Chapter 128: I Can't Let Go
Seeing the old man crying so sadly, Bai Zhi felt particularly distressed.
She went over, hugged the old man's arm, and comforted him, "Grandpa, don't be sad."
"Child, are you really my daughter, Pei Lan?" Ye Rufeng still couldn't believe it, looking at her and confirming with a trembling voice.
Bai Zhi half-squatted down and grasped Ye Rufeng's hand. "Grandpa, look at me carefully, and then look at this photo. Don't we look remarkably alike?"
The person in the black and white ID photo has two braids, wears a round-neck shirt, has a pure and lovely face, and is in the prime of their life.
The girl in front of him, with her lively and bright expression, bore a striking resemblance to him in some ways.
"Your name is Bai Zhi?" Ye Rufeng's eyes were filled with tears as he looked at her, confirming her name.
Bai Zhi nodded, "Yes, that's the name my mother gave me."
Grandpa said that her mother was quite knowledgeable about traditional Chinese medicine.
But what her grandfather didn't know was that her mother was born into a family of traditional Chinese medicine practitioners.
My maternal grandfather named his children after Chinese medicinal herbs.
"Child, why are you only coming to find me now?" Ye Rufeng sobbed, "Twenty years have passed, why are you only now thinking of acknowledging my kinship?"
Bai Zhi was moved by the old man's emotions, and her eyes also welled up with tears. She explained, "Grandpa, I'm so sorry, it's a long story. It was only before my grandfather passed away that he told me in detail about my mother's family."
Bai Zhi picked up a towel and wiped away the old man's tears, sincerely promising, "Grandpa, the road ahead is long, and I will stay by your side and fulfill my filial duty."
Ye Rufeng looked at her, his eyes filled with relief.
This is his granddaughter, the root that his daughter left in this world.
With tears in his eyes, the old man felt a greater sense of satisfaction and happiness than when he had developed a new medicine.
After the old man calmed down, Bai Zhi helped him up.
"Grandpa, let's go eat first. I made your favorite fried noodles."
As soon as the door opened, Lu Ye and Xie Zheng were standing in the yard.
Bai Zhi met Lu Ye's deep eyes, her pupils flickering slightly.
They probably didn't hear what she was saying to her grandfather just now, right?
Otherwise, wouldn't we be exposed?
"Grandpa, please take a seat."
Lu Ye got a stool for Ye Rufeng and handed him chopsticks.
"Grandpa, please try my fried noodles. You used to love my cooking the most."
Ye Rufeng picked up his chopsticks.
"You guys eat too."
He took a bite, then looked up at the girl who cared about him, his eyes welling up with tears again.
He could almost see his daughter, Pei Lan, standing before him, smiling sweetly, waiting for his praise.
"Grandpa, please eat more."
Bai Zhi's voice brought Ye Rufeng back to his senses. He nodded, "Okay, you eat too."
After the meal, Ye Rufeng let the two boys do as they pleased, then called Bai Zhi into the house and closed the door.
The two could only stand in the courtyard, watching helplessly as Ye Rufeng closed the door tightly. Xie Zheng, hands in his pockets, watched the man beside him sneer.
"I think Doctor Ye doesn't even fancy you, you blockhead. He's working on Bai Zhi to break off the engagement with you. Do you believe me?"
Lu Ye shot him a sharp look, "If you keep talking nonsense, I'll beat you mute, you believe me?"
Xie Zheng instinctively covered his mouth.
But his sharp tongue remained unchanged: "Getting angry out of embarrassment? Ha."
He looked Lu Ye up and down with disdain and contempt, and scoffed, "Look at yourself, what's admirable about you? You have a sour face, a bad temper, a black heart, and are bad at talking. The key thing is..."
Xie Zheng's gaze toward Lu Ye grew increasingly cold. "He's ruthless and vicious, and he wouldn't even help his friend in his time of need."
"Bai Zhi only knows you because she doesn't understand you yet. She's biased towards you because of your family background and career. Once she knows your true colors, will she still be interested in a scumbag like you?"
That's enough.
Lu Ye punched him again.
Blood trickled from Xie Zheng's mouth again. He spat and looked at him with a sarcastic expression. "What? Afraid I'll say something?"
"I'm going to say it anyway."
"You're a selfish bastard."
Before Xie Zheng could finish speaking, Lu Ye grabbed his collar and asked, "Are you done?"
"Xie Zheng, you're blaming me for Xiao Wei's death, but that's just because you don't have the courage to face your own mistakes and you're trying to shift the blame. Think carefully about who insisted on dragging everyone out that day."
Why didn't you save her yourself?
Lu Ye flung his collar away and sneered, "Because you're incompetent, you pinned your hopes on me. I failed to grant your wish, and that's why you've hated me for so many years."
Provoked by Lu Ye's words, Xie Zheng's eyes turned bloodshot, and he roared angrily.
"But aren't you our leader? Aren't you the eldest brother? Why did you become a coward at this crucial moment?"
When Xie Zheng called him "Big Brother," Lu Ye's gloomy face froze, and his cold heart felt a sharp pain.
His tone softened slightly, "I'm sorry, I apologize to you. Back then, I failed in my responsibility as the eldest brother, and I failed to protect Xiaowei."
He gripped Xie Zheng's shoulders with both hands, looking at him with a pleading tone, "Xie Zheng, can you... come out of this?"
"Are you apologizing to me because you're afraid Bai Zhi will find out about your past?"
Xie Zheng forcefully shook him off, a cold smile playing on her lips. "Lu Ye, you're something else."
"I'm telling you, I can't get over it, and you can forget about it too."
After Xie Zheng finished speaking, he ran out of the fenced yard.
Lu Ye watched his retreating figure, wiped his face with his hand, and sighed heavily.
He stood in the courtyard for a long time, but the door to the west room remained tightly closed.
His herbal decoction was already brewed. He poured it into a bowl, picked it up, and downed it in one gulp.
After washing the dishes, he looked at the closed door, feeling uneasy and unable to control his emotions.
Xie Zheng's words echoed in my ears.
Sour face, short temper, black heart, bad tongue...
He won't admit to being ruthless.
Over the years, he has always adhered to principles and abided by the law in his conduct and work, and has always maintained his original aspirations and conscience. Whether in life or in work, he has a clear conscience.
But regarding the other points, Xie Zheng, that bastard, seems to be a very accurate description.
Lu Ye paced back and forth in the courtyard, feeling as if each day was an eternity.
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