Reborn in 1993, Dark Sea

Nanjiang County Crematorium

As the cremator pushed An Zhenhua's body into the crematorium, An Xiaohai pulled Chen Shuifen away. The scene was too cruel, and An Xiaohai worried that Chen Shuifen wouldn't be able to bear it.

Compared to the extreme grief he felt when his grandmother passed away, this time An Xiaohai was filled with a variety of extremely complex emotions: sadness, loss, anger, and fear, with fear being the most prominent.

An Xiaohai could hardly imagine what the world would be like if he lost Chen Shuifen's love.

Because he was afraid of losing her, An Xiaohai almost never let go of Chen Shuifen's hand after she arrived. He was afraid that if he let go, his mother would disappear.

Chen Shuifen clearly sensed An Xiaohai's unusual behavior. This time, she did not let her emotions out completely, nor did she appear heartbroken. Instead, she tried her best to suppress them.

Inside the cremation chamber, the gray-haired cremator did not immediately light the furnace. After An Xiaohai's family had all left, he carefully opened the cremation chamber again, looking at An Zhenhua's face with an extremely complicated expression.

The cremator reached out and wiped An Zhenhua's lips, removing the bright lip gloss to reveal their bluish-black color.

The cremator gritted his teeth, his face contorted in pain: "You damn spy! I was right to never have wronged you back then!..."

The cremator turned his head to look outside the cremation room again, but could not see An Xiaohai and the others.

The cremator spat, slammed the door of the cremation chamber shut, and pressed the ignition switch with all his might.

The flames roared, producing a dull thud.

"Captain, he ruined you... ruined your whole life! ...I did nothing wrong, I did nothing wrong from beginning to end! You really... shouldn't have... I feel so sorry for you!"

The cremator closed his eyes, looked up at the sky, and tears streamed down his face.

An Xiaohai held Chen Shuifen's hand tightly, while Lin Xuan'er clung to An Xiaohai's arm on the other side. She could feel that beneath An Xiaohai's calm exterior, a raging fire burned within him.

Lin Xuan'er looked at An Xiaohai with concern. An Xiaohai turned around somewhat blankly and actually managed to force a smile at Lin Xuan'er.

Lin Xuan'er was startled and quickly leaned her head on An Xiaohai's shoulder.

After receiving An Zhenhua's ashes, An Xiaohai did not linger for a moment. He immediately led his family to climb the highest peak in Nanjiang County and scattered his grandparents' ashes on the cliff edge.

Two people who have loved each other all their lives can now truly be together in this world, never to be separated again.

After scattering the ashes and kowtowing to his grandparents, An Xiaohai took out the prepared guitar and, together with Lin Xuan'er, sang the farewell song to the rolling green hills, bidding a final goodbye to his grandparents.

After doing all this, An Xiaohai immediately drove everyone away from Nanjiang County and headed home.

The bus was quite crowded. Grandpa, Grandma, Lin Xuan'er, and Chen Xiru squeezed into the back seat. Fortunately, they were all petite, so they weren't too uncomfortable.

The fatigue from the past few days, coupled with the bumpy journey, quickly caused the four of them to fall into a deep sleep.

Even when driving, An Xiaohai's right hand would often leave the steering wheel and grip Chen Shuifen's hand tightly in the passenger seat.

Chen Shuifen would also glance at An Xiaohai from time to time; An Xiaohai's condition was truly terrifying.

In the past two days, Chen Shuifen hadn't seen An Xiaohai close his eyes. Although he seemed normal and in good spirits, his bloodshot eyes were terrifying.

"Xiao Hai..."

"Mom, don't worry, I'm fine. I just want to go home as soon as possible. It'll be fine once I'm home!" An Xiaohai interrupted Chen Shuifen before she could finish speaking.

"Xiao Hai, don't be too sad, your grandfather..."

"Mom," An Xiaohai squeezed Chen Shuifen's hand tightly, "I'm not sad. I understand Grandpa. He left with a smile. I think he must have been very happy then, knowing he would soon be reunited with Grandma. He must have been happy."

"Xiao Hai..." Chen Shuifen became increasingly worried, but she was helpless in the face of An Xiao Hai's condition.

"Xiao Hai, did your grandfather say something to you?"

"Yes," An Xiaohai nodded, "Grandpa told me many stories about his time with Grandma."

