Shi Nian’s heart skipped a beat.
She rembered back in China when Mom was frail and couldn’t easily digest even slightly cold fresh food; so whenever they ate those things, it was Dad who ate with her.
Yet she knew that Dad didn’t really like the fishy taste, but he would pinch his nose and eat it just to accompany her.
At that ti, she was young. Although she appreciated Dad’s efforts, she didn’t think much of it and even playfully competed with Dad, saying that if she ate one, Dad had to eat one too. Dad would grimace in embarrassnt but still looked fondly at her, patting her and laughing: "Alright! I’ll eat it. As long as my Nian Nian is happy, I’ll do anything!"
She understood that Dad was using this way to make up for the fatherly love he couldn’t provide due to being busy with work.
During those years of her growing up, Dad often encountered big cases and joined special task forces, being away for one or two months at a ti. Even more frightening at tis, Dad would go on special operations, becoming unreachable by phone, disappearing for several days... During those nights and days, she and Mom would hold each other and encourage themselves, saying Dad was surely alright and would return as soon as dawn broke.
Over those years, Dad made many enemies because of his cases. Their family lived in the bureau’s apartnt, which outsiders couldn’t enter, but the threats would fall on her. On many occasions on her way ho from night classes, she was waylaid by dubious people, forced to endure fear and listen to all sorts of threats.
But fortunately, many of those things were just bravado from small-ti thugs who dared not do anything really. Those years passed safely amidst such scares. That year—she was in her senior year of college, and Dad was retiring in a year. The father and daughter even planned a spontaneous trip to celebrate her graduation and his retirent.
The route was chosen, she did a lot of planning, had even patted her chest saying by that ti she should be working, and she’d pay for the trip with her salary.
The plan was so well thought out, the future seed so hopeful—until unexpectedly...
Unexpectedly, Dad never completed his last journey in the police force, and they never started their planned trip together.
.
For so reason, these long-buried mories that she dared not lightly touch suddenly surged up on this night, at this mont.
Shi Nian couldn’t handle it, especially facing the person in front of her, her heart was flustered, so she murmured "sorry" softly, hurriedly got up, and ran into the kitchen.
As she closed the door, tears began to fall uncontrollably.
Dad, I miss you so much... Do you know?
As she closed her eyes, letting the tears flow, the image of Dad lying on the hospital bed covered in blood appeared before her again.
Dad clenched her hand and said, "Nian Nian, promise Dad, don’t beco a police officer."
"Also, take Mom away, go far away. Go far, far away, and never co back!"
At that mont, on the other side, was Xiang Yuan who had been rescued. Dad glanced at Xiang Yuan, suddenly reached out, and placed her hand into Xiang Yuan’s palm.
Dad urgently told him: "...You don’t need to repay , just promise one thing, take my Nian Nian and her mother away. Promise you’ll take care of her for a lifeti."
As for Mom... when she learned that Dad went into the operating room and never ca out, she collapsed on the ground, and when she got up again, she was—sick.
Just on that day, when she thought her nightmare had finally ended, she simultaneously lost Dad and—effectively lost Mom too.
Unable to bear such a blow, she hugged Mom and cried until she fainted on the ground.
If she had known it would be like this, if she had known this would be the result, she wouldn’t have prayed for the nightmare to end sooner. She would rather eternally sink in that nightmare, she would rather be trapped in endless darkness, never waking up, never waking up!
Otherwise, Dad wouldn’t have died saving her, and Mom wouldn’t have fallen ill being unable to bear the heavy blow.
That day, Xiang Yuan picked her up from the ground, gave her a warm embrace, and said to her: "Listen to Teacher Shi, co with to M Country. Shi Nian, I’ve already promised Teacher Shi, I will take care of you and Teacher Shi’s mother for a lifeti. I’ll protect you and Teacher Shi’s mother from harm."
.
Dad said to take Mom and go as far as possible. So where in the world is the farthest?
A week later, she took Mom and followed Xiang Yuan to M Country. After that, she beca Xiang Yuan’s wife.
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