DF Chapter 118

Chapter 118: She Chose Sheng Jia, But That Doesn’t Mean She Has a Clear Conscience.

Late August, the sweltering heat of Jingjiang reached its peak.

After half a month of upgrades and renovations, the Wangfen Funeral Home had improved its landscaping, expanded several venues, and, most importantly, completely upgraded the cremation equipment and Song Ji’an’s body embalming room, even replacing the air conditioning with separate 8-horsepower units.

Cheng Fangyang exclaimed that she had never been so wealthy.

Song Ji’an returned to her new job within a few days. Because Cheng Fangyang finally had the funds to invest in advertising, she carefully placed advertisements for Wangfen Funeral Home in the public announcement boards of several hospitals.

The effect wasn’t significant, but at least the visibility had improved. Most of their clients still came from the distribution of the Central Hospital.

However, in the past half-month, she had recruited several experienced morticians and a few strong movers who could drive. Their arrival had tripled the number of clients the funeral home could handle and reduced some of Song Ji’an’s workload. Since Song Ji’an’s return, she hadn’t worked overtime for a full week.

Cheng Fangyang glanced at the office schedule and said to Song Ji’an, who was catching up on sleep at her desk, “We have a big client coming this afternoon, specifically requesting that you and I meet them. They want to schedule your time. Do you remember this?”

Song Ji’an mumbled in agreement.

Although she hadn’t been working overtime these past few days, the workload was still considerable. The new mortician girls were very professional, but Cheng Fangyang received many clients at once, and several had been sent after car accidents, with bodies needing to be pieced together to be complete. The enormous workload couldn’t be handled by one mortician alone, so they often needed to work together.

Song Ji’an basically had no rest from morning to night during this time.

She didn’t know if it was because her knot with Sheng Jia had loosened a bit or because she had been too tired recently. In any case, she mostly fell asleep as soon as she got home, only needing alcohol to help her sleep on rare occasions.

Today’s moment of leisure mainly came from the large client who had made an appointment and paid a deposit yesterday. The client specifically requested that Song Ji’an be responsible for the body and wanted to discuss it in detail, paying a generous deposit.

Cheng Fangyang immediately prioritized the client and rescheduled Song Ji’an’s shift, pushing back all of her work for this afternoon.

Cheng Fangyang’s phone rang promptly at two o’clock in the afternoon. She looked at the contact information and tapped the desk in front of Song Ji’an. “Junior, the client is here. Let’s go to the entrance to meet them.”

Song Ji’an nodded, took a sip of the chilled tea on the desk, and picked up her coat.

Her phone seemed to vibrate in her pocket. She took it out and saw that it was a message from Sheng Jia, who hadn’t been seen for a full week since telling her to trust her.

The phone was locked, so she couldn’t see what the message said. Cheng Fangyang urged her at the door, “Let’s hurry, don’t keep them waiting.”

Song Ji’an replied and threw her phone back into her pocket.

If Sheng Jia had something urgent, she would probably call directly. Since it was a message, it probably wouldn’t matter if she looked at it later.

She put on her coat and walked toward Cheng Fangyang.

It was ridiculously hot outside the funeral home. As soon as they stepped out the door, a scorching heatwave hit them.

The two walked along the shade to the gate and saw a Bentley drive up. Then, a familiar face that Song Ji’an never expected to see here got out of the car.

They had even been together on a small island in Norway a week ago.

–Dong Zhen.

Dong Zhen was sitting in the passenger seat. After getting out of the car, she only nodded at Song Ji’an and respectfully walked towards the back.

There weren’t many people who could command such respect from Dong Zhen, but Song Ji’an had already guessed who the big client was this time.

The back door opened, and Fu Minglang, whom she hadn’t seen in five years, stepped out.

She was wearing sunglasses, making it impossible to see her expression, but she reached out to Song Ji’an as she approached her and said softly, “Ji’an, long time no see.”

