Chapter 46: Destiny, I will accompany you.
Yuntan didn't know how he got back in the end.
She sat by the bed and was finally awakened by Lu Wangshan's voice: "Why are you awake?"
His warm embrace came from behind, and he touched Yun Tan's forehead with his palm, "Are you feeling well?"
Before Yun Tan could say anything, her cell phone suddenly rang. It was Yun Qihui calling. Yun Qihui had not contacted her since she had a quarrel at home on New Year's Eve.
Yuntan suddenly felt timid. She didn't dare to answer the call, and she couldn't explain why.
But after the phone rang five times, Yun Tan still picked up. Before she could even utter the word "Hello," she heard Yun Qihui's frantic voice: "Xiao Tan, come to the hospital quickly. Your grandma—"
…
Fate always likes to play jokes.
Yun Tan's throat seemed to be blocked, and he opened his mouth but no sound came out. Yun Qihui shouted a few more times on the other end of the phone and hung up in a hurry.
She stood there for a few seconds, then suddenly stood up. Her legs went weak and she almost fell to the ground. Fortunately, Lu Wangshan was quick to grab her.
"I'll take you to the hospital." Lu Wangshan stood up and quickly put on his clothes.
Both of them were drunk and couldn't drive, but luckily a taxi arrived quickly.
In the car, Yun Tan's hands were shaking physically and couldn't stop. Lu Wangshan held them tightly, saying, "Don't think too much, Xiao Tan. Let's get to the hospital and see what's going on first."
Yuntan nodded, covered his eyes and turned to look out the window.
She thought she must have burst into tears, but when she raised her hand and touched it, she found that it was dry.
The taxi stopped in front of the hospital. Yun Tan pushed open the door and ran out. Lu Wangshan paid the fare and immediately followed - at this moment, he could no longer "avoid suspicion" in front of others, he had to stay with Yun Tan.
Yuntan has never been good at long-distance running, but he ran all the way up the stairs without even waiting for the elevator.
But when she was really about to push open the heavy door leading to the emergency room, she suddenly hesitated and became timid. She didn't dare. She was afraid of hearing the worst news. She would rather stand here and escape for the rest of her life, just to avoid losing her grandmother.
She has never felt the warmth of family love in her life, except from her grandmother.
Many memories that she thought she had forgotten flooded her mind. Before she could sort them out, she suddenly heard Yun Qihui's hoarse and painful "Mom" from the other side of the door.
Yuntan felt as if he had been electrocuted, and was completely frozen in place.
Until Lu Wangshan hugged her shoulders, put his hands over her, pressed the door handle down and pushed the door open.
"I'll accompany you." He whispered.
All this happened so suddenly. My grandma just felt dizzy the day before and thought it was because she hadn't slept well recently. But when she got up in the early hours of the morning, she suddenly fainted.
There was an emergency call bell installed in the room. After the caregiver woke up, he hurried to call Yun Qihui and rushed him to the hospital for emergency treatment as quickly as possible, but it was too late.
Yun Tan watched Yun Qihui, who always had a refined demeanor, kneel on the ground, covering his face and crying.
She stood there, looking at everything in front of her blankly.
It was too sudden, really too sudden.
Yuan Qinrong stood beside Yun Qihui and patted him on the shoulder, while Yun Jin also stood aside in silence.
They turned around and saw Yun Tan and Lu Wangshan beside her, but they couldn't ask anything at this moment.
Yuan Qinrong walked forward and gently held Yun Tan's hand.
She had no time to distinguish whether the tears she shed were true or false. Her mind was blank and her ears were ringing. She heard Yuan Qinrong's voice as if coming from far away: "Grandma is old after all..."
She mechanically turned her head to look at Yuan Qinrong, her whole body numb: "How is grandma? What did the doctor say?"
"Xiao Tan... please accept my condolences." Yuan Qinrong said softly.
