A First Separation

The night was as dark as ink, staining the land of Shenzhen.

On the second day of the Lunar New Year, Shenzhen was filled with the festive atmosphere of the holiday.

Gu Huai stood in the corridor of the funeral home, and every now and then he could hear the sporadic sounds of fireworks coming from outside.

But unlike the bustling atmosphere outside, there was absolutely no festive spirit outside the No. 3 farewell hall of the funeral home.

Someone is smoking in the corridor.

The smell of smoke, mixed with the taste of formaldehyde and Lysol, made my throat feel tight.

Gu Huai leaned against the entrance of Hall No. 3, his mind racing as he pondered how to comfort Liu Yanni.

Although he has experienced some life-and-death separations and has comforted family members before, in most cases the deceased died of old age, and the family members have gradually accepted the outcome through long-term care.

This is the first time he's encountered a situation like this.

Just as he was lost in thought, the iron gate at the end of the corridor was pushed open.

Holding her child in her arms, Liu Yanni staggered inside with the help of a policewoman, her steps unsteady.

Zhang Shengli followed behind, his face flushed.

"Ms. Liu, we've arrived. To avoid any unnecessary accidents, would you mind letting me take the child with you..."

However, Liu Yanni completely ignored the policewoman's advice, her eyes fixed on Gu Huai at the end of the corridor.

She quickened her pace and rushed straight towards Gu Huai.

She had seen this person before; he had come to her house that afternoon.

Seeing this, Wu Feilin gestured with his chin toward Gu Huai.

Gu Huai understood and quickly went to greet her, "Ms. Liu..."

"He's inside, isn't he?" Liu Yanni stared intently at Gu Huai, making Gu Huai feel uneasy.

"Um."

"Take me inside."

Gu Huai didn't try to persuade him further. He glanced at Zhang Shengli, then turned and led Liu Yanni inside.

With a creak, the door hinges made a muffled sound.

The No. 3 farewell hall is not large, only about 20 square meters in total, with white walls on all four sides, and the whole place feels empty.

In the center of the farewell hall was a stainless steel refrigerated trolley covered with a white sheet, and lying under the sheet was Zhang Zhenhua.

Liu Yanni stood at the door, not stepping inside immediately, her eyes fixed on the white cloth, tears streaming down her face.

Zhang Shengli strode inside, stood next to the cart, his Adam's apple bobbed a few times, and reached out to lift the white cloth.

Then, just as his hand was about to touch the white cloth, hovering above it, his fingertips trembled uncontrollably.

"Zhenhua... your second uncle has come to see you."

As he said this, Zhang Shengli finally let out the tears he had been holding back.

Not only him, but everyone present had tears in their eyes because of him.

Gu Huai quickly wiped his wet eyes, strode over, grabbed the weeping Zhang Shengli, and whispered to comfort him, "Master Zhang, the dead cannot be brought back to life. You must hold on now."

Zhang Shengli nodded slowly; he understood what Gu Huai meant.

As Zhenhua's second uncle, he absolutely cannot collapse at a time like this.

He quickly wiped the tears from his face, turned around and gave Liu Yanni a smile that was even more painful than crying. "Yanni, come in and see Zhenhua."

Liu Yanni looked down at the child in her arms, pulled the blanket up to cover the child's ears, took a deep breath, and took her first step.

She walked to the cart, lowered her head, and stared at it for a long time.

It was as if she could see the person lying inside through the white sheet.

Gu Huai stood quietly to the side, knowing that it was precisely at times like these that one should not rush things.

After waiting for a long time, Liu Yanni trembled as she pinched a corner of the white cloth and slowly lifted it.

Gradually, Zhang Zhenhua's face was fully revealed.

His face was swollen and pale, and much larger than normal.

Fortunately, a makeup artist had already prepared his face, making him look much better than he did on set.

Liu Yanni stared at that face, her hand hovering in mid-air.

She didn't cry or scream; she just watched quietly.

"This is not him."

Gu Huai was taken aback and looked at her with some hesitation.

"This is not Zhenhua." Zhang Yanni said calmly. "Zhenhua had a mole on his right eyebrow, but this person doesn't. You've made a mistake."

As she spoke, she turned to look at Gu Huai, her eyes wide. "Officer Gu, you've mistaken him for someone else. This isn't Zhenhua. He promised me he wouldn't die, he promised to give me a good life!"

"Ms. Liu." Gu Huai was taken aback by this sudden turn of events. "We have already verified Mr. Zhang's identity, indeed..."

"No!" Liu Yanni shook her head frantically. "No! This isn't him! What makes you think it's him?!"

"Jenny!"

A sharp shout made the somewhat deranged Liu Yanni tremble and stand there dumbfounded.

Seemingly realizing that his shouts were too loud, Zhang Shengli lowered his voice and said, "Let's stop making a fuss. Zhenhua is already gone. Let him leave in peace."

Although he was trying to persuade Liu Yanni, Zhang Shengli burst into tears as soon as he finished speaking.

He squatted on the ground, covering his face with his hands, his shoulders shaking violently.

Liu Yanni was stunned by his crying. She looked down at Zhang Shengli, who was squatting on the ground. Her lips trembled, her legs went weak, and she staggered.

She braced herself with her hand and pressed her right hand against the cart.

"Ms. Liu..." Gu Huai quickly stepped forward to help her up, "Please accept my condolences..."

Before Gu Huai could finish speaking, Liu Yanni's scream echoed throughout the farewell hall.

"Ahhh! Where did Zhenhua's lower body go? Why is Zhenhua's stomach empty?!"

Just as her hand was about to pull off the white cloth covering Zhang Zhenhua, Gu Huai finally reached out and grabbed Liu Yanni's hand.

"Officer Gu? What happened to Zhenhua?" Liu Yanni stared blankly at Gu Huai, her eyes filled with confusion.

Gu Huai slowly shook his head, his tone firm, "Ms. Liu, please stop looking..."

"What happened to Zhenhua?!" Liu Yanni shouted angrily, "Why won't you let me see it?!"

As she spoke, Liu Yanni tried to shake off Gu Huai's hand.

"Ms. Liu!" Left with no other choice, Gu Huai raised his voice, "Give Zhenhua and his brother some final dignity in your heart, for the sake of the child! Let his father have some final dignity!"

"For the child...for the child..." Liu Yanni looked blankly at her sleeping child in her arms, her emotions suddenly sinking.

"Yes, for the sake of the children, I must do it for the sake of the children."

As she muttered to herself, Liu Yanni walked out of the farewell hall.

She didn't look at Zhang Zhenhua even once during the entire process.

It's not that I don't love them, but that I can't bear to.

Zhang Shengli hurriedly got up from the ground, grabbed Gu Huai's hand, and said, "Officer Gu, I'm leaving Zhenhua's matter to you."

Before Gu Huai could reply, she hurriedly ran outside.

"I will." Gu Huai's voice wasn't loud, but every word carried weight.

The fluorescent lights in the farewell hall were still humming, and bursts of firecrackers could be heard outside the funeral home.

Gu Huai slowly walked to the refrigerated trolley and looked at Zhang Zhenhua lying on it.

"I assure you!"