My Fulang is a Delicate Flower Chapter 16 Part 2

Wu Lianhe’s eyes brightened slightly at this: "That’s wonderful! I’ve always felt guilty for not being able to fulfill my filial duties. Now that someone is looking after her, I can rest easy."  

Huo Shu nodded: "Can I meet the child?"  

"Brother Huo traveled thousands of miles to return Changsui’s keepsake and went to such lengths to find me. I’m endlessly grateful. It’s only right that you meet the child."  

"In fact, the child should call you Uncle now."  

Then, she hesitated: "But today he’s at school, and I can’t leave work. If Brother Huo doesn’t mind, we could meet in the city five days from now when the child is on break. I’ll prepare a meal to thank you properly."  

Huo Shu agreed: "Fine."  

"Wu niangzi, are you done here?"  

A knock sounded at the door: "The weavers in the back need you to check the new silk threads. The manager will be here soon."  

Wu Lianhe opened her mouth, wanting to tell the person outside not to disturb her at such a moment. But this job was too important for her to afford any recklessness, even upon learning of her husband’s death.  

Her husband’s passing was final, but the child still needed raising, and life had to go on.  

"Coming."  

Wu Lianhe took a deep breath and stood up. She looked apologetically at Huo Shu and Taoyu: " Brother Huo, Tao ger, the workshop is busy. I really can’t get away. I’m so sorry."  

Ji Taoyu quickly reassured her: "Work comes first, Third Sister Wu. Go ahead."  

Wu Lianhe nodded, hastily composed herself, and scribbled an address on a piece of paper from a nearby shelf: " Brother Huo, this is where I live now. Please come without fail. I want my child to meet you."  

Huo Shu glanced at the paper and tucked it away: "Fine."  

Wu Lianhe then looked at the object she’d been clutching tightly: "This hairpin…"  

Huo Shu said: "It’s returned to its rightful owner."  

Wu Lianhe nodded, running her fingers over the hairpin’s design over and over. The faint hope she’d clung to all these years had finally turned to dust on this day.  

She felt a wave of darkness before her eyes, her entire body trembling. Yet she didn’t have the luxury of time to grieve.  

Wu Lianhe turned around, took a deep breath, and pinned the crabapple hairpin back into her bun.  

Before leaving, she wiped her eyes with a handkerchief, straightened her appearance, and bowed to the room’s occupants before opening the door and stepping out.  

Long after Wu Lianhe had left, Ji Taoyu remained standing by the door, dazed.  

"I never imagined this was how things unfolded. There are so many faithless people in this world, it’s rare to find such unwavering loyalty."  

His heart was full of emotions: "But Third Sister Wu waited all these years, only to receive this news and not even have the chance to mourn properly. She still had to steady herself and return to work. It’s just too cruel."  

A woman raising a child alone had no choice but to prioritize survival.  

Even if her heart was already in tatters, she still had to wear a mask of normalcy and carry on.  

He turned to Huo Shu, whose expression remained largely unmoved, and couldn’t help but ask: " Brother Huo, aren’t you moved at all?"  

"I am. But widows and bereaved parents are commonplace in the northern frontier. I grew up seeing them, so it feels ordinary to me."  

For every body that fell on the battlefield, countless families were left grieving, and many of those deaths had been by his own hand.  

He didn’t deny that his heart had long hardened beyond most. If he’d been soft, his bones would have turned to dust long ago.  

Ji Taoyu suddenly felt he’d spoken too much. Remembering Huo Shu’s origins in the turbulent north, he regretted his thoughtless words.  

But Huo Shu didn’t dwell on it. His gaze grew distant, as if a weight had lifted from his heart.  

He picked up a cup of tea and poured it on the ground by the window: "I’ve done everything you asked. You can rest in peace now."  

"Still, this time, you came out ahead of me."  

Ji Taoyu watched Huo Shu’s actions from the side, pressing his lips together.  

Brother Changsui truly was remarkable, not only did he have a woman who remained faithful against all odds, but he also left behind a child in this world and a brother who crossed thousands of miles to fulfill his last wish.  

The atmosphere in the room felt heavy. Just as Ji Taoyu was wondering how to lighten the mood, Huo Shu suddenly turned to him.  

"As a man, having a woman willing to sacrifice everything for him - defying her parents, waiting faithfully for years, and even raising his child alone - might seem like something to celebrate."  

"But as a woman, she should value herself, consider the consequences, and put her own well-being first. If she throws herself into it recklessly without thought for the future, she might be lucky and meet a loyal man. But if she’s unlucky and meets a fickle one, regret will come too late."  

Ji Taoyu’s brow twitched. He hadn’t expected the usually reticent Huo Shu to have such a balanced perspective.  

But why was he suddenly saying all this suddenly?  

Seeing Ji Taoyu’s puzzled frown, Huo Shu added bluntly: "Before you marry, don’t go fooling around with people."  

"!"  

Ji Taoyu’s eyes widened, his mind going blank.  

"F-fool around?! Wh-who does things like that?! I’ve always been proper with people, never overstepped!"  

"You haven’t now, but can you guarantee the future?"  

Ji Taoyu retorted: "Of course I can!"  

Huo Shu studied the stubborn young ger with amusement: "What if someone raised their hand and swore to the heavens that they’d never marry anyone but you, that you’re the love of their life? Could you still hold your ground?"  

"I-I could!"  

"Fine. And what if that person wept and told you about their hardships, their struggles, looking utterly pitiful as they clung to you? At that moment, could you still stay as clear-headed as you are now?"  

"What if their tears streaked their face, and they begged you to hold them, to kiss them, could you still refuse?"  

With each question, Ji Taoyu’s face flushed deeper red. He stammered: "I absolutely wouldn’t do such things!"  

Huo Shu looked at the blushing young ger before him - far too naive and inexperienced.  

He stopped his ruthless hypotheticals, fearing his words might cut too deep.  

If anyone ever wronged him, he could always unsheathe his blade again.  

After all, there was no one he hadn’t killed before.