Chapter 285 Two-Eight-Five-Two-in-One
285:
Grandpa Feng listened to his words for a long time without saying anything more.
The child actually made Feng Que apologize to him, but he wasn't angry or furious. He didn't even make Feng Que apologize to him; instead, he made Feng Que apologize to him.
We must speak out for him and demand justice.
But what about him?
Was the affection he showed fake?
Was he not hurt?
He was clearly the youngest, the one who should be cared for and protected the most, but now it's him who has to worry about and protect others.
Grandpa Feng sighed silently in his heart.
He had thought Ye Qingxi was too precocious before, and now he felt that way even more.
What six-year-old would think so much?
What parent's beloved child, after being injured, would not first cry out in dissatisfaction and resentment, but instead worry about others and hope that they would receive the apology they deserve?
Only Ye Qingxi.
Only he would do something like that.
Grandpa Feng looked at the wooden box on the table that he had specially commissioned to be made.
He still remembered Ye Qingxi's surprise when she saw the jade pendant, his secret joy when he looked at it under the moonlight, and how the emerald green jade pendant swayed on his wrist when he raised his hand to wave, like a green leaf growing on his wrist.
And now, the fallen leaves have returned to their roots, coming back to him once more.
But it doesn't belong to him.
The person who belongs to it is not in this house.
At that moment, he felt inexplicably melancholy.
If only he hadn't taken it upon himself to go find Ye Qingxi back then.
If only he had listened to Feng Que when he advised him not to go to Ye Qingxi.
If he hadn't been so impatient, so curious, and hadn't tried to find out what kind of personality Ye Qingxi had and whether she could get close to Feng Que in the future, then perhaps none of this would have happened.
Mu Shaowu and Feng Que are still fake boyfriends.
If they break up a year later, at most it will be a few words of lament from the parents, but it won't affect Ye Qingxi at all.
He will still be Mu Shaowu's most beloved treasure.
They will continue to grow up happily and carefree, just like before.
It was his selfishness that caused Ye Qingxi unnecessary harm.
As Grandpa Feng looked at the television in front of him, memories of the times they sat together watching TV flashed through his mind.
His traces are everywhere in this house.
He ate a small cake while sitting on the sofa.
After sitting down at the dining table and eating.
He curiously touched Aristotle's big head in the living room.
Then he threw a frisbee in the yard outside and made Aristotle chase after it.
He laughed easily and happily, his childlike voice filling the house and the surrounding area.
He was always very well-behaved, with a sweet voice, and his bright eyes would crinkle when he spoke.
He called him "Great-Grandpa" in a childish voice, full of affection and trust.
He brought him a lot of warmth and joy that he shouldn't have had.
But he caused him unnecessary harm.
Grandpa Feng sighed.
"Have you eaten?" he asked his grandson. "You must be tired. Eat something and then go to sleep."
"Then Grandpa, you..."
Grandpa Feng slowly picked up the box on the table and looked at it quietly.
"I should also pay for my mistakes."
He looked at his grandson and said, "You lied to me and your parents about pretending to be Mu Shaowu's boyfriend. That's your fault."
"But when it came to Ye Qingxi being hurt, I didn't listen to your advice and kept getting close to him. That was my mistake."
“You are my grandson. Even if you are unwilling, you can’t say anything to me. It’s not your fault, it’s my fault.”
"That's not how it is." Feng Que didn't want him to blame himself for the mistake.
However, Old Master Feng stopped him from saying what he wanted to say.
He stood up and said calmly, "Get some rest."
Grandpa Feng carried the wooden box up the stairs.
After entering his bedroom, he sat silently for a long while.
He didn't know how much time had passed before he finally picked up his phone and opened Ye Qingxi's WeChat.
He wanted to apologize to Ye Qingxi for hurting her feelings.
He also wanted to tell Ye Qingxi that even if Mu Shaowu and Feng Que were fake, it didn't matter. He still liked him very much and was willing to continue being his great-grandfather.
He wanted to say a lot, but he always felt that whatever he said would be wrong or bad.
Words are sometimes too cold, expressionless, toneless, and fail to convey emotions or the heart one wants to express.
Grandpa Feng called his driver and asked him to book him a plane ticket for tomorrow.
