156: past

That single call of “Su Jin” traveled through time and struck a chord in Su Jin’s heart.

He tightly grasped his father’s hand, the hand that once supported a whole sky for him, now finally warm again.

A thousand words were stuck in his throat, but in the end, it was a light, teasing whisper.

“You’re awake? If you slept any longer, I would have converted this VIP ward into my Lord’s Manor.”

Su Luo’s gaze was a little unfocused, but it quickly sharpened on his son’s face.

The Su Jin before him had lost the youthful immaturity he remembered; his features were firm, and his eyes were as deep and calm as an abyss.

That composure and authority were definitely not something a normal young man should possess.

“How… how long have I been asleep?”

“Almost five years.”

Su Jin pulled over a chair and sat down.

“The research project you participated in back then had some issues, and your spiritual origin kept dissipating. Two years ago, the doctors said you wouldn’t last more than three years.”

He paused, then continued.

“So, I became a Lord and, incidentally, brought back some local specialties for you.”

He pointed to the Flower of Eternal Life on the bedside table, which was now just an empty shell, devoid of any unusual phenomena.

Su Luo followed his finger, a little confused.

“A Lord? A flower?”

“Yes, a Ninth-Tier strange thing (Qi item). It took some effort to get my hands on it.”

Su Jin said it casually.

Su Luo, however, fell silent. He closed his eyes, carefully feeling the changes in his body.

That cold and powerless feeling of his soul being peeled away inch by inch had vanished, replaced by a warm and vast life force that was repairing his depleted origin.

“So that’s what it was…”

He murmured to himself.

“Before, I felt like I was drifting in a deep sea, getting colder and colder, sinking deeper and deeper.”

“Until a beam of light shone in, like a lighthouse, pulling me back from the bottom of the sea.”

He truly was a top scientist; even after experiencing such an incredible event, he still maintained his analytical instincts.

“This flower doesn’t just replenish life energy; it… it seems to also possess ‘anchoring’ and ‘pulling’ functions at the soul level. What an incredible creation.”

Su Jin smiled.

As expected of his dad, his focus was always so unique.

Just then, the ward door was violently flung open.

“Professor Su’s vital signs… Oh my god!”

The chief physician rushed in first, and when he saw Su Luo sitting up in bed and Su Jin chatting with him nearby, he froze on the spot, his tablet dropping to the floor with a “clatter.”

The nurses and doctors who followed him looked as if they had seen a ghost, staring at the scene in shock.

“A miracle! Could it be?” The chief physician’s face was flushed with excitement, and he stammered, wanting to rush forward to examine Su Luo.

Su Jin frowned slightly, stood up, and an invisible aura spread out, causing the impulsive doctors to instinctively stop in their tracks.

“My father needs rest.”

“Please handle the discharge procedures. We’re going home.”

“Dis… discharge?”

The chief physician was startled, then quickly said, “Well, Professor Su has just woken up and is still very weak. We need to conduct a comprehensive examination.”

Su Jin glanced at him and said indifferently, “No need. He is healthier than anyone else here right now.”

With that, he ignored the frenzied medical staff and helped his father out of bed.

At this point, Su Luo, supported by the immense medicinal power of the Flower of Eternal Life, had already recovered basic mobility.

An hour later, Su Jin completed all the procedures and left the hospital, where they had lived for nearly five years, with his father.

...

Back to their familiar home.

The key slid into the lock, turned, and made a soft “click.”

The door pushed open, and a familiar scent wafted in.

Sunlight streamed through the window, illuminating the dust motes dancing in the air.

The furnishings inside were as they had always been.

Su Luo looked around the familiar yet strange place, his eyes filled with emotion.

Su Jin said nothing, simply walked to the living room, and skillfully brewed two cups of hot tea.

He handed one to his father, who had sat down on the sofa.

The fragrant tea dispelled some of the chill in the room.

After a long silence, Su Jin finally asked the question that had lingered in his heart for many years.

“Dad, what exactly happened to Mom back then?”

Su Luo’s hand, holding the teacup, paused.

He looked up, gazing deeply at his son, his eyes filled with a hint of recollection.

After a long moment, he sighed.

“You’ve grown up, become a Lord. Some things, it’s time you knew.”

He put down the teacup.

“Back then, your mother was involved in a car accident.”

“The official story was an accidental multi-car pileup, and the driver responsible voluntarily surrendered.”

Su Jin listened quietly; he knew this wasn’t the whole truth.

“That driver was a rich kid, his age… heh heh…”

Su Luo’s eyes grew cold.

“I investigated later. He deliberately targeted your mother’s car because, earlier on the road, her car had overtaken his, making him feel he’d lost face.”

“He was very clever, or rather, his family was very clever. They calculated that, given his age and his voluntary surrender, even for intentional homicide, he wouldn’t get the death penalty, and might even be out in a few years.”

The corners of Su Luo’s mouth curved into a cold arc.

“During the trial, his family sat opposite me, without a hint of apology on their faces.”

“Even during a recess, I heard them laughing with their lawyer, their words full of contempt for us, saying that ordinary people like us should be grateful to receive a sum of compensation.”

Su Jin’s eyes also grew cold.

“So?”

“So,”

Su Luo’s tone remained calm.

“As a researcher with ‘a bit of influence,’ it’s not that hard to get things done.”

“I used some connections to put pressure on him, then created an opportunity for him to ‘escape from prison.’”

“On a stormy night, he successfully ‘escaped.’”

Su Jin picked up his teacup, took a small sip, and remained silent, waiting for him to continue.

“Then,” Su Luo looked out the window, as if talking about a trivial matter.

“I sent him to a place he should have gone long ago. I made him pay the price he deserved for his actions.”

Su Jin was a little curious.

“What about his family? Didn’t they look for him?”

Su Luo smiled.

“Ah, his family? I always feel that for a family, the most important thing is to be complete and together.”

As his words fell, the room became silent.

Su Jin looked at his father’s calm profile and suddenly smiled.

He finally understood where his own decisiveness and ruthlessness truly came from.