CH 31.2

She did not dare to lift up that white cloth, but she clearly heard her unusually calm voice.

“Cheng Yuelin, I don’t have a grandfather anymore.”

It was only a few hours ago that her grandfather had told her to take good care of herself and said the usual words of concern.

The events had unfolded too quickly and Ruan Zhiyin did not expect that this moment would come in this manner.

She did not even have the opportunity to say goodbye to the old man properly.

The slight trembling of her hands gave away the emotions in her heart. Cheng Yuelin looked at her reddened eyes and quietly said: “Ruan Zhiyin, if you want to cry, you don’t need to hold it in.”

The argument continued in the corridor.

Ruan Zhiyin heard his words and froze before she shook her head: “No. Cheng Yuelin, I… want to go home.”

Even though she knew that she should not avoid it, she could no longer stay here calmly.

She did not want to see Lin Cheng and Lin Jingfei arguing and she did not want to see the death certificate that Ji Yijun had received.

She wanted to go home, even if it was a bit selfish.

“Okay. We will go home.”

Cheng Yuelin’s words had no hint of hesitation. He knew that Ruan Zhiyin would not be able to relax or express her emotions in this sort of environment.

So he held her hand and comforted. “Don’t worry. Bai Bo will be here. He will help Ji Yijun handle everything. I will accompany you home.”

///

The Bentley drove quickly. The entire journey back, Ruan Zhiyin did not open her mouth again. She had returned back to being in a daze.

After half an hour, the two people dragged their tired and hungry bodies back into the house.

Cheng Yuelin used his fingerprints to unlock the door and pushed the door open into the living room. The inside was pitch black.

Out of habit, he reached towards the light switch, but he was stopped by Ruan Zhiyin’s voice.

Cheng Yuelin, don’t turn on the light.”

Her voice carried the hint of a sob.

She finally could not suppress the emotions in her heart.

Cheng Yuelin sighed and pulled her into his arms. He felt Ruan Zhiyin’s thin shoulders twitching and trembling. His shoulder quickly became damp and the heat from the hot tears slowly scalded his heart.

In the dark living room, Ruan Zhiyin hid in the man’s arms and did not know how long she cried for.

She knew that her current look was extremely pitiful. Previously she had held back her emotions at the hospital, but now that she was back in a familiar environment, she could not suppress it anymore.

The doctor had repeatedly warned them and Ruan Zhiyin knew that this day would soon come. However her closest relative had just passed away in such a regrettable way, her heart felt like a piece had been torn away.

Cheng Yuelin tightened his arms and gently patted her shoulder. When her sobs subsided, he lowered his voice and said: “Isn’t there still me? Ruan Yingying, we are also… family.”

Ruan Zhiyin silently paused. She had never thought he would use the words family, to describe their relationship.

After she was silent for a long time, her muffled voice said…

“Cheng Yuelin, aren’t I very selfish?”

“Why would you say that?”

“Grandfather treated me so well these past few years, but I have always just been… polite.”

Ruan Zhiyin paused for a long time before she could describe the sense of distance that had existed between her and her grandfather.

Perhaps her grandfather also regretted this.

Otherwise, when she was at the family home, he would not have tried to persuade her to put down her walls in front of Cheng Yuelin.

It was not that Ruan Zhiyin did not know that her grandfather wanted the best for her, but it was not only her that her grandfather treated well. He also loved his other granddaughter and loved her tenderly. As for her, after being raised away from him, she did not know how to put down all her barriers in front of him.

The biggest thing that had distressed Grandpa Ruan was the fact that she had gone missing during her childhood. So after she had returned home, he tried to favor her more. However this caused Lin Jingfei to become jealous and unhappy.

Perhaps this was also a flaw in her character.

She was too selfish. She was unwilling to open up to everyone and would always put up walls to protect herself and avoid getting hurt.

“Ruan Yingying, don’t think like that. You are already doing very well right now.”

Cheng Yuelin’s eyes were filled with a deep emotion and using the small amount of moonlight leaking in from the window, his warm fingertips gently wiped away the tears at the corner of Ruan Zhiyin’s eyes.

“You don’t want grandfather to leave with any worries, but your grandfather would not want to make things difficult for you. So even though you have been hiding what the Lin family has been doing, it would not be considered selfish.

After speaking, he raised his eyebrows slightly and patted her head. “However, you did do something wrong and you should change it in the future.”

Ruan Zhiyin paused and asked: “What did I do?”

“Do not worry so much. You should actually think about what you can do to make yourself happy.”

The very last sentence was said very quietly and Ruan Zhiyin could not see the emotions filling his eyes.

She had just barely pulled herself out of the strong emotions that had gripped her and she did not allow herself to think too deeply about his words.

She only frowned and tried to regain some of her lost composure.

“Cheng Yuelin…”

“I have said it before, you do not need to thank me.” Cheng Yuelin cut off her words. He stopped and sighed. “Ruan Zhiyin, have you heard of this saying?”

Ruan Zhiyin looked up and asked: “What saying?”

“The real death of a person doesn’t occur when his life ends. Instead it is when he is forgotten by everyone. Your grandfather would not want to see you sad because of his passing. As long as you remember him, it would be as though he had never left.”

Ruan Zhiyin had rarely heard Cheng Yuelin speaking in such a serious tone, but she also knew that his words were meant to comfort her.

In fact, during this time, the doctor had hinted to them many times that the old man could pass away at any time.

In this matter, Ruan Zhiyin was not unprepared.

She was just regretting that she was never able to say goodbye to her grandfather properly.

With that thought, Ruan Zhiyin closed her eyes that had become red and swollen and asked quietly: “When we went to the family home last time, what did grandfather say to you?”

What did he say?

Cheng Yuelin lowered his gaze to look at her. He knew that what she was really asking was whether or not her grandfather had talked about her to him.

After a pause, he gently said: “Ya. Grandpa said he hoped that Yinyin would also be happy in the future.”

Grandpa Ruan also had regrets, but he selfishly did not want her to be burdened by them. As for what her grandfather’s wishes for her, Cheng Yuelin will fulfill them.

Those tasks will be up to him to do.