Song Ji’an fell silent.

If seeing old friends like Dong Zhen and Meng Yeran only made her feel a little uneasy, then seeing Fu Minglang, a senior who had always been exceptionally fond of her since she was a child, made her unsure how to face her.

Or perhaps she should say, she didn’t know whether to be affectionate or distant.

Five years ago, Fu Minglang chose to help Sheng Jia after learning Sheng Jia’s true identity. This was a good thing, as it at least made someone aware of Sheng Jia’s grievances and pain, and reduced Song Ji’an’s guilt.

But seeing Fu Minglang again, even though the other’s tone hadn’t changed at all, she didn’t know if she, who had once taken everything from Sheng Jia, still had the right to talk to her as she had in the past.

But Fu Minglang didn’t give her a chance to hesitate. She didn’t put down her hand, and Song Ji’an couldn’t let the elder be left in such an awkward situation. Ignoring Cheng Fangyang’s surprised gaze, she raised her hand and grasped Fu Minglang’s hand.

This hand had pulled her when she was a child, pulled her when she was a teenager, and now, after she had grown up, this was the first time she had held it.

Still warm and full of strength.

“Let’s go inside and talk,” Song Ji’an said softly. “Ms. Fu, long time no see.”

Fu Minglang looked her up and down and nodded.

On the way inside, Cheng Fangyang introduced the area to Fu Minglang while stealing glances at Song Ji’an, but Song Ji’an was walking side by side with Dong Zhen.

This time, she noticed that the expressions on both Fu Minglang and Dong Zhen’s faces weren’t good, especially Fu Minglang. Even with her sunglasses on, Song Ji’an could still feel her whole body overflowing with fatigue. Clearly, something had happened.

“Who passed away?” Song Ji’an asked Dong Zhen directly.

Fu Minglang had lived to this age and had long since let go of many things. The person who could make her show such an expression was likely a very important old friend.

Dong Zhen looked at her in surprise when she heard this. “Didn’t Sheng Jia tell you?”

Hearing Sheng Jia’s name, Song Ji’an’s heart tightened.

If it needed Sheng Jia to tell her, that meant she and Sheng Jia both knew this person.

“She hasn’t contacted me all week,” Song Ji’an replied.

“That’s right, she’s been terribly busy this week and hasn’t returned from the Northwest yet,” Dong Zhen frowned. “Let’s go inside first. Ms. Fu will tell you.”

Song Ji’an looked up at Fu Minglang’s back, pinched her fingers, and suppressed the panic in her heart a little.

Soon, the group arrived at the reception room. Fu Minglang sat on the wide sofa, took out a document from her shoulder bag, removed her sunglasses, revealed her slightly red eyes, looked at Song Ji’an, and said slowly, “The deceased is named Wang Huiqiu. Before her death, she specifically requested that Ms. Song Ji’an handle her body and hold her memorial service at Wangfen Funeral Home. After the memorial service, she wants to be cremated, and her ashes are to be made into a vinyl record.”

Song Ji’an was stunned.

Her fingertips trembled slightly, and she suddenly asked, “You said, who is the deceased?”

“Wang Huiqiu,” Fu Minglang repeated. “One of the joint founders of Song’s Heavy Industry, former Executive Vice President.”

Of course, Song Ji’an knew who this was. She was just a little incredulous.

In her heart, Wang Huiqiu had always been a dignified elder, and aloofness was her synonym, but from childhood to adulthood, she had also protected Song Ji’an the most closely because she was the granddaughter of her friend Song Yumei.

The older she got, the fewer times Song Ji’an visited Wang Huiqiu. She couldn’t travel to Yunze often and was also a little afraid of her.

This was a junior’s natural fear of an elder.

Until the year her identity was revealed, she didn’t even dare to say goodbye to Wang Huiqiu before leaving, and she also believed that she no longer had the right to say goodbye.

Bearing such an awkward identity, why bother making the old woman feel embarrassed.

