Chapter 49 Chapter 49 "The matter in the workshop...I am the bastard."...

The Yu Mansion fell into a luxurious silence. Every inch of the air seemed to have been carefully cooled, expensive, yet lifeless.

The storm that occurred in the basement workshop completely tore apart all appearances.

The home becomes a space divided by an invisible force field.

Yu Sixie and Xi Tong are like two trains with precise tracks, perfectly avoiding any possibility of encountering each other.

Even if they inevitably passed each other on a spiral staircase or in an empty corridor, their eyes would never meet, leaving only a quickly frozen vacuum.

Children are the most sensitive perceivers.

Xizhi no longer analyzed everything with those calm and harsh words. Most of the time, he just held his tablet and curled up in the corner of the largest sofa in the living room, like a shadow trying to reduce its presence.

While eating, his round eyes behind his black glasses would quickly scan his parents' faces without any interaction, and then he would quickly lower his head and silently pick at the rice in the bowl. He ate extremely quickly, just wanting to escape from this dining table filled with invisible smoke as soon as possible.

Yu Ping and his mother were helpless bystanders.

The old couple tried to ease the situation, but they were rejected every time.

The family dinners carefully arranged by Yu's mother always ended abruptly in a silence where everyone had no taste for the food.

She wanted to speak several times, but was blocked by Yu Sixie's cold and tense profile and Xi Tong's polite but distant "I'm done eating, enjoy your meal."

Yu Ping put down the financial newspaper he usually read, and the sound of his heavy sigh seemed particularly abrupt in the overly quiet restaurant, but it also did not elicit a response from either party.

They looked at their grandson's cautious appearance, their eyes full of heartache and helplessness. In the end, they could only choose to remain silent and silently pour more care to Xizhi, trying to make up for the cold loss.

Xitong almost lived in the cooperation project department of Huashan Hospital.

There was only rigorous data and cutting-edge challenges waiting to be solved. She came home later and later, and she was surrounded by a cold and professional aura.

And Yu Sixie dived deeper into that secret underground kingdom.

He poured all his dark anger and restless energy into training new people.

He always returned home late at night, often carrying a trace of lingering gunpowder smoke and the cold and murderous aura of iron.

The tense atmosphere is like a low pressure that never dissipates, hanging heavily over every corner.

Even the servants in the house subconsciously walked lightly and spoke only in whispers, for fear that the slightest extra sound would disrupt this fragile, suffocating balance.

An extreme cold war.

silent.

But it was freezing cold.

…

The corridor of the hospital's inpatient department was filled with a faint smell of disinfectant, but it had a bit more human warmth than the luxurious coldness of the Yu Mansion.

Xitong pushed open the door of the ward. The afternoon sun was shining through the blinds, casting a warm glow on the snow-white sheets.

Grandma was leaning against the head of the bed, holding a newspaper in her hand. When she heard the noise, she looked up and a kind smile immediately broke out on her face. Her complexion was much rosier than the last time I saw her.

"Xiao Xi is here?"

"Grandma." Xitong walked over quickly and took the hand that her grandmother extended. Although her hands were still thin, they had some strength and were no longer as weak as before.

"How are you feeling today? I've seen the latest medical reports, and your indicators have dropped significantly. The doctor said you're recovering very well."

"Okay, much better."

Grandma smiled and patted the back of Xitong's hand, her eyes bright. "Thanks to today's advanced technology and those good medicines. It's just that you have worked hard, always worrying about me."

"What are you talking about?"

Xitong sat down and looked at her grandmother's face carefully. A real comfort welled up in her heart because her condition had improved, temporarily dispelling the gloom of the past few days.

However, grandma's eyes, which had seen the world, were too sharp.

She looked carefully at her granddaughter's fatigue, which could not be concealed even with her exquisite makeup, and the lingering melancholy between her eyebrows, and sighed softly.

"Xiao Xi," Grandma's voice was gentle but direct, "are you having a fight with that kid Sixie?"

Xi Tong was startled, subconsciously wanting to deny it, but she managed a forced smile: "No, grandma, please don't guess. I've just been busy with work lately..."

"So busy that you don't even talk at home?" Grandma hit the nail on the head, her eyes full of understanding and heartache. "I raised you since you were a child. How can I not tell whether you're happy or not?"

Xitong lowered her eyes and fell silent. In front of her grandmother, the hardness she had maintained seemed to crack easily.

