Chapter 187: Chapter 187

The Fu Family kept some traditional customs for the funeral, with a three-day vigil. On the morning of the fourth day, at around five o’clock, Fu Zhengjun was to be sent to the predetermined cemetery for burial.

The night before the funeral, the Fu Family invited guests who came to pay their respects to a meal.

The banquet halls over three floors of the Mandiri Hotel in the city center were all occupied, with over fifty tables prepared to entertain guests.

The elders of the Fu Family led Fu Jichen to the tables of some esteemed guests, loudly proclaiming, "The filial son expresses thanks! Thank you once, thank you twice, thank you thrice—"

With each thanks, Fu Jichen bent over and bowed, bowing three times in total.

After arriving at the hotel, he took off his mourning attire, wearing only a black suit with a piece of white thread in the buttonhole, appearing increasingly solemn, with visible fatigue on his face. Others were unaware that before this funeral, he had just lost his beloved young woman, was sick for more than a week, and after returning, had not rested well before this event occurred.

An elder, of the same age as Mr. Fu, after Fu Jichen’s bowing thanks, rose to pat his shoulder and back, affectionately saying, "With your father gone, you will have to take on more responsibilities in the future, take care."

Fu Jichen nodded, agreeing, helping the person back to their seat, everywhere thoughtful and considerate, beyond reproach.

Early the next day, before four in the morning, while it was still dark, Fu Jichen had to start preparing and arranging vehicles responsible for picking up and dropping off guests attending Fu Zhengjun’s funeral that day. The most update n0vels are published on novel~fire~net

Certain security measures needed Fu Jichen to properly arrange in advance to prevent any disturbances at the scene.

In the past three days, he barely had a complete sleep, having to coordinate all matters big and small, and when too sleepy to bear it, just nestling on a chair beside the mourning hall for a nap, all while having to be wary of certain leaders coming to pay respects.

After all, Fu Feibai lacked experience and could not handle certain aspects of social interactions, having to rely on Fu Jichen.

Wei Ronghua fainted several times these days, went to the hospital once, living in a daze, always muttering words that only she could understand and was pretty much of no help, requiring someone to watch over her.

At exactly five o’clock, most guests had arrived. A row of cars set off in a grand convoy, avoiding the congested main roads, taking a detour to the cemetery.

The mourning music played, firecrackers were set off, paper money was scattered along the way, followed by designated people to clean up afterward.

By the time they reached the cemetery, it was daylight, the sun had risen, glowing magnificently. The black Mercedes Fu Jichen rode in was second in the convoy, the one in front was for leading the way.

He cradled the black ebony urn in his hands as he got out of the car, his expression solemn and dignified. The urn was covered with a piece of white cloth, with a black-and-white toned photo of Fu Zhengjun affixed to the front, two inches in size.

Fu Jichen walked step by step, slowly and heavily, over the long stone steps, followed by a procession, each carrying a blooming chrysanthemum.

Wei Ronghua cried until her voice was hoarse, unable to make a sound, unwilling to let her husband rest eternally in the pitch-black ground, reaching out to try to stop it. Such a scene left listeners grieved and onlookers in tears.

Her two children held her tightly, whispering consolations.

After the deceased was buried, the guests stepped forward one by one to present their chrysanthemums, and soon, the tombstone was surrounded by piles. Fu Jichen stood steadfast at the side until everyone had left.

After the funeral was over, everyone in the Fu Family was mentally exhausted.

The old man did not appear throughout his son’s funeral, perhaps unable to face it. After returning home from the hospital, he shut himself away, not seeing any old friends who came to visit.

Fu Jichen did not have much time to immerse himself in sadness, with a heap of things waiting for him to handle at the company. He first returned to the villa at Yunding Palace, took a shower, changed clothes, and was driven by Qu Mo to the Junshan Group Building.

On the way, Fu Jichen closed his eyes, resting his neck against the seat back, racing against time to rest, holding a smooth, appropriately sized jade handle piece in his broad palm.

He had a brief dream.

In the dream was a vast space of white, with a person lying in a hospital room. Even though he couldn’t see the person’s face, his heart’s answer told him it was Shen Jianian.

Thousands of kilometers away in Jiang City, at the First Hospital, both the attending and supervising doctors agreed that considering Shen Jianian’s recuperation level, she could be considered for transfer to a regular ward.

"I mentioned before, she’s young, sure to recover faster than those older undergoing surgery." Through the mask, the supervising doctor smiled at Pei Che.

