Chapter 698: Chapter 698: Minmin, Does It Hurt?

"Uncle!"

Yu Shuo noticed that his uncle was not in the right state and reached out to grab his arm.

Qiu Qianghai forcefully shook him off, as if possessed, walking towards Gu Jiajie.

Or rather, he was moving towards Gu Minmin’s urn, staggering unsteadily.

From start to finish, his eyes never left the urn.

Qiu Qianghai reached Gu Jiajie’s side and saw the urn partially exposed under his protection. 𝘧𝓇ℯℯ𝑤ℯ𝘣𝓃ℴ𝓋𝑒𝑙.𝑐𝘰𝑚

His face was pale, and he fell to his knees with a dull thud.

The sound alone could make one imagine his pain.

Qiu Qianghai did not try to snatch Gu Minmin’s urn but knelt in front of Gu Jiajie, reaching with a trembling hand to touch the exposed corner of the urn.

He moved cautiously, his voice soft and full of affection, "Minmin?"

No one responded to him.

Qiu Qianghai’s hand trembled uncontrollably as he choked out, "Minmin, does it hurt?"

The beloved girl, gone at such a youthful age—how cruel, how could he accept it.

This hysterical scene from him stung everyone’s eyes.

Gu Jin especially covered her mouth, tears uncontrollably streaming down.

An Mingji’s clothes were stained with her tears as he pulled her into his arms, gently stroking her back in silent comfort.

"Minmin, good girl, why aren’t you speaking? Talk to me, please. Call me Brother Hai one more time. Just call my name, and I’ll give you anything—"

Qiu Qianghai caressed the corner of the urn, gently murmuring as if Gu Minmin stood before him.

Yu Shuo had never seen his uncle so out of sorts.

His eyes reddened as he turned his head away, lifting his hand to roughly wipe his face.

When the hand fell, the back was wet.

Suddenly, Qiu Qianghai stood up.

His eyes were fixated on a spot, his hands reaching in that direction, "Minmin!"

Qiu Qianghai saw Gu Minmin!

The shy smile of the girl in front of his eyes brought an unconscious smile to his lips, his eyes red yet filled with an overwhelming mix of joy and surprise.

However, in the eyes of everyone else, he was simply a mature and gentle man reaching into emptiness.

Clearly, there was nothing before him, yet his expression and actions were as if he saw his beloved girl, his face lit with excitement.

Hong Fei and his comrades, witnessing this, found their eyes involuntarily reddened too.

Yu Shuo stepped towards his uncle, reaching out to lower his uncle’s hands, "Uncle, she isn’t here. Gu Minmin’s gone."

Qiu Qianghai turned back, expression blank, "What are you saying?"

"Gu Minmin is dead; she’s no longer here!"

Even though he didn’t want to see his uncle in such grief, Yu Shuo couldn’t bear to watch him deceive himself any longer.

With those words, Qiu Qianghai’s eyes once again brimmed with tears.

"Ahhh!!!"

He finally cried aloud, with anguish and despair, tears flooding like a breached dam from his eyes.

Looking closely into his eyes, something shattered, forever gone, never to return.

Qiu Qianghai’s vision went black, and he collapsed to the ground.

"Uncle!" Yu Shuo’s panicked voice rang out.

Gu Jiajie gave no reaction, still curled up on the sofa, clutching Gu Minmin’s urn tightly.

His tears had stopped, his tall body curled up on the sofa, tense, filled with desolation, grief, despair, loneliness.

Gu Jin couldn’t bear to watch any further.