Xu Xinghe looked at Lian Xiao curiously, put down the bottle of malted milk powder in her hand, and got up to walk over.
The next second, my wrist was gently pulled.
"Comrade Lian, you can speak." Jiang Linchuan's voice sounded from beside him, his tone calm. "The house isn't big, we can all hear you clearly."
Lian Xiao's lips curled into a cold smile. He glanced at Jiang Linchuan and deliberately emphasized, "This is our family matter, and it's not convenient for outsiders to hear about it."
After the passing of an elder in the Xu family, Elder Lian was entrusted with the responsibility and is now Xu Xinghe's guardian.
Legally speaking, Xu Xinghe and he are family.
Lian Xiao stood up, turned and walked towards another room. "Come here quickly, I have something very important to tell you, and we can't let outsiders hear it."
Xu Xinghe had no choice but to break free from Jiang Linchuan's hand and gently comforted him, "You're not an outsider, don't overthink it, wait for me. Grandpa Lian is a very important elder, completely trustworthy. I treat him like my own grandfather, he must have some things to tell me."
Jiang Linchuan's fingers twitched slightly as he left her empty-handed, but he remained silent, which was tantamount to acquiescing to her passing.
But the eyes that watched her walk into another room were covered with an unyielding coldness.
Lian Xiao is an outsider, yet she insists on competing with her fiancé. Who would believe she has no interest in him?
Xu Xinghe entered the room. "Grandpa Lian, is there anything you want to say?"
Lian Xiao stood against the wall, arms crossed, looking down slightly at the person standing in front of him.
His narrow eyes were half-closed, and there were emotions that others could not understand, as well as a tenderness that even he himself was unaware of.
Like the snow outside, it dissipates with a gust of wind, so light that it leaves almost no trace.
"Grandpa just wanted to ask how you've been feeling lately, and if you're settling in well here." He paused before getting to the point. "Also, about the Xu family's house, your little villa has been temporarily taken over because of the sensitive situation. But don't worry, Grandpa has found someone he knows to take over and settle you in. No outsiders will be allowed to live there, and everything inside will be kept exactly as it is. We'll also have it cleaned regularly."
He continued, "As for the Xu family's old house, Grandpa has had one of his professor friends stay there temporarily. You need to take out the land deed and make a sales contract. Once things have calmed down, the house will be returned. Don't worry, that professor is reliable and won't be greedy. Grandpa has also made contingency plans to ensure nothing goes wrong."
Xu Xinghe already trusted Grandpa Lian a lot, so after listening, she nodded directly, "I understand. I trust Grandpa Lian, so let's do as he says."
Lian Xiao took out a photo from his pocket, pinched the corner and handed it to her, "This was sent by my grandfather, who said you might need it."
Xu Xinghe reached out and took it, her fingertips touching the edge of the photo, which was still warm from her body.
She looked down and her breath caught in her throat.
This... is actually a family photo of the three of them!
Her long-deceased parents held her tiny body, smiling so brightly at the camera. Even in black and white, their gentle features were clearly visible.
Xu Xinghe's eyes suddenly reddened, and a warm, moist sensation quickly rose within her.
She was reborn. Including her previous life, she hadn't seen her parents' faces for decades, and hadn't even seen a single photograph of them.
Xu Xinghe couldn't bear to look away, gazing at the photo again and again, her fingertips gently tracing the image of the person in the picture. It took her a long time to finally look up, her voice trembling with barely perceptible sobs, "Thank you."
Lian Xiao was slightly stung by the sadness in her eyes, and felt inexplicably depressed.
He suppressed the strange feeling, forced a relaxed smile, and softened his voice involuntarily, "If you miss them in the future, just look at the photos. Don't be sad. Uncle Xu and Aunt Xu are watching from heaven. They would definitely want you to be doing well and happy here."
Xu Xinghe's vision gradually went out of focus, and in a daze, it seemed as if she had returned to her old house in Shanghai.
Life was so wonderful back then.
Every spring, her father would take her out to enjoy the spring scenery and play in the water, carrying her across the clear stream.
In the summer, her mother would fan her with a palm-leaf fan and tell her stories about her hometown in a gentle voice. She could always lull her to sleep, and even her dreams were sweet.
During holidays and festivals, my favorite snacks and dishes are always laid out on the long table at home.
Her father would smile and put the best portion into her hand, while her mother would remind her to eat slowly.
Those days, enveloped in warmth, family affection, and endless love, were like the sun in the sky, which she thought would shine on her forever.
But now, all that remains in her palm is a thin black and white photograph. Her parents' smiles are frozen in the past, and she can only stand in the freezing winter of Heilongjiang Province, where the temperature is minus thirty degrees Celsius, facing the light and shadow of the past, desperately trying to recall the warmth of their embrace...
At this moment, my heart felt like it was filled with waterlogged cotton, so heavy that it was hard to breathe.
Lian Xiao looked at her reddened eyes and slightly trembling shoulders, his throat bobbed, and he couldn't help but raise his hand. Just as his fingertips were about to touch Xu Xinghe's cheek, he suddenly stopped, turned around, and placed his hand on the top of her head, rubbing it hard and making a few stray hairs stick out of her originally black and smooth long hair. "Why are you crying!"
He licked his slightly dry lips. "I'm not good at coaxing women, don't expect me to go to all that trouble."
Xu Xinghe snapped out of her daze, carefully put the photo into her bosom, took a deep breath, and forced back the tears welling up in her eyes. She looked up at Lian Xiao, her voice still a little hoarse, "I didn't ask you to comfort me. Thank you for bringing me the photo. I'll send a telegram to Grandpa Lian in a few days and send him a package."
We can send some more medicine from the space so that Grandpa Lian can stay healthy and live a long life.
She will reciprocate with her sincerity towards those who are kind to her.
In the living room.
Jiang Linchuan stood still, the firewood he was about to put into the stove still firmly in his hand.
He stared at the tightly closed door with a cold look in his eyes. Seeing that there was no sound from inside for a long time, he finally couldn't hold back any longer. He strode to the door, tapped it lightly with his knuckles, and said in a low voice, "Xinghe, the water is about to boil."
Lian Xiao's slightly impatient voice immediately came from inside, "Wait a minute!"
What's the rush!
How many words did he say in total?
What a petty and narrow-minded man!
As soon as she finished speaking, the door opened from the inside, and Xu Xinghe stood behind it. The slight redness at the corners of her eyes had been wiped away, and her face showed little emotion. "I'm done talking."
She walked straight to the table, picked up the can of malted milk powder, and continued scooping powder into the enamel cup as if nothing had happened, but her movements were a beat slower than before.
Jiang Linchuan's gaze lingered on her lowered eyelashes, which were still damp; she must have been crying. His heart sank, and he turned to look at Lian Xiao, who was still standing at the door, his tone turning cold, "You should go back now; it's getting late."
If it weren't for Xu Xinghe's sake, he would have thrown the person out long ago.
Lian Xiao raised an eyebrow, but didn't move. Instead, he reminded him, "Don't forget, we agreed to go to the movies today."
Xu Xinghe looked up, her small face bathed in the light streaming in from the window, and said softly, "Let's go to town now."
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