Is that all?

"Yes, only now do I understand that Grandpa's heart was entirely filled with Grandma."

"Yes...they've always been very loving..." Chen Shuifen said with a slight sigh of relief.

After talking for a while, Chen Shuifen felt that An Xiaohai's condition was not as bad as she had imagined. She even sensed a hint of calm in An Xiaohai's tone.

"Mom, don't you hate Dad?" An Xiaohai suddenly asked.

This question made Chen Shuifen's heart, which she had finally managed to put down, jump again. Ever since An Xiaohai became sensible, he had never uttered the word "Dad" again.

But at this moment, An Xiaohai actually asked such a question, and asked it so naturally and calmly.

"I...don't hate him," Chen Shuifen said, after a short pause, letting out a long breath and shaking her head.

"Why? Why don't you hate him? He abandoned you and ran away, never to be heard from again. He never cared about us, never came back to see us, and never fulfilled his responsibilities as a husband and father!"

He wronged you so much, and you cried so bitterly when he died!

"No, Xiaohai, he did come back. He came back to see you and even went with me to complete the divorce procedures. It's just that you were too young then, so you probably don't remember."

Later, he came back a few times, and each time he only looked at you from afar.

"Is that so?"

"Yes," Chen Shuifen nodded, her eyes filled with reminiscence: "Zheran... he is a good person, but neither he nor Zhehao are ordinary people."

They are too good; they shouldn't belong in that small fishing village. They deserve a wider world...

An Xiaohai turned to look at Chen Shuifen. He never expected that Chen Shuifen would say such a thing.

"Since being together is a constraint, I am unwilling to become the shackles that bind him and watch him suffer in the small fishing village for the rest of his life."

This was a mistake, a beautiful misunderstanding... I'm already very content to have spent such wonderful years with him.

Let him go, grant his wish, and see him happy—that's not so bad after all...

What's more, he gave me such a wonderful gift; he brought you to me.

Mom is content. As long as I can watch you grow up safely and soundly, then get married smoothly, have children, and live a happy life, Mom will be satisfied.

Chen Shuifen leaned her head back in the seat, gazing longingly into the darkness ahead, her expression like that of a girl experiencing her first love.

An Xiaohai was heartbroken!

"Xiao Hai, actually Zheran doesn't completely ignore you; he often sends me money."

"While you were in there, he also paid for the compensation I gave to the Zhou family, as well as the money I used to buy cigarettes. Otherwise, where would we have gotten so much money?"

"Mom, why didn't you tell me about these things?"

"Mom is afraid you'll be sad."

Mom can tell that although you never mention him, you haven't truly let go of him. Just now, when you called him Dad, I felt that you had completely let go.

Just let it go, just let it go...

When Zheran left, the reason why Mom cried so sadly was not entirely because of him.

I always feel that with Zheran gone, it's like a piece of my life has been missing, and I can never get it back... Don't worry about me, Mom can handle it, I'll be fine after I've had a good cry.

But you, don't keep everything bottled up inside. If you're feeling sad, don't hold it in, and definitely don't bottle it up, or you'll hurt yourself.

If you're sad, just cry it out. It'll make you feel better.

Chen Shuifen rested her head on An Xiaohai's shoulder: "Your grandmother has been gone for a long time, and now your grandfather has gone to find her too. We will all leave you sooner or later, so don't be too sad when that time comes."

"Mom, I won't let you leave me!"

"Okay, Mom won't leave."

"You promised me, you have to keep your word."

"Of course."

"I will remember that."

"good……"

Chen Shuifen slowly fell asleep, and An Xiaohai supported her body with his shoulder.

The car sped along the winding mountain road, like a lone firefly dancing around the mountains in the dark night.

------

On a nearby mountain, 073 put down his binoculars, his brow furrowed.

"What's wrong? Is it different from what you imagined?" 027 said with a smile.

"Yes, he's very different from what I imagined! He seemed...too calm!"

"Yes..." 027 put away her smile and let out a soft breath: "That's how the sea is. The calmer it looks, the more violent the storm brewing underneath."

Go back to your battlefield.

An Xiaohai is already heading to his battlefield; let's not let him face it alone anymore.

"Okay, I'm off. Goodbye, senior."

"goodbye!"