Peaceful Farm Life

Chapter 1371: Chapter 1372: Don’t go...

”Zhizhi...” Finally, Gong Juechen spoke, but he did so while crying, his voice choked with sobs, making Ye Zhi feel exceptionally uncomfortable.

This was the first time she had seen Gong Juechen like this.

”My father...” Gong Juechen’s voice was choked with tears, ”My father is dead...”

Ye Zhi said curiously, ”But you don’t have a father, do you? No, wait, weren’t you adopted by your master on the mountain? Do you now know who your father is?”

Regarding Gong Juechen’s background, An Jing hadn’t told Ye Zhi, so it was no wonder Ye Zhi didn’t know.

Gong Juechen didn’t answer Ye Zhi’s question, merely kept crying and repeated, ”My father is dead...”

Ye Zhi felt a bit perturbed listening to him. Watching Gong Juechen acting like a crybaby made her feel even more unsettled.

However, Gong Juechen didn’t seem to be faking this—his father must have really died.

But... who exactly is his father?

Did he just pass away? Or has he known who his father was for a while, but his father had been dead long before?

If his father had recently died and Gong Juechen said he hadn’t eaten or drunk anything for three days, then his father must have died three days ago. Uh... this timing coincides with the death of Emperor Su Haoyu?

If his father had been dead for a long time, then who in the world was his father?

Well, this led her back to her original question. Ye Zhi decided to stop overthinking, lest she waste her brain cells only to get nowhere.

Even though she stopped dwelling on it, Ye Zhi felt that Gong Juechen’s father couldn’t possibly be Su Haoyu.

Someone like Gong Juechen, who is shameless and carefree, couldn’t possibly be part of the royal family. Being a street rascal seems much more likely.

”Zhizhi, my father is dead...” Gong Juechen repeated the same words. But there was a thought in his heart that he kept to himself: He’s gone, and I can’t even mourn him in the proper rites.

He couldn’t even call him ”Father Emperor” once.

”I know. You’ve said it so many times already.” Ye Zhi tried her best to respond patiently.

Right now, his mood was terrible. Regardless of whether his father’s death was recent or long ago, the fact remains that someone close to him had died. She wanted to be gentle with him, to make him feel a little better.

An Jing had mentioned that he would be upset, likely because of his father’s death.

Ye Zhi thought about it like this.

Gong Juechen cried and cried, and eventually, he fell asleep with his head resting on Ye Zhi’s shoulder. On the floor lay the plate of unfinished fried rice and a pair of chopsticks.

Ye Zhi looked at Gong Juechen’s prominent dark circles; his face showed pure exhaustion. She didn’t even have to think to realize that Gong Juechen hadn’t eaten, drunk, or slept at all for the past three days.

”You’d be less of a bother if you were quiet and reserved,” Ye Zhi sighed softly, then got up and helped Gong Juechen onto the bed to rest.

Once Gong Juechen was laid properly onto the bed, Ye Zhi intended to leave, but just as she was about to turn and walk away, Gong Juechen grabbed her hand firmly, refusing to let her go.

”Don’t go.” Gong Juechen’s voice was soft and faint, his eyes remaining closed.

This made Ye Zhi think that he was just talking in his sleep, muttering dream words.

Standing by the bedside, Ye Zhi first looked at Gong Juechen’s hand tightly gripping her wrist, then turned to glance at his closed eyes and exhausted yet sorrowful face. Finally, she decisively sat down by the bedside.

”Alright, I won’t leave. I’ll stay here with you.” As soon as these words left her mouth, Ye Zhi realized they sounded a bit ambiguous, easily leading others to misunderstand her feelings toward him. She quickly added, ”Boss told me to spend more time with you, saying you’d be upset. So I’ll stay here with you.”

Her additional words were both self-deception and deception of others.