Chapter 269

She couldn't. She couldn't go to Xia Yan 'Xia Yan side, nor could she appear before him to give him a hug. She should be the one comforting Xia Yan, helping him to be happier during this difficult time, but instead, it was Xia Yan trying to reassure her, and she pretended to comfort him. Gentle men are so annoying. No matter what, they always think of those around them, even if they're heartbroken, they never show any weakness, still acting like nothing's wrong, pretending to be strong and saying, "It's okay, everything will be alright." So annoying. "Is Grandpa feeling any better lately?" "Good people are always protected by heaven, he'll be fine. But when are you planning to come back...?" "Even though he remarried, you can't be the only one taking care of Grandpa, after all, he's his father. You wouldn't really go to the point where you don't care about your own father, would you?" Hua Xin paused slightly, then couldn't help but ask. She still wanted to see Xia Yan as soon as possible. During Xia Yan's absence, that strange palpitation occurred several times almost every day, accompanied by involuntary thoughts of whether Xia Yan might be crossing the street when a drunk driver was driving recklessly, whether there were precedents of him collapsing from overwork, or whether he had suffered an accident due to excessive pressure... These weren't things Hua Xin consciously imagined. It was something she genuinely feared: that something might happen to Xia Yan and he would leave her. "In a while..." "I might go back for a couple of days," Xia Yan said softly, his voice almost a subconscious murmur. "Two days?" Hua Xin was startled, not quite understanding what Xia Yan meant. She suddenly sat up abruptly from the bed, causing Chun Qiu, who was lying beside her, to look up at this suddenly tense human with a puzzled expression. "Then you're not coming back to school?" The girl's hands gripped the sheets tightly, her heart pounding wildly. Words can have many meanings. Xia Yan could say he would come back in a while, or that he would stay for another two days, or that he would go back soon. But the phrase "go back for two days" was the last thing Hua Xin wanted, the hardest to accept, and the most unexpected. What did it mean? "Hmm." Xia Yan almost used all his strength to speak to anyone for the first time about this matter that had been weighing on his heart, his tone filled with uncontrollable confusion. "Grandpa..." "He doesn't have much time left."... The girl opened her mouth, wanting to say something, but couldn't utter anything. She just stared blankly at Xia Yan's words. Why did she feel heartache? She had never met Xia Yan's grandfather, nor had she ever spoken a word to him. Such simple grief over someone's passing was nothing out of the ordinary for Hua Xin. Not to mention that this was Xia Yan's family. She couldn't imagine what kind of feelings Xia Yan had when he told her this, nor could she imagine how heartbroken Xia Yan would be after his grandfather's passing, nor could she imagine how much torment Xia Yan would be going through during this time. "Before..." "Wasn't the surgery already done?" "How could it be so sudden?" Tears welled up in Hua Xin's eyes, but her voice remained that familiar boyish tone, trying to stay calm. "Yes..." "He had heart surgery, and it was successful." "But during the full-body checkup, they discovered late-stage liver cancer." "He told me this a while ago when Grandpa was suddenly transferred to another hospital." Xia Yan leaned against the wall, sitting on the floor with his head down, slowly recounting everything that had happened to Hua Xin in just a few words. His condition looked very bad. And "the one in the conversation" was naturally Xia Yan's father, whom neither Hua Xin nor Xia Yan wanted to mention. "How could this be..." The girl's voice weakened. Even someone as clueless about medicine as her could understand what the word "late-stage" meant. "Let's leave it at that for now." "We'll talk about it again when I get back in a while." "Okay." The voice disappeared, Hua Xin sat there expressionless. Xia Yan rarely lost his composure like this, let alone hang up on her first. Hua Xin gently opened the text message that had interrupted her call with Xia Yan Xia Yan. Because of the phone call, he had received a busy signal, so he had to send her a text message. After reading it, she gently wiped away her tears and looked around the small house she had lived in for over ten years. Yes. A notification. Her eyelids lowered as she softly murmured a date she should leave, "Around the end of July." 207. Same Surname, Different Lives "It's over..." Xia Fen murmured softly, looking up at the sun high in the sky, somewhat dazed. The surrounding crowds were deafening, a cacophony of sounds, but to her, it was as if nothing existed; a feeling of being the only one in the world welled up within her. She had always been carefree and cheerful, always appearing unserious and irreverent, like... a spoiled little girl? While her classmates and friends were attending extracurricular classes and tutoring, she found it all useless and boring. Even in her senior year of high school, she would squeeze in time to go out and have fun, or go to anime conventions and other exhibitions with like-minded people. At Baijing, she didn't like staying at home, a stark contrast to when she stayed at Xia Yan's house during holidays. Back then, Xia Fen would be sullen and unhappy even when she went out. But once she returned to her friends' home, she was like a different person. Initially, Xia Fen disliked being in her "home" and used this method to escape. At least until she was thirteen, after she learned about her "father" and her half-brother's past. Although her parents loved each other, she couldn't recall any arguments or disputes over the years, let alone domestic violence or any life-or-death situations. Their harmonious relationship was completely unlike the reality her friends often described of their parents' minor squabbles. They naturally doted on her immensely, buying her almost anything she wanted. Phones, computers, tablets... all the standard electronic gadgets were top-of-the-line. Even the newly released Apple Vision Pro was bought for her by her parents on the weekend after she casually mentioned it. She was never deprived of anything, from food and clothing to daily necessities. "It's only natural." That's what Xia Fen used to think. Because I'm my parents' daughter, it's only right that they treat me this well. Xia Fen was very happy. She had loving parents, a wealthy family, a large house, countless joys, pampered access to everything she wanted, a carefree childhood, unburdened studies, free time and life, an undefined life, and a relaxed and joyful existence. If someone were to worry or indulge in melodramatic youth literature under such circumstances, then Xia Fen would truly be living in Versailles and unaware of her blessings. It could be said that even if Xia Fen wanted to go abroad, instead of pursuing higher education through domestic channels...