The Memory of Her Father

As soon as she arrived at the hotel, Yang Ran took a long bath and went straight to bed to relieve her jetlag. When she woke up again, the sky had already turned dark.

Yang Ran sat in her bed while contemplating a lot of things.

It was only when her stomach started to grumble did she leave the bed.

After checking for important messages from her friends, Yang Ran put on a hooded jacket and short denim before she went out of the hotel. Her hair was pulled into a high ponytail and her face was free from make-up.

It has been a long time since she last visited this city. Now that she was here, Yang Ran wanted to take the chance to walk on the street and enjoy the taste of local dishes.

At this time, the street was quiet as most people would be sleeping at this time. Only a few youngsters were seen hanging around with their friends on the street. She wasn't quite sure if there would be an eatery place opened at this time.

A faint smile curled on her lips as she thought of the last time she walked on the city's street.

Years ago, the reason she had returned to this town was to attend her father's funeral.

After her father was buried, she had walked around the city aimlessly for a long time. Her mind was unable to accept that her father was no longer alive.

The man had come to this city without telling her. When she finally got the news of his whereabouts, it was only to hear that he was involved in an accident and died.

A chuckle escaped her as she recalled what had happened that year.

After walking for a while, her steps finally halted as she came across a shop.

Yang Ran stared at the signboard for a long time, finding that it seemed familiar before she walked in. It felt that she had once visited this eatery a few years ago.

An elder woman greeted her at the entrance and led her to an empty seat. Inside, there were only a few patrons. Yang Ran looked around the restaurant and noted that the decoration around the place seemed to have changed. The table and chairs were not like what she had remembered, but the newspaper article on the wall was something that she had seen before.

A few years ago, the local newspaper had written a good review for the restaurant. The owner saw it and decided to put it on a frame.

Yang Ran ordered the shop's famous fish head noodle. She did not have to wait for long before the food was served on her table.

She took a spoonful of the soup and smiled. It seemed that the taste of the fish head noodle had remained the same.

Although she had only eaten it once, Yang Ran could still remember the taste. That was the first time that she had tasted the noodles. She thought that the taste was refreshing and liked it very much.

Perhaps, the cook had not changed.

Yang Ran finished her bowl of noodles before she left. She did not forget to leave huge tips. The place helped to put her in a good mood and she was willing to pay more.

Finding that there was not much for her to do, she then returned to the hotel where she was staying. She stood behind the tall window to enjoy the city night scenery for a long time.

...

The next morning, Yang Ran left the hotel after having her breakfast.

This time, she chose to wear a beige dress and a black trench coat on top. The makeup on her face was light, but her bright red lipstick made her look a little livelier.

As she was walking to the entrance, Yang Ran caught the sight of a familiar figure from the corner of her eyes. Instinctively, her steps halted and Yang Ran turned to look at the man. However, to her disappointment, the person she was looking for was nowhere to be seen.

A chuckle escaped her.

Yang Ran still remembered encountering that tall, handsome man at the airport yesterday.

It would be impossible for her to run into that man at this place, right? That would be too coincidental. Perhaps, it was only someone that look similar to him.

She shook her head, reminding herself not to get distracted before she left the building.

The concierge helped her to get a taxi. Yang Ran first instructed the taxi driver to stop by a shopping street. She entered the florist and returned with a bouquet of carnations in her hand.

After giving her address to the taxi driver, Yang Ran leaned back on the seat and took out her phone. There was an email from Alice. It was the information about their next meeting place.

Yang Ran sat back and made a little research on the place before she was going to head over later.

Half an hour later, the scenery of the bustling city outside the window began to change. The tall buildings began to change to tall trees. The nature surrounding her was beautiful, but Yang Ran looked out the window with a solemn expression.

The taxi finally pulled over once they reached the cemetery area.

After instructing the taxi driver to wait for her for half an hour, Yang Ran alighted and went over to look for her father's tomb.

It took her a while to find it again. After all, the first and the last time she had visited this place was five years ago. After her father's body was buried, she had never visited this place again. She did not want to be sad.

Yang Ran looked at the tomb in front of her and check the name again. Once she was sure that this was the place she was looking for, Yang Ran let out a breath of relief. However, a deep crease appeared on her face when she saw the bouquet of chrysanthemums on her father's tomb.

Looking at it, she guessed that the person should have visited her father's tomb a few days ago.

But she could not remember if her father had any friends or relatives in this country.

Then, who would come over to visit him?

Yang Ran did not ponder over this question for a long time. She tidied up the place a little bit before placing the carnation on the tomb.

She still remembered that this was her father's favorite flower. He used to buy a bouquet every weekend and put it in the vase on the dining table. Then, their house would smell like fresh flowers. Her father had said that the flowers would let the room feel livelier.

Her lips turned into a weak smile as the memory of her father came to her mind.

Yang Ran stared at the faded picture of her father for a long time. Then, she finally speak, "Dad. I'm finally here. Did you miss me?"

The surroundings were quiet. Only the sound of the winds greeted her.

"How long has it been since the last time I come over? I think it has been five years. Dad, are you disappointed in me?" Yang Ran pursed her lips. "Do you think that I have failed to be a filial daughter?"

It felt as if there were a lot of things that she wanted to tell her father. But now that she was in front of his tomb, Yang Ran found that the words were stuck in her throat.

In the end, she did not say anything.

After staring at her father's tomb for a long time, Yang Ran finally stood up. She still has another appointment she needed to attend.

There was a complicated look in her eyes before she spoke again. "I might not come over again. Dad, I hope you won't wait for me."