Chapter 18 "Live well, Xiao Xi."...

Chapter 18:

"Grandpa," Ye Qingxi said anxiously.

"Xiao Xi..." Ye Min forced open his eyelids, "Grandpa is sleepy and wants to sleep. You and your father should go back to sleep too, okay?"

"Okay," Ye Qingxi agreed. "Then I'll keep this painting for you, and you can look at it anytime."

"Okay." Ye Min tried to raise his hand.

Ye Qingxi beat him to it and stuffed the painting into his hands.

He shook Ye Min's hand one last time, looking at him with reluctance.

Ye Min glanced at him, then looked at the painting in his hand.

This painting is like a photograph that has transcended time, leaping across more than a decade and flying from the future into his hands.

It flew to the end of his life.

"Live well, Xiao Xi." Ye Min's eyelids were almost closed, his voice was very soft, "Live well, grow up well, grow up to be as big as in the painting, even bigger than in the painting, Grandpa... Grandpa will always be with you... forever..."

Ye Min closed his eyes.

Ye Qingxi's tears fell in that instant.

He instinctively looked at the electrocardiogram next to him; it was still showing signs of life, though there were still fluctuations.

Ye Qingxi breathed a sigh of relief, as if she had survived a disaster. She couldn't stop the urge to cry, but in the end, she didn't let herself cry.

"Go back." Mu Feng patted Ye Qingxi's head. "It's too late. Your grandfather won't want you to stay here with him."

Ye Qingxi nodded.

He knew very well that Ye Min didn't want his grandson to watch him walk step by step toward death, which would be too cruel for a child who was only five years old. That's why Ye Min asked Mu Feng to take him to the Mu family early.

Of course, he was also afraid that there were too many germs in the hospital and that Ye Qingxi's young body couldn't withstand them. He was still alive, but Ye Qingxi had fallen ill first.

So Ye Qingxi didn't say anything and obediently followed Mu Shaowu out of the ward.

Before parting, Ye Qingxi asked Mu Feng, "Grandpa, aren't you coming back with us?"

"No, I have something to do tonight. You and your father should go home."

Ye Qingxi looked at him and felt a sense of admiration for him at that moment.

How many people would go to such lengths for a friend, not only adopting and caring for his grandson at the very end of his life, but also hiring renowned doctors at great expense to care for him and extend his life without hesitation?

"Thank you, Grandpa," Ye Qingxi said.

Even if "Ye Qingxi" were here now, I should still thank him.

Mu Feng smiled and said gently, "No need to be polite."

He said, "Go back quickly."

Ye Qingxi hummed in agreement and took Mu Shaowu's hand as they walked toward the elevator.

The moment he stepped into the elevator, he suddenly realized something.

In the past, although Mu Feng would come to accompany Ye Min every day, he would not stay up all night for him. He would still go home before midnight, only at different times.

But now, he intends to keep watch for him.

There is only one possibility: Ye Min's body can't take it anymore, and his time is running out. So Mu Feng is afraid that if he misses something, his old friend will leave him forever.

Ye Qingxi felt heartache at that moment.

His tears fell unexpectedly.

Mu Shaowu stood beside him, and seeing him suddenly burst into tears without saying a word, she was at a loss. "Baby, what's wrong? Don't cry."

After he finished speaking, he realized that what he said was also wrong.

Ye Qingxi's grandfather is leaving. As his grandson, how could he not be sad? How could he not want to cry?

So he pulled Ye Qingxi into his arms, stroked the back of his head and comforted him, "It's okay, you can cry. There's no one else here, you can cry loudly."

However, Ye Qingxi did not want to cry loudly.

He just felt uncomfortable, felt tightness in his chest, and felt that Ye Min's death was cruel and sad.

He didn't want Ye Min to die.

He also didn't want Mu Shaoting, Mu Shaoyan, and Mu Feng to leave one after another three years later.

He only wanted to die himself; he didn't want anyone else to die except him.

But he couldn't save Ye Min; he couldn't stop Ye Min's death.

Ye Qingxi slowly burst into tears.

In that instant, he decided that no matter what, he would stop Mu Shaoting, Mu Shaoyan, and Mu Feng from dying.

No matter the cost, even if he can't be killed in the scripted way, he will make them live.

Ye Qingxi raised her hand, wiped away her tears, and left Mu Shaowu's embrace.

“I’m fine,” he said.

Mu Shaowu felt a pang of heartache seeing his eyes red from crying while he tried to appear strong.

He picked up Ye Qingxi and said to her, "Xiaoxi, you don't need to hold back. Cry if you want to."

Ye Qingxi shook his head; he had already cried.

Crying solves nothing, so crying is the most useless thing.

