After the funeral, Yan Zhen's body was cremated and placed in a small urn, which was temporarily taken back to the Yan family residence.
Back home, Yan Haikun sat blankly on the sofa, holding the urn in his arms and gently stroking it with his hand. He looked much older, truly resembling an octogenarian.
"Zixi, I have something to say to you," he said in a low voice.
Xu Zixi turned to Yan Yincheng behind her and said, "Brother Cheng, take the kids back to the room first. I'll have a few words with Uncle Yan."
But Yan Yincheng handed the two children to Yin Shulan and firmly stood by her side. He said to Yan Haikun, "Dad, I know what you want to say to Zixi. I'm also aware of this matter, and I have the right to stay."
Yan Haikun wasn't surprised by his son's protection of the woman. He said, "Then tell me, why did Yan Zhen erect a tombstone for Yuan Xi?"
"Because Yuan Xi is truly dead," Xu Zixi said calmly. "Uncle Yan, I'm not Yuan Xi. My real name is Xu Zixi. You can think of it as Xu Zixi taking over Yuan Xi's body after her death."
"And on the day I was arrested at 'White Crane', I told Yan Zhen the truth. Maybe that's why he erected the tombstone for Yuan Xi."
After Xu Zixi finished speaking, she waited nervously for Yan Haikun's reaction.
When she told Yan Zhen everything back then, she only felt a sense of revenge. Seeing Yan Zhen in so much pain, she even thought that the pain he endured was far less than one-thousandth of what Yuan Xi had suffered. She even maliciously hoped that if he had any backbone, he would end his own life to atone for his sins.
But now that Yan Zhen was really gone, really disappeared from everyone's sight, she felt...
It shouldn't have been like this.
Therefore, there was some guilt in her heart.
After listening, Yan Haikun seemed neither surprised nor shocked. He calmly accepted everything.
"This silly child," he sighed. Now, he finally understood why Yan Zhen had been willing to even attack Yuan Ya'er in order to divorce her.
Upon learning of Yuan Xi's death, Yan Zhen's heart had died too.
What had kept him alive was the fact that he hadn't seen the Yuan family and Yuan Ya'er receive their just deserts.
"Then bury him with Yuan Xi," he said. "It'll fulfill his wish."
Yan Zhen's ashes didn't stay at the Yan family for long. Two days later, the Yan family took his ashes to the cemetery and buried them with the baby-blue urn.
The tombstone with the blank name was replaced. Yan Haikun had someone carve a new one.
It read: The Tomb of Yan Zhen, the 36th-generation descendant of the Yan family, and his wife Yuan Xi.
On the tombstone, Yan Zhen was hugging Yuan Xi, smiling happily. Their looks were frozen in their most youthful days. This couple, who should have been together, finally achieved eternity in another way after four years.
On the day of Yan Zhen's burial, Xu Zixi finally met Yan Zhen's father.
As soon as he arrived in Fengcheng, he rushed to the cemetery. He climbed the stairs and stood in front of the tombstone. Even though he was over fifty and still in good physical shape, the second master of the Yan family couldn't help but stagger.
His eyes were filled with deep sorrow and regret.
He regretted not coming back to see his son more often, regretted not keeping in touch with his son more, and regretted not seeing his son for the last time.
The only thing that comforted Yan Chenyu was that his son had lost his life while saving others. He hadn't let down the influence of his military uniform on his son.
Yan Chenhuan reached out and patted his shoulder, then hugged him tightly.
They stayed silently in the cemetery for a while before turning to leave. As a direct family member had passed away, the second master of the Yan family was given three days' leave this time. He decided to use these three days to accompany Yan Haikun at home, so he went back to the Yan family mansion with Yan Haikun and the others.
At night, when Xu Zixi passed by a balcony, she was suddenly called out.
Recognizing the voice as that of Yan Chenyu, the second master of the Yan family, she changed her direction and walked over.
On the balcony, she saw Yan Chenyu sitting in a chair, drinking alone. He didn't say a word, just stared straight at Xu Zixi with his sharp eyes.
He had seen the words on the tombstone in the cemetery and didn't understand why his father had made such an arrangement.
But when he looked at her with a gaze that even his most trusted subordinates were afraid of, she could calmly meet his eyes without any trace of timidity or retreat. This kind of determination seemed to explain everything.
It was strange. After realizing this, no matter how he looked at it, he felt that the woman in front of him was completely different from the Yuan Xi who had been pampered in the Yuan family in his memory. He was an atheist. For things he couldn't understand, he simply stopped thinking about them.
"When are you going to marry A Cheng?" he finally said his first words to Xu Zixi since he came back.
The pressure on Xu Zixi immediately lessened. She twirled her fingers and said, "We haven't set a date yet."
Yan Chenyu said, "Remember to inform me. I'll definitely come back for your wedding."
Xu Zixi smiled and said, "Okay. On that day, A Cheng and I will wait for you, Second Brother. If you don't come, we won't hold the wedding."
"Oh, giving me such a big honor?" Yan Chenyu also laughed. "Then A Cheng will kill me."
"Yes," came Yan Yincheng's voice from behind. Xu Zixi looked back and saw Yan Yincheng striding steadily towards them. Putting his arm around Xu Zixi's waist, Yan Yincheng said,
"So don't delay my wedding."
After a pause, he called out, "Second Brother."
Yan Chenyu said, "I'm afraid of you guys. I'll definitely come. I promise."
This was the longest time Xu Zixi and Yan Yincheng had stayed in Fengcheng. She had gotten so used to the climate here that she often felt as if she were still in Beijing.
However, the day of separation finally came. On the day Yan Chenyu returned to the army, Xu Zixi and Yan Yincheng also planned to return to Haicheng.
Yan Yincheng had already booked the flight and time back to Haicheng. Xu Zixi was packing things with the two kids. The kids were looking at the room full of dolls that Yan Haikun had prepared for them, looking reluctant to leave.
Yan Haikun got an idea and said, "Xuanxuan and Xuxu don't want to leave? How about staying with grandpa?"
Xuxu, who had been a bit reluctant, immediately said, "I don't want to! Xuxu wants to be with mommy~"
Xuanxuan also nodded and said, "And daddy."
Yan Haikun covered his chest, looking very hurt. "Why? Don't you like grandpa? Are you willing to leave grandpa and grandma?"
The two kids quickly hugged Xu Zixi's legs, afraid that someone would separate them from their mommy.
Xu Zixi smiled and stroked the kids' heads. "It's okay. No one can separate you from mommy. We'll come back to see grandpa and grandma whenever we have time. You should say goodbye to grandpa and grandma nicely."
The kids felt relieved and obediently stepped forward to hug Yan Haikun and Yin Shulan, giving them a big kiss.
Feeling the vibration of the phone in his jacket pocket, and noticing that the vibration frequency was significantly different from usual, he took out his phone and answered the call.
"Yan, sir accidentally fell when getting up at night. He's in critical condition. He's been calling your name in a daze. You may need to come to Texas to see the old gentleman for the last time."