The moment Conrad’s car pulled away, John began shouting frantically, “Hurry! Call an ambulance, now!”
“Fanny, my daughter!” John scrambled upstairs in a panic.
Fanny had already passed out from the pain, lying in a pool of her own filth, the stench unbearable.
Helen collapsed into Peter’s arms. “How did it come to this? How could it end up like this? I just wanted everyone to be okay…”
Sophia stood to the side, watching Conrad’s convoy drive away with a detached expression.
She had never liked Fanny anyway. Maybe it was good that Lillian had taught her a lesson.
All Sophia could think about was standing by Conrad’s side…
“Peter, come help me!” John shouted.
Helen grabbed Peter’s arm. “No! You’re a famous director. If you follow the ambulance, someone might recognize you. Let the housekeeper help. Go wake Grace-we can’t show our faces!”
******
It was still drizzling outside, the light raindrops falling on the car windows, leaving streaks behind.
Lillian stared at those raindrops, holding Alvin’s urn in her arms.
Halfway through the journey, Conrad had someone stop the car. “Go buy a bowl of porridge.”
The porridge was quickly brought back, and kept warm in a thermal food container.
Conrad watched as Lillian sat motionless, staring out the window. He opened the container, took a spoonful of porridge, and offered it to her, “Eat something.”
Lillian shook her head. “I can’t eat.”
“Are you planning to starve yourself to join your dad? Or do you want him to watch you torture yourself like this?”
Neither. She just wasn’t in the mood to eat. After the rollercoaster of emotions-great joy followed by deep sorrow-she had lost all appetite.
“Just take a bite, okay?” His tone softened, though he wasn’t used to feeding someone. His actions felt awkward and unnatural.
Lillian’s gaze shifted. The porridge smelled great and looked just as good. It was from a private restaurant Conrad frequented.
She parted her lips slightly, and the warm porridge slowly entered her mouth.
“How’s it taste?”
Lillian nodded. Only then did Conrad feed her another spoonful.
When Lillian ate, she did it daintily, taking small bites. Conrad, unusually patient, waited until she swallowed before he took the next bite for her.
It was oddly addictive.
So this was what it felt like to feed Lillian.
Before she knew it, the bowl was nearly empty.
Lillian couldn’t eat any more. She raised her hand to push it away. “I can’t eat anymore.”
Conrad handed the bowl to a bodyguard. “Where do you want to bury your dad? Or if you want to have another funeral for him, I can arrange it. I’ll make sure all the important people in the city come-guarantee a grand ceremony…”
“No need. Those people don’t really want to be there.” Lillian touched the urn. “My dad used to like going to the ST Church in the countryside. I heard it’s a place that can soothe the spirits of the dead. He went to my uncle’s house once and they made a mess of things. I want the pastor to say a prayer for him, and then choose a better cemetery for his reburial.”
“Okay.” Conrad turned to the driver. “Take us to ST Church.”
Then he pulled out his phone and contacted Ford to arrange for a burial plot.
Lillian turned to him. “Thank you for today.”
Conrad patted her head and had her lean against him. “I’m your man. If I can’t handle something this simple for you, then I’m not worth your time.”
He said that, but Lillian knew he wasn’t the type to do things like this for just anyone.
For this, she could only feel gratitude-no other words could express her feelings.
ST Church was located in the suburbs.
By the time they arrived, Conrad had already made the arrangements.
They just needed to climb to the top of the hill.
Lillian insisted on taking Alvin’s urn up herself, and Conrad didn’t want to interfere.
“It’s probably going to take about an hour to climb. You can go back,” she said. She didn’t want to trouble Conrad any further.
“Stop talking. It’s no big deal. Let’s go.” Conrad held an umbrella over her.
His strides were long, and he could easily cover several steps at once. Whenever Lillian’s strength gave out, he would hold her hand, using it to pull her up while keeping the umbrella over her.
He rarely held her hand and had never sheltered anyone with an umbrella, but today, he broke many of his usual habits.
Lillian remembered that his palm felt warm. The sound of raindrops hitting the black umbrella was muffled in her ears. Her eyes were fixed on his back and his hand that wouldn’t let go of hers.
Lillian told herself that this was the only part she would have-just this brief moment with him.
After some time, he would be someone else’s fiance, and the space beside him would be filled by someone else.
She would only have this bit of time with him.
Halfway up the mountain, they ran into a married couple coming down.
Seeing Conrad and his group climbing, with bodyguards following behind, the couple smiled and said, “Young folks, it’s better to climb the Lover’s Road together, just the two of you. That’s the only way God will bless you with a lifetime of love and never part.”
Years later, Lillian would remember that winter rain on the mountain path, and the Lover’s Road they walked.
Looking back, she realized that from that moment, she and Conrad had long been entangled, unable to see where the road ahead led.
When they reached the summit, the rain had stopped, and the wind had calmed.
Water still dripped from the eaves of the church.
“Mr. Conrad, right? Please come in.”
Lillian followed inside, kneeling in the hall, praying with sincere devotion.
“Dad, Lillian brought you here. Please don’t blame me, I couldn’t make everything perfect.”
She touched the urn, listening to the chanting of sutras, her voice catching as she finally said, “Dad, I miss you.”
She missed him still coming home and hugging her.
She missed him patiently listening to her complain about the little things in life.
When he was around, her worries were about not being able to buy the clothes she liked, or the dolls she wanted being out of stock.
Now that he was gone, she felt like she was her own sky.
“Dad, life has been really hard.”
“If you miss me, can I come find you?”
Suddenly, she felt a shadow behind her. She quickly wiped away her tears.
A cold sensation settled around her neck.
Looking down, she saw Conrad’s black wolf ring, the one he always wore on his hand, now hanging from her neck as a necklace. He had turned it into a chain for her.
“I’ve had a strong fate since I was young, with bad luck. This ring has sacred texts engraved on it. A master told me it would protect me from worry for a hundred years.”
Lillian froze for a moment, her fingers brushing the necklace. The raised patterns on it seemed to still carry his warmth.
“I’m giving it to you now, to ward off evil.”
Lillian quickly turned her head. “But this isn’t…”
Conrad stood behind her, “I don’t believe in ghosts or gods, and I don’t believe in the countless deities in the heavens.”
“What I, Conrad, want, I will get. Anyone who wants to kill me can come and try.” He lowered his gaze, his eyes showing a hint of disdain and arrogance. “I gave it to you to protect you. I don’t need it.”
Lillian wanted to tell him not to speak so carelessly in front of God, but then she realized he probably wouldn’t care. That was just who he was.
“From now on, you wear this ring, and just like those people who see me, no matter what you ask them to do, they’ll help you. In situations like today, you don’t need to wait for me. Do whatever you want, I’ll clean up after you.”
Lillian’s pupils constricted. After a long silence, she finally spoke, “You’re making it sound like I’m a criminal.”
“No criminal gets bullied the way you do, constantly pushed around. If I don’t keep an eye on you, people will take advantage of you.” He gently ruffled her hair with one hand. “You just hide and cry when things get tough. When you lose your temper, I’m the only one who gets bullied.”
Lillian almost spoke up, wondering when she had ever bullied him. But then she remembered the slap she had given him unconsciously earlier, and she fell silent.
“The cemetery’s already been chosen. It’s in a good spot behind Taylor Mansion. The auspicious time for the ceremony is in two hours. Let’s go, and give your father a peaceful resting place.”
Conrad squatted down, covered Alvin’s urn with a piece of black cloth, wrapped it tightly, and lifted it to leave the church.