"Okay."
Xiao Xiao nodded.
"I'm happy to tell you if you want to hear."
Seeing that the young man really did seem eager to hear what she had to say, the woman had to temper his expectations in advance.
"But you know..."
"The chances of Grandma finding that friend of hers..."
Were extremely slim.
The woman didn't say the last two words.
But she knew Student Xiao would understand.
"I know."
Xiao Xiao nodded.
"I'll treat it as a surprise."
Of course, it would be wonderful if there was a surprise.
If there wasn't... then there wasn't.
"Mm."
The woman smiled.
"I hope Grandma, and all of us, get to see that surprise."
"Mom."
The woman gave the old lady's arm a gentle tug.
"Say goodbye to Student Xiao."
"We're going home."
"Student Xiao is going home too."
The old lady withdrew her gaze, which had been fixed on who knew what—or perhaps on nothing at all.
After a few seconds, with the woman's prompting, the old lady slowly turned her head.
Xiao Xiao smiled at the old lady.
"Goodbye, Grandma Ji."
The old lady seemed a little dazed.
The scene before her was blurry in some places and clear in others, making her feel uncomfortable.
The old lady blinked.
Then she blinked hard again.
But there always seemed to be some blurry spots.
She was a little annoyed.
She couldn't help squeezing her eyes shut with all her might, every feature on her face straining with the effort.
"Mom?"
The woman quickly guessed why the old lady's expression had turned "grim."
"Are your eyes bothering you?"
The old lady seemed to hear the woman, but also seemed not to.
She paid no attention.
She slowly opened her eyes.
Letting the