Chapter 1543: Chapter 1543: Sir, We Are Not Familiar (5)
They were very close, Xia Chuqing could even smell the faint scent of tobacco on him.
She moved her lips: “It’s cold outside, you should wait for me in the car.”
Xiao Mo was about to say “Finally, you spoke like a normal person after a whole night,” but he reconsidered and swallowed his words.
He was a grown man after all, no need to sulk with a young girl.
“Okay.” He responded indifferently, a faint smile tugging at his lips.
Xia Chuqing didn’t quite understand what his “okay” meant, and it was just then that a police officer approached them.
“Mr. Xiao, is this Miss Xia?”
“Yes, take her inside.”
“Alright.”
Xia Chuqing turned her head and followed Officer Wang into the prison.
As soon as they entered, the atmosphere became peculiarly eerie, as quiet as an unsettling ghost town.
In the corridor, only the sound of their footsteps echoed, one heavy and one light, as they walked slowly forward.
Xia Chuqing wiped her eyes and called out to Officer Wang: “Officer Wang, do I look like I’ve been crying?”
Officer Wang chuckled: “Why, did Mr. Xiao bully you?”
“No…”
“I’m just kidding, don’t be upset.” Officer Wang comforted her.
Passing through several checkpoints, Xia Chuqing saw some officers and people tidying the courtyard.
Some glanced at her curiously, then lowered their heads back to work.
“Officer Wang, is my dad okay in there?” Xia Chuqing asked softly.
Since it was early morning, a hazy mist lingered around, blown by the wind against her face, soon making her bangs wet.
The weather was truly cold, the mountain wind even more biting.
Xia Chuqing tugged at Xiao Mo’s scarf, sniffed, and the scent permeated into her chest.
The scent on the scarf was the same as Xiao Mo’s, a light lavender aroma mixed with a hint of tobacco.
“He’s doing well, you don’t need to worry.” Officer Wang didn’t divulge much, as it was all confidential.
“Can I come to see him myself in the future?” Xia Chuqing asked urgently.
“Well, you can’t.” Officer Wang refused her, lowering his voice, “Mr. Xiao managed to arrange it; normally, people aren’t allowed in.”
Xia Chuqing didn’t make things difficult for Officer Wang and stopped asking.
“We’re here, you can go in.” Officer Wang stopped in front of a door, “Don’t stay too long, keep it under ten minutes, remember there will be surveillance and recording throughout.”
Xia Chuqing’s nose tingled, she couldn’t help but want to cry again as she nodded.
Upon entering, she immediately saw her dad, Xia Yongfang!
“Dad!” Xia Chuqing called out.
Xia Yongfang hadn’t yet processed who had come, he lifted his head, looking at Xia Chuqing with surprise, his mouth agape.
“Dad, it’s me.” Xia Chuqing ran over.
But with an iron gate between them, they couldn’t hug as they used to.
“Chuqing? Is it you? How did you get here…” Xia Yongfang couldn’t believe it.
Recently, someone had told him his daughter didn’t know about this, advising him to be careful when talking to her on the phone so as not to let anything slip.
He also wished Xia Chuqing peace in studying abroad, each time pretending nothing was wrong, cheerfully chatting with her.
“It’s me, Chuqing, it’s me.”
Xia Chuqing, overwhelmed, started crying, her dad had lost so much weight, his eye sockets sunken.
“Who brought you here? Do you know everything now? How are things abroad, are you okay?” Xia Yongfang had endless things to say to Xia Chuqing.
He almost cried too but held back his tears, looking at his daughter.
“A friend brought me here, I’m doing well abroad, Brother Heng is taking care of me. Dad, you don’t need to worry, I only just found out about your situation, your daughter has been unfilial…”
“It’s your dad who’s at fault.” Xia Yongfang hung his head, his tone filled with regret.
“Dad, they say you were involved in corruption, is it true? Tell me if it’s true, or if someone forced you? And who reported you?”
Xia Yongfang shook his head, full of remorse: “Your dad did indeed engage in corruption, with A City’s booming mining industry, your dad made mistake after mistake.”
“Dad, this can’t be true, someone must have framed you, right? Someone who resents you?” Xia Chuqing refused to accept this fact.
In her eyes, her dad was such a good person, how could he be corrupt, how could he do such things.
Xia Yongfang denied it, he was indeed corrupt, and was grateful to only have been sentenced to four years.
“Chuqing, study hard and don’t be like your dad.” Xia Yongfang lamented, “Do you have enough money abroad? Is it true that the house was seized?”
“I’m on a scholarship, home… I don’t know, I haven’t been back yet.”
Upon hearing about her dad’s troubles, she came straight to C City, without returning home.
“Graduating next year, right?” Xia Yongfang sighed, lovingly looking at his daughter.
“Yes…” Xia Chuqing nodded, a bit reluctant to meet Xia Yongfang’s eyes, feeling truly unfilial.
Her family faced such major problems, and she was the last to know.
“Don’t be upset, Dad will be out in a year and a half, make sure to visit your mom if you have time.” Xia Yongfang said.
“Dad, who reported you, tell me.” Xia Chuqing remained persistent.
“I don’t know such things either.” Xia Yongfang shook his head, “You needn’t ask anymore, besides, your dad was at fault.”
“Dad, why did you engage in corruption when we had enough money?”
“Human desires, ambition…” Xia Yongfang sighed.
During his time in prison, he had thought things through clearly, a single misstep led to eternal regret, but fortunately, he still had a chance to amend.
It’s just four years, four years later, he could be a better person again.
“Chuqing, don’t follow in your dad’s footsteps, be a good person, don’t be blinded by desires, always adhere to principles.” Xia Yongfang advised.
“Dad, I know, I understand…” Xia Chuqing cried again.
Her dad had really aged a lot, fallen into hardship with a careworn face, his eyes once devoid of so many wrinkles.
“As long as you know, as long as you know, my Chuqing is the most obedient.” Xia Yongfang smiled, tenderly looking at his daughter.
Fortunately, after all these years, Xia Chuqing had always been his pride.
“Chuqing, have you considered your plans? Staying abroad or returning to A City?” Xia Yongfang asked.
“Dad, let’s go back to A City, our family can be together again.”
“Alright, once Dad is out, he’ll start a small business, then our family will be just like before.”
“Dad, you used to be so busy, now you finally won’t have to be…” Xia Chuqing cried again, soaking Xiao Mo’s scarf.
“Silly girl, why are you crying again, don’t cry.”
Seeing this girl cry so rarely, tore at Xia Yongfang’s heart.
Xia Chuqing wiped her tears and stopped crying.
“Have you found a boyfriend abroad? Find someone who treats you well.” Xia Yongfang said.
Xia Chuqing shook her head, initially wanting to say she hadn’t, but not wanting her dad to worry, she nodded: “I have a boyfriend, he treats me really well.”