18
He wanted Ji Shengsheng to stay; he wanted something to happen that night, even if it was just a simple matter of getting closer.
This was his purpose in coming to Yunlan, but it wasn't for desire.
He wants to increase his chances of winning without being disturbed by others.
Whether it was the emotional entanglement or the physical familiarity, upon returning to Lucheng, Ji Shengsheng could no longer ignore him, nor could she pretend that nothing had happened and that they were just friends.
He wanted to see Ji Shengsheng's guilty and hesitant expression, and he wanted Ji Shengsheng to remember what happened that night whenever she saw his face. He wanted Ji Shengsheng to be unable to face other men with composure, until the scales tipped in his favor, until she finally had no choice but to choose him.
He was like a serpent, tempting Eve to sin.
But the bait wasn't an apple; it was himself.
After he extended the invitation, Ji Shengsheng did not immediately accept. Xu Yu felt disappointed.
He certainly wouldn't force her to stay.
She silently helped Ji Shengsheng put the computer and graphics tablet into a bag, and then packed up the medicine for bandaging.
Xu Yu looked at Ji Shengsheng: "Or, I'll let you go."
Let go...
Ji Shengsheng felt a pang in her heart.
"...Could you give me some time?" In her anxiety, all rationality vanished. Ji Shengsheng knew she couldn't accept this outcome. "I'm in a state of turmoil right now."
"good."
Ji Shengsheng originally planned to use her time in Yunlan to think things through and then decide how to proceed with the future after returning home.
But more unexpected situations arose than she had anticipated.
Xu Yu was eager to advance their relationship. After returning from Xu Yu's place, she had just taken a shower and packed her things when she received a call from Xiao Qi.
Xiao Qi's maternal grandmother fell while going out to sunbathe and has been taken to the hospital by her aunt.
Worried that something bad might happen, Xiao Qi decided to go back immediately.
Returning to the Yunlan Mountain area is not easy. Driving is a bumpy and time-consuming journey, and by public transport, there are only two long-distance trains per day.
Although you can still catch the second train now, only standing tickets are left.
Without a second thought, Ji Shengsheng quickly bought two tickets, slung her bag over her shoulder, and set off.
She didn't tell Xu Yu.
It was already past midnight, and he couldn't be kept from resting. Xu Yu also didn't have much time to waste at Yunlan.
This wasn't Ji Shengsheng's first time riding a green-skinned train, but it was the first time he had bought a standing-room-only ticket.
She thought she could find an empty spot to sit down, but in reality, there were people lying asleep even under the chairs. After standing all night, Xiao Qi looked even more haggard than her, so Ji Shengsheng let Xiao Qi lean on her and take a nap.
Finally, when it was time to get off the bus, Ji Shengsheng gently patted Xiao Qi on the shoulder.
After getting off the train, we still had to take a minibus.
Ji Shengsheng and Xiao Qi, along with four other people, squeezed into a crowded train carriage. After four hours of swaying and bumping, they finally arrived at the hospital where Xiao Qi's grandmother was.
Ji Shengsheng was not a family member, and Xiao Qi's uncle refused her visits, so she could only wait at the door of the ward.
The phone indeed had no signal.
Fortunately, she left a note for Xu Yu at the front desk before leaving.
Given the suddenness of the incident, Xu Yu should be able to understand her "departure without saying goodbye".
Xiao Qi's uncle offered three or four different explanations for the reason why Xiao Qi's maternal grandmother accidentally fell.
Ji Shengsheng is not a judge and has no right to interfere in other people's family affairs.
Seemingly realizing that she was Xiao Qi's benefactor, Xiao Qi's uncle repeatedly tried to get her to give him some money as compensation, and even wanted Ji Shengsheng to sponsor his son free of charge.
"If you tell me now and I verbally agree, but then I don't keep my word, there's nothing you can do about it."
Ji Shengsheng was the kind of person who had seen homeless men squat down to defecate right in front of her without any fear. Even if her uncle was twenty or thirty years older than her, she wasn't afraid of him.
"So you should go to the village committee to register and prepare the application materials first."
"Once you have the materials, the village committee will step in, and someone will be there to vouch for you later."
Despite her elderly mother being in the hospital, Xiao Qi's uncle and aunt immediately went home to prepare the application materials.
The ward was unusually quiet, and Xiao Qi and her grandmother were alone together, while Ji Shengsheng gave them some time to talk at the door.
The phone has a signal.
But she still couldn't send her message.
Unsure whether Xu Yu had sent her a message, Ji Shengsheng felt even more uneasy.
There was so much to say, and the three or four hours felt much longer than Ji Shengsheng felt.
During the time she sat outside the ward, she kept thinking about the time she accompanied Xu Yu to the doctor.
His face was deathly pale, his lips were bloodless, and his eyes looked unfocused.
They've done every possible test, but they still can't find the cause. All she hears are keywords that suggest the situation is very serious.
Fever and myocarditis can lead to sudden death if not treated promptly at the hospital.
Ji Shengsheng looked down and counted the stones at her feet.
As it was getting completely dark, Ji Shengsheng bought a few bottles of nutritional drinks at the supermarket downstairs from the hospital. She remembered Xiao Qi saying that her grandmother loved drinking this, but she could never bring herself to spend money on it.
When she returned, Xiao Qi's grandmother had already been taken away.
Life is much more fragile than she imagined.
Ji Shengsheng looked down at the drink she was holding. Some people don't know which meeting will be the last.
The clothes that belonged to Xiao Qi's maternal grandmother were thrown into the trash can.