Her eyelashes trembled, and she opened her lips slightly in disbelief, wanting to ask something but ultimately unable to.
Yuntan paused for dozens of seconds, then suddenly rushed to the emergency room. She finally burst into tears and screamed "Grandma".
She slammed her head against the hard and cold door of the operating room without feeling any pain. Then her legs went weak and she fell to the ground, tears finally falling.
Lu Wangshan half-knelt on the ground, hugged her from behind, and repeated her name in a low voice.
-
Those three days passed slowly and quickly.
The funeral and cremation took place before daybreak. Yuntan stopped crying afterwards; she remained incredibly calm and composed throughout, handling the funeral arrangements and entertaining the guests.
When Yun Tan took the urn to the cemetery for burial, he realized that his grandmother had bought a cemetery for him five years ago and had prepared for this day.
At that time, Yun Tan was far away in a foreign country and had no idea of this. She thought her grandmother could stay with her for a long time and there would be plenty of time in the future.
Yuan Hongren was also here today. He didn't quite understand the meaning of death, and he didn't cry. He held Yun Tan's hand and watched everything blankly.
After leaving the cemetery, Yun Qihui, as the only son, had to continue to entertain the guests attending the funeral.
Most of the people who came were relatives and friends from the Yun family, and no one from the Yuan family came.
Lu Wangshan was also there. He had been with Yun Tan every day for the past three days. He was worried every minute that Yun Tan would not be able to hold on, but he had managed to hold on until today.
During the process, Lu Chengjun and Xiang Yin called him and asked if they should also come to mourn.
Lu Wangshan refused.
The fact that he was with Yun Tan at this moment was enough to cause discussion in the outside world. If his parents came to mourn again, even more ridiculous rumors would probably spread, which would make Yun Tan feel burdened.
After the last funeral banquet, Yun Tan sent the guests away and was about to let Lu Wangshan go back, but as soon as he opened his mouth, he suddenly felt dizzy and fainted.
…
Yuntan had the same dream over and over again. The dream was complicated and chaotic, and there was not much content about her grandmother. It just trapped her in the same place over and over again.
The dream ended that day when she was still in Milan and suddenly received a call saying that her grandmother had suffered a cerebral hemorrhage and was sent to the emergency room. In the dream, the plane took off and she suddenly woke up and sat up.
"Xiao Tan."
She smelled a familiar scent that had been lingering in her dreams, and now she finally saw his face clearly, anxious and uneasy, his clear pupils reflecting her sweaty self.
Yuntan kept mumbling and sweating in his sleep.
Lu Wangshan didn't know how many times he had wiped her sweat.
“Grandma, grandma…”
She tried to get the answer that it was all just a nightmare, but Lu Wangshan's expression told her otherwise.
"Grandma has been buried, Xiao Tan, you have to accept this fact." Lu Wangshan said softly.
She had been pretending to be strong for so many days and finally burst into tears in Lu Wangshan's arms. Her tears seemed endless and quickly wet a large area of his collar.
She sobbed and stumbled as she spoke a lot to Lu Wangshan.
She said that when her parents divorced, neither of them wanted her, and it was her grandmother who took care of her.
Talk about every detail of my childhood life with my grandmother.
She also said that she had talked with her grandmother all night before going to Milan, and when she was hesitant, it was her grandmother who encouraged her to do what she wanted to do.
Lu Wangshan also understood from her intermittent words that she had struggled before.
This was the first time Yuntan truly faced the death of a loved one.
Such an unimaginable painful thing turned out to be so trivial when it really happened. Three days pushed her forward. She had no choice but to accept it all. Everything seemed like a dream.
"I will stay with you, Xiao Tan." Lu Wangshan whispered.
He didn't know how to comfort her. All his words were too soft. He could only keep repeating, "I will be with you in the days to come."
He couldn't consider their relationship at this time and could only tell the truth.
Yun Tan finally remembered the diamond ring she found in Lu Wangshan's car before Yun Qihui's call.
