Chapter 26 Grandma only hopes you are happy
For a whole month, Shen Zhen didn't see Yu Shu, and when she sent her messages, she only gave simple replies.
Even with Jiang Yu visiting her from time to time, Shen Zhen still felt dejected. She was afraid that Yu Shu would really ignore her. Her injuries were slowly healing, but her mood just wouldn't improve. Shen Zhen picked up her phone and tapped on the profile picture of a blue ocean. She typed and deleted a short line of text, then typed and deleted again, her finger hovering over send without pressing it.
[It's Zhenzhen]: Ah Shu, my arm is still a bit sore today, so I can't type for long periods. Hmm... are you done with your work? When are you coming to see me?
Shen Zhen stared at this line of text for a long time, stunned. Yu Shu must be furious with her this time. She had been sick for so long, and Yu Shu hadn't come even once. It would be a lie to say she wasn't disappointed.
Shen Zhen pressed the send button with her eyes closed, afraid of receiving Yu Shu's indifferent response, and even more afraid of no response at all. Shen Zhen simply tossed her phone under her pillow, got dressed, and went to find her grandmother. She didn't want her grandmother to worry; she hadn't seen her for a long time.
In the ward, the old lady sat quietly by the window, looking outside. Her withered hands were tucked inside her large hospital gown, and she seemed lost in thought.
When Qingqing saw Shen Zhen coming over, she pulled her aside and whispered, "Miss Shen, the old lady has been sitting like this all morning. She received a phone call today and has been like this ever since. You should go and ask what's going on."
Shen Zhen's heart skipped a beat, her long eyelashes trembled slightly, and she mustered up a lot of courage to walk behind her grandmother, place her hand on her shoulder, and softly call out, "Grandma..."
The old lady slowly covered Shen Zhen's hand with her own and pulled her in front of her.
Shen Zhen half-squatted in front of her and only then noticed the tears glistening in her grandmother's cloudy eyes. Shen Zhen felt a surge of panic and dared not look into her eyes, guessing that her parents might be looking for her.
Shen Zhen lowered her head and hugged her grandmother's thin waist, her voice slightly nasal as she said coquettishly, "Grandma, I'm fine..."
The old lady stroked Shen Zhen's long hair again and again. A trace of color rose on her sallow face due to her excitement. Tears welled up in her eyes, and her lips trembled slightly as she spoke with difficulty, "Zhenzhen, tell your grandmother the truth, were you forced to be with her?"
Shen Zhen tightened her arms, her heart feeling as if it were being gripped by a giant hand, the grip tightening with each blow. She shook her head desperately, "No, Grandma, no..."
Tears streamed down the old woman's wrinkled face. Self-reproach and guilt filled her heart. How could she, at such an old age, have believed Shen Zhen's lies? She had dragged her granddaughter down...
The old lady's voice was hoarse as she said guiltily, "Zhenzhen, I felt very uneasy when you let me stay here. You said you found a new job, what kind of boss could give you so much salary in advance, what kind of good friend would come to see me so often... Zhenzhen, it's Grandma who's dragged you down..."
Shen Zhen's nose tingled, her eyes immediately reddened, and large tears rolled down her cheeks. She quickly grabbed her thin hand and choked out, "Grandma, it's not what you think. I love her. She never forced me; it was all my own choice. It was me, it was me who wanted to stay by her side. Grandma, she's really a good person."
Grandma's withered hands patted Chen Zhen's back again and again, tears streaming down her face. With slightly out of breath, she cried out, "But...she's a woman, and you're a woman too! How are you going to live like this...how are you going to live like this?"
Shen Zhen raised her head, her eyes resolute, and asked in a trembling voice, "Grandma, so what if she's a woman? I love her, regardless of gender, status, or age. I just love her as a person."
Grandma closed her eyes in pain, her lips trembling as she struggled to speak, "Zhenzhen, your mother said this is an illness, and it's treatable. Grandma... Grandma won't go to the doctor anymore, I'll take you to the doctor! I don't want you to be pointed at and gossiped about..."
Shen Zhen wiped away her tears, grabbed her grandmother's hand anxiously, and shook it gently. "Grandma, Grandma, open your eyes and look at me. This isn't an illness, it really isn't an illness. You've seen her, A-Shu is fine. I'm happy to be with her."
Grandma waved her hand weakly. This morning, Chen Lin suddenly called and berated her mercilessly, then went on a rampage on the phone, calling Shen Zhen a pervert. She accused Shen Zhen of even offering herself to another woman to get her brother imprisoned and to pay for her medical treatment. Then she pleaded with Shen Zhen to forgive Shen Huai this once.
"What about Shen Huai?"
Shen Zhen slowly pulled up her clothes. Although the bruises on her body had subsided considerably, the patches of purplish-blue marks on her fair skin still looked horrifying.
Tears welled in Shen Zhen's eyes, but her determination remained unwavering. "Grandma, Shen Huai deserved it. He broke into a house, robbed, and injured someone. He deserved to be in jail! Shen Huai's case has nothing to do with Ashu. It was his own greed!"
The old woman, her eyes blurred with tears, tremblingly pulled down Shen Zhen's clothes and stroked her long hair. "Shen Huai is unforgivable, but what about you? Will you stay with that woman from now on?"
Shen Zhen raised her bright, dark eyes, looked steadily at the old lady, pursed her lips and nodded, "Grandma, as long as she has me in her heart, I will be by her side. I was the one who provoked her first. We have already missed four years, and I don't want to miss it again."
Shen Zhen leaned closer to the old lady and asked pitifully, "Grandma, very few people have ever loved me since I was little, and Ashu is one of them. I've been in the darkness for too long, and she is my light, my warmth. I don't want to leave her..."
The old lady gently put her arm around Chen Zhen's shoulder and sighed lovingly, "Zhenzhen, Grandma doesn't know if homosexuality is an illness or not. Grandma just wants you to be happy. As long as you're doing well, Grandma will be at ease. Grandma is afraid... You're still young now, but what about later? Besides, does she care about you as much as you do?"
Shen Zhen opened her mouth, but couldn't give a definite answer. Head drooping, she whispered, "Grandma, before, she only had me in her heart..."
The old lady sighed softly, "And now? Zhenzhen, people change. Besides, that person looks extraordinary. Will her family accept you? Besides me and Tuantuan, what gives you the confidence to stand in her family? Zhenzhen, as the old saying goes, only marriages between equals can last. No matter how you look at it, she... is not a good match for you."
Shen Zhen pressed her face against the old lady's palm, her eyes blurring with tears again. "Grandma, please give me some time. I'll find out what she's thinking. If she feels the same way I do, I'll bring her to see you, okay?"
The old lady lovingly stroked Shen Zhen's hair. Shen Zhen had always been stubborn and principled, and her biggest worry was that the man was just playing around. Their Zhenzhen had suffered so much; if someone could truly treat her well, she could die in peace.
The old lady said slowly, "Zhenzhen, Grandma only wants what's best for you. When you make decisions, don't consider me. I'm already on my deathbed, so living one more day or one less makes no difference. But you're different, you're still so young..."
Shen Zhen could no longer hold back and began to sob like a child. Her grandmother loved her, and she wanted to bring Yu Shu over to tell her grandmother that they truly loved each other and that they could live a good life together.
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