Grandma sighed softly and held her hand tightly: "Silly child, some things should not only be seen with the eyes, but also felt with the heart."

She paused, as if weighing her words, and slowly said, "That child Si Xie...even though he may be quiet sometimes and not very tactful in his actions, he truly has you in his heart."

Xitong's fingertips trembled slightly.

Grandma continued, her tone tinged with emotion. "He didn't tell you much about my recent hospitalization, but behind the scenes, he was always worried about everything: making arrangements, contacting specialists, and finding the right medication. He was so busy, yet he always came to see me at least two nights a week, just sitting there," she gestured to the chair beside the bed. "He didn't say much, just asked how I was feeling, peeled some fruit for me, and sometimes just quietly watched TV with me."

Xitong suddenly raised his head, his eyes full of astonishment.

She had no idea about these things.

Yu Sixie never mentioned a word to her.

"Every time he comes, he asks the doctor about my condition in detail. He cares about me more than anyone else."

Grandma looked at her shocked expression and smiled. "One time, it was raining heavily, late at night, and I thought he wouldn't come. But he came all the same, soaking wet, saying he couldn't rest until he saw it in person. I told him to go back and change his clothes so he wouldn't catch a cold. He agreed, but he still sat there for a full half hour before leaving."

Grandma's voice was soft but powerful: "Xiao Xi, I've been through this before. Whether a person loves you or not isn't determined by how many nice words they say, but by what they actually do for you. He's so devoted and dedicated to you, a non-blood relative, and he persists so silently. Isn't this heartfelt gesture enough to prove the point?"

"You said he doesn't love you," Grandma shook her head gently, her eyes loving yet tinged with reproach. "Grandma doesn't believe it. How could a man who values ​​his family so much and is so responsible not have his partner as the most important person in his heart? Are you... getting stuck in a rut?"

The sunlight flowed quietly in the ward, and tiny dust particles floated in the air.

Xitong listened in a daze. Every word her grandmother said was like a small hammer, gently knocking on the frozen wall of her heart.

She had always been obsessed with his behaviors that irritated her, his occasional indifference and stubbornness, but she chose to ignore his unspoken efforts...

A strong sense of bitterness rushed into my nose, and my eyes became hot uncontrollably.

The hard shell that she had been holding tight to arm herself with quietly cracked and softened in the gentle and wise words of her grandmother.

Xitong lowered her head and held her grandmother's warm, thin hand tightly. Her throat was choked with sobs and she couldn't utter a word.

But at this moment, the ice field in my heart that had been frozen for too long finally felt the subtle sound of ice cracking and a hint of slowly recovering warmth.

…

Another dinner hosted by the Yu family.

In the top-floor banquet hall of a five-star hotel, crystal chandeliers shone brightly, elegantly dressed people were present, and the atmosphere was filled with clinking glasses.

Yu Sixie and Xi Tong were taken by Yu Ping and Yu's mother to deal with various relatives.

"This is Xitong, Sixie's girlfriend and the mother of my grandson. She runs a thriving company and is collaborating with our family on a major project!"

Mother Yu smiled appropriately, her tone full of appreciation, and she gently held Xitong's arm with an intimate gesture.

"A talented man and a beautiful woman, what a perfect match!"

"Si Xie is so lucky. When are you planning to have your wedding?"

"It would be even more perfect if we had a granddaughter in the future!"

There was an endless stream of compliments. Everyone wore a perfectly composed smile, their eyes flickering between the two, filled with optimism and blessings for this perfect couple.

Xi Tong maintained an impeccable smile on her face and responded appropriately. She stood very close to Yu Sixie, so close that she could almost smell the familiar fragrance from him.

Occasionally, at the suggestion of Yu's mother, Yu Sixie would even naturally reach out his hand, lightly support Xitong's waist, and introduce her to an elder.

The warmth of his fingertips came through the thin fabric of the dress, and it separated immediately after touching, but it was like sparks splashing across the ice, stirring up a slight shudder in her heart.

They worked together perfectly, playing the role of a loving couple and being envied by everyone.

However, only they themselves know that beneath this harmonious appearance lies the ice that has not yet melted.

Every seemingly intimate approach makes the deliberate alienation seem even more ironic.