-
At the same time, the funeral banquet ended, and speculation about the relationship between Lu Wangshan and Yun Tan became more and more rampant.
Yuan Qinrong received several calls asking about her every day. She couldn't show too much enthusiasm because her family had just finished a funeral. She just pretended to laugh and said that her daughter had grown up. She didn't want to ask too much about her children's love life.
However, his words had already implicitly implied that Yun Tan and Lu Wangshan were indeed in love.
Amidst the rumors, everyone began to satirize Yun Qihui, both openly praising and secretly criticizing him, saying that he was really lucky, as he married the eldest daughter of the Yuan family in his early years and had no worries about food and clothing all his life. Now that her mother had died, her daughter had hooked up with Lu Wangshan, and that he was really destined to rely on women for his wealth and status all his life.
When Yuan Qinrong married him, she couldn't hold her head up high among the noble ladies until now.
But Lu Wangshan is different. He is the eldest son of the Lu family who is highly expected. He has outstanding abilities and a bright future.
If Yun Tan really married him, Yun Qihui would become Lu Wangshan's father-in-law, and Yuan Qinrong would become his mother-in-law. No matter how much ridicule he had endured in the first half of his life, it would be over now, and he would be able to hold his head high wherever he went from then on.
It's really a matter of time, and the rumors that are getting more and more intense are mostly due to jealousy.
A week later, Mr. Yuan Fang celebrated his 80th birthday and not only invited Yuan Qinrong, but also Yun Qihui, Yun Tan and Yun Jin.
This was the first time in their twenty years of marriage.
Yuan Qinrong attached great importance to this and regarded it as a sign that she had regained an important position in this prosperous family.
She specially asked someone to take a picture of "Pine, Plum and Two Cranes" and asked Yun Qihui to give it to his father as a birthday gift. She also prepared the best and most precious supplements for Yun Tan and Yun Jin respectively.
She also brought Yuan Hongren with her for the first time - she had never appeared in public with Yuan Hongren before.
In the car, Yun Tan, Yun Jin and Yuan Hongren sat in the back seat.
Yuan Hongren was very excited, clapping and laughing all the way. It had been a long time since he had gone out to play with Yun Tan.
"Where! Where!" Yuan Hongren asked.
Yuan Qinrong turned her head and replied with a smile: "Hongren, we are going to grandpa's house."
Yuntan remained silent, staring out the window. Ever since her grandmother passed away, she hadn't slept or eaten well. She had become much thinner and more depressed.
Even today, she still feels confused.
Grandma had just passed away a week ago, and a week later they went to celebrate Yuan Qinrong's father's birthday happily.
The car passed through the lush green avenue, and a duty officer in white uniform appeared at the gate in front of them, bowed and saluted them, welcoming them.
Yuan Fang's birthday was celebrated with great ceremony.
Yuan Fang's five children and younger generations presented gifts.
Yuan Qinrong walked forward holding Yun Qihui's arm. Yun Qihui handed the painting forward and said the birthday greetings, "I wish Dad a long and healthy life."
Yuan Fang gave him face this time and said with a smile: "Qi Hui is worthy of being a professor. The gift he gave is the most elegant." He immediately sent someone to hang it in his study.
Yun Tan and Yun Jin also received unprecedented attention.
Even the seating arrangement was different from usual, with Yuan Qinrong's position being second only to Yuan Siliu, who was now in charge of the Yuan family.
Yun Jin secretly curled his lips and sneered, mockingly saying, "When one person succeeds, the whole family will prosper."
For the first time, Yuntan felt that what he said was right.
At the same time, a servant suddenly came to report that the Lu family's car had arrived. Yuan Fang stood up with the help of his crutches and went to greet it in person.
Yuntan paused and turned his head to look.
Then I saw Lu Chengjun and Xiang Yin getting out of the car, and finally Lu Wangshan.
