Chapter 124: Truly

Seeing that He Chuan’s expression was not good, he didn’t say anything more.

He Chuan reached for a drink again, but the other man stopped him, saying, "Don't drink anymore. You have to drive later."

He Chuan went still, looked up at him, and asked, "If you and Xin Gan were to argue, who would be the first to lower their head?"

Cheng Jiu rarely argued with Xin Gan. Back in Beiyu, when his attitude was poor, Xin Gan would simply ignore him. Once the anger passed, things would be fine. Although she kept score—women, after all, are grudge-holders—if you love someone, the anger usually dissipates on its own.

"I wouldn't argue with her. If she's unhappy, she processes it herself, but it would ache my heart."

He Chuan paused, his expression shifting subtly. Not wanting to hear any more, he grabbed his phone and left.

Cheng Jiu hadn't intended to provoke him; he was simply answering the question truthfully.

When He Chuan returned to his own place, traces of Cheng Hui’s life still remained: the mug she drank from, the cartoon pillow she hugged while watching movies, and her clothes in the room. It felt as if her shadow was everywhere.

Feeling restless and unable to sit still, he went to the wine cabinet, downed half a bottle in one go, and then crouched by the cabinet, motionless.

He hadn't felt this miserable even when He Wei left him at his grandfather’s and refused to bring him back to Yongcheng. But these were two different kinds of pain.

He recalled the year he was brought back to the He family. When He Wei told him to call He Cheng’s mother "Mom," he couldn't get the word out. He didn't say anything, fearing he would be sent back to his grandmother’s in the countryside.

He Wei was a self-made man. In the early days, many of the He family relatives had been more successful than him. He Wei and He Chuan’s biological mother had suffered greatly before leaving the countryside to work in the city. It was only by chance that they found success and wealth, which finally led the relatives to treat them with warmth and interest.

He had experienced his share of lows. Those childhood memories were vivid; even as a child, he could tell at a glance whether the looks people gave him were kind or malicious. Thinking back on it now, it was nothing but bitterness.

He tried his best to fulfill the role of He Wei’s son, but disputes with Mrs. He were inevitable, especially regarding He Cheng.

He Cheng was far luckier than him. In the He family, he received the complete opposite treatment. Sometimes He Chuan wondered why his biological mother had to die so young, and why she had to let another woman take her place. He also resented He Wei’s infidelity—how easily he had brought another woman home, regardless of his mother's life or death.

He Wei was now paralyzed in the hospital. Sometimes, He Chuan felt this was his retribution—a miserable end to his life. He could actually choose to ignore whether He Wei lived or died, and let him experience how He Chuan had survived those years.

He had originally thought his life would just continue like this, never expecting to meet Cheng Hui.

She probably didn't remember what happened when they were children. And that was fine. She was so young back then; it was normal to forget.

It was enough that he remembered. As long as he remembered, that was what mattered most.

The young Cheng Hui was a bit different from the one now. Back then, she claimed she was there to save him. She wanted to play with him, following behind him constantly. When Cheng Jiu ignored her, she would cling to He Chuan. She ran to his house every few days to play, but he was in middle school then, buried in schoolwork, and had no time for her.

Little Cheng Hui was relentless. Thinking he didn't like playing with her, she would cry and throw tantrums, wearing He Chuan down until he had no choice but to appease her, promising to play once he finished his homework.

Only then would she stop, sobbing as she pulled up a chair to sit beside him and watch him work.

After a while, little Cheng Hui learned his schedule and would find him whenever he was on break. She would even run to his school gate, ignoring her own brother. Whenever Cheng Jiu scolded her, she would run to He Chuan to complain, seeking his protection.

That was when He Chuan first understood what it felt like to be needed. It seemed Cheng Hui couldn't live without him; she told him everything, including all her troubles.

Over time, they grew closer, and Cheng Hui became increasingly attached to him. When she hit puberty and had her first period, she told him because she didn't know how to handle it. She was at school, and he