Chapter 221 Make up for all the sweetness the whole world owes him.
As soon as Yan Tingnan closed the ward door, she turned around and bumped into a slightly hesitant figure in the corridor.
Lin Xuqiu was holding a bouquet of lilies and standing a few steps away.
Upon seeing him, her face paled instantly, and her fingers tightened unconsciously, causing the bouquet wrapping paper to rustle softly.
Years ago, out of jealousy and hatred, she spread false information between Yan Jibai and Jiang Ya, deliberately creating misunderstandings and hastening the tragedy.
The next person Yan Tingnan will settle scores with is himself.
"Listen to Nan..."
Her throat bobbed, and her voice was dry.
Yan Tingnan's gaze swept calmly over her and landed on the bouquet of flowers.
"Aunt Lin."
His voice was steady, yet it sent chills down Lin Xuqiu's spine.
"You've come to see Grandpa?"
Lin Xuqiu forced a smile, but his eyes betrayed his panic.
"Yes, I heard that the old man's condition is not good."
"It's not very good."
Yan Tingnan strode closer and stopped a step away from her.
"With burns and a sudden surge of anger, how well can it possibly heal?"
Lin Xuqiu's face turned even paler; she understood the deeper meaning behind the words.
To linger on in misery and suffer utter disgrace would be the cruelest punishment for Yan Hongyi.
Looking at the man she had watched grow up, who was now a source of deep-seated hatred for her, the regret and fear that had been building up for half a lifetime finally burst forth.
"Tingnan, I know it's too late to say anything now..."
Her eyes suddenly reddened.
"Back then, regarding your parents' situation, I did say things I shouldn't have said and do things I shouldn't have done."
“I’m jealous of Jiang Ya, I hate that your father only has eyes for her, I…”
She was incoherent, trying to repent, but didn't know where to begin.
Yan Tingnan listened expressionlessly, showing no surprise whatsoever.
“I know very well what role you played in the tragedy of my parents’ past.”
His gaze was deep and unfathomable, reflecting her panicked image.
"You think you're the next person I'll make a move on?"
Lin Xuqiu's heart skipped a beat, and he suddenly looked up.
Yan Tingnan continued speaking in a detached tone.
"You are just the best knife, handed over at the perfect moment."
"You are a pitiful person, trapped in a loveless marriage, scheming for half your life, and in the end, you were also devoured by it."
“But pity is not a reason to do evil.”
“You are pitiful, and you are hateful, but I can distinguish between what is important and what is not.”
Lin Xuqiu trembled all over, and tears streamed down his face.
"What you owed my parents has been settled with the collapse of Qingyan and the old man lying here."
"For the sake of your niece who pleaded for you and the Lin family."
He paused for a moment, then offered his utmost leniency.
That's all.
"Leave Beijing, find a quiet place, and spend the rest of my life there."
"Don't ever appear in front of me and Ruanruan again."
After Yan Tingnan finished speaking, he stopped looking at her and brushed past her.
Lin Xuqiu stood frozen in place for a long time before slowly exhaling a breath he had been holding for too long.
The bouquet of lilies slipped from her hand and scattered on the ground.
She looked in the direction where Yan Tingnan had disappeared and suddenly gave a bitter smile.
I felt relieved, but also as if all my strength had been drained.
...
Su Ruan and Huo Siyue sat down on the sofa in the rest area at the end of the corridor.
Outside the window, the bustling city of Beijing remained as vibrant as ever, a world apart from the life-or-death struggle within the hospital ward.
"Sister-in-law, do you think people are all complicated?"
After a moment of silence, Huo Siyue suddenly spoke, her voice carrying a calmness that was unusual for her usual personality.
Su Ruan glanced at her sideways: "Hmm?"
My maternal grandfather.
Huo Siyue's gaze fell unfocused on the void.
"My maternal grandfather was a complicated person, but he was absolutely wonderful to me and my mother."
"My grandmother passed away not long after my mother was born. My grandfather always felt indebted to her, and from childhood to adulthood, he never forced her to do anything she didn't want to do."
“My mother wanted to marry my father through free choice, and he didn’t oppose it as strongly as he did with my uncle and aunt.”
"Because of their love for me, they've extended that love to my granddaughter as well, showing her genuine indulgence."
“He has always been kind to me and gives me whatever I want. Even if I cause a huge mess, he will at most scold me for a few words and then help me sort it out.”
At this point, Huo Siyue's voice lowered.
“But I know he’s not a good person, at least not to my brother.”
"He was a real bastard to my brother, and to my uncle and aunt."
"When I was little, I didn't understand anything. I just thought my brother was so cool and powerful, and he wasn't afraid of anything."
"Later, when I grew up, I slowly pieced together the truth from my mother and some elderly people, and found out how my uncle and aunt died."
"How did my brother, who was so young, grow up under such high-pressure control from his maternal grandfather?"
Huo Siyue turned her head and looked at Su Ruan with clear and serious eyes.
"Sister-in-law, do you know?"
“My brother adopted a stray dog when he was a child. It was snow-white and he liked it very much.”
"Later, the dog disappeared. He searched for a long time, and then he found it in an abandoned box in the basement. It had been beaten to death."
"No one admits who did it, but everyone knows the truth."
"It's a miracle that my brother is still alive and well today, without going crazy or becoming abnormal, and still willing to love someone properly."
“I feel sorry for my grandfather now, but I feel even more sorry for the years my brother went through.”
Su Ruan felt a tightness in her chest, a mixture of sourness and numbness.
She already knew that Yan Tingnan had a difficult childhood, but hearing such cruel details from others was still very impactful.
He painstakingly pieced himself back together from the chaos and thorns, and did so remarkably well.
Su Ruan sniffed, forcefully suppressing the overwhelming sadness in her heart.
She needs to be nicer to him.
Give him all the sweetness the whole world owes him.
Huo Siyue let out a long breath, releasing the tightness in her chest.
"So, I completely understand my brother."
“Really. From his perspective, Grandpa’s current situation isn’t unjust.”
Huo Siyue's voice lowered again, becoming muffled.
"But I just feel bad. The grandfather who was so good to me and the grandfather who was so bad to my brother are the same person."
"I can't hate him like I hate a purely bad person, nor can I love him without reservation like I love a purely good person."
"Sister-in-law, why are people so contradictory?"
Su Ruan reached out, put her arm around her shoulder, and patted her gently.
"Because people are inherently multifaceted."
"It's true that he's good to you, but it's also true that he's cruel to your brother."
"You don't have to force yourself to take sides. Your feelings and your memories deserve to be respected."
"Understanding your brother's hatred and accepting your own heartache are not contradictory."
"Human emotions are inherently a tangled mess."
Huo Siyue buried her face in Su Ruan's shoulder, her voice muffled.
"I just feel terrible."
"Know."
Su Ruan stroked her back.
Huo Siyue nuzzled Su Ruan's shoulder.
"My sister-in-law is still the best."
"My brother is such an iceberg, he really got incredibly lucky to marry you."
"Yeah, I think so too."
Su Ruan nodded in deep agreement.
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