If it weren't for the fact that children's tear ducts are so easily swayed, Ye Qingxi felt that even just now, she wouldn't have been so emotional, and wouldn't have cried in front of Mu Shaowu.

Seeing his actions, Mu Shaowu sighed helplessly in his heart.

He touched Ye Qingxi's face to hers and said, "I will always be with you and protect you."

Ye Qingxi looked up at him, and Mu Shaowu took the opportunity to nuzzle his forehead.

Ye Qingxi let him rub against her, and after he finished, she gently grabbed his clothes.

Mu Shaowu felt his movement. The movement was very light, like the child in his arms, with little weight, and it was timid and tentative. It seemed that if he noticed it even slightly, he would withdraw his hand and pretend that nothing had happened.

Mu Shaowu thought that he must really want to trust him.

I want to trust him and rely on him.

But since he wasn't his biological father, he hesitated and was afraid that he would be hurt after giving his affection and trust.

He wanted to get close to him, but he also wanted to protect himself.

That's why he moved quietly and discreetly.

Mu Shaowu felt sorry for him again.

He hugged Ye Qingxi tightly and walked out of the elevator.

When I got back to the Mu family home, it was already 1 a.m.

Mu Shaowu quickly took a shower and looked at Ye Qingxi, who was sitting on the bed in a daze after taking a shower with him.

He took out the candy he had specially prepared for Ye Qingxi, picked out one, and put it into Ye Qingxi's mouth.

Ye Qingxi was caught off guard when he suddenly gave her a piece of candy, and she was still a little confused.

Mu Shaowu sat down beside him and naturally put his arm around him.

“I was just as heartbroken as you were when my mother passed away,” he said.

Ye Qingxi was surprised that he would mention his mother at this time, and she couldn't help but raise her head.

“I was very resentful at that time. I resented that out of all the people in the world who deserved to die, it was my mother who had to die.”

"I don't understand. Our family is so rich. We've hired the best doctors and used the best medicine, so why did my mother still have to leave us?"

"So back then, when it was late at night and I was all alone, I couldn't help but cry several times."

Ye Qingxi looked at him and listened quietly.

“Xiao Xi,” Mu Shaowu looked down at him, “Everyone will die one day. Your grandfather will, I will, you will. Everyone will die, it’s just that our times are different.”

"But my mother hopes that I can still be happy after she dies, and that I can live my life well and not have lived in vain. Your grandfather felt the same way, and so do I."

"You have to live your life well from now on, live healthily and happily, so that your grandfather will be happy, at ease, and not feel guilty about leaving."

Do you understand?

Ye Qingxi understood, but... could he really live a good life?

What if he's not doing well?

Can I just die?

Ye Qingxi really wanted to ask him, what would he do if he were not healthy or happy?

Should I continue living?

Living is so tiring.

He really didn't know if he could still make a living.

Do you still have the ability to live a healthy and happy life?

Mu Shaowu took his hand and put a piece of candy in it.

"Life isn't all sad. In the future, you will encounter many wonderful things and many people who love you, just like your grandfather, who likes you, takes care of you, and will always care about you."

Ye Qingxi looked at the candy in her hand and thought to herself, "Like you?"

"So, get a good night's sleep tonight, and I'll take you to see your grandfather next time," Mu Shaowu said gently.

Ye Qingxi listened in silence.

After a long while, there was finally some movement.

He unwrapped the candy in his hand, picked it up, and fed it to Mu Shaowu.

"Is it sweet?" Ye Qingxi asked him.

Mu Shaowu was surprised that he would give him this candy, and quickly said, "Sweet, very sweet."

"Then you should get a good night's sleep too," Ye Qingxi said.

Don't be sad because you think about your mother's passing.

Mu Shaowu was taken aback for a moment, then keenly grasped the meaning behind his words, "Get some sleep."

He couldn't help but hug the child in his arms tighter, thinking to himself, how could he be so gentle, so delicate, so considerate?

Even though he was already in so much pain, he still wanted to care about the people around him.

"Okay," Mu Shaowu said in a hoarse voice, "Let's all get a good night's sleep."

"Mmm," Ye Qingxi replied softly.

Mu Shaowu pulled him to brush his teeth, and then they lay down in bed together.

She didn't know how much time had passed, so much so that Mu Shaowu had already fallen asleep, before Ye Qingxi slowly opened her eyes.

He looked at the pitch-black night, turned over, and faced Mu Shaowu.

Ye Qingxi reached out her hand; Mu Shaowu's arm was warm and soft.

Like his heart.

He approached gently, like a small animal craving a heat source.

No sound was made.

Mu Shaowu was not alerted.

Ye Qingxi, touched by the warmth he craved, finally fell asleep.