Su Zhan closed his eyes and suppressed his frustration. “Grandma, can we change the subject?”
Grandma Su was displeased. “Why should I change the subject? This is the only wish I have for the rest of my life. When exactly can you fulfill it?”
Slouching over Grandma Su’s lap, Su Zhan said nothing.
He also wanted to tell her that he and Qin Ya had started afresh, but then the latter’s health was…
Grandma Su would surely keep urging Qin Ya to have a baby, which would definitely put a lot of stress on Qin Ya.
It took him a lot of effort and time to finally get back together with Qin Ya. He did not know what he would do if she was scared away by Grandma Su’s insistence on having a great-grandchild.
Meanwhile, Grandma Su was annoyed at Su Zhan’s silence, so she reached out and patted him on the back. “Say something. Are you trying to piss me off?”
Su Zhan buried his face in the blanket and said dully, “Grandma, I’m begging you. Your responsibility is to have a grandson, and you’ve done that. As for the great-grandchild, it’s my business and it has nothing to do with you anymore, so can you stop worrying about it?”
Grandma Su pulled a long face. “What do you mean by that?”
Su Zhan pretended not to hear her and did not look up. Hence, Grandma Su grabbed his hair and insisted, “Explain to me clearly.”
“Ouch, it hurts.” Su Zhan grimaced in pain. “You really don’t go easy on me, do you? Am I still your grandson?”
“What do you think? If you’re not my grandson, I would’ve long abandoned you. Tell me, what exactly do you mean?” Grandma Su just would not let go.
Su Zhan bitterly said, “With whom do you want me to have a baby?”
“If Qin Ya really won’t get back with you, you have no choice but to look for another woman.” Grandma Su felt sorry for Qin Ya, but she couldn’t allow Su Zhan to be the last of the Su lineage.
As an elderly, she was old-fashioned. She lived to watch Su Zhan get married and have children; otherwise, she would be ashamed to face her husband in heaven.
Su Zhan took Grandma Su’s hand and said, “Grandma, I only like Qin Ya, so I don’t want any other woman…”
“Are you planning on not getting married for the rest of your life if she doesn’t forgive you?” Grandma Su glared at him in anger. Once Su Zhan answered her with a “yes”, she would beat him up until he was willing to get married.
“As long as I work hard, I can still win back Qin Ya’s heart. Grandma, you have to give me some time and stop forcing me.”
“I want to give you some time, too, but God isn’t giving me enough time. How much longer can I live?” Grandma Su knew that she was old and was even paralyzed now, so her days were numbered.
“Su Zhan, I don’t have any other expectations for you. You’re not young anymore, but you don’t even have a family. How can you stand on your own two feet?” Grandma Su said earnestly, “Anyway, you must let me see my great-grandchild while I’m still alive.”
Su Zhan felt like he was going mad. When he heard Grandma Su talking about great-grandchildren, no words could describe his feeling.
Agony?
Agony could not describe his mood at the moment.
“The doctor asked you to rest more. You need to listen and rest well. Only with good health can you see me get married and have children, okay?”
Grandma Su was indeed getting old, so her health was not as good as it had been.
While Su Zhan was keeping her company, the phone in his pocket suddenly vibrated. Standing up quietly, he walked out of the ward and took out the phone. Seeing Qin Ya’s number on the screen, he accepted the call and brought the phone to his ear. “Hello, Ya.”
Qin Ya had just finished her work so she called to ask about the condition of Grandma Su as she was worried about her.
“She’s okay. Don’t worry. She’s now in the hospital, and the doctor said that she’s fine.” Su Zhan stood by the window, looking outside. “Ya.”
“Yes?”
Su Zhan had a lot to say to her, yet he couldn’t utter a single word.
Qin Ya could seemingly feel his dark mood, so she did not probe him nor hang up the phone. She simply listened to the sound of his breathing through the phone.
After a while, Su Zhan asked, “Are you busy?”
“I just saw a customer out.” Qin Ya sat down at the desk and asked, “Are you okay?”