Xitong tried several times to say something to Yu Sixie while clinking glasses, even if it was just a "Thank you for coming to the hospital to visit grandma", but she was always interrupted in time, or bumped into his seemingly gentle but actually distant profile, and swallowed the words back.

Halfway through the banquet, the atmosphere became more lively.

Yu Sixie was pestered by several uncles to talk about business, while Xi Tong was surrounded by a group of female relatives to discuss the latest season of jewelry.

She felt a little breathless, and the perfect smile she was forcing almost made her facial muscles stiff.

Finding a chance, Xitong whispered to Yu's mother that she was going to the bathroom. Then she lifted her skirt and quietly slipped out of the noisy banquet hall through the side door.

The corridor was much quieter, but the air was still heavy.

She didn't go to the bathroom, but walked aimlessly, looking for a place where she could catch her breath.

Turning a corner, she saw an inconspicuous fire door, ajar, and there seemed to be a safe passage behind it.

Xitong pushed open the door and walked in.

The door closed behind him, instantly isolating him from the glitz and noise outside.

Before my eyes was an empty and deserted stairwell. Only a low-power emergency light above my head emitted a dim and bleak glow, barely illuminating the concrete steps and the cold metal handrails.

The air was filled with a faint smell of dust, and... a faint, familiar fragrance mixed with the clear smell of alcohol.

Xitong's heart skipped a beat and she subconsciously looked up.

Yu Sixie stood in the shadow of the upper platform, his back against the cold wall, his head tilted back slightly, his bow tie loosened and hanging down on his chest. He didn't seem to expect anyone to come in, and he lowered his head at the sound.

Their eyes met.

In the dim light, his outline was a little blurry, but his eyes were like black jade sunk to the bottom of the water, so deep that it was difficult to see his emotions, but he had a magnetism that almost sucked people in.

The smell of alcohol in the air seemed to be stronger, coming from him.

The silence that stretched across the stairwell was more suffocating than any small talk in the banquet hall, yet also... more real.

Xitong clutched the hem of her skirt, her throat dry.

She should have turned around and left immediately, maintaining the damn cold war situation. But her feet seemed to be nailed to the ground.

Grandma's words surged into her heart like a tide, washing away the dam she had built.

Yu Sixie's gaze lingered on Xitong's face for a long time, so long that Xitong could almost hear the sound of her own heartbeat echoing in the empty stairwell.

Finally, he moved.

The man slowly stood up and walked down the steps from the shadows towards her. His leather shoes made a clear and slow echo on the concrete floor.

She stood in front of Xitong, very close to him, so close that she could clearly smell the faint scent of alcohol on his breath, see the hard-to-conceal fatigue deep in his eyes, and... a struggle that was almost fragile that she had never seen before.

The dim light cast a shadow on one side of his straight nose, and his Adam's apple rolled.

Then he spoke.

His voice was deeper and hoarser than usual due to the alcohol, like rough sandpaper rubbing against his heart.

"sorry."

Three words, dry and heavy, yet unreservedly pounded into the silent air.

Xi Tong suddenly raised her head and looked into Yu Sixie's bottomless eyes.

He looked at her without any hesitation, his eyes filled with complex emotions, including regret, fatigue, and a strong longing that had been suppressed for too long and was about to break out.

"What happened in the workshop...I'm the bastard."

He continued with difficulty, each word seeming to be forced out from his chest, "I shouldn't have treated you like that. And... a lot of things before, my stubbornness, my self-righteousness... were all wrong."

Yu Sixie raised his hand, as if wanting to touch Xitong's face, but his fingertips paused in the air, then dropped down weakly, and he clenched it into a fist, with his knuckles turning white.

"I know it might be too late to say this now."

He pulled the corners of his mouth, revealing a hint of extremely bitter self-mockery.

The stairwell was eerily quiet, with only the sound of two people's suppressed breathing.

A dim halo enveloped them, stretching their figures and casting them against the cold wall, as if they were the only two left in the world, with a huge chasm between them, created by misunderstanding and hurt.

Xi Tong looked at Yu Sixie, saw the undisguised pain and apology in his eyes, and listened to his hoarse voice that no longer contained any cold pretense.

Grandma's words echoed clearly again, overlapping with his appearance at the moment.

All the grievances, anger, and suspicions seemed to be slightly loosened at this moment by these three heavy and direct "I'm sorry".

She opened her mouth, but her throat was choked with sobs and no sound came out.