Lin Yang set up a mourning hall in the funeral home. After going there, I realized the scale was quite large. I carefully observed the surroundings outside.

I didn't see Lin Hai's wife, so I stepped inside. A huge portrait involuntarily made people feel a sense of sorrow. Originally, I didn't have any sad emotions, but Lin Yang in the photo was smiling so brightly...

I naturally stopped and took a few more glances. He could be considered a young man in his prime. He hadn't even gotten married. These thoughts instantly made my eyes moist. Perhaps the smile in the photo was too cruel compared to reality.

I imitated others and bowed, and when I turned around, I found Lin Hai standing next to me. After talking with him that night, it seemed we had both changed our attitudes towards each other, especially now. I actually felt sorry for him. If I really wasn't his son, the son he had spent most of his life raising would never come back.

I was about to go outside for some fresh air when Lin Hai suddenly instructed me, "Later, when the hearse escorts the coffin to the cemetery, you will hold the urn."

I was caught off guard again. According to custom, only the closest relatives are qualified to do this. If there were a son, he would definitely be the first consideration, but Lin Yang hadn't even gotten married, so how could he have children?

My eyes were fixed on Lin Hai. I didn't know if he was acknowledging me as his son at this moment, or if it was a helpless choice?

In short, I instinctively responded in the next second, "Okay, you need to explain the details to me later."

But he suddenly changed the subject and said, "I promised you I would do a paternity test. The time is set for the day after tomorrow."

So impatient? This surprised me. Did he realize he was going to be childless, or was my action moving him?

I took out a cigarette case and handed him one, then lit one for myself. After taking a puff, I began to size him up again. Never before had I tried so hard to understand the man in front of me. He had once left me with an extremely bad impression, but now that he showed me a little bit of a fatherly demeanor, I was so moved. This long-lost fatherly love, although not very complete, was at least his first step. No matter the reason, I didn't want to doubt his rare enthusiasm at this time.

I thought that if we weren't related, I would understand his mentality even more. If we were really father and son, I would assume my obligations, but I wouldn't be very close. This was the attitude I had decided on long ago.

After a moment of silence, I asked him, "If we really are father and son, will you regret what you've done?"

Lin Hai replied a little irritably, "Let's wait until after the test. If we are, I'll tell you what's been bottled up in my heart."

"Alright!"

I replied very simply. This was inevitable. A person who can be so ruthless to a certain extent must have knots in their heart that they can't untie, especially since he has a personality that likes to find fault with others.

"How's Grandpa?" I asked Lin Hai.

"He's been sent to a nursing home. He doesn't know about this. Don't mention it if you meet him."

"How much money did you pay? Has Chen Biao's family contacted you privately?"

"No, he didn't say it was homicide before he died. It's too early to talk about compensation before the case is solved."

Before I could respond, he suddenly broke down emotionally and said, "What do I need money for now that Lin Yang is dead!"

He could vent, but if it were me, I wouldn't be so mindless. After all, the result between him and me was yet to be determined. Lin Yang was his son, and he dreamed of making more money for him when he was alive. But now that he's dead, such a money-loving person has lost interest in money. It's clear that compared to Lin Yang, I can never surpass him in his heart!

I didn't talk to him anymore and walked outside alone. There was a small area at the entrance, and many relatives and friends who had come to the funeral were gathered there. I subtly glanced around, but there wasn't a single person I recognized. Because Lin Hai was an only child, the Lin family meant there were no relatives. I didn't want to try to establish connections with those distant relatives either.

At this time, I heard their conversation in the crowd next to me: "Lin Yang died so pitifully. Fortunately, Lin Hai has another son, otherwise who could bear this blow?"

The voice was quite loud just now, but suddenly it lowered intentionally, which made me even more curious. I immediately pricked up my ears.

"I heard that the eldest son isn't his biological son, so Lin Hai didn't care about him and he was raised by his grandparents."

It seemed that it was already public knowledge that I wasn't his biological son. I turned my back, not wanting to listen to such unsubstantiated topics anymore, unless I got the test report myself, then I would have my own definition.

The funeral ceremony was quite sad. Although I felt a little uncomfortable because of Lin Hai's words just now, I still held the urn in the name of a brother. If Lin Yang really had a soul, he probably wouldn't have expected today's situation. Whether he was willing or not, I held his remains tightly, the ashes of his burned body, from the beginning of the hearse ride until we reached the cemetery.

The urn was very heavy. I had heard old people say before that it was the deceased's unwillingness to leave this world. Whether I believed it or not, even a physically fit person like me was struggling to hold it.

The cemetery wasn't chosen in the old hometown, but rather a public cemetery here. Lin Yang's photo was also on the tombstone. A big boy had fallen. I hope in the next life I won't be his brother, let alone meet him. We were brothers without brotherhood, and only became a little closer after death, and even then it was through the bones in the urn.

I smiled. Whether Lin Yang could see it or not, I left the cemetery very quickly.

It was already ten o'clock. My car was still parked at the funeral home. Logically, I should take the hearse back, but I didn't want to take other people's cars. In this remote place, I took out my phone and called for a ride-hailing service.

There were cars nearby, and when I chose the location, I specifically didn't choose the cemetery, but rather a place one kilometer away from here. I was afraid the driver would be superstitious.

Although I was wearing leather shoes, and it was drizzling, I took advantage of the distance and ran like a madman, as if trying to break free from something. I felt an invisible restraint suppressing me. I only used a dozen minutes for the one-kilometer road. I was very tired and panting. I didn't turn my head back and got straight into the car that had already arrived.

After getting in the car, the driver politely asked, "Why did you run out yourself? I could have picked you up inside."

I didn't know if he wasn't clear about the cemetery inside, or if his service attitude was very good. I didn't want to know and didn't tell him...

"Where are you going?"

I thought about it. I was about to say the funeral home, but at the spur of the moment, I immediately changed my mind and said a construction site that was being built nearby.