After thinking for a moment, he changed his mind and said, "Forget it, let's use a private jet instead."
In this way, Aristotle can also be brought along.
After being apart for so long, he must miss his dog friend quite a bit.
On the other side, Mu Shaowu stood in Mu Feng's study and told him what had happened in the past two days.
"So now, Feng Que and I are no longer in a fake relationship."
Mu Feng listened in silence, then asked, "Where's Xiao Xi? Is he alright?"
"He was a little disappointed. After all, he and Grandpa Feng had always gotten along well, and now that he had suddenly discovered the truth and realized that they would most likely not have any contact with each other anymore, it was inevitable that he would feel down. So I thought I would take him out to play during the May Day holiday, help him relax, and distract him."
"Besides, he and Grandpa Feng had agreed to meet again on May Day. I was afraid that staying at home would make him feel sad."
"No need for that yet," Mu Feng said calmly. "There's no rush for May Day, so don't make any plans yet."
"Why?" Mu Shaowu asked, puzzled. "Do you think Old Master Feng will still come over on May Day after he knows the truth?"
“If he has a conscience, he will come over.” Mu Feng’s tone was calm.
Mu Shaowu: ...
"What if he has no conscience?"
Mu Feng smiled. As a junior, he wouldn't mind giving his senior a lesson.
Feng Que proposed that Mu Shaowu be his fake boyfriend; this was Feng Que's initiative.
Grandpa Feng went to see Ye Qingxi; this was Grandpa Feng's initiative.
From beginning to end, the party that took the initiative and the main person responsible for the current outcome are all members of the Feng family.
Mu Shaowu certainly had his share of problems, but no one is perfect.
Mu Shaowu was a father, and seeing his child happy, he couldn't bear to ruin the child's joy. So he turned a blind eye to the development of Ye Qingxi and Grandpa Feng's relationship, which Mu Feng could understand.
But Fengming is different.
He's such a grown man, doesn't he know what he's doing? Doesn't he know what the consequences of his actions will be?
Is Mu Feng's grandson someone that others can get close to or ignore at will?
He respected Fengming as an elder, so he gave him some face. If he could arrive as promised with Ye Qingxi this May Day, and explain things clearly to Ye Qingxi, and treat her well in the future, then that would be the best outcome.
But if he doesn't come, then don't blame him for being impolite.
After all, in terms of development and influence within the country, the Feng family is no longer as powerful as theirs.
"Go back now," Mu Feng said. "Take good care of Xiao Xi and don't make him feel too bad."
"I know," Mu Shaowu nodded.
But just as he turned to leave and reached the door of the study, Mu Feng spoke again, "Let Xiao Xi sleep with me tonight."
Mu Shaowu was somewhat surprised.
Since his father had always had a good relationship with his son, Mu Shaowu did not refuse.
"Okay," he replied.
Ye Qingxi was somewhat surprised when she heard Mu Shaowu say that Mu Feng had asked her to come and sleep over that night.
He only ever slept with Mu Feng when Mu Shaowu wasn't home.
Mu Shaowu is still at home, so why did his grandfather suddenly ask him to go and sleep there?
Could it be because of Feng Que and Old Master Feng?
Ye Qingxi thought about it and felt that this must be it; otherwise, there was no other reason to explain it.
Around 11 o'clock, he took a shower and went to the study to find Mu Feng.
Mu Feng closed the laptop and walked out of the study with him.
Ye Qingxi had slept at Mu Feng's place for a long time and many times. As soon as he entered the room, he went to the bed as if he knew the way well, and then played on the tablet, waiting for Mu Feng to finish taking a shower and then sleep with him.
Looking at his relatively calm and relaxed face, Mu Feng breathed a sigh of relief.
“I thought you would be in a lot of pain,” he said.
Ye Qingxi knew that it was indeed because of Feng Que and Old Master Feng.
He shook his head.
His relationship with Old Master Feng was not "very" close.
"Do you like Feng Que's grandfather?" Mu Feng asked, sitting down beside him.
"I like it," Ye Qingxi said honestly, "but not particularly."
The only people he truly loved were his family.
"So, do you think he likes you?" Mu Feng asked softly.
