Chapter 150: Scar
When sunlight filtered into the room, HuMing slowly got up and pulled back a corner of the curtain.
Outside, a familiar car was parked by the roadside.
His gaze flickered for a moment before he drew the curtain shut again.
Han LiTian after receiving a message from the principal, wasted no time investigating the newly arrived transfer student.
The boy looked exactly like HuMing and even had the same name---HuMing!
If this wasn't a coincidence, then it was fate playing a grand trick!
Taking a deep drag on his cigarette, Han LiTian glanced toward the door. It was the address he'd found linked to HuMing's current residence. Naturally, he'd also sent someone to check out the boy's previous address. He was determined not to leave any loose ends regarding HuMing's identity.
The door swung open, and when Han LiTian saw the person stepping out, his pupils constricted sharply. His hand trembled, and he dropped the cigarette to the ground, striding forward without hesitation.
"HuMing!"The sharp tone in his voice made HuMing halt. His brows furrowed as he turned to face Han LiTian, his gaze scrutinizing.
This expression startled Han LiTian. The way HuMing looked at him... it was as if he were looking at a stranger!
"Excuse me, sir. Do I know you?"
"HuMing, have you lost your memory? I'm your father!"
Hearing this, HuMing's expression shifted, turning into something subtly amused. At first, his brows furrowed as he assessed Han LiTian, but then his face relaxed as if realizing something.
"Ah, you must be Han HuMing's father. The principal mentioned yesterday that your son and I look alike. Now that I see for myself, it seems we do bear a strong resemblance."
"HuMing, are you joking with me?" Han LiTian's heart raced as he listened to the boy's words, a mix of disbelief and agitation overtaking him.
With a helpless sigh, HuMing replied, "I explained this yesterday. If you don't believe me, you can investigate my background. My grandfather passed away recently, and I have no family left. Do you understand what I'm saying?"
HuMing's tone was calm as if he had no intention of engaging further. But Han LiTian abruptly grabbed his arm and, in a desperate motion, tugged at HuMing's clothing.
To his shock, there were no scars on HuMing's shoulder---not a trace of the injuries he remembered.
No knife wounds, no bullet marks. Nothing.
Han LiTian remembered it clearly---HuMing had been injured on his shoulder. Otherwise, he wouldn't have made such an extreme choice to save others back then.
For a moment, his determination wavered.
The young man standing before him... didn't seem to be his son.
Silently, HuMing adjusted his clothes, his gaze steady as he looked at Han LiTian. He understood the man's reaction all too well.
Back then, he hadn't actually been injured. The blood on his clothes was intentionally smeared to feign injury and approach Han LiTian.
Every step had been part of his plan for this day's return.
As for the investigation into his background, HuMing had long since altered the records tying him to the old man he called "Grandfather". No matter how deep Han LiTian dug, he would only uncover evidence of their familial relationship.
Now, apart from his face and name, there was nothing linking him to Han HuMing anymore.
Han LiTian raised his head, watching the boy's retreating figure. He couldn't shake the feeling that it was all too coincidental.
Yet the truth stood before him: this HuMing was not his son.
Leaning helplessly against the car, the excitement and hope in his heart were completely washed away.
---
Han YunXi noticed early in the morning that Han LiTian wasn't home.
Yesterday, her father had seemed unusually agitated, as though he'd found a lead on HuMing's whereabouts.
Lately, she'd been dreaming about the cliff scene with HuMing. It was only after reading his journal that she understood everything HuMing had done was to repay a debt.
'But what debts exist between family?'
Lan Jun observed Han YunXi and Han ShuYi as they walked to school. Since HuMing's disappearance, the two rarely spoke to each other anymore.
Han ShuYi seemed unwilling to accept this estrangement, but he kept silent.
After all, he had been deemed at fault for what happened. No matter how much he explained, it all sounded like excuses.
'I can only try to win back Han YunXi's trust slowly.'
When Han ShuYi thought of this, his mind wandered to Xia XiaoXi. He wanted to find out more about what Xia XiaoXi liked. Besides, using his position as the student council president could give him a chance to interact with her more often.
The car soon pulled up at the school gate. But before they could get out, they heard startled exclamations coming from nearby. A crowd of students gathered, seemingly engaged in a heated discussion with someone.
Han ShuYi frowned slightly, opened the car door, and stepped out, intending to investigate. Before he could approach, a student council member ran up to him, breathless.
"Pre... President! Han HuMing is back!"
The words struck Han ShuYi like a bolt of lightning. His eyes widened, and his pupils constricted sharply, as disbelief and shock flashed across his face.
At the same time, Han YunXi, who was retrieving her schoolbag, froze when she heard the news. Without a second thought, she pushed through the crowd, rushing towards the commotion.
Breaking through the crowd of students, Han YunXi looked up at the figure standing at the center of attention.
When that all-too-familiar face appeared before her, tears welled up uncontrollably in her eyes. She darted forward and threw her arms around the boy.
But she could feel his body stiffen---it was clear he wasn't accustomed to such close contact.
"Brother! Where have you been? We've been looking for you for so long!"
"Uh... Excuse me, miss, are you also related to Han HuMing?"
Even his voice was eerily similar, though his tone carried an air of politeness and detachment.
Han YunXi froze, staring blankly at the boy in front of her. He gently pushed her away, creating a deliberate distance between them.
Meanwhile, Han ShuYi managed to push his way through the crowd, only to be met with the face he least wanted to see---the face of Han HuMing.
Han HuMing was dead. How could he be standing here, alive? Yet, something was odd. The boy before him seemed to have no recollection of who he was.
Taking a deep breath, Han ShuYi stepped forward with a forced smile. "HuMing, you're finally back!"
"Uh, why do I feel like I'm being welcomed home? Your reactions are making this so awkward for me," the boy said, scratching his head, looking genuinely troubled.
His response puzzled the onlookers as if this "Han HuMing" had lost his memories.
"Han HuMing, don't you remember anything?" one of the students asked.
The boy shook his head and replied patiently, "Earlier this morning, Han HuMing's father came to see me and asked me the same question. I even let him check for some distinguishing marks that maybe Han HuMing had. Afterward, he concluded that I wasn't his son. So please, stop making wild guesses."
His tone was calm and measured, a stark contrast to the Han HuMing they remembered, who would have erupted in frustration by now.
The crowd exchanged skeptical glances, while Han YunXi stood frozen in disbelief.
So, her father had gone out early in the morning to meet this boy... But how could he possibly not be Han HuMing?
"Han HuMing has a scar on his shoulder," Han ShuYi suddenly interjected, breaking the tense silence. All eyes turned to the boy, waiting for his response.
Letting out a long sigh, the boy pulled at his shirt collar, revealing his shoulder to the crowd.
There wasn't a single scar.
"You see? I'm not the Han HuMing you're talking about," he said as he adjusted his clothes, his patience unwavering.