Uncle Qi said that things related to the dead are unlucky.
Unlucky items should be thrown away.
Turn all the pockets inside out before throwing anything away.
Keep the money, burn the rest.
Funeral rites in the Yunlan Mountain area are very complicated.
Grandma Qi's room, which was filled with things, was quickly tidied up to look like no one lived there.
An old mattress was placed on a bed board, and Grandma Qi lay on it with her eyes closed, looking like a withered leaf.
More than a dozen groups of people came and went, and the scene was nothing short of heart-wrenching.
Everyone at the scene except her and Xiao Qi was crying.
Xiao Qi's aunt was busy taking care of the guests and collecting gifts, while Xiao Qi's uncle called Ji Shengsheng aside and stuffed all the cobbled-together materials into Ji Shengsheng's hands.
"Okay. I'll go back and take a look."
"Let's see now!"
“I don’t have any money. I need to take it back to my parents to show them. They are the ones who actually provided the funding,” Ji Shengsheng said expressionlessly.
"Okay, okay." "Anyone can give us the money." "We really need the money."
While they were entertaining guests, Ji Shengsheng gave the tricycle he had previously given to Grandma Xiao Qi to another elderly woman in the village who collected recyclables.
To ensure that Xiao Qi's uncle would not cause trouble later, Xiao Qi went to the village committee to explain the situation.
Only after confirming that the old man's daughter was extremely brave and fierce and would never suffer at the hands of Uncle Qi did Ji Shengsheng feel relieved.
By the time all the procedures were finished, it was almost afternoon. Xiao Qi's uncle called a car to go to the nearest crematorium and asked Xiao Qi if she wanted to go with him.
Ji Shengsheng wasn't in a hurry to leave. She thought Xiao Qi would want to see her grandmother off one last time.
Unexpectedly, Xiao Qi rejected her uncle's suggestion and instead took advantage of the time difference while the family went to the funeral home to tell Ji Shengsheng that she wanted to go back to Yunlan to continue working.
Ji Shengsheng didn't ask why, nor did he offer any advice. He simply embarked on the return journey with her.
After nearly fifteen hours, they returned to Yunlan.
Instead of letting Xiao Qi go to the dormitory, Ji Shengsheng planned to take her to stay in a hotel for a few days. Although she also had many things to do, she couldn't bear to leave such a young girl alone here.
Her luggage must have been taken by Xu Yu, and it seems that Xu Yu received the note she left behind.
After the signal and network were restored, she checked her phone repeatedly, but there were no messages from Xu Yu.
"Sister Sheng Sheng, are you really going to sponsor him?"
Xiao Qi went to work as if nothing had happened, and at the end of the day, she chatted with her as usual.
No, it won't.
If she didn't give Uncle Qi's family hope, they might not be able to leave so easily. As for those materials, she had already thrown them in the outhouse in the yard; they were probably burning with rage by now.
“Actually, I really wanted to go with them, to hold my grandma’s ashes.” Xiao Qi paused for a few seconds, “but I know they won’t let me hold them. When they come back, they might even ask you for money.”
"So, you didn't go with them because you were afraid we wouldn't be able to leave smoothly?"
Xiao Qi nodded.
They were thinking the same thing.
"Would you like something to eat now?" Ji Shengsheng asked, browsing through food delivery apps.
They hadn't eaten much for two days. She was okay, but Xiao Qi was growing and couldn't keep going hungry like this.
"Sister Shengsheng, I don't have much of an appetite." Xiao Qi shook her head and looked at her with some concern. "Sister, are you going back?"
"No rush," Ji Shengsheng reassured her. "You can work during the day, and I'll paint here. We have plenty of time."
There are still more than two weeks until the next meeting at Xuyu Company. During this time, she can finish drawing the first drafts.
"Thank you, Sister Sheng Sheng."
"You're welcome."
More than a week passed like this. One night, Ji Shengsheng finally heard Xiao Qi cry.
Xiao Qi said that her grandmother left as if she had never existed. She is her grandmother's only legacy.
Ji Shengsheng hugged his knees, watching Xiao Qi crying on the next bed, without making a sound or moving.
It will take more time.
She didn't force Xiao Qi to come out immediately, but simply stayed by her side.
Ji Shengsheng left Yunlan the day before going to Xuyu Company for a meeting.
Xiao Qi's mood has improved a lot, and she has started to study on her own. She applied for a leave of absence for a month, and then she will go back to prepare for the college entrance examination.
Once she was certain that her condition was stabilizing, Ji Shengsheng finally felt a little relieved.
"Sister Shengsheng, my grandma told me before that she wanted to give you her sewing machine."
"That was her dowry, her only good possession..."
"It's a pity it was thrown away..."
"I bought one that I can afford and gave it to you. It should arrive by the time you get home."
"I will live well. For Grandma, for you, sister, and for myself."
"I will live well, I will live a good life."
After she got on the bus, she received these messages from Xiao Qi.
She doesn't actually want anything in return. She helps others because it makes her feel happy.
Thank you for the gift.
“When Grandma isn’t around, I’m your family. Call me anytime if you need anything [hug].
After replying to Xiao Qi's message, Ji Shengsheng opened her chat window with Xu Yu.
I wanted to say something several times, but I didn't know where to begin.
Has he really "let go" since he hasn't contacted her for so long?
She had originally planned to wait until the next day's meeting to talk to Xu Yu in person, but after arriving at the station, in the familiar place and with the familiar air, she felt she couldn't wait that long.
So he opened the chat box and sent a message to Xu Yu.
I want to see you.
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