But now, hearing Wang Huiqiu’s news again, it was actually news of her death.

And Fu Minglang’s short sentence was enough to make Song Ji’an understand that even if she thought she had left the Song family and returned to her own position, no longer disturbing the people in that world, both Fu Minglang and Wang Huiqiu had actually been paying attention to her life.

They hadn’t thought she was no longer qualified to be their beloved junior after she left.

On the contrary, they were tolerating the choices Song Ji’an had made. They had never disturbed her, only silently watching her.

Song Ji’an lowered her head and asked, somewhat blankly, “Then how did she die?”

“She went to climb Mount Everest, died on the way up the mountain, not very painfully.” Fu Minglang said softly, “This was her own choice.”

“Then… Ms. Song Ningqiu?” Song Ji’an asked in a low voice.

Wang Huiqiu’s departure was so difficult for her to accept. She couldn’t imagine what Song Ningqiu’s reaction would be.

“She, made preparations, but she’s still very sad.” Fu Minglang sighed and replied, “She was quite calm when Wang Huiqiu’s death was reported and flew to the Northwest with Sheng Jia to bring her back. She’ll probably arrive tomorrow.”

“I see,” Song Ji’an nodded, suddenly realizing that her face was also a little wet. She raised her hand to wipe it away, and it turned out to be tears.

The scene fell silent for a moment. Even Cheng Fangyang, who hadn’t been able to interject, felt the stagnation of the atmosphere. This wasn’t a good time to ask questions. Even with her mind full of questions, she took out a few tissues and handed them to the absent-minded Song Ji’an, making it easier for her to wipe away her tears.

“Ji’an, I thought you would blame me,” Fu Minglang’s voice rang out in the silence. At a moment Song Ji’an hadn’t noticed, she had been carefully scrutinizing the young man in front of her. “But in reality, there isn’t a trace of resentment in your eyes towards me.”

“No, I’m not a god, I’m a person. I actually did blame you. When people are helpless and in pain, they always have to find some targets to shift their focus. But after those hot-headed emotions cooled down, I only discovered one thing,” Song Ji’an said in a hoarse voice, “Your choice makes me very grateful. If Sheng Jia was really in a situation of isolation and helplessness, that would be the greatest tragedy of this matter.”

“And you didn’t do anything else besides concealing the truth for Sheng Jia.”

A very calm attitude.

If it were before, Fu Minglang would have praised Song Ji’an for being able to manage her emotions so well, but now she only felt rather complicated in her heart.

“I see,” Fu Minglang smiled. “I should have come to apologize to you sooner. I’m very sorry to you.”

She chose Sheng Jia, but that doesn’t mean she has a clear conscience.

She doesn’t regret her choice, she only feels sorry for Song Ji’an.

As Song Ji’an said, in that situation, if she didn’t choose Sheng Jia after discovering the truth, then that child would have been too pitiful.

Fu Minglang admired and empathized with Sheng Jia. She shared her secret and shared the pain behind the secret. She couldn’t watch her be isolated and helpless. At the moment she made her choice, she had actually prepared herself to be resented by Song Ji’an.

She didn’t actually force Song Ji’an to understand this matter, because understanding this matter was also a tear in the wound for Song Ji’an. Fu Minglang would rather she vent her resentment on herself, treating herself as an object that could transfer pain.

But Song Ji’an was more rational than anyone imagined.

This kind of rationality is the most dangerous, making people completely lose the opportunity to escape reality and can only be torn back and forth.

But the real knot isn’t with her here.

She looked at Song Ji’an’s reddened eyes and didn’t say much, only instructing, “I’m leaving Huiqiu to you, Ji’an.”

A more obvious look of fatigue appeared in her eyes. From the time Wang Huiqiu met with an accident until now, she hadn’t closed her eyes for forty-eight hours.

Song Ji’an nodded, trying to collect her emotions. She said softly, “Okay.”