Chapter 79: I Will Haunt You Even in Death

In the face of his daughter's own choice, the old man had nothing more to say. He simply raised his surgical knife and, with trembling hands, removed his daughter's eye and placed it into Lu Fuguo's socket.

Each cut he made was a stab to his own heart, yet he was utterly powerless to do otherwise.

After several hours of treatment, both Lu Fuguo and Wang Xiaoli had thick bandages wrapped around their eyes. When the old man finished, he sat quietly by himself, waiting for the two to awaken.

It was well into the evening when Lu Fuguo stirred first.

"It hurts!" he cried out.

The old man looked at him coldly. "You're awake?"

"Yes, sir. It hurts so much."

"It should hurt. The eye is newly grafted and your body isn't used to it yet. It will take time to adjust. But I can help you remove the bandage now."

"Really? Sir, can I see the world again?"

The old man did not answer, but his expression grew grave. "I want you to remember what you promised me before. If you dare break your word, even in death I will not forgive you."

"Sir, what do you mean?"

Lu Fuguo naturally knew what the old man was referring to, but he could not understand why such a good deed would be couched in such ominous words.

When the bandage was finally removed, Lu Fuguo saw the light once more. Overwhelmed, he touched his eyes, shouting in disbelief, "Is it real? Do I really have my sight again?"

The old man understood how precious this moment was, but he could not feel joy.

He coughed dryly, his gaze fixed intently on his daughter, now his only hope was that she would soon awaken.

Sensing something strange, Lu Fuguo turned and noticed a young woman lying beside him.

"Is that... Xiaoli?"

He could hardly believe his own eyes.

But when the old man nodded, Lu Fuguo was stunned. Seeing the bandages around Wang Xiaoli's eyes, he finally understood. She had given her own eyes to him, and with this realization, all his previous joy vanished in an instant.

"Xiaoli, Xiaoli, wake up! I'll give you your eyes back!"

Lu Fuguo desperately shook Wang Xiaoli's body, crying out in near madness.

"Stop shouting!" The old man's thoughts were already in turmoil, and Lu Fuguo's outburst made him even more uneasy.

"My daughter insisted on giving you her eye. From now on, you must remember: you owe her an eye—and you must never forget what you promised me, to take care of her for a lifetime."

But Lu Fuguo was in no mood to listen. Tears streamed down his cheeks; drop after drop, they were the truest expression of his heart, though it all seemed just a little too late.

A faint cry escaped Wang Xiaoli as her fingers twitched.

"Xiaoli, you're awake!"

"My daughter, you're awake!"

At that moment, the two most important men in Wang Xiaoli's life were at her side, watching over her.

"Brother Lu, how are you feeling?"

Lu Fuguo hadn't expected that her first words after awakening would still be for his well-being.

"Take care of yourself first," the old man interjected, annoyed that his daughter's first concern was not her own health, but someone else's.

"Father, I gave up my eye so you could save Brother Lu. Of course, I must care for him. Otherwise, wouldn't all your efforts be in vain?"

The old man could hear the hidden meaning in Wang Xiaoli's gentle words.

"From now on, you'll need to keep that bandage on at all times," the old man said. "And you, young man, make sure you keep the bandage clean. If any dirt gets in, nothing in this world can save you."

"Yes, sir," Lu Fuguo replied.

"Why are you still calling me 'sir'? Don't you know it's time to change what you call me?"

Lu Fuguo understood the old man's intention. He knelt down and kowtowed three times, crying out, "Father!"

Wang Xiaoli could only watch him with her one good eye.

"I just want you to remember: from today on, every time you recall the moment you regained your sight, let it remind you of the day you were wed."

Indeed, the old man's good intentions ran deep.

"Well, daughter, as your father I've fulfilled your wish. The path ahead is yours to decide; ask him what comes next."

"Father, I trust Brother Lu."

Lu Fuguo, knowing Wang Xiaoli's affection for him was true and deep, responded, "Father, Xiaoli, rest assured. I will make something of myself, and give you both a peaceful, secure life."

"I knew Brother Lu was the best!"

Seeing his daughter so attached to Lu Fuguo, the old man took his leave, finding an excuse to step outside.

From then on, the night passed quietly.

In the days that followed, Lu Fuguo cared for Wang Xiaoli attentively, every thoughtful gesture witnessed by the old man, who, as a father, could not have wished for a better outcome.

Time flew by, and more than two months passed.

One day at lunch, Lu Fuguo said to the old man, "Father, I promised you and Xiaoli a secure and peaceful life. But times are unstable now. I want to go out and try my luck, see if I can find an opportunity..."

He hadn't finished before the old man sensed something amiss.

"You want to leave my daughter."

Beside him, Wang Xiaoli quickly interjected, fearing her father would misunderstand, "Father, it's not what you think. Brother Lu is a man with vision. I trust he won't just leave and never return."

"My daughter, how many heartless men throughout history have left just like that?"

In his agitation, the old man slammed his bowl to the ground, but Lu Fuguo did not back down.

"Father, I truly wish only for a better future. Please believe me. Besides, I'm about to become a father myself, so I—"

"What? You're going to be a father? That means I'm going to be a grandfather!"

At these words, the old man's face broke into a broad smile.

Seeing her father's delight, Wang Xiaoli took the chance to say, "Father, please let Brother Lu go."

"If that's the case, then go. But if you fail, come home soon to look after mother and child."

With the old man's blessing, Lu Fuguo was overjoyed. The next day, he packed his bag, said his farewells to the old man, Wang Xiaoli, and the unborn child, and set out to seek his fortune.