Chapter 1772: Chapter 1792: Southern Tall Tree (101)

Unable to sleep, she simply put on headphones, found A-mei’s song on her phone, and hit play.

Soon, A-mei’s slightly melancholic voice filled her ears—

"You are my bitterest wait

Making me happy yet fearful of the future

You always love to say you are a speck of dust

Sneaking into my eyes mischievously at times

Rather see me cry than let me love you

You really disappear like dust in the wind 𝚏𝐫𝚎𝗲𝕨𝐞𝐛𝕟𝚘𝐯𝚎𝗹.𝕔𝐨𝗺

..."

It was a winter close to the Spring Festival, walking on the streets of the small town, stalls selling fireworks, red couplets, and various types of New Year’s goods were everywhere. Although it was more than ten days until the New Year, the festive atmosphere was already strong.

That day, her dad also took her shopping for New Year’s goods, holding her hand the entire time.

Suddenly, her dad’s beeper went off.

He took a look and crouched down to say to her, "Daddy’s little Qiao, can you go home by yourself? Daddy has something to do and needs to go out for a while."

Back then, her small body hugged a Monchhichi doll, nodding obediently, "Daddy, go ahead, I’m a grown-up now and can go home by myself."

She went home alone, and it wasn’t until midnight, just as she was about to fall asleep, that her dad returned.

In her drowsiness, she called out "Dad" several times, but her dad seemed not to hear, quietly looking at her, sitting there and starting to smoke.

The choking smell of smoke made her cough "kukuku", and if it were usual, her dad would have put out the cigarette long ago, but he didn’t that night, just looked at her a few times.

Though many years have passed, she clearly remembers her dad lighting one cigarette after another, the flickering sparks, the coughing sound of "kuku", and the scattered cigarette butts.

Her dad lay on the bed with bloodshot eyes, his eyes red.

Even when cigarette ash fell on the bed, and she quickly patted it out, it still left burn holes made by the cigarette butts.

She was terrified, sitting there dumbfounded, not daring to make a sound, not daring to cough, staring at her dad without moving, her fingers digging into her pants until she broke her nail, finally unable to hold back her tears.

That cry seemed to wake her dad, and the next second, he suddenly stood up, held her close.

She was uncomfortable being held so tightly, but didn’t make a sound, gently patting her dad’s back to comfort him.

Her dad held her and said softly, "Daddy’s little treasure Qiao, sleep, Daddy’s here with you."

Until when, her dad fell asleep holding her.

But when she woke up, her dad never woke up again!

"Daddy is sleeping in for the first time."

She muttered, glanced at the clock on the wall, it was already nine in the morning, and pushed her dad.

But her dad remained lying there, no matter how much she pushed, he wouldn’t wake up.

"Dad!"

"Dad!"

...

She kept calling, one call after another, each call dragging longer, each call more aggrieved than the last.

With her small hands, she pried open her dad’s eyes, still he wouldn’t wake up, tickled him, no reaction, lay on her dad’s chest, suddenly feeling her dad’s body was ice-cold, she was so scared she burst into tears.

Her grandma heard her crying, came in the door, "Qiao Qiao, what’s wrong?"

Qiao Qiao cried and looked at the Qiao family’s grandma, "Dad won’t wake up, he’s ice-cold all over."

The grandmother heard this, walked over, looked at Qiao Bin, saw his complexion, and her face turned pale, reaching to check his breath, there was none.

She panicked, "Qiao Qiao, don’t move here, grandma is going to call a doctor."

Qiao Qiao nodded obediently, sat there, wiped her tears, watched her grandma leave, then turned back to look at Qiao Bin, "Dad, so you were sick."