Afterlife Department

Chapter 78 - Roses

Yi Bing's eyes widened in shock when Huo Ling turned. Huo Ling's eyes are filled with pain and confusion… and despair. He can't cry, but it's more painful since there's no outlet of pain. "Huo Ling…" he called, his voice suddenly became hoarse for some reason as he stared at the pained expression on Huo Ling's face. "What… do you…" he said. His hand let go of Huo Ling. Then, he took out the two photos from inside his clothes.

"AAH!" the woman screamed and ran when she saw the two photos are floating in the air. "A ghost! It's a ghost!" she screamed as she hurried out to the streets. She was going crazy, and finally chose the right way to run to.

Yi Bing ignored her. "The butler… and your grandfather… are friends before." He told him as he showed to Huo Ling the two boys' photo.. "And this is your grandmother with them." he added and gave to him the other photo with the girl. "Can you tell me… which is your grandfather and the butler?" he asked and looked at the two boys' photo.

"My grandfather… is the butler." Huo Ling repeated. However, he pointed the boy on the left. "He is the grandfather I recognized." He said and pointed the other boy. "The other one… the butler... he's my biological grandfather." He told him.

Yi Bing froze as he stared at the boy on the right. He's the blushing boy with the girl in that photo. So he's the butler? He thought, surprised. It wasn't an unrequited love? Then, how come… he looked at Huo Ling, his face filled with confusion. But, first of all – "How did you know this?" he asked him.

"The roses…" Huo Ling answered and looked at the direction of the garden. "Underneath the roses… is the profession of love." he told him as he passed by him and walked towards the garden. "I've been wondering for a long time… why was it it's only the roses the flowers in our garden?" he asked as he stopped before the biggest rose in the garden. "The garden in our house... and the garden in old Tang's house..." he said. "I have known the answer when I saw his garden." he said and pointed the biggest rose in the garden. "Underneath the roses… is the profession of love." he repeated as his hand lowered and now pointing to the ground.

Yi Bing followed his gaze and saw there's a box sticking out of the leaves. "Is that..." he looked at Huo Ling. Seeing Huo Ling nodded, he knelt on the ground and picked it up. Then, he tried to open it. However, he only has one hand now after Huo Ling mindlessly cut it before. He raised his head to look at Huo Ling. "Care to help?" he asked as he waved the box.

Huo Ling's eyes are now clear and had returned to normal. However, his hair is still aflame and dancing. He grimaced. "Sorry." He said and knelt beside Yi Bing. He took the box from Yi Bing and opened it himself. "Here." He said and he showed him the opened box.

"Letters?" Yi Bing said when he saw the bundles of letters inside.

"Read them." Huo Ling told him. Fortunately, the letters weren't encased in envelopes, or Huo Ling would feel embarrassed again since Yi Bing would be unable to open them by himself, and he would have to open them when he was the one who told Yi Bing to read them. He cursed his Mania. Because of it, he had cut Yi Bing's arm.

Yi Bing took one of the letter and read it.

Tang Tang. How are you? It's been so long since we last saw each other. I really missed you! I hope you're doing well. I have a good news for you. I'm going home! My parents summoned me telling me there's something important they had to say. However, before that, can we see each other?

Women are very unrestrained nowadays! He thought. "You don't mean…" he said as he looked at Huo Ling.

However, Huo Ling didn't say anything and just shook his head. "Continue." he urged him to keep reading.

And Yi Bing did so, only to be stunned.

Tang Tang… my parents arranged a marriage for me! I don't want to! Tang Tang, take me with you! I love you! I don't want to marry young master Huo!

"Arrange marriage..." Yi Bing muttered in astonishment. Arrange marriage... so she was arranged to marry Huo Ling's grandfather... ah, no. The man Huo Ling recognized as his grandfather. He corrected himself.

He took another letter to read.

Tang Tang, why? Why didn't you come? I waited for you… Tang Tang...

The letter was obviously stained with tears after Yi Bing saw the blurred words in the letter. "She... planned to elope with him..." he muttered. "She's a brave woman." he said. "This is – " his hands are shaking as he reread the two letters. However, hearing no words from Huo Ling, he was forced to continue to read the other letters.

He was surprised by the first sentence in one of the letters he picked.

Tang Tang… it's more than ten years since I wrote to you. I hope you're doing well. I wrote this letter to tell you I am fine living the life I am now. I… still love you, but we can't be with each other. I realized that. I wish for you to find your happiness, too.

So they stopped communicating after they failed to elope. Yi Bing thought. It's normal. She was hurt by him. He failed her. He failed her expectations. He thought as he looked at the words 'ten years'. Huo Ling was still not yet born.

Yi Bing though the letters would end there since it was stating a one-sided closure of a relationship. However, he didn't expect to see another letter. And it greatly shocked him.

Tang Tang. I can't help but write to you again. You see, we had a butler. My husband said he's his old friend. The reason I wrote this letter is to tell you that he resembles you. Well, not the look. You're more handsome than him. But, the way he acts is so like you! That gentlemanly manner... I can't help but speak with him more. However, since my husband is a jealous man, I stopped myself talking to him.

"Huo Ling…" Yi Bing called and can't help but look at Huo Ling. Yi Bing's grandmother didn't know the butler was her lover. Her lover disguised himself as a butler.

He felt pain in his chest when he saw Huo Ling's face was distorted with pain. He bit his lip, forcing himself not to ask him the question that bugs him the most – how did the butler become his biological grandfather? But, it seems that there's no need for him to ask the answer from Huo Ling, since the next – and the last, letter told him.

Tang Tang, I'm sorry but this will be my last letter to you. I already told you, my husband is a jealous man. He does not show it to the children since it'll set a bad example, but in private he beats me. You can guess, he found out I'm still writing to you. Tang Tang... I had something I haven't told you. That night, the last night we met each other and made love… I became pregnant. I covered it up by making young master Huo drank, then told him the child I had in my stomach is his. My pregnancy had complications, so the date covered up the truth. Tang Tang… I'm really sorry. I hope you can forgive me. Our child grew up to be a fine man, and he had his children of his own, who were as equally as wonderful as him. By the time you'll be reading this letter, I will not be in this world anymore. The next time young master Huo would beat me, I'll drag him down with me. Tang Tang… I have told you many lies, but there's only one truth that cannot deceive. I love you.

"Huo Ling - !" he called and dropped the letter when he hugged him. His body is originally cold, since only his soul keeps his body alive. However, Huo Ling, whose body is supposedly cold, is surprisingly warm.

He wished he could give him this warmth he is currently seeking.

The roses that're supposed to be red… why do they appear blue?

Yi Bing was wondering, when it could be the last letter, and what other secret will it hold? The answer: it was no secret, but a confession. A confession, which was exchanged with more than a hundred words, comprises only a sentence, as if an answer to the question from the last letter that was received.

These red roses speak the words I'm unable to speak anymore.

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