349— The Patriarch Passes Away

"Wait, what?" A beat later, he responded incredulously. Why would she wish the old man dead and sound so sure too?

Before she could answer him, Han Leifeng's phone rang. It was his father.

"Leifeng, where are you? Come home immediately. Your grandfather, he has just passed away." Han Likang's voice sounded tired and sad.

Han Leifeng remained open-mouthed even after Han Likang ended the call, much to Bai Meixiang's amusement.

She spoke lightly, "Shouldn't you close your mouth now? So as I was saying, since that side is settled, let's move on to the next stage."

"How did you know?" Han Leifeng felt quite curious. How did she get the news even before him, the heir of the family?

Bai Meixiang's smile didn't reach her eyes as usual, "Is that important? You just need to know that we're on the same side and we have the same interest. Let's keep working together, for the sake of our baby."

There was no need to tell him that the Bai family majored extensively in the information industry. Put simply, they were the custodian of all official and unofficial news in the Capital.

She would not reveal her family's trump card just like that.

Han Leifeng's face wasn't showing the full extent of the horror he felt inside. Was this lady human?

When Han Leifeng didn't say anything, she decided to speak, "I take it that you understand my meaning. Don't talk about getting rid of our baby ever again. Instead, let's deal with the problems as they come, alright? You can start the car now."

"Where to?" Han Leifeng winced at how silly his voice sounded. No doubt, he still hadn't recovered from the shock.

"To the hospital of course. Shouldn't we go and shed a few tears to keep up appearances?" Bai Meixiang responded with nonchalance, as though she was talking about buying some groceries at the supermarket.

A frown settled on Han Leifeng's handsome face, "I don't think going together is a good idea. Shouldn't we be trying to avoid scandal at this crucial time?"

Bai Meixiang shrugged, "The earlier they get used to seeing us together, the better."

Han Leifeng had no suitable reply, so he started the car and started driving.

As he weaved through the traffic, the sinking feeling that had been lurking in his heart since the very first time he woke up to see Bai Meixiang in his bed came to the forefront, causing him to sweat.

If he wasn't sure before, it had now become glaringly clear.

He had been trapped in a cage of his own making, and freedom was elusive.

When they got to the hospital, the members of the first and second houses had gathered. Apart from Han Zhiyi who was still on her way, others were there, including Han Jingse, who had to leave work early.

Han Likang was standing with his wife, and both of them managed to look very grieved, as though they were mourning the death of a beloved child. Tears even trickled out if the corner of Liu Zhizhen's eyes intermittently, while Han Likang looked like he had aged a decade's worth in one day. His eyes were red. It was a heartbreaking scene.

On the other hand, Pan Yinli from the second house was finding it difficult to hide her pleasure. It was as if she had been waiting for this day since she married into the Han family.

She thought she would have an easy time since the matriarch had died years before she married into the family, but the patriarch was too controlling, even worse than an evil mother-in-law. Now that he was gone, she was glad. Took him long enough.

One look at her mother, and Han Jingse could see her thoughts. She sighed. Her mother was really a headache. She nudged her and said a few words into her ears.

The gist was that if people saw her looking this happy after the death of her father-in-law, tongues would wag.

Thankfully, Pan Yinli wasn't that stupid. She immediately got the message and began to put in a show, weeping bitterly and behaving as though she couldn't wait to follow her "beloved" father-in-law in death. It was a pity that she lacked the needed acting skills. It was so fake that her husband and daughter cringed on her behalf.

Liu Zhizhen gave her one dirty look before turning away in disgust. How her brother-in-law found such a classless woman to be his wife, she could not imagine.

Han Leifeng and Bai Meixiang got into the ward one after the other, just as the doctor was awkwardly trying to console Pan Yinli, who was really getting into her dramatic mode.

Seeing them come in one after the other, all eyes turned in their direction, with a thousand words being exchanged with just one glance.

Han Leifeng put up an indifferent expression as he walked towards his father. They discussed in low tones before Han Likang asked for everyone's attention.

When he got it, Han Likang began to speak, "Now that...this unfortunate incident has happened," he paused his words and sighed deeply before continuing, "We need to move forward as a family, more united than ever before. The patriarch would have wanted that."

No one said anything, so he connued to talk. When he mentioned that the burial arrangements had to be done as quickly as possible so that the patriarch could rest in peace, no one had any objections.

It was only when he started talking about company matters that Pan Yinli began to grumble that he didn't even wait for the patriarch's body to grow cold before he started ordering them around like the new man in charge.

Han Jingse elbowed her in time, shutting her up instantly. As usual, her father's head was slightly bowed, as though he wasn't a part of what was going on.

She had given up on him.

Han Leifeng watched as his father spoke extensively, gaining more confidence with each sentence. He knew the man would be a tough nut to crack if their plans were to go forward.

He snuck a glance at Bai Meixiang and saw her consoling Liu Zhizhen. He almost shuddered. Her grieving look was so real, her eyes so red that he was almost fooled.

He briefly wondered. If everything really went as they planned, what was the guarantee that the Bai family would not want to swallow up the Han Corporation?

Just then, he received a text message. Surreptitiously opening it, he quickly scanned its contents and his eyebrows creased.

Du Zimo. Wasn't that the man that hit him in that accident? He was getting married? The man who destroyed his family wanted to build his own?

Anger began to burn fiercely in his chest.

Not if he had anything to say about it.

*****