223 POOR SURVIVAL INSTINCTS

Still, Hu Lei did not think that the two of them had the right to treat her poorly. In spite of their struggle, she had not caused their pain. She felt some residue resentment because of their behaviour towards her. Therefore, she hesitated in accepting the apology and did not speak.

"Hu girl, we know that you have your own challenges." Zhong Tian finally spoke. "But we have come to see that you care about Feng'er. We hope that you can give us a chance to get to know you and make amends."

Zhong Tian had never had to humble himself before a junior. However, when he saw that Hu Lei seemed to feel wronged after his wife's explanation, he felt like he also needed to show sincerity. After all, this was their son's chosen partner.

Hu Lei felt like it was not good to push things too far. They were Ah-Feng's parents, and they loved him. "It is alright. I hope we can get along from now on." She smiled.

The two older people sighed in relief. Their apology was sincere, but they were also worried that if they did not reconcile with the girl, the Elder would get even more frustrated with them. For some reason, he seemed to put a lot of importance in the young woman.

With the apology out of the way, Hu Lei called Housekeeper Li to bring some refreshments so that there would not be awkward staring. Even though they had cleared the air, they were not very familiar with each other. Once tea was served, the three people kept chatting about the quality of the beverage and other nonsensical things happening in Supreme City. Zhong Tian did not talk much, so Chu Ling contributed to most of the conversation.

After a while, the older woman finally asked what had been on her mind for a while. There was a bit of stiffness and discomfort in her voice, but she needed to know. She had seen how Feng'er had changed when the girl had disappeared. "Hu Lei, if you do not mind me asking, where did you go during the last few years?"

Hu Lei had expected the subject to come up, so she was already prepared. "As you know I used to travel with my father and help him with his work. He encountered some trouble while overseas and called me to help him out. It turned out to be a little complicated. He had a contract with some people, so I had no choice but go and stay with him."

Zhong Feng's parents were not satisfied with the answer. After all, Hu Ming was a grownup and a divine doctor. What could a small lady like Hu Lei do that he could not? However, they had learnt their lesson and did not speak without thinking.

"Where did your father go afterwards? I would like to see him again." Zhong Tian said.

"Oh, he died." Hu Lei took a sip of her tea.

The two people were shocked by the news. They felt grateful that they had not jumped to conclusion and said something insensitive. However, they felt a little chilled by Hu Lei's lack of emotion as she said the words.

"Don't worry about it.�� She waved her small hand. "It happened over a year ago."

Zhong Tian and Chu Ling looked at each other. Hu Lei saw the silent communication and laughed a little. "You are wondering why I didn't come back sooner, aren't you?" She didn't wait for a response. "I had to finish the contract my father signed. His employer was a bit of a stickler."

After that, the two older people did not ask more questions.

A while later, the door opened and a tall man stepped into the house. His aura was powerful and drew the attention of all the people in the room. However, there was something unusual. Behind him, there was a small person with a bowed head.

The young boy raised his head and peeked into the room. Immediately, his large eyes lit up and he rushed in and stood before her. "Little big sister Lei, what are you doing here?"

Hu Lei looked at the boy flatly. "What are you doing here? Didn't you know where you were going?"

The boy shook his head. He really hadn't thought about such things.

"Do you just follow strangers if they say so?" She felt that his survival instincts were poor.

"Big brother Zhong is not a stranger."

It took a moment to realise that Ah-Feng really wasn't a stranger to Fai. After all, he had met him a while ago when he had brought him to his hospital. They could not be considered unfamiliar.

She also did not know that Zhong Feng had often visited the young boy when he had been very sick because he was the only true family that Hu Lei had had. He had felt that it was his responsibility to take care of the child.

If anything, Hu Lei was the stranger to Fai.