The ringing of the phone gave Ye Qing a sense of relief, but that feeling quickly vanished the moment she answered and heard who was on the other end.
Not only was there no so-called relief, but things became even more tense.
"Ye Qing, Ye Qing..." The person on the other end of the phone called her several more times because they didn't hear Ye Qing's reply.
Ye Qing snapped out of her daze and swallowed hard. "Excuse me, what's up?"
"Can we meet? I was supposed to come to your place, but I'm afraid it wouldn't be appropriate to go to your house," said Xi Yue on the other end of the phone.
When Ye Qing first heard that it was Xi Yue calling, she wondered why Xi Yue was calling her. But after hearing what Xi Yue said, Ye Qing knew that it was probably still about her grandmother's death.
Although Xi Yue and Xi Quan haven't properly discussed this matter yet, it's necessary for Xi Yue, as one of the parties involved, to have a frank talk with her.
She was just Xi Quan's cousin, but considering the upbringing of Xi Quan and Xi Yue, Xi Yue was similar to Xi Quan's younger sister. Therefore, Ye Qing knew that she couldn't keep her relationship with Xi Yue so tense.
"I'm fine with that. Where shall we meet?" After asking, Ye Qing thought for a moment and said, "I'll go to my grandfather's house to find you."
Xi Quan's grandmother passed away. Because of her pregnancy, Ye Qing was not allowed to attend the funeral according to the customs of Nancheng. Now that the funeral is over, Ye Qing should go and see Xi Quan's grandfather, otherwise it would not be right.
Xi Yue's idea was to meet Ye Qing outside, but she didn't expect Ye Qing to suggest coming to her grandfather's house. That was fine, but her grandfather... Xi Yue hesitated, unsure of her grandfather's attitude.
But Xi Yue is no longer the carefree little girl she used to be. She was silent for a moment on the other end of the phone, and then agreed to let Ye Qing come to see her.
After hanging up the phone, Ye Qing quickly tidied up and prepared to go to her grandfather's house. Just as she was about to leave, Aunt Zhang called out to her, "Was that phone call from Xi Yue?"
Ye Qing nodded, not hiding anything from Zhang Sao.
“Then I’ll go with you. I’ll apologize to her. This matter originally had nothing to do with you,” Aunt Zhang said, as she headed out the door with Ye Qing.
Ye Qing stopped Zhang Sao, saying, "I can manage on my own, you don't need to go."
“But…” Aunt Zhang looked at Ye Qing hesitantly, “I feel like this is the trouble I caused. I can’t just stay silent. Isn’t it said that one should take responsibility for one’s own actions?”
"This isn't just about one person taking responsibility for their actions. What if you go and say something wrong again?" Ye Qing's tone sounded alright, but her words were a bit hurtful.
Actually, you can't blame Ye Qing. After all, Aunt Zhang has too many criminal records. And although she was just on the phone with Xi Yue, Ye Qing could tell from the conversation that Xi Yue seemed to be in a good mood.
Since Xi Yue's emotions were fine, Ye Qing felt that it shouldn't be a big deal for him to go see Xi Yue now. However, with Zhang Sao involved, things might change.
Aunt Zhang was caught in a dilemma after Ye Qing's words. She felt that she should take a stand, and from what Ye Qing had said on the phone, she was going to Xi Quan's grandfather's house, and she was afraid that Ye Qing would be made things difficult for her.
But Ye Qing's words also make sense. What if Grandpa Xi Quan sees him and gets upset, after all, he's so old.
Just as Ye Qing and Huang Fei had said, Zhang Sao always felt wronged, thinking she hadn't done anything wrong. But this time, the incident involving Grandma Xi Quan made Zhang Sao realize that she might have really made a mistake.
Ye Qing glanced at Zhang Sao, who was caught in a dilemma, and realized that Zhang Sao was different this time than before; she genuinely felt sorry.
Ye Qing also felt a pang of emotion, but despite this, she still felt it wasn't appropriate for Aunt Zhang to go along.
Although she hasn't officially acknowledged Zhang Sao yet, she is still her biological mother. If Zhang Sao goes to Grandpa Xi Quan's house and Grandpa Xi Quan still cares, Ye Qing doesn't want to see her suffer.
So Ye Qing hardened her heart, pretended not to see it, opened the door, and left.
As the months went by, Ye Qing rarely drove herself anymore and usually took a taxi when she went out. However, it was a long walk from her apartment complex to find a taxi, and even after arriving at Grandpa Xi Quan's house, she still had to walk a bit after getting out of the car.
However, walking appropriately is good for a pregnant woman's health, and Ye Qing even mentally simulated the scene of meeting Grandpa Xi Quan along the way.
Ye Qing wondered what she should do if Xi Quan's grandfather saw her and was very angry and rude.
In the past, when Ye Qing got off the bus and walked to her grandfather's house, she liked to walk very slowly because there was a long road to her grandfather's house lined with plane trees on both sides. When the weather was sunny, the dappled shadows on the road were particularly artistic, which gave Ye Qing a lot of design inspiration. She once designed a very popular gradient dress, which was inspired by these dappled shadows.
Back then, Ye Qing walked this road with light steps, but now her steps are filled with melancholy.
Just like her feelings, because she never felt the warmth of family growing up, and all her so-called relatives were such scumbags, Ye Qing generally doesn't try to please or do anything when facing her relatives.
Ye Qing's personality already made her less than likable in front of Xi Quan's grandparents, and now Xi Quan's grandmother...
Thinking this, Ye Qing arrived at Grandpa Xi Quan's door. She took a deep breath and rang the doorbell.
Xi Yue opened the door.
Their eyes met, and although the awkwardness was expected, Ye Qing had anticipated it because he had mentally prepared himself for it along the way. So, although it was awkward, it wasn't too bad.
Seeing Xi Yue reach out to take what he was holding, Ye Qing didn't stand on ceremony and gave it to Xi Yue: "It's for Grandpa."
Xi Yue didn't say Ye Qing was being polite, after all, as family members, it's perfectly normal to bring gifts for elders.
After taking a few steps, Ye Qing asked Xi Yue, "Is Grandpa home?"
"Yes." Xi Yue nodded, glanced at Ye Qing, and understood what Ye Qing meant. She wanted to say something to Ye Qing, but while she was organizing her thoughts, the two of them had already walked from the courtyard to the gate, and Grandpa was already standing at the gate.
Seeing her grandfather standing at the door with a cane, Xi Yue glanced at Ye Qing.
Ye Qing was also taken aback by her grandfather's actions. Looking at her grandfather standing at the door like a god, Ye Qing wondered whether he was letting her in or not.
In Ye Qing's eyes, it was more like a show of force. Ye Qing's mind went through a thousand thoughts in an instant, but facing the person standing at the door, Ye Qing still respectfully called out, "Grandpa."
The old man nodded and glanced at Ye Qing.
Although the gaze wasn't exactly condescending, it still put immense pressure on Ye Qing. Just as Ye Qing was thinking about how to break the suffocating atmosphere, the old man spoke again, "So tense?"
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