The supervising doctor had seen all of Pei Che’s hard work during this time; he went to the hospital three times a day, ensuring he didn’t miss a visit. Even if sometimes when he arrived, Shen Jianian was just asleep, he would still watch for a while before leaving at ease.

When Shen Jianian was transferred to a regular ward, visiting her became much easier, unlike the many rules in the intensive care unit.

"Thank you, doctor. Without you, she wouldn’t have recovered so well," Pei Che said sincerely, genuinely grateful for their efforts.

A little after three in the afternoon, Shen Jianian was arranged to stay in a high-class single ward on the top floor of the inpatient department, with constant temperature and complete living facilities, even providing a small suite for family companions.

Pei Che had chosen a female nurse a week ago to take care of Shen Jianian. Being a man, some things were not convenient for him, having a female nurse would be much better.

Of course, many things he could do himself, he wouldn’t leave to others.

For instance, now that Shen Jianian wanted to drink water, Pei Che asked the nurse to rest first, poured half a cup of warm water himself, and placed a straw at her lips.

Shen Jianian held the straw in her mouth, sipping slowly, not daring to drink too fast, as choking would be very uncomfortable.

Pei Che was not idle during the time he couldn’t visit Shen Jianian in the intensive care unit; he learned many care-related skills and attended some related hospital seminars.

He didn’t let Shen Jianian drink too much water at once, stopping when he thought it was enough, fearing she might be unhappy, Pei Che gently looked at her, patiently explaining, "Your body is still recovering, so you can’t drink too much at once, to avoid burdening your kidneys. If you experience symptoms like abdominal pain, nausea, or vomiting, please inform me immediately."

While he was speaking, Shen Jianian kept looking at him, her mind filled with chaotic thoughts, struggling to find clarity, making her feel perplexed and sometimes even fearful.

Pei Che finished talking and seeing her unresponsive, he proactively asked, "Is there anything you want to say?"

Her face was very itchy, and Shen Jianian wanted to reach and scratch but was stopped by Pei Che.

"The wounds are healing, itching is normal, you mustn’t touch them with your hands. I’ll ask the doctor later to see if there’s any medication for relief." Pei Che’s eyes were full of affection for her, speaking ever so gently, "It’s not good to use medicine constantly, especially since you’re prone to allergies. Let’s endure for a while, and it will get better."

Shen Jianian obediently listened to him and stopped moving around. "Can my face...recover?" She tried her best to hide her disappointment; after all, being a girl, she couldn’t completely not care.

The thick layers of bandages enveloping her face had been removed, and after the doctor changed her dressing, only a few severe injuries were wrapped with square bandages, lighter, beneficial for air circulation and speeding up recovery.

During dressing changes, the pain was so intense, Shen Jianian gritted her teeth without making a sound, sweating profusely. Even without a mirror, she could imagine what the wounds on her face looked like.

Pei Che held her small hands resting on the bedside with both of his, pressed against her lips, gazing steadily into her eyes, solemnly promising her, "Trust me, I will find the world’s best doctors to help you with reconstructive surgery, and you’ll still be the beautiful Little Nian."

Looking into his dark eyes and hearing the familiar name, Shen Jianian felt more at ease.

Pei Che had never deceived her; she had no doubt about his words.

"I remember...you said I was in a car accident." Though Shen Jianian was recovering well, it was still tiring for her to speak at length, so she tried to simplify her statements, "How did I...get into a car accident?"

Pei Che paused, unsure how to explain the cause of the accident to her.

Since she first woke up until now, she never mentioned the name "Fu Jichen." He was uncertain whether she forgot about this person or refrained from mentioning him because of sadness.

"It’s a bit complicated to explain now. I’m afraid you don’t have the energy to listen," Pei Che spoke gently, in a tone of negotiation, "I’ll tell you slowly when you recover, okay?"

Shen Jianian didn’t dwell too much on this issue, pursed her lips for a while in silence, and then asked, "What about my parents...how come they haven’t come to see me?"

Previously in the ICU, she hadn’t seen her parents; each time she woke, the people around her were either doctors, nurses, or Pei Che. She thought her parents had come while she was asleep; she just wasn’t aware.

Now that she had transferred to a regular ward, why hadn’t she seen them yet?

She’s the only daughter of her parents, having such a major accident and being hospitalized, given their usual affection, she thought they would be by her side day and night.

Pei Che’s breathing slightly caught, as if his throat was blocked by something.

Little Nian doesn’t remember her parents are no longer here, how should he tell her...