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Chapter 17 Condolences
After lunch, Ai Liang returned to the classroom for a nap. During the nap, she looked back at the classroom and noticed that there were significantly more empty seats.

It seems that there are quite a few parents who are willing to spend money on their children. A good high school is the beginning of a higher education, and those who can afford it will naturally not want their children to lose at the starting line.

Ma Yu and Fang Xiaoxiao had already packed their things and gone home during lunchtime.

Ai Liang looked down and checked his desk. Unlike other students' desks, which were piled with textbooks and reference books, his desk had no textbooks on the surface or inside the desk, only occasional test papers assigned by the teacher.

The textbooks and similar materials had already been brought home in batches, and the books in the desk were just a few casual books that Xu Zhihai had bought to pass the time during self-study.

Ai Liang grabbed the books and the test papers she had reviewed and went to the trash can in the corridor, throwing them all in at once.

The books were picked up anyway, so they weren't very useful after reading them. He couldn't possibly keep these junks as collectibles, could he? As for the exam papers, they were even less meaningful; he would just throw them away after explaining them.

While Ai Liang was dealing with the items on her desk, Yue Qihua and Yang Xingyue were also packing up their things.

Yue Qihua was fine; she and Ai Liang didn't have much to bring, so they just stuffed their comics and power banks into their backpacks.

Yang Xingyue was in a worse situation. She not only had textbooks and test papers from the school, but also a whole bunch of supplementary books recommended by Ai Liang. In the end, she had to borrow Yue Qihua's schoolbag to move all of these things. The two big bags weighed at least 20 or 30 kilograms.

"Ai Liang, come and lend a hand. Who told you to buy so many reference books for Xingyue? Now I'm suffering." Yue Qihua carried her schoolbag on one shoulder and didn't look like she was suffering at all.

However, Ai Liang still stepped forward, took the schoolbag, put it on her shoulder, and walked side by side with Yang Xingyue.

"Thank you."

Yang Xingyue looked at Ai Liang with a sweet smile: "Um, Ai Liang, are you free this afternoon? I'd like to ask you to explain a few problems to me."

Yang Xingyue was always unusually shy whenever she invited Ai Liang.

"My dad's been very busy lately, so there's no one home, don't worry." Remembering that Ai Liang had refused her dad's invitation a couple of days ago, Yang Xingyue added to avoid any awkwardness.

Ai Liang is over thirty years old across both his lives, so this statement sounds strange. He looked at Yang Xingyue with a peculiar gaze. When did this shy little white rabbit become so bold?

The person involved was still waiting expectantly for Ai Liang's answer.

Considering the differences between men and women, he didn't want to get too involved with Director Yang's daughter, so he declined, saying, "Sorry, I have something to do this afternoon."

Yang Xingyue wasn't disappointed and continued to ask, "What about tomorrow? My dad hasn't been home for a while, and it's tiring to carry such a heavy backpack to the bookstore and library all the time with so many study materials."

Is this girl possessed by a ghost?

Ai Liang turned her gaze to Yue Qihua: 'What's wrong with her?'

As if she understood Ai Liang's meaning, Yue Qihua sighed and said, "Xingyue, think before you speak. Think about what you just said."

Yang Xingyue looked puzzled. Wasn't she just asking Ai Liang for tutoring as usual?
After a long silence, Yang Xingyue's face suddenly turned bright red, as if an egg could be fried on it.

"I...I...Ai Liang, I didn't mean that."

After realizing what she had just said, Yang Xingyue's eyes immediately turned into mosquito coils as she frantically tried to explain, uttering only incomprehensible, unclear words.

Seeing Yang Xingyue's incoherent state, Yue Qihua had no choice but to explain for her: "Uncle Yang is away on a business trip, so Xingyue is staying at my house now. She wants to invite you to my house to tutor her, that's roughly the idea."

Yang Xingyue nodded frantically beside her: "Hua Hua's parents aren't home, there's only a cleaning lady. It hurts so much, what are you doing!"

"I told you not to speak in a way that could be misunderstood!" Yue Qihua withdrew her hand.

Ai Liang didn't say anything; it wasn't convenient for him to speak at this time. He simply slowed his pace and silently followed behind the two.

Although they were wearing school uniforms, their beautiful appearances could not be hidden by any clothes. They even made the dowdy school uniforms look like a fashion show, attracting a lot of attention and turning heads wherever they went. Who wouldn't like such a beautiful and youthful girl?

Ai Liang, wearing a baseball cap with the brim pulled low to conceal her appearance, followed discreetly behind them, keeping a distance of two or three meters and refusing to walk alongside them.

The two women were already used to this; they both knew that Ai Liang didn't want to attract attention.

Ai Liang placed her backpack on the bench at the bus stop: "I have other things to do, so I can only drop you off here."

Urgent matter? After thinking it over, the only thing that comes to mind is a summons from the police.