Ye Qingxi was taken aback, not expecting him to ask that question.
He thought for a moment and answered seriously, "Before today, I should have liked it."
"So what? You don't like it anymore after today?"
"I don't know," Ye Qingxi said honestly.
Grandpa Feng's fondness for him wasn't because of who he was, but because of the false identity he had once been branded with.
Now that mark has been removed, he is no longer the person he thought he was, so he doesn't know if he will still like him.
"But you are still you, aren't you?" Mu Feng said gently. "You were you before today, you are you today, and you will be you after today. You are still you, still Ye Qingxi. You haven't changed, so why should his attitude change?"
"Xiao Xi." Mu Feng looked at him and said, "I called you over tonight to tell you not to let other people's mistakes make you unhappy."
"Just like now, you are still you, you haven't changed. If his attitude towards you changes, then it's his problem. He doesn't like you enough, his feelings aren't pure enough, he doesn't deserve your affection and your disappointment. So, you don't need to waste your feelings, your time and emotions on him."
Ye Qingxi felt that was not the case. "Although I am still me, with the same appearance, voice, and personality, my identity is different now. His affection was not meant for me in the first place, so naturally I should no longer receive his affection, and naturally he can stop liking me."
As Ye Qingxi spoke, she suddenly thought of what would happen if Mu Feng knew that he was not actually Ye Min's grandson.
Ye Min's real grandson has long since left this world.
Will he still like him?
Will she still treat him well and love him like she does now?
Ye Qingxi wasn't originally going to be bothered by this issue.
Because at first, he only wanted to rewrite the fate of the Mu family, so that they wouldn't die in front of him like Ye Min did.
But now, he feels the love that the Mu family has for him.
He gradually, little by little, came to like them intensely and passionately.
So he suddenly became afraid.
He was afraid that Mu Feng would stop loving him the way he did now once he found out.
"Grandpa," Ye Qingxi asked him almost involuntarily, "If today you found out that I'm not actually my grandfather's grandson, not the person you thought I was, would you still like me?"
He asked very softly.
It was as if they didn't dare to ask the question at all.
It's as if you only wanted to think about it in your heart, but unconsciously said it out loud.
He gazed at Mu Feng quietly, his eyes moist as a spring.
But Mu Feng felt that his eyes seemed to be about to rain.
He saw in Ye Qingxi's eyes a precarious helplessness and panic, so fragile that it seemed as if it would shatter at the slightest touch.
He was afraid.
Mu Feng thought that Feng Ming might really be getting old and should die.
He actually made Ye Qingxi feel scared.
He would have been better off dying before Ye Qingxi met him.
"Why wouldn't I?" Mu Feng said matter-of-factly.
“My own grandson is right in front of me, I see him every week, don’t I still love you the most?”
"I'm raising you, someone I can touch and see, someone with personality and thoughts, not a toy doll of yours that sits on my bedside table."
"You've had Cotton Candy for over a year. Now, if I tell you that Cotton Candy isn't the kitten I originally wanted to find for you, would you still like Cotton Candy?"
"You still love a marshmallow even though it can't communicate with you or do things with you. How much more so would you love a living, breathing person in front of me who is now asking me, 'Do you still like me?'"
“If you’re really not your grandfather’s grandson, I’ll find your grandfather’s grandson, and then the two of you can raise him together, right? Anyway, it’s not like I can’t afford to raise him. Besides, with your personality, you shouldn’t feel like you owe him this or that every day, and then worry about this and that for him every day, worrying until you lose yourself. I’ll be thankful.”
Ye Qingxi, who was initially feeling somewhat sad, suddenly felt like laughing after hearing his words.
"Well, I was just taking someone else's place anyway," he said guiltily.
Mu Feng: Well, let him tell us.
"Okay, I'll talk to your father tomorrow and change your surname. From tomorrow on, you won't be called Ye Qingxi anymore, you'll be called Mu Qingxi."
"That won't do," Ye Qingxi said quickly.
The "Ye" he is now belongs to Ye Min. He cannot take over the body of "Ye Qingxi" and change her surname as well. This would be unfair to both Ye Min and "Ye Qingxi".
Mu Feng was just teasing him.
