Paperplane

  Caron_

  Han Zhifan didn’t probe him on it.

  The office was very quiet – it was so quiet that it made him feel pressured for some reason.

  This kind of silence lasted for an unknown amount of time before Lin Sheng raised his head and glanced at Han Zhifan. “Got a cigarette?”


  Han Zhifan shot a look at Lin Sheng but still didn’t make a sound. He pulled a drawer open from beside him, reached for a pack of cigarettes, and tossed them over to Lin Sheng.

  Lin Sheng removed the packaging, pulled out a cigarette from inside, and lit it up.

  He looked confused and torn about something as he smoked a little impatiently. Shortly after, the cigarette reached the very end.

  He lit another cigarette. Then after he took another puff, he lifted his eyes and glanced at the silent Han Zhifan’s facial expression. He gulped and finally said, “I’ll start explaining now……”


  After a long while, Han Zhifan nodded and let out a soft “Mhm.”


  Lin Sheng inhaled the cigarette smoke hard. After the smoke dissipated, he continued by saying, “Cheng Weiwan’s mother and Cheng Weiguo got married after an unplanned pregnancy. After marriage, Cheng Weiguo practically never came home, so when Cheng Weiwan’s mother was pregnant, she took care of herself the whole time.”


  “Cheng Weiwan’s mother’s family loved Cheng Weiwan’s mother, so they later hired a nanny for her. What I’m going to say next is what I found out from the nanny herself.”


  “When the estimated date of birth came out, Cheng Weiwan’s mother called Cheng Weiguo several times but Cheng Weiguo didn’t come back. On the day Cheng Weiwan was born, it was raining heavily in Nanjing. It was difficult to catch a cab since it was the middle of the night. In the end, Cheng Weiwan’s mother reached the hospital with the help of the police. After Cheng Weiwan was born, Cheng Weiwan’s mother called Cheng Weiguo immediately. Cheng Weiguo heard she was born and was really happy at first, but after finding out it was a girl, he was a little unhappy. Thereafter, Cheng Weiguo didn’t come to see Cheng Weiwan for over a year after she was born.”


  “The nanny said Cheng Weiguo didn’t give a cent to the family. Cheng Weiwan’s mother found ways to pay for all her expenses.”


  “Because of work, Cheng Weiwan’s mother started to leave Cheng Weiwan at home alone from a very young age.”


  “The nanny said Cheng Weiwan was really good when she was young. If she wasn’t reading books on her own then she was playing with toys. Maybe it was because her parents weren’t around and she had no one to talk to that she was a little timid. She didn’t really like to talk when she met people. After she started school, classmates called her mute for several years.”


  “Cheng Weiwan’s mother treated her well and really adored her, but during the second year of elementary school, she passed away from an illness.”


  “Her father only showed up on the day of her mother’s burial. He practically didn’t say anything to her. After her mother’s burial was over, he gave the nanny a wad of hush money and left.”


  “The nanny said Cheng Weiwan really wanted Cheng Weiguo to treat her the way other dads treated their children. In the very beginning, after her mother passed, she called her father about parent meetings and father-related school events. However, Cheng Weiguo didn’t hesitate to decline because of work. Sometimes, she insisted too hard and annoyed Cheng Weiguo. He yelled at her, so she didn’t dare to cry in front of Cheng Weiguo again. She always hid somewhere and cried alone. Later, when she got older, she didn’t even bother inviting Cheng Weiguo to school events.”