Thinking of this, Yang Xingyue asked with some concern, "Is it still about the police?"

In the three years they had been classmates, Ai Liang had never been as busy as he had been in the past few days. He was running around almost every day. Yang Xingyue had gotten used to Ai Liang being by her side while she studied, but now that he would leave for a while from time to time, a sense of loneliness rose in her heart.

In the past, Yang Xingyue's father was the same. At first, he could still find time to spend with his daughter, but later he became busier and busier with work and came home less and less often, so little that he had to leave her with Yue Qihua.

With graduation just around the corner, this way of getting along makes Yang Xingyue very uneasy. Will Ai Liang drift further and further away from her, just like her father did?
Ai Liang used her phone to call a nearby Didi (ride-hailing service), and while waiting for the Didi, she replied, "No, the police have already finished their investigation. As long as nothing unexpected happens, they don't need my testimony."

"So what are you going to do this afternoon?"

Yang Xingyue wanted to inquire about Ai Liang's schedule for the afternoon.

"Attending Gao Jiajia's funeral."

Yue Qihua and Yang Xingyue looked at each other, finding this topic difficult to respond to.

"Can we go together? We're practically acquaintances, after all," Yang Xingyue suggested after a moment of silence.

Although they weren't exactly friends, Fang Xiaoxiao was someone they could talk to.

"Gao Jiajia's father only invited me. It would be impolite to show up uninvited."

"It's just you and Gao Jiajia's father?" Yue Qihua's expression was somewhat serious. "I remember he tried to harm you last Friday, didn't he? Could he blame you for Gao Jiajia's death? After all..."

These words, though cold and ruthless, are quite reasonable.

Having witnessed Gao Fuye's outburst, Yue Qihua didn't mind speculating about the real estate tycoon's intentions with the utmost malice.

"It's just attending a funeral." Ai Liang shook her head without explaining.

Gao Fuye's crazy behavior on Friday could indeed be misunderstood as a momentary impulse stemming from his inability to accept the loss of his daughter.

He can't be called a good person, but he's definitely a good father, something Ai Liang confirmed when she visited his home.

"Oh, don't bring your schoolbag to the funeral. I'll carry it for you. It won't take much time for two people to mourn. Afterwards, come straight to my house to tutor Xingyue. First, let me ask if there's anything in your bag that you shouldn't be hiding?"

Yue Qihua took Ai Liang's schoolbag off.

"I'll carry it myself."

Just then, the taxi arrived. Yue Qihua didn't give Ai Liang a chance to explain and pushed him, saying, "It's settled then. Remember to come pick up your schoolbag this afternoon."

Ai Liang felt a little helpless looking at Yue Qihua, who was clinging to her schoolbag and refusing to let go, and could only agree to her request.

Watching the taxi drive away, Yang Xingyue hesitated, "Huahua, there's no need to force Ai Liang to come."

Yue Qihua stared at Yang Xingyue for a long time before slowly saying, "Who do you think I did all this for? Ai Liang doesn't like to talk to people anyway. If you're any more shy, you two will never have a chance in this lifetime."

"You're not thinking that there are still three years of high school left, are you? Are you sure that when you get to a new environment, no one will make a move on Ai Liang first? Not everyone else is as shy as you."

Yang Xingyue lowered her head and was scolded by Yue Qihua, unable to speak. She knew all these things, but she just didn't want to think about them.

"Putting everything else aside, your current grades should be fine for getting into Experimental High School, but it might be a bit of a stretch for the top class. If you don't get Ai Liang to give you some serious tutoring in the last month, and you underperform and we're not in the same class, then you won't be able to stop someone from pursuing Ai Liang."

Yue Qihua's expression was serious and earnest; these were facts before her, and she was unwilling to watch Yang Xingyue continue to be naive.

Yang Xingyue muttered to herself, "Isn't Ai Liang still got Hua Hua by her side?"

Hearing Yang Xingyue's mutterings, Yue Qihua was so startled that she almost lost her balance. She forced herself to remain calm and said, "So, are you pursuing Ai Liang or am I? Deal with your own rival!"

After saying that, she tapped Yang Xingyue on the head with a chopstick.

"Okay, I understand."

After Yue Qihua's lecture, Yang Xingyue hung her head, looking dejected.

Ai Liang, who was in a taxi, was completely unaware of the conversation between the two girls. He had already arrived at the entrance of a funeral home in the suburbs of the city. The driver did not want to linger in such a place for fear of being tainted by bad luck, so he quickly left after Ai Liang got out of the car.

Led by staff, Ai Liang quickly arrived at the mourning hall. Upon entering the building, a chill immediately hit her; the air conditioning system here was even colder than a home air conditioner. The mourning hall was very large, and even the slightest footsteps echoed through the hall, sending shivers down one's spine. Gao Fuye was sitting alone in a chair.