Lu Wangshan also saw her, and their eyes met in mid-air. Yun Tan frowned and looked away first.
They hadn't seen each other for nearly a week. She had been living in her grandmother's former room for the week since her grandmother passed away and had never returned to Lu Wangshan's place.
Lu Wangshan knew that this incident was extremely traumatic for her, so he didn't know what to say or ask.
Looking at today's seating arrangement, Yun Tan finally figured out what Yuan Fang was planning.
Sitting at the main table were Yuan Fang, Yuan Siliu, Yuan Qinrong's family, and Lu Wangshan's family.
When they first sat down, no one mentioned the main purpose of the day, and the discussion was still focused on Yuan Fang's birthday.
Yuan Hongren was sitting on Yuntan's right. He had seen Yuntan every day in the past week, so he was very happy every day. However, being surrounded by too many strangers made him feel anxious and uneasy.
He accidentally knocked over the cup, and Yuan Qinrong and the servants immediately surrounded him. Everyone's attention was drawn to him, and Yuan Hongren suddenly started screaming and crying.
The spilled drink flowed down the table to Yun Tan's hand. She quickly wiped it with a tissue and stopped Yuan Hongren from trying to grab the broken pieces: "Be good, Hongren, it's okay."
But at this time, he was not so easy to listen to what others said, and continued to cry loudly.
Yuan Fang was ashamed of his grandson and couldn't bear to lose face, so he ordered the servant to take Yuan Hongren to the lounge first.
Yuntan no longer wanted to stay at the dining table, so he went along.
The solitude helped Yuan Hongren regain his composure. Then the door opened and Lu Wangshan walked in.
Yun Tan was stunned: "You shouldn't have come."
This was the first sentence Yun Tan said to him today.
Of course, Lu Wangshan understood the purpose of Yuan Fang's arrangement today, but he couldn't care less about anything else.
He raised his hand without caring, gently stroking Yun Tan's cheek with his fingertips, and whispered, "You've lost weight."
Yun Tan's nose suddenly felt sore, and he forced himself to turn his head away: "If you come over now, Yuan Qinrong will spare no effort to match us up. In her opinion, your current behavior means that you are willing to take care of Hongren for me in the future."
After her grandmother passed away, Yuan Qinrong became more aware that it was impossible for her to take care of and accompany Yuan Hongren for his entire life. One day she would also pass away, leaving Yuan Hongren alone in this world. The sense of urgency made her place all her hopes on Yun Tan.
As long as Yun Tan marries a good and powerful man, Yuan Hongren will not have to worry about someone taking care of him in the future. Lu Wangshan is of course the best choice.
Lu Wangshan looked at Yun Tan quietly. He wanted to say that he was willing. He was willing to do anything. He didn't care whether he was matched up or used. He was happy with it anyway.
But Lu Wangshan also knew that this was not the answer Yun Tan wanted to hear right now.
After a moment of silence, he gently took Yun Tan into his arms and asked softly, "So what are you going to do? Tell me what you need me to do."
Yun Tan raised his head, looked straight ahead, and said firmly, "They will definitely mention us at the dinner table. I want you to completely reject me and put an end to their thoughts."
"You reject me, and I will take care of the rest." Lu Wangshan said.
He wasn't afraid of being rejected, but if Yun Tan was rejected, she would definitely be slandered by rumors. She might not care, but Lu Wangshan did.
Yuntan: "Okay."
-
After comforting Yuan Hongren, Lu Wangshan and Yun Tan returned to the dining table one after another.
Yuan Qinrong smiled and said, "Thanks to Wangshan for accompanying Xiao Tan the entire time last week. Xiao Tan has been close to her grandmother since she was a child, and she was truly heartbroken."
Yuan Siliu also echoed, "I didn't even know Wangshan and Xiaotan had such a close relationship before. Sure enough, the future is all about the younger generation. We are all old now."
"Don't mention you, big brother. Xiao Tan even hid it from me." Yuan Qinrong asked Xiang Yin, "Mrs. Lu, did Wangshan tell you about it?"