“I just miss you,” replied Su Zhan.
Qin Ya picked at the corner of the table with downcast eyes. “Su Zhan, when can you be serious?”
“Am I not serious?” Su Zhan asked.
“What do you think?”
“Will I only be considered serious by hiding the fact that I miss you?” Su Zhan was upset. “That’s called pretentious. I’m a gentleman who says whatever is on my mind. I’m an honest man, Ya.”
“Get lost!”
Su Zhan smiled. “I can never get lost because you’re my North Star that always guides me to you.”
Qin Ya hurriedly said, “Don’t come over. Take good care of Grandma.”
The guilt in Su Zhan grew even larger. How I wish all those things never happened. We would have kids now and would be living as a happy family.
But…
There are no “ifs” in this world. There is also no point in crying over spilled milk.
It’s all my fault that we’re in such a situation.
“Ya, I will treat you well. No matter what happens, I’ll never give up on you again.”
Being as sensitive as she was, Qin Ya could roughly figure out what had happened from Su Zhan’s words, but she did not point it out directly.
Instead, she said in a serious manner, “Su Zhan, I don’t want you to suffer too much. If you’re too tired, just tell me. I won’t blame you.”
“What are you talking about?” Su Zhan grew mad. “Stop overthinking.”
Qin Ya looked at the window in a daze. “I didn’t. Take good care of yourself.”
“Okay. I’m afraid I can’t visit you recently. Grandma is staying in the hospital for observation. I have to stay here to take care of her,” explained Su Zhan.
“I know. You don’t need to come over so often. Just take good care of Grandma,” Qin Ya said.
Su Zhan responded in agreement.
Afterward, a customer came to the store, so Qin Ya hung up the phone and went to serve the customer. When discussing the design with the customer, Shao Yun walked in with takeout food.
Seeing that Qin Ya was busy, he did not disturb her and sat on the side to watch her work.
After she was done with work, he asked, “You haven’t eaten dinner, have you?”
Putting down her tablet, Qin Ya sat down and saw the takeout food on the table. “Is this for me?” she asked.
Shao Yun nodded. “Mutton.”
Qin Ya went silent.
“I don’t eat this.” She could not stand the smell of mutton.
“Just give it a try.” Shao Yun was confident that she would love it.
Qin Ya refused, “No, thanks.”
“Try it.” Shao Yun opened the box, put on the disposable gloves, and handed one piece to her. “Try to smell it first.”
Qin Ya sniffed at it and found that it really did not have the gamey smell of lamb.
Shao Yun placed it near her mouth. “Take a bite.”
Qin Ya did as told. There was no odd smell at all, and it also tasted delicious.
Shao Yun grinned. “What did I tell you? Put on the gloves. There’s a straw, too. You can use it to suck out the marrow.”
With a chuckle, she reached out to put on a glove. “Why are you so nice to me?”
“Since you call me ‘Uncle’, I must treat you well like you’re my niece.” Leaning back on his chair, Shao Yun looked at Qin Ya.
“Have you eaten, Uncle?” Qin Ya looked up.
“Yes,” replied Shao Yun.
He then got up to pour a glass of water for Qin Ya.
“Seriously though, Uncle, your taste in clothes is terrible.” Whenever she saw Shao Yun’s fancy clothes, she couldn’t help but complain.
Shao Yun thought that he looked good in his clothes. “Many young girls like men like me.”
“The girls who like you must be blind,” Qin Ya said with a sharp tongue.
“Alas, I treat you well for nothing.” Shao Yun was so mad that he chuckled. “I won’t buy anything for you from now on.”
Qin Ya was quick to admit that she was wrong. “Please forgive me, Uncle.”
“That’s more like it,” said Shao Yun in satisfaction.
The two of them chatted away, and time passed quickly. After closing the shop, Shao Yun thought that it was unsafe for a girl to go home alone so he took the initiative to send Qin Ya home.
The next day in B City, when Shen Peichuan went to work in the morning, he was stopped by Mrs. Song at the entrance of the police station.
