NOVEL NEXT Chapter 638: Hero
"Panpan~"
Seeing his daughter standing in the middle of the runway, looking dazed and foolish, Pan Guoliang called out.
It would have been fine if he hadn't called, but once he did, it seemed to activate some kind of switch.
She suddenly ran towards the side of the runway.
"Panpan~"
Seeing this, Pan Guoliang became anxious and hurriedly shouted once more.
Due to the angle, and with trees blocking his view, his daughter instantly disappeared from sight.
He wanted to go over but was blocked by the underbrush, so he could only follow the park path, taking a big detour.
Park paths are usually not straight; they wind and twist, adding a sense of artistry, and this park was no exception.
"Yan Weiyi?"
Panpan, who had hurried over, suddenly stopped in her tracks and took half a step back, showing a bit of timidity.
The familiar face, the familiar smile, as bright and dazzling as the sun, so much so that she dared not look directly at him.
"It's me, Panpan..."
Yan Weiyi, who originally had countless things to say to her, suddenly forgot what his first words should be at this moment.
Upon hearing the familiar voice, Panpan raised her head, tears instantly welling up in her eyes hidden beneath her hair, and she could no longer hold back, throwing herself into his arms.
"Yan Weiyi, you finally came back to see me? I thought you didn't want me anymore..."
"No, I... how could I not want you..." Yan Weiyi's voice was also choked with emotion.
In fact, since his death, Panpan had attempted suicide several times, and her mental state had subtly deteriorated.
From initially struggling to accept Yan Weiyi's death, it turned into believing that Yan Weiyi didn't love her, abandoned her, left her, didn't want her...
Perhaps she would rather accept Yan Weiyi abandoning her than accept that he was dead.
No matter how many times her parents told her that Yan Weiyi was gone, she automatically blocked it out.
At that moment, Panpan suddenly pushed Yan Weiyi away, hurriedly tidying her hair and inspecting her clothes.
"Do I... do I look very ugly like this?"
In truth, Panpan did look rather ugly at the moment—her messy, greasy hair, her sweat-drenched clothes, and her cheeks burned under long hair made her look terrifying and gloomy.
Although there were few people in the park, it didn't mean there was no one, and those who saw her avoided her; her appearance couldn't just be described as ugly.
But Yan Weiyi wasn't disgusted, instead responding with action.
He stepped forward and stretched out his hands, brushing her long hair away from her eyes, revealing her flame-scarred cheeks.
Panpan's eyes dodged, and instinctively she wanted to lower her head.
Yet Yan Weiyi gently but firmly stopped her.
Panpan actually looked very beautiful, with well-balanced features, large and bright eyes, and a delicate facial structure. If not for the burn, she could have been the goddess Yan Weiyi couldn't even dream of.
But beauty is in the bones, not the skin; even with burns, there was still a unique beauty in her imperfection.
"Do you know what I like most about you?" Yan Weiyi asked.
"My smile?"
Panpan tried to curl her lips into a smile, but it looked even worse than crying.
"No, it's your resilient nature and your courage to always smile at life. You know, in my eyes, you're shining, so dazzling..."
Yan Weiyi smoothed out her hair, thinking to find a hair tie, but Panpan quietly hid her hands behind her back.
Because Yan Weiyi wasn't tying her hair for the first time, every time it got to this point, she would lift her wrist and give him the elastic band on it.
But now, her wrist was covered in scars; how could she dare raise it?
Seeing this, Yan Weiyi knew exactly what she was thinking; after all, during the time he was gone, he had watched everything unfold in her life.
"What are you doing, let go of my daughter..."
Just then, came a shout from Pan Guoliang, who then rushed over towards them.
Because Panpan was blocking him, he couldn't see Yan Weiyi's face clearly and thought it was a stranger trying to harm his daughter.
Hearing the voice, Yan Weiyi leaned slightly, looking over Panpan's shoulder, to her rear.
"Uncle Pan." Yan Weiyi called out.
The furious Pan Guoliang stood as if rooted in place, his eyes wide open and filled with disbelief. Even under the blazing sun, he felt a chill running straight up his spine.
"You... you, you... are you human or a ghost?" he asked fearfully.
Then, as if realizing something, he hastily grabbed his daughter, pulling her behind him.
"Don't come any closer, don't mess with my daughter. You cared so much for her when you were alive, don't do anything to harm her now..."
Pan Guoliang shielded his daughter, full of panic, trying to quietly pull her back. But he found that her feet seemed rooted to the ground, unmoving, no matter how he tried to link arms with her.
"Uncle, don't be afraid, how could I possibly harm Panpan..." Yan Weiyi was also rather helpless.
He wanted to see Panpan, and to do so, he had to meet the parents, as they were watching her too closely.
He chose to meet in the park instead of their home because he feared scaring them.
The park was open and sunny, an environment that could alleviate their fear, unlike if he appeared at their home, potentially scaring them into trouble.
"I... I'm not afraid of you."
Pan Guoliang was indeed a good father; seeing his daughter wouldn't move, he continued to shield her, facing Yan Weiyi. Despite the fear clearly affecting his voice, he stood firm.
Seeing this, Yan Weiyi took a few steps back, putting some distance between them, which allowed Pan Guoliang to relax a bit.
"Panpan, don't run so fast, mom's getting old and can't keep up..."
Just then, a panting Zhang Qiu Fang rounded the corner, jogging down the rubber track.
"What are you all doing standing here?" she asked, surprised.
Then she turned her gaze towards their direction.
"Xiao Yan?"
Seeing Yan Weiyi, Zhang Qiu Fang was also taken aback.
Quickly stepping forward, she pulled her daughter to her side, shielding her alongside her husband.
"Xiao Yan, didn't you have an accident and pass away?" Zhang Qiu Fang asked tentatively.
Unexpectedly, she seemed braver than Pan Guoliang, noticeably less frightened.
"Auntie." Yan Weiyi greeted her first.
Then he looked past them, gazing at his girlfriend with deep affection, before explaining, "It's a long story."
"It's okay, we have time, take your time to explain," Zhang Qiu Fang said.
Pan Guoliang discreetly tugged at Zhang Qiu Fang's sleeve.
"Look at the ground."
"What's on the ground?" Zhang Qiu Fang glanced down.
"He has no shadow," Pan Guoliang said, his face slightly pale.
Upon hearing this, Zhang Qiu Fang also understood, realizing that her husband was hinting that the being before them wasn't human.
Yet she was already aware, and surprisingly not afraid.
"Xiao Yan was a good person, both in life and in death, a hero who died saving others. People like him deserve incense offerings whether they're alive or dead; what's there to fear?" Zhang Qiu Fang stated straightforwardly.
Yan Weiyi was stunned upon hearing this, not expecting Zhang Qiu Fang to say such words, feeling deeply moved.
And Panpan, who had been shielded behind them, seemed to be encouraged by her words, suddenly breaking away from Pan Guoliang, circling around them, and running towards Yan Weiyi, throwing herself into his arms.