Just as Ai Liang was about to walk over, a staff member suddenly stopped him: "That man hasn't eaten all day. If you are a relative of the deceased, you should try to persuade him first."

The staff didn't say anything profound, perhaps because they'd seen it all before, and their expressions didn't change much. They simply asked Ai Liang to persuade Gao Fuye to go eat.

Ai Liang made no promises, only replying calmly, "I understand."

Gao Fuye's love for Gao Jiajia moved him, but that was all. After the memorial service, the two had no further contact.

Helping him catch the murderer is Ai Liang's way of returning the warmth of family. Whether Gao Fuye remarries and has a child or seeks revenge on Wang Zi's family for Gao Jiajia's sake is none of Ai Liang's business.

Ai Liang walked up to Gao Fuye and called out, "Uncle Gao."

"You're here."

Gao Fuye calmly raised his head and looked at Ai Liang. He had seen Ai Liang as soon as she entered the room, but he was not in the mood to go over and greet her.

"Ah."

"Thank you for coming. After you finish your memorial service, Jiajia will be cremated."

"I see."

Without further ado, Ai Liang bowed before the portrait and stood silently for a while.

Besides flowers, there was also a dead voice recorder placed in front of the portrait. Ai Liang knew very well what was recorded on it. When Gao Fuye made the request, he guessed what Ai Liang wanted to use it for.

After a few minutes of silence, Ai Liang walked towards the entrance of the mourning hall without looking back, intending to leave. At this moment, Gao Fuye's voice came from behind: "Please wait a moment."

Ai Liang turned to look at Gao Fuye without speaking, as if to ask, "Is there anything else?"

Gao Fuye handed over a bank card with a note on the back that read a string of numbers, which was probably the password.

Seeing Ai Liang's puzzled look, Gao Fuye explained, "I said before that I would give one million to whoever finds the murderer."

“The police arrested the person; you should donate the money to them.”

Ai Liang remained unmoved and showed no intention of accepting the card.

“I’ve already expressed my gratitude over there. This is a small token of my appreciation for Jiajia’s efforts and a little apology for what you did on Friday morning.”

Gao Fuye forcefully stuffed the card into Ai Liang's pocket, leaving her with no reason to refuse except for the large amount involved.

As Ai Liang pondered how to respond to Gao Fuye, slightly heavy footsteps came from the entrance of the hall.

The person who came this time was unexpected; it was Wang Zi's father, Wang Qiang.

The moment Gao Fuye saw Wang Qiang, his expression changed. He rushed over to Wang Qiang and punched him on the forehead.

Before he could react, Gao Fuye had already pinned Wang Qiang to the ground, straddled him, and started punching him repeatedly in the head, aiming for his temples. It was clear he was trying to kill Wang Qiang.

Having not eaten all day, Gao Fuye became incredibly strong due to his anger, and it was only after Ai Liang came over and supported him that Wang Qiang was rescued.

He didn't want to get involved, but there were security cameras in the mourning hall, so he couldn't just stand by and do nothing.

"You still have the nerve to come see me!" Gao Fuye collapsed to the ground, panting heavily. The outburst had exhausted his already limited strength, but he still glared fiercely at Wang Qiang.

Wang Qiang didn't resist at all. He covered his head and got up from the ground, saying, "If killing me will make you sign a letter of understanding, then kill me."

Gao Fuye sneered: "Heh, I'd rather die than sign!"

Wang Qiang knelt down in front of Gao Fuye with a thud and cried bitterly: "I know my son made a mistake, but he is also my only son! You should be able to understand my feelings. If you have any anger, take it out on me. Even if you want to beat me to death today, I will never fight back!"

Gao Fuye roared, "He's your only son, so Jiajia isn't my only daughter?!"

Seeing that his soft approach wasn't working, Wang Qiang raised his head and glared at Gao Fuye: "Boss Gao, leave some room for maneuver. All I want is for my son to get a two-year reduction in his sentence. If you can't even agree to such a simple request, don't blame me for going all out!"

Gao Fuye gritted his teeth and said, word by word, "A fight to the death, a fight to the death, what a fine fight to the death! I've lost my only daughter, what else do I care about?! You want a two-year reduction in your sentence? I'll just have someone kill that little beast in there!"

Gao Fuye's tone was like that of a vengeful ghost who wanted to skin Wang Zi alive and tear him apart.

"Gao Fuye! If you really dare to do this, I'll never forgive you! Don't forget what happened three years ago!"

In his desperation, Wang Qiang almost lost his temper and revealed his trump card for dealing with Gao Fuye. Fortunately, he realized halfway through his sentence that there was a bystander present.

"Heh, not over yet? Of course not! Don't forget who owns the land for your supermarket. Want to report me? Go ahead. Don't forget, you're not innocent either!"

After Gao Fuye finished speaking, he returned to his chair. The staff who rushed over after hearing the news learned what had happened from Ai Liang and then took Wang Qiang away.

(End of this chapter)