It sounded like Old Man Xian already knew who Qin Gengxin's grandmother was, and it seemed like they really did have some sort of relationship.
Obviously, the Old Man had not known about it when Xian Guiying was first married, but he knew about it now.
Xian Guiying wanted to ask what the reason was and what kind of story existed between him and Qin Gengxin's grandmother, but as the words were about to get to her mouth, she didn't have the heart to ask.
Her goal was to visit her seriously ill grandfather, not to solve her marriage problem. Right now, it was her grandfather's body that was most important to her. If she recklessly asked about it and reminded him of something unpleasant, it would only worsen his illness.
Therefore, Xian Guiying restrained herself, only maintaining a smile. She patiently listened to his slow, slurping voice.
Old Man Xian didn't have the strength to say too much. He just kept holding Xian Guiying's hand.
Xian Guiying sat quietly beside him, watching him.
The Old Man looked at her for a long time before he slowly said, "Maybe I'm really too unfair to a child like you."
Xian Guiying was upset, but she kept smiling from the moment she went inside the ward. "Grandfather, it's in the past. You're old; I've grown up. When I was young, I wasn't too sensible, so don't take it to heart."
"You don't have to make yourself feel wronged just to make me feel good. Foolish child, I know what I have done." Old Man Xian sighed softly. "It's all because of Cui Luixian, I wronged you. I was muddle-headed. Blame myself…"
The woman in the photo looked very similar to Cui Luixian. Xian Guiying couldn't help but look at the Old Man, "Grandfather, no matter what reason you loved Cui Luixian, I don't care. I was angry with you when I was young, but now that I've grown up, it's actually nothing."
Old Man Xian frowned and didn't speak for a long time.
Suddenly, he asked, "How is your relationship with Qin Gengxin now?"
Xian Guiying was surprised and looked at him for a while. "We are doing very well."
"What happened before? In the years after your marriage, he never brought you back to the Xian Family. Is it because his family doesn't accept you? Or -"
"Grandfather." Xian Guiying said softly, "Don't worry so much."
The Old Man smiled wryly as if he knew everything. He shook his head with a bitter smile.
• • • •
Outside the ward, Zhan An's footsteps stopped.
Qin Gengxin also stopped and stood behind her. Zhan An slowly turned around. Qin Gengxin felt guilty towards Xian Guiying's parents, so he didn't say anything and just smiled at her silently.
Zhan An looked at him indifferently. "The things that happened between you and Guiying in the years after your marriage, I only know a general, not a complete understanding. Qin Gengxin, she is my daughter. In any case, I hope you can treat her well."
"Mom, everything that happened before was my fault. I will not let Guiying suffer again in the future." Qin Gengxin spoke earnestly.
"I'm relieved to hear you say this." Zhan An said, "I'm not an unreasonable person, and I'm not an overbearing person. However, when Qianqian was in the central hospital that year, when she was critically ill, why didn't we see you? At that time, Guiying was like a madman guarding the door outside. If it wasn't for Zihao accompanying her, I really don't know what would have happened to my daughter."
Qin Gengxin opened his mouth and hesitated for a moment before slowly saying, "Mom, I am very sorry. At that time, I was also in another hospital, and after I had abdominal surgery, I took a plane back to H City to find Guiying before the stitches were removed. However, on the day of the accident, I fought with the man trying to kidnap Qianqian. I was punched in the stomach repeatedly and was on the verge of collapse. I wanted to call Guiying and ask about the child's condition after leaving the police station, but as soon as I walked out of the police station door, I didn't know anything."
Zhan An was stunned. She sized him up and found that he did not seem to be lying. "And then?"
This memory was clearly painful for Qin Gengxin. He smiled bitterly, "When I woke up, it had been a few days. Since that day, I could not see the mother and daughter anymore. There was even a misunderstanding. Guiying hated me for this, so she let Wei Shanyuan made a fake death certificate for me. When I got to the Central Hospital, they were already gone."
Zhan An's gaze was locked onto him, and when she saw the calmness and bitterness in his eyes, she did not press him any further, only nodding her head. "You guys are not young anymore, don't be like a child. Whether it is for the relationship between you two for so many years or for the child, you two must live a peaceful life in the future."
"Back then, I agreed to let Guiying leave the Xian Family and go to America because I saw that she suffered too much at home. Cui Luixian was an adopted child of the Xian Family, and I can't be too distant from her, which was why I allowed my daughter to leave. If I had protected my own daughter a bit more back then instead of letting her suffered alone, then there might have been many things that would have been different." Zhan An looked at him indifferently as she spoke.
Qin Gengxin could hear the meaning behind her words. If she hadn't let Xian Guiying leave China at that time, maybe Qin Gengxin and her would never have had a chance to meet. Even if they did, they would only meet once or twice and would have no contact with each other.
Perhaps this way, her daughter would not suffer so much these years.
Qin Gengxin looked at Zhan An sincerely. He then said softly, "Mom, I'm sorry."
"You didn't let me down." Zhan An rolled her eyes. "When people get old, they want their children to be in front of their eyes all the time, especially when it comes to their daughters. They just want their daughter to be happy. Because I didn't see you in the past few years, I couldn't say anything about it, but this matter is hard to bear, no matter how one thinks about it."
"I'm sorry." Qin Gengxin didn't explain anything. He just kept apologizing sincerely, causing Zhan An to lose her temper.
From her eyes, she could tell that Qin Gengxin had blamed himself for these things. Since he already knew what he had done, she didn't have to be angry. She just nodded, "Let's live well in the future. The road ahead is still long."
Zhan An didn't seem to know about the relationship between the Qin and Xian Families, but thinking about it, that's true. After all, she was the daughter-in-law of the Xian Family.
Facing Zhan An's simple wish, Qin Gengxin only smiled. "Thank you, mom."
• • • •
Xian Guiying sat by the sickbed. Old Man Xian, who just held her hand, fell asleep after talking for a while. She gently pulled her hand away. Then she carefully lifted the blanket up, covering his body, and looking at him.
Time had carved countless marks on this Old Man's face.
She knew exactly what kind of stories her grandfather would tell when she was young, and she didn't want to pursue the grievances she suffered at home because of Cui Luixian.
How could she not realize that her grandfather was already so old? Looking at the Old Man, who was so thin and quiet, Xian Guiying suddenly felt a sense of nostalgia for her grandfather, who had chased after her and her brother through the courtyard with his cane, wanting to beat them up.
She slowly lowered her head and lay on the bed. She kept looking at the Old Man's face, but in her mind, she was thinking of that old photo of that young woman who looked like Cui Luixian.
When Old Man Xian was young, did he have a passionate love affair?
She had heard that when her grandfather was in his twenties, the Xian Family had fallen into despair due to certain factors in the country, and the entire family had been single-handedly erected by him. He also personally built the ancestral hall of the ancestors of the Xian Family to let his children and grandchildren know the history of the Xian Family. There were many stories that she had not heard of, but she knew that her grandfather was a legendary figure.
If it wasn't for the hospital's high requirement for patients to rest, this ward would probably be full of people right now.
When the night fell, the Old Man woke up. Xian Guiying sat on the edge of his bed, personally feeding him food. The Old Man happily ate the porridge she fed.
When Qin Gengxin entered the ward afterward, the Old Man's gaze froze for a moment when he saw him, but it disappeared in the blink of an eye.
