Qin Ya decided to stay silent. She’s definitely calling to ask if we’re going to have a kid soon…
She lowered her head sadly. Why is it so difficult to have a child?
She had thought that surrogacy was the way to go, only to be disappointed by the results.
Su Zhan put his phone away. “It’s just a scam call.”
Qin Ya pretended to not have seen the number on his screen. “These telemarketers are getting more and more annoying, aren’t they?”
“That’s right,” Su Zhan said. “It’s still early. Anything you want to do before going home?”
Qin Ya shook her head.
“I’ve heard of this new movie that’s got some pretty good reviews. Shall we go and take a look?” he asked.
“Sure,” Qin Ya replied.
She did not have any plans in mind anyway.
Su Zhan took out his phone again to check the time slots for the movie, sighing when he realized that the earliest one was still two hours away.
“Let’s go and eat something first,” he said.
“Alright,” Qin Ya replied. “I’ll follow you.”
They exited the law firm soon after. Su Zhan had just turned on the engines on his car when his phone started ringing again. The number displayed on the screen was that of his grandmother’s house.
Without hesitating, he rejected the call. However, before he could turn his phone off, Qin Ya stopped him. “Send me home. You should go and visit Grandma.”
“Qin Ya…”
“Hiding won’t solve the problem. You’re going to regret it if something happens to her,” Qin Ya said.
Su Zhan was at a loss for words. What should I say? ‘Sorry’? ‘Apologies’? That’s not going to help, is it?
He decided to thank her in the end.
Thank you for your understanding, your kindness and your forgiveness…
Qin Ya leaned against the window and stared into the distance in silence, as though she had not heard him at all.
Su Zhan drove the two of them to the apartment they rented together, and Qin Ya did not move an inch even after they arrived. He reached over and ran his fingers through her hair. “What are you thinking of?”
“Hm?” Qin Ya was startled out of her trance. “Oh, I was just a bit tired.”
She undid her seatbelt and alighted from the car.
Su Zhan lowered the window pane and said, “I’ll be back soon.”
Qin Ya gave him a strained smile. “I’ll wait for you.”
Su Zhan watched as she disappeared into their apartment before driving off again.
He called his grandmother on the way, and Chen Xue was the one who picked up the phone.
Is that you, Su Zhan?” she asked.
Su Zhan hummed in reply.
He hated the fact that a random maid was calling him by name.
“Grandma’s gravely ill… can you please come back and visit her?” Chen Xue stammered.
Su Zhan sighed, knowing full well that it was just another one of his grandmother’s futile attempts to lure him home.
He had wanted to visit her that day, but her persistence annoyed him.
“Give the phone to Grandma,” he said.
“Oh… wait, she can’t…” Chen Xue said, visibly hesitating halfway through her sentence. Su Zhan could tell that someone had put those words into her mouth.
Su Zhan parked the car by the side of the road. “Give the phone to Grandma, or else I’m not going back.”
Chen Xue covered the receiver with her hand, and all he could hear after that was a short period of noise before a deafening silence took over.
He sat waiting patiently.
After a while, Grandma Su finally picked up the phone. “How dare you abandon me after getting married?” she chided.
Su Zhan leaned on the backrest of his seat and looked out of the window. “You sound healthy.”
“Are you cursing me?” Grandma Su growled.
“Of course not!” Su Zhan replied, exasperated. “I’m probably going to die before you do.”
At that moment, he was glad that his grandmother did not have the strength to stir up trouble even if she wanted to.
Grandma Su knew that her grandson was trying to avoid her, and she decided to be gentle with him. “Are you leaving me behind?”
Su Zhan sighed. “No way!”
“Then…”
“I’ll visit you tomorrow. I’m busy now,” he said before hanging up.
He made sure to turn his phone off so as to get peace of mind.
He spent the next few minutes sitting in his car before driving off in the opposite direction.
Meanwhile, in their apartment, Qin Ya stared at the fishes in the fish tank listlessly as she sat slumped on the balcony chair.
She sent Shao Yun a message. What are you doing now?
Wow? A message from Qin Ya? How rare! he replied after a few seconds.
What’s wrong? she typed.
I’m just glad, that’s all. Uncle’s always here for you!
Qin Ya lowered her gaze. Uncle… I’m not very happy right now.