How could he possibly change Ye Min's "Ye" to his own "Mu"? What kind of person would he become then?
He deliberately said, "Didn't you say you took someone else's place? Change it to Mu, and you'll be Mu Qingxi. You'll have nothing to do with Ye Qingxi anymore, so there's no question of taking her place."
"That's not how it is," Ye Qingxi said anxiously, thinking he really wanted to change it.
Mu Feng laughed, "Is that all? And you're still talking about taking up space. Can't you stop thinking about this all day long? When your dad was your age, all he thought about was what to eat, where to go, and what to buy. Can't you learn from him?"
Ye Qingxi: ...That sounds like Kang Cong.
"Anyway, if you are your grandfather's grandson, you are Ye Qingxi; if you are not your grandfather's grandson, then you are Mu Qingxi. Whether it is 'Ye' or 'Mu', you are my favorite grandson."
"Xiao Xi," Mu Feng said earnestly, "we both know that you and I are not related by blood. If I can love you the most, even if it means transcending blood ties, what else can't I overcome?"
At that moment, Ye Qingxi's vision suddenly blurred.
He almost uncontrollably threw himself into Mu Feng's arms and hugged him.
If after today, Grandpa Feng no longer likes him and they no longer contact each other, Ye Qingxi will certainly feel sad, but that's all.
But if one day Mu Feng no longer likes him, even if he doesn't stop talking to him, but just reduces his care and attention, Ye Qingxi feels that he will be in pain and collapse.
He wouldn't be particularly upset by Old Master Feng's aloofness; after a good night's sleep, he would still look forward to tomorrow.
But if it were Mu Feng, he probably wouldn't be able to sleep at all, let alone tomorrow.
For the first time, he felt love, even favoritism, from Mu Feng.
I felt that it was given extreme importance.
I experienced what it feels like to always have someone backing you up.
He admires Shao Wu, but he is dependent on Mu Feng.
He could hide his true feelings from Mu Shaowu without batting an eye, saying he wasn't upset, but he would always reveal his vulnerability to Mu Feng.
Eighteen-year-old Ye Qingxi is also good.
Even six-year-old Ye Qingxi.
To Mu Feng, who is 61 years old, they are all children.
They are all children who can be spoiled, who don't have to be so strong, who are confused and need comforting.
Mu Feng raised his hand, patted his back, and hugged him.
He felt a slight dampness on his shirt, not serious, just a tiny bit, about the size of a coin, which landed right on his chest, burning his heart with warmth and chilling him with pain.
He didn't speak, but gently patted the back of Ye Qingxi's head.
Ye Qingxi didn't stay in Mu Feng's arms for long. After venting her emotions for a bit, she broke free from his grasp and left his embrace.
His eyes were a little red, and his nose was a little sore, so he lowered his head and said somewhat embarrassedly, "Grandpa, you should go take a bath. We should go to sleep."
"Okay," Mu Feng replied.
He stood up, then remembered, "Did you remember what I just told you?"
Ye Qingxi nodded.
"Then starting tomorrow, you're not allowed to be unhappy anymore."
He looked at Ye Qingxi and said, "If I see you crying because of Fengming, you can stop worrying about what time he goes to sleep from now on."
Ye Qingxi was amused by his words.
"His grandfather is so cute," Ye Qingxi thought.
He stood up, walked over to Mu Feng, and hugged him.
"Grandpa, don't worry. You're the closest person to me. You're as big as the Pacific Ocean in my heart, while Great-Grandpa Feng is as small as a morning dewdrop. They're completely different. So, I won't cry for him."
"That's more like it," Mu Feng said with satisfaction.
He didn't want Ye Qingxi to give too much and waste too many emotions on people who didn't love him or weren't worthy of his love.
He allowed Fengming to get close to Ye Qingxi because Fengming at that time showed that he liked her.
He likes that others like Ye Qingxi.
But once Fengming no longer likes her, then he should naturally leave the stage and stay away from Ye Qingxi's life.
As for Ye Qingxi, all he needs is to be loved and to accept love.
He is only six years old now, and he has a long future ahead of him. He will continue to meet many people, many of whom may have loved him before, but then suddenly stopped loving him.
