Chapter 325

It was only then that Hua Xin noticed Xia Yan and her grandfather were looking at her with a "Wow, that's amazing!" expression. Although they didn't say anything or make any other gestures, Hua Xin fell silent after seeing two-thirds of the rice bowl had been spilled. If she could do it again, she would definitely choose to eat only one bowl of rice and not drink so much pork rib and lotus root soup. "So embarrassing..." Recalling the scene at the dinner table, Hua Xin couldn't help but cover her face with one hand, barely suppressing her sobs as she whimpered softly, trying to hide her embarrassment and the thought of disappearing into the ground. While washing the dishes, she had been trying her best to distract herself, hoping that as long as she didn't think about her gluttonous behavior at the dinner table, it would mean that the matter was over. But how could she forget something so embarrassing so easily! If it were a small matter or a good thing, the memory in her brain would only last for a moment and wouldn't remain for a long time, eventually fading away with time. But the more awkward and unbearable the situation, the more it would replay in her mind, torturing her repeatedly. Lying on the bed, Hua Xin rolled over expressionlessly. But even rolling over couldn't calm her down; at best, it only shifted the position of her arm from one being pressed down to the other. What would Grandpa think of her... a super big eater, eating a lot means spending more money, spending more money means being a spendthrift, a spendthrift means a bad woman, and a bad woman means she'd be hard-pressed to be with Xia Yan ... Probably not. Okay, based solely on what she'd observed from her conversation with Grandpa earlier, she understood that he wasn't that kind of person. On the contrary, he might even think being able to eat was a blessing? Thinking this, the girl couldn't help but smile softly. Xia Yan's grandfather is truly wonderful. Not only were the words he spoke to her during their private conversation, but also the way he kept urging her to eat more at the dinner table, happily piling food onto her plate. His genuine, unpretentious care and kindness perfectly matched the image she had always imagined her grandfather to be like. Equally gentle, equally Hua Xin and humorous. The series of questions he asked during his visit were a genuine expression of his emotions; at that moment, he was genuinely wondering who she was, not at all considering the possibility that she was Xia Yan's girlfriend. Speaking of which... Hua Xin slowly sat up, observing the room with some curiosity. She was currently lying in the guest room. Her grandfather's house wasn't actually very big. Since he usually lived alone, when he returned to the north from Shanghai, he sold his mud house and farmland in the countryside, adding his savings over the years to buy a second-hand house. Grandpa, skilled in various arts, renovated the house himself, making it look less old and more charming. The house was filled with Hua Hua, their vibrant greenery even in winter showing how much he loved them. She sat down on the bedside table. Besides the potted plants, there were several clean, dust-free Hua Hua frames on the table. Approaching, Hua Xin could see the contents. It was a little boy, only a few years old. His appearance gradually overlapped with a figure she had vaguely remembered from a previous moment: shifty eyes, thin build, hair almost covering his eyes—very cute. For a child, "cute" was probably the only word to describe him, right? But unfortunately, the expressionless, somewhat sad expression ruined his adorable face, making him seem insecure and lost. But Hua Xin felt as if she could transcend time and space to sense this emotion—that little boy in the park from her Hua Xin, someone she instantly recognized as "kindred spirits." She gently touched the boy's hair with her finger. Though the touch was of cold glass, she desperately wanted to cross time and space to touch his hair and speak to him. Even if he didn't recognize her, even if this sudden appearance was strange, just having someone to talk to would alleviate much of the pain and coldness in her heart. A hug, a word of encouragement. Would that help him, now grown up, to lessen the shadows of his childhood? Hua Xin knew how painful that feeling truly was. Even though Xia Yan had always been the one helping and embracing her. "Why are your eyes so sad? You're holding cotton candy, the background is a happy amusement park, yet you don't look happy at all." She wanted to do something for Xia Yan too. Hua Xin's gaze gradually lowered, but then she chuckled softly, gently hugging the framed photo album to her chest, as if this could warm the memory of Xia Yan from his childhood. She murmured to herself, "Actually, we met when we were little." "Do you still remember me? We could be considered childhood sweethearts, right?" The girl seemed to realize something, her brows furrowing slightly but quickly relaxing, a hint of surprise flashing in her eyes before turning into a wry smile. "Childhood sweethearts and a sudden infatuation...?" "How come you get all the good things?" 249. Xia Yan Wants to Sleep with Hua Xin "What are you looking at?" Xia Yan peeked out from the doorway, his body completely hidden behind the doorframe, his voice carrying a hint of doubt, making Hua Xin, who was hugging the photo frame, suddenly stiffen. It was like being caught by your parents when you were secretly doing something naughty on your computer in your room, playing a game or watching a video, and you had to lock the door in a hurry. Fortunately, most people would lock the door properly, and it would be very strange for Xia Yan to see her holding a photo of him as a child... No matter how you look at it, it would be very strange! But she couldn't panic at this moment. If she panicked, she would be the one who would be embarrassed; if she didn't panic, others would be the ones who would be embarrassed. Hua Xin calmly put the photo on the table from her arms and replied calmly, "I accidentally saw this photo of a kid who looked a bit cheeky. I almost couldn't help but punch him a couple of times." "..." Xia Yan walked in from the doorway with a bit of helplessness, then sat down next to Hua Xin as if they were old friends and gently picked up the photo frame that Hua Xin had just put back on the table. After seeing the scene clearly, his eyes flickered slightly, a hint of reminiscence appearing in them. He then touched his chin somewhat shyly and said, "Wow... I didn't expect I was so handsome when I was little..." "When did Grandpa take this picture of me?" "Handsome guys always look good no matter how you photograph them." Xia Yan looked at the photo frame with a touch of narcissism, which inexplicably made Hua Xin, who was sitting next to him, feel a surge of anger. A feeling of dread welled up in Hua Xin's heart. He was definitely cuter when he was little. The girl glanced at Xia Yan, who was examining the photo frame. The little boy in the photo vaguely resembled the grown-up Xia Yan, although, whether it was the expression on his face or the shifty look in his eyes compared to the gentle gaze he had now, they were completely different people.