Chapter 275

The idea that a downpour could easily fill a well and float it back up was nothing but wishful thinking. Xia Yan wasn't looking for excuses for his utter mediocrity. He simply hated his own inability to do anything. Money? He had none. Connections? He had none. Status? He had none. Looking at his grandfather's suffering in the intensive care unit, he was powerless to do anything. For a fleeting moment, Xia Yan had fantasized about being the protagonist of a novel, awakening some system that, though requiring a price, could grant him the power to bring the dead back to life, or perhaps cure his grandfather's current illness. But in the end, he only laughed it off. Xia Zhongshan had provided the money. Xia Zhongshan had found the attending physician and the hospital. Xia Zhongshan had also provided his grandfather with the current medical environment. Xia Yan was actually a man with exceptionally strong self-esteem. The unhappiness of his family had subtly cultivated in him a powerful belief: that one day he would show those who had left him that he was excellent, that he was doing well. But this has actually happened. Besides taking care of his grandfather, he can't do anything else. What was the point of all those years of silently enduring hardship, of all the "excellence" he displayed? The answer is...meaningless. The belief that sustained him in continuing to strive shattered in the hospital, washed away by relief and sorrow until it vanished. Did he hate? Xia Yan once said he didn't hate anyone for causing his family's misfortune; it was just that the timing and the circumstances were right. But how could he not hate? Looking at other people's happy and fulfilling families, envy naturally turned into a traceless hatred. Everything about him seemed so fragile and ridiculous. Xia Yan couldn't express any of this, nor could he. A man's breakdown is always subtle and silent. Even tears are shed quietly when no one is around. In front of his grandfather, he remained optimistic, playing chess and listening to storytelling with him as he did when they were children. In front of Xia Fen, he was still the steady older brother, always telling her that things would be alright, no matter what happened. His humor seemed inexhaustible in front of Gu Xin Hua; every time they chatted, he would lightly tease the girl or say something cheesy. He seemed to have many identities. He seemed to have inexhaustible strength. Xia Yan suddenly couldn't control his emotions. After seeing the girl he had longed for, the tension he had been holding back could no longer be concealed, and the sadness and sorrow in his heart surged like a tide. She didn't question or ask anything when they met. She just hugged him. Such a simple thing almost made Xia Yan break down emotionally. After all, Xia Yan was still just a young boy. University should be the happiest time of one's life. But even though he had taken off one layer of shackles before, there were still many chains and fetters, so many that only today had he been able to take off the shackles he had put on himself. His phone screen lit up; someone had obviously sent him a message. Xia Yan was slightly startled. Then he remained silent for a long time, putting his phone down and continuing to look at the scenery rushing past the window. "But there's a glimmer in his eyes," Hua Xin said. He'd found a new game. He'd wait for me to come back. "Let's play together." 212. Xinru Sihui 3k The sweltering summer, the sweltering summer... August's weather was truly unbearably hot, making one want to crawl into an old Beijing tunnel and eat Old Beijing Chicken Roll. If even humans would complain and feel annoyed, then a cat named Chun Qiu naturally had to express its dissatisfaction and protest against the weather. Although humans can control their body temperature through clothing, it can't just strip off all its fur, can it? Its glossy fur is what it relies on for survival and courtship! "It's so hot..." Chun Qiu, lazily lying on the big-butt TV, wagged its tail, its tongue lolling out listlessly. Even though all the windows in the room were fully open, the wind blowing in was still hot. At this moment, it couldn't help but think that humans have Small Sun to keep warm in winter, so why don't they have small ice cubes to cool down in summer? Wait, how exactly is this magical thing made? What principle does it rely on... Could it be powered by cat food? Since cat food can generate energy for itself, then according to the law of conservation of energy, it can naturally generate energy for other things as well! Suddenly realizing this, it seemed to transform into the E. S. cat of the feline world, licking its paws, but the cat bowl below was empty. Obviously, it wasn't time to open the food container yet. Sigh... it seems the experiment will have to be postponed. Lost in thought, Chun Qiu glanced at the two silent figures in front of it. One was sitting on the sofa. The other was sitting on a plastic stool opposite the sofa. "Haha... I didn't expect you to be a girl..." Seemingly realizing that it should break the rather silent scene first, the middle-aged man sitting on the sofa laughed first, but the furrowed brows proved that he was carefully thinking and recalling something. "Ah, I also didn't expect you to be a man." Hua Xin twitched the corner of her mouth, her words sharp and pointed. It wasn't just an answer to him, but also had a double meaning to it. The middle-aged man visibly choked for a moment, clearly understanding the young woman's implied meaning, but his face showed no anger. After all, their visit was partly for "mutual assistance," not for any other purpose. However... although he was middle-aged, a closer look revealed he was still quite young. Approaching forty, his temples weren't gray; it was unclear whether he had dyed them or simply hadn't aged to the point of gray hair. His sharply defined features hinted at the handsome appearance of his youth, though his short hair seemed somewhat out of place on his mature face. Time hadn't spared him either; the slight wrinkles on his face showed the relentless passage of time. In short, he was the type of handsome middle-aged man who had transitioned into a mature man. If his attire hadn't been so casual today, he would likely have attracted the attention of many young women or wealthy women. After a brief pause, Hua Xin didn't say much more, "You want me to find her phone number... If you don't have it, how am I supposed to?" "Haven't you had any other contact all these years?" Let's skip the small talk and pleasantries here. After Xia Yan helped her overcome her isolation and fear of the outside world, the girl naturally understood how to talk to people, or at least how to make small talk. But now, she just wanted to resolve the issue quickly, not waste time on it. Perhaps this was a change in her over the past year. "Sigh, that's what I hate most about her." "Every time we break up, she has to block and change all contact information. I even searched for her tiny, tiny, tiny QQ account before, and it was all deleted." The man's eyes...