Mu Feng didn't want Ye Qingxi to be heartbroken over this, so on this day, on this calm and cloudless night, he told her what kind of person was worthy of his love and what kind of person was not worthy of his sorrow.
He couldn't be with Ye Qingxi forever, so he hoped that Ye Qingxi could love herself well and protect herself.
Don't get hurt.
Don't get hurt by people who aren't worth it.
Mu Feng patted his head and went into the bathroom.
Ye Qingxi sat on the bed, obediently waiting for him to return.
That night, Ye Qingxi slept soundly.
He listened to Mu Feng's bedtime story and saw Mu Feng in his dream.
The Mu Feng in the dream is just like the Mu Feng in reality; he looks serious, aloof, unapproachable, and difficult to get close to.
The eighteen-year-old stood before him, somewhat at a loss, and whispered, "Grandpa."
Then he heard Mu Feng say, "So that's what it looks like."
"Fortunately, he's still just a child."
In Mu Feng's eyes, he always seemed to be a child.
You can always just be a child.
Ye Qingxi woke up earlier than usual.
Mu Feng, who had a regular schedule, woke him up, ate breakfast with him, and then asked Mu Shaowu to take him to school.
Looking at the scenery outside the window, Ye Qingxi felt that the sunshine seemed particularly bright today.
"Dad, where are we going for the May Day holiday?" Ye Qingxi asked him.
Thinking about what Mu Feng had said last night, Mu Shaowu said, "I haven't decided yet. Is there anywhere you'd like to go?"
"I haven't decided yet, but could we bring Grandpa along too?" Ye Qingxi turned to look at him. "Or a family trip, and invite Uncle, Aunt, Brother Qin Cheng, and Aunt as well."
Mu Shaowu: ...Goodness, this is a tour group.
"That depends on whether your uncle and the others will have time."
"I'll ask about it later."
"Mm," Mu Shaowu said.
Looking at Ye Qingxi, he figured that she didn't seem to be in pain anymore.
That's good.
What he least wanted to see was Ye Qingxi's sadness and disappointment.
Mu Shaowu escorted Ye Qingxi to the school gate and said to him, "See you at noon~"
"Okay." Ye Qingxi slung her backpack over her shoulder. "Goodbye, Daddy~"
Goodbye~
Mu Shaowu watched Ye Qingxi enter the school before driving back.
All morning, Ye Qingxi hesitated about whether to send a WeChat message to Grandpa Feng to ask if he would be coming over for the May Day holiday.
Although he felt he probably wouldn't come back, they had made a promise before, and regardless of whether that promise still stood, Ye Qingxi felt she had to let him know so he could make plans for the future.
He opened his chat window with Grandpa Feng several times, edited the content, and then slowly deleted it.
I felt a little awkward.
And if this WeChat message is sent out, won't Feng Que's grandfather think that he wanted him to come?
He didn't want to cause him such a misunderstanding.
Ye Qingxi propped her chin up, thought it over and over, and finally decided that since there were still a few days until May Day, she would wait a couple of days before making a decision.
The main reason was that he felt that if it hadn't happened yesterday, Feng Que should have returned the jade pendant to Old Master Feng today.
When Grandpa Feng saw the jade pendant, he understood his meaning and perhaps he would give him a reply.
It's fine to continue with the previous agreement.
Let's not contact each other anymore.
Once he speaks first and gives an answer, he knows what to do next.
With that in mind, he rode in Mu Shaowu's car home in the afternoon.
However, as soon as Ye Qingxi arrived at her doorstep, she saw a familiar white Samoyed running around happily on their lawn.
Upon seeing him return, the Samoyed's eyes immediately lit up. It turned its head and ran quickly towards him with all four paws.
Ye Qingxi was almost knocked down by its sudden pounce.
He felt the white dog's head bobbing around on his head, its pink tongue constantly licking his face. He chuckled and patted its big head, coaxing, "That's enough, that's enough. I know you missed me."
The large white head finally stopped moving, but its pink tongue was still sticking out, and its black grape-like eyes were beautiful and bright.
Ye Qingxi looked at the big dog in front of her, which was grinning foolishly.
—It was his familiar dog friend, Aristotle.
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