Chapter 9

The assistant immediately called the sky burial reservation number and confirmed that Lawrence had indeed made the reservation half a month ago. The assistant felt uneasy. He realized that Lawrence had too many secrets and might not be as despicable as he appeared on the surface. He gathered his thoughts and went to meet the person in charge of arranging the sky burial. Upon learning that the sky burial process was extremely complicated and required traveling to Sunset City, he pondered for a long time. After all, it was Lawrence’s final wish, and without him present, he feared the news of Lawrence’s death might be leaked. So after much deliberation, he hurried to the hospital to request leave from Aaliyah. When he entered the hospital ward, Jason had already woken up and was lying in bed, chatting with Aaliyah. “Aaliyah, once I’m discharged, shall we go to that new Japanese restaurant?” Jason’s voice carried a hint of anticipation. Aaliyah smiled gently and gently stroked his cheek: “Sure, I’ll accompany you wherever you wish to dine.” The assistant stood at the door, watching the affectionate scene between the two, and a complex emotion welled up in his heart. He thought of Lawrence, who was now silent, and felt a pang of sadness. “Miss Bailey, I need to take some time off.” The assistant stepped forward and spoke softly. Aaliyah looked up, her brows slightly furrowed: “Take time off? With the wedding approaching and there is so much to do, how can you take time off now?” The assistant lowered his head and made up an excuse: “There’s an urgent matter at home that I need to handle.” Aaliyah’s expression darkened; she clearly didn’t want to grant the leave at this time. However, Jason suddenly spoke up: “Aaliyah, the wedding can be postponed for a few days. Anyway, Lawrence is already gone, and your heart and body are already mine. The wedding is just a ceremony. I want it to be grand and without regrets.” Aaliyah paused, seemingly moved by Jason’s words. She remained silent for a moment before finally nodding. “Alright, go handle your matters. Come back as soon as you're done.” The assistant sighed in relief and turned to leave the hospital. Before departing, he glanced back at Aaliyah and Jason, who were still clinging to each other, as if nothing in the world could separate them. The assistant felt a pang of bitterness, thinking that perhaps this was the best possible outcome. He carried Lawrence's body and set off on the journey to Sunset City. Along the way, Lawrence's figure kept flashing through his mind—the once confident and ambitious man, now reduced to a cold, lifeless body. The assistant stood on the sky burial platform, gazing at the distant snow-capped mountains, his mind filled with confusion. He didn't know whether he should tell Miss Bailey about all this. But Miss Bailey was already with Mr. Cox, and their wedding was imminent. Perhaps Lawrence's death should not disturb their lives any further. “Lawrence, what were you hiding? Why did you book the sky burial half a month ago? Did you already know you were going to die?” But no one could answer his questions. Lawrence had left this world, taking all his secrets with him, gone forever.