, even gentler than when Lu Mingfei saw him when he was in high school. But he was very nervous. His uncle gave him the feeling that he had suddenly put down a burden and was no longer hungry.

People without desires and pursuits are terrible. They are indifferent to their own lives and can easily fall into a vicious circle of self-destruction. Such examples are not uncommon in the world of mixed-bloods. The vast majority of mixed-bloods with excellent bloodlines come from ancient and wealthy aristocratic families. They have enjoyed things that ordinary people cannot even get a glimpse of in their entire lives since they were young. When their bloodline is fully awakened and the sorrow of blood begins to appear, the tendency of self-destruction will become very exposed.

The S-class who committed suicide by shooting himself at Kassel Academy 40 years ago might have been in a similar situation.

"This little girl is really a worry. I had bought a house for her in Shanghai and she only needed to go to Fudan University to study. But she is just like that. She doesn't want to admit defeat and insisted on following you to Chicago. She sent her resume to the University of Chicago without telling any of us." Uncle Su looked a little sad. He felt like all fathers who see their daughters off, seeing another man holding her hand and leaving them.

"She sometimes calls your Aunt Sophia and happily tells us about her situation there, but she never mentions your name every time she calls. I guess you didn't have much interaction in Chicago, and you may not have even met each other many times, right?"

Lu Mingfei hesitated for a moment and decided to remain silent.

Sometimes a question doesn't actually require you to answer, you just need to remain silent and the person asking the question will know the answer.

"She called us once and told us that she went to Six Flags in Chicago with you to ride the roller coaster. Although Xiaoqiang sounded very happy on the phone, she is my daughter after all. I always felt that even her smile was forced." Father Su held Lu Mingfei's arm and stared out the window in a daze. "Later, we saw on TV news that a gas explosion occurred in the amusement park and the entire venue was destroyed. Sophia was very worried about her daughter, so she flew to Chicago to see her... Xiaoqiang's eyes were red when she was eating. Sophia said that she was wronged there. Is it related to you?"

When Old Man Su said these words, he did not blame him, but just expressed some kind of question that was close to a statement. Lu Mingfei recalled the situation at that time. He was indeed accompanied by a female companion, but Su Xiaoqiang did not show that kind of trickling sadness when he saw them.

In fact, if we think about it from another perspective, with the strong character of the little angel, even if she is sad, she will not express it in front of Lu Mingfei.

At that time, Lu Mingfei had not yet officially confirmed his relationship with Xia Mi. The reason why he told Su Xiaoqiang that Xia Mi was his girlfriend was because there was an insurmountable gap between the world of mixed-bloods and the world of ordinary people.

Lu Mingfei was reluctant to bring the little angel into this dark world, but things are unpredictable and the girl eventually stepped half a foot in.

Lu Mingfei stood up and turned off the surveillance camera in the corner that was used to monitor the patient's condition. He sighed and sat back next to Old Man Su.

"The situation is complicated, uncle. You have also experienced many ups and downs. I am not afraid that you will not be able to accept some things... Kassel Academy is different from ordinary educational institutions. It is closer to a military fortress. The education I received there is closer to military training. We need to face dangers that ordinary people cannot face. I don't want Su Xiaoqiang to be implicated, so I rejected your daughter again in another way." Lu Mingfei also looked at the falling leaves outside the window. "In fact, I was forced to return to China. Our organization is hunting me abroad."

Father Su smiled.

"You don't believe it?"

"I believe it." Father Su shook his head. "You were different from other kids when you were in middle school. Other kids' eyes were clear and tired from studying, but you were calm. When Xiaoqiang brought you to see me for the first time, I could even feel the rare aura of a superior from you... I just didn't expect your experience to be so eventful."

"Then what are you laughing at?"

"Is our country protecting you?" asked Old Man Su.

Lu Mingfei hesitated for a moment and said, "I guess so." He said that Lord Wa could even mobilize the military's heavy armored combined battalion, so there was no reason why she had no connection with the government. In that case, he, Lu Mingfei, could be said to have indirectly received the protection of this country.

"Then do you like our Xiaoqiang too?" The old man stared into Lu Mingfei's eyes. His eye sockets were deep and looked extremely profound. His pupils were not cloudy but extremely calm.

The real purpose was revealed, and Lu Mingfei suddenly seemed to hear the sound of swords and armor colliding. This old man who couldn't even move on his own seemed to have suddenly returned to his youth.

At that time, he was a tyrant in the city, fighting his way out with huge funds.