He Yan rested his chin on the top of her head, his arms around her, his voice gentler and firmer than ever before, "I know you're sad... I know... If you want to cry, just cry... Don't hold it in... I'm here... I'm with you..."
Perhaps it was the familiar body temperature, or perhaps it was those words that pierced through the last bit of pretense.
Guan Wenru's body trembled violently. She turned around abruptly, hugged He Yanzhi's waist tightly, and buried her face deeply in his chest!
Guan Wenru's sobs, which she had suppressed for two days, finally broke out of her throat and came out in a broken voice, her shoulders shaking violently.
He Yanzhi held her tightly, as if she were a fragile treasure, his large hands stroking her thin back repeatedly, his voice carrying a soothing strength:
"Cry...it'll be alright if you cry...you still have me...Wenru, you still have me...and Dabao, Erbao, and Xiaobao...we'll always be here...always by your side..."
Guan Wenru's sobs grew louder, filled with endless grievance and sorrow, "Grandma...Grandma...she's gone...she's really gone...waaaah..."
He Yanzhi lowered his head, his warm lips gently kissing away the tears that kept rolling down her face, his voice steady and full of conviction:
"Grandma didn't leave. She's just changed the way she accompanies you. She lives in your heart... in the stories you taught your children... in the smile you see every time you think of her. She's always been here! She's just... no longer suffering from illness... She's free, Wenru, she's free!"
Guan Wenru gripped his clothes tightly, crying so hard that her whole body trembled, as if she wanted to release all her grief.
He Yanzhi didn't say anything more, but just held her tighter, letting her tears soak his clothes, giving her the strongest support with his firm embrace and silent companionship.
After an unknown amount of time, Guan Wenru's crying gradually turned into intermittent sobs.
He Yanzhi felt the tense body in his arms slowly soften, knowing that her most intense emotions had passed.
He patted her back gently, like soothing a child, "Feeling better? Want some hot water? Hmm?"
Guan Wenru nodded gently in his arms, letting out a soft "Mmm" with a heavy nasal tone.
He Yanzhi carefully helped her sit up, fumbled to unscrew the cap of the military water bottle he had brought, and carefully fed her the warm water.
Guan Wenru obediently drank a few sips.
In the darkness, the two nestled together quietly.
The occasional distant barking of dogs outside the window only amplified the silence of the room.
He Yanzhi held her cold hand, enveloping it in his warm palm. "Tomorrow... we'll take the children to kowtow to Grandma, and then go home."
Wenru, I need you, the children need you, and the factory needs you.
Grandma definitely wants you to live well, to live as proudly as she said.
Guan Wenru leaned on his shoulder, and after a long while, she responded softly in a hoarse, almost inaudible voice, "Mmm!"
Although it was just one word, He Yanzhi knew that she was slowly starting to piece together her shattered emotions.
He breathed a silent sigh of relief and hugged her even tighter.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