Xiang Yin glanced at Yun Tan and noticed that she remained silent on this topic.
Xiang Yin didn't want to say much, so he just shook his head and said, "I'm busy with work, and I don't often talk about this with Wangshan."
Yuan Qinrong laughed and said, "Look at the two of them. They managed to keep such a happy event a secret! I used to worry about Xiao Tan's future marriage. If I had known it was Wang Shan, I wouldn't have to worry at all."
The topic had almost reached its peak, and Yuan Fang, who was sitting on the main seat, spoke at the right time: "Chengjun, Wangshan will be 29 soon, and Xiaotan will be 25. It's time to consider marriage. I wonder if my granddaughter will satisfy you."
These words clearly show that he is taking advantage of his age and status to put pressure on Lu Chengjun, a junior. He simply sees that Lu Chengjun is a person who respects the elderly.
If we really talk about family background, Yun Tan, the granddaughter who has never entered the Yuan family, can never compare with Lu Wangshan. She just wants Lu Chengjun to nod and acknowledge her in front of others so that everything can go smoothly in the future.
Before Lu Chengjun could speak, Yun Tan spoke.
She sat in her seat unmoved, her eyes fixed on Yuan Fang, neither humble nor overbearing, yet stern and sneer-sounding, as she asked, "Granddaughter?"
"I don't have a drop of Yuan family blood in me, so how can I be considered your granddaughter?"
Everyone thought that today was a Hongmen Banquet specially arranged by the Yuan family for the Lu family. No one expected that Yun Tan would overturn the table in public. All eyes, openly and covertly, fell on her.
"I'm 25 now. Today is the first time I've walked into the Yuan family's front door. It's the first time I've heard you call me 'Xiao Tan'. When grandma passed away, no one from the Yuan family came to pay their respects. It's so strange to be your granddaughter."
Yuan Qinrong pulled her sleeve under the table and scolded her in a low voice: "Xiao Tan!"
Yun Tan remained unmoved. He slowly lowered his gaze to her and spoke in a flat and straightforward voice, "And you, Yuan Qinrong—I should be able to call you that, after all, I haven't called you mom for nearly seven years."
"You've always been concerned about your reputation and never brought Yuan Hongren with you. Why did you bring him along today? Is it because you want to see if Lu Wangshan is someone you can use? If we were together, would he also be forced to shoulder your son's fate? It's true that loving parents always have far-reaching plans for their children, but we can't all be your pawns."
"The relationship between Lu Wangshan and me is not what you imagine. It's not now, and it won't be in the future."
Yun Tan's few calm words completely shattered the illusion of harmony that had just been created.
In the past, she had always been tolerant because of her grandmother, but now, she could finally express her dissatisfaction with Yuan Qinrong's family without any scruples.
The entire banquet hall fell silent for a moment.
Yun Tan stood up, her face stern and solemn. She glanced at everyone and finally said, "Mr. Yuan, it seems I won't have to continue eating today. Enjoy your meal, everyone."
After saying that, he turned and left.
Everyone only started to react at this moment, talking and arguing. Yun Qihui and Yuan Qinrong scolded her for being rude and shouted at her to "stop". Yuan Siliu despised Yun Qihui's child in his heart, thinking that she was not presentable. Yuan Fang stood up and angrily ordered the servants to stop Yun Tan.
Yun Tan walked through the noisy crowd without looking back, with two servants chasing her quickly behind her.
A gust of draft blew through the hall, blowing the hem of her clothes backwards, making her look even more fierce and cold.
Lu Wangshan stood up at this moment. His voice was neither loud nor soft, and calm, but it made everyone quiet down again, and no one dared to chase Yun Tan anymore.
"Mr. Yuan, even my parents have never asked much about my marriage, let alone you interfering again and again."
It was a simple but powerful remark, and everyone's expression changed.
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