Because I Cannot Hurt You

The air instantly froze and the atmosphere suddenly felt as if somebody died. They never thought that Xinyi and Zhiyuan would come to know about Han Zongying.

Xia Liqin clenched the chopsticks in her hand, thinking of her. Han Tian was also unusually silent.

Xinyi and Zhiyuan exchanged glances. Just her mention had riled them up so much. What were they hiding that had such a huge impact?

Han Tian slowly asked, "What did you hear?"

Xinyi hesitated. "It's... Grandpa Liao was furious at Uncle An and accused him of killing Han Zongying."

They froze.

"He destroyed her life and murdered her. But I didn't understand…"

Han Tian threw an ugly glance at Xia Liqin. There was disdain and a hint of hatred in his eyes. Xia Liqin didn't look back, but she knew that he was staring daggers at her.

There was a suffocating silence.

Zhiyuan asked, "Did Grandpa really have a daughter? But he never mentioned her to us."

The elders didn't know what to say. It was forbidden to talk about Han Zongying because Han Huizhong had strictly prohibited them from even uttering her name.

Xia Liqin smiled with a pale expression. "Sorry, dear. You are mistaken. We don't know... about Han Zongying."

Han Tian trembled.

The couple looked at them in confusion. If Han Zongying indeed existed, didn't it mean that they should know about her? She had been Xia Liqin's sister-in-law. Why would Han Tian also deny his sister? Surely, they would have spent their childhood and adulthood together.

Xinyi said, "Mom, Dad. Is everything alright?"

Han Tian quickly said, "Yes, dear. It's nothing."

Zhiyuan narrowed his eyes. "I don't think Grandpa Liao will lie. And why would Uncle An bear all the accusations for no reason?"

"Why are you probing into this matter?"

"Because we feel that's where the whole hatred between Han and An families started. Grandpa Liao also broke all their business ties with him because he considered her as his daughter. And you are saying that you don't know about her?"

Silence.

"Grandpa never told us why he hated them so much. Even when I dated Caihong in the past, he never gave any proper reasons."

Xinyi nodded. "Grandpa isn't unreasonable. He wouldn't hate someone so much out of anything. We cannot think of any other reason for his hatred towards the An family. Mom and Dad must have known what happened in the past."

Han Tian and Xia Liqin became even more anxious under their scrutiny and questioning.

They couldn't deny their existence. So, Xia Liqin said, "You are right. Zongying was my sister-in-law."

Han Tian suspiciously stared at her. He didn't expect that she would take charge of all people.

Xinyi and Zhiyuan attentively listened to her.

"She was Tian's younger sister. She was a kind and warm person. But unfortunately…" her eyes teared up, "she left us too soon."

Han Tian took a deep, silent breath.

Xinyi pursed her lips. "What happened to her?"

Xia Liqin swallowed a gulp. "She had an accident and died because of it."

Han Tian stiffened.

"And An Guoting was driving that car."

They widened their eyes in shock. They looked at each other, stunned.

"Dad was really furious. He...lost his only daughter because of him. That's how the relationship soured between us."

"But…"

Xia Liqin quickly stood up. "That's all I know. If you will excuse me now."

Her face looked pale and tired. She hastily went away.

"Mom!" Xinyi called her but she was already gone.

Zhiyuan frowned. "But why would Grandpa hide her existence from us?"

Han Tian's gaze dimmed. "Dad was broken-hearted after her death. He didn't want to hear anything about her and get sad over it, so he prohibited us from talking about her or mentioning her. Zhiyuan was quite small at that time. That's why you don't know about her."

Han Tian also soon excused himself. He looked as tired as Xia Liqin.

Xinyi asked, "Do you find anything wrong in their story?"

"Anything? I don't buy their whole story. It's too fishy. Plus, Mom wasn't really looking at us when she was explaining it. It also doesn't account for why Grandpa would try to harm Caihong seven years back."

Xinyi was in deep thought. "Indeed...From Grandpa Liao and Uncle An's conversation, it didn't feel to me like, I mean...that he actually killed her. It felt more metaphoric to me."

He sighed. "They clearly want to hide this. I don't think they will say anything if we probe any further. Maybe...we should try going in the room to find more about her."

"But if Grandpa came to know then he would be really furious."

He chuckled. "It's alright. I will handle it. That seems to be the only source of place from which we could get any information. Let's visit that storeroom when Grandpa won't be at home."

---

An residence.

Shuang was quietly sipping her coffee and also staring at An Guoting at the same time with a curious and suspicious gaze. She just got a message from Xinyi about the supposedly 'true' story that Xia Liqin said to her about Han Zongying's accident.

Dad was involved in an accident and he killed her?

She frowned.

This doesn't make sense to what happened to Caihong though. Should I ask Dad? 

But what if he lied to me too?

She bit her lip.

An Guoting tapped on her hand. "What are you thinking so deeply about?"

His gaze brightened. "Oh! Is it about that foreigner, Jack Si? Are you seriously considering him?"

"..."

Ever since they came back from the Summit last night, he had been going on and on about Jack Si.

"No, Dad."

"Why not?" He was dissatisfied. "He is a capable doctor, a handsome man with such beautiful eyes and even Xiaosi's friend. So, there is a guarantee about him too. He is well-off with a decent lifestyle. Why can't you consider him?"

"Dad, I am not going to marry him just because you want a bluish-grey eyed grandchild," her mouth twitched.

An Guoting cleared his throat. "Of course, that is not my intention. How can I be so shallow?"

Shuang shot him a judgemental stare and he could only look away.

"Anyway. I wanted to ask you something."

"Sure."

"Zhiyuan mentioned that he recently came to know shocking news."

An Guoting furrowed his brow. "What?"

"That he had an Aunt."

An Guoting froze.

"It came as a shock to me too. I never heard Grandpa Han having a daughter too."