Chapter 220: Grandma Liu's true thoughts
Nana sighed.
Why did she feel that Jinhai’s revenge was not that ‘little’?
Seriously, he was a vengeful person. She could tell that by feeling her sore nether regions. She merely teased him for having a woman and look at what she got herself into?
Jinhai said, “I will just meet Dad and quickly come back.”
He was about to reach the door when Nana asked, “Oh, I forgot! Grandma said that you didn’t like the names I suggested.”
Jinhai stiffened.
“So, did you really not like-” Nana turned to look at him, but there was no sign of him.
“…”
She could only pitifully stare at the empty space with an imaginary leaf rolling past her.
—
Grandma Liu sat on the bed, contemplating what happened earlier.
She was walking through the corridor, passing by Jinhai and Nana’s room, when she heard him take her name. She stopped. She wanted to ignore and walk on, but she got curious about what they were talking about her. But she was hesitating.
She knew Jinhai now hated her, and he wouldn’t say any nice things. She wanted to save herself from that hurt, but she still couldn’t help herself standing near the door, listening to their conversation.
Then, slowly as she kept on listening to Nana, her hand holding the stick started trembling. Her eyes turned glassy and moist.
She couldn’t believe that even after everything that happened, that girl still had the heart to empathize with her.
She did not need to do that. Everybody in Liu family except her had happily accepted Nana as Jinhai’s wife and as the daughter-in-law of Liu family. When everyone is ignoring her, she does not have to try so hard to gain her recognition.
She can also just ignore her and carry on with her life.
But she is doing it nevertheless because she wants everyone to be happy.
Grandma Liu sadly chuckled. “You still want this old woman to be happy? I am the cause of this entire tragedy.”
Now that she honestly thought about it, without any bias and filter, her opinion and impression of Nana had already changed when Huian confessed in the hospital that she came back to save her that night they got kidnapped.
She was stunned.
She had to admit that what Nana did required an exceptional amount of courage and bravery. A slight mistake, and she would have ended up just like Suyin.
It was easy, very easy to run away for her life and her dignity. But, she still chose to take that risk.
When Huian said that she, in the moment of panic, left Nana alone, for the very first time, Grandma Liu got angry at Huian. She couldn’t believe that she was so heartless. That girl put her life on stake for saving her, and was it that easy for her to abandon her?
But seeing Huian’s tears, she couldn’t bring herself to get hard on her. But inwardly, she was very disappointed.
And what’s more, Nana must have definitely remembered everything after regaining consciousness.
But, she didn’t utter even a single word of complaint. She could have made everyone ostracize Huian by telling the truth.
She could have asked for justice.
Really, how much hurt and pain she must have felt that night?
But, she kept quiet.
Even when her engagement broke, any other girl of her class probably would have still shamelessly clung onto Jianyu, refusing to give up to becoming Chen family’s daughter-in-law.
Forget about a middle-class girl; even a rich heiress wouldn’t have done that.
But, she let it go. She accepted her fate. Not even once, she thought about the riches, the respect, the title, and the status she would have to lose.
Neither she clung onto Jianyu, nor she told Jinhai to take responsibility for that night.
And now…
Now, she understood that Nana had planned the conversation with her that happened in the garden today.
‘Did she realize that I was feeling lonely in the morning at the breakfast table?’
Grandma Liu subtly raised her brows and chuckled.
‘Really, it was a stupid plan.’
But, which worked. For the first time after so many days, she felt happy today. She felt like she wasn’t forgotten and was still a part of the family.
‘Let’s see what you will do next.’
She was looking forward to it.
Really…that girl has a heart of gold.
—
Jinhai handed Jing those small colorful papers and said, “Destroy these.”
Jing widened his eyes. “Did sister-in-law find them?”
“Hm.” His lips slowly curled into a smile.
“She also figured out about the design.”
Jing’s eyes turned starry. He clapped his hands once in delight. “Really? Sister-in-law is awesome! She figured it out just by looking at them for once, and Huian couldn’t do that even if she had visited this villa for practically her whole life and then even lived in it for two years.”
He looked proud. “Sister-in-law is so smart, just like me.”
Jinhai knocked on his head.
“Ow!”
After Jing went back, Jinhai dialed Xin’s number.
“Sir.”
“Lock that room in my office lounge.”
“Yes, sir.”
He muttered to himself. “At no cost, can you know the truth, Nana.”
—
One morning, Jinhai was getting ready for office. He couldn’t find his wallet.
“Nana, have you seen my wallet?”
No answer.
He turned and found Nana sitting on the bed. Her eyes were staring ahead at space in a daze.
Jinhai furrowed his brows. He sat beside her and gently patted her shoulder.
She snapped out of it.
“Huh?” She looked at Jinhai. “What?”
“Have you seen my wallet?”
“Oh, yes. I have kept it in the cupboard. Wait, I will get it.”
“It’s alright. I will fetch it.” He cupped her cheek. “What were you thinking? I felt you looked sad. Tell me who bullied you.”
She softly chuckled. “Nobody. It’s…mom’s birthday today.”
Jinhai was silent.
Yu Ichika was her adoptive mother who was now recovering in the hospital for her mental illness after she lost her husband, Yu Tengfei, to suicide after he tried to molest Nana.
“I regularly visit her and spend some time with her, although she always gets mad at me. But with Chen banquet and then our marriage, I couldn’t go. I have never missed her birthday, so I am going to visit her today.”
“I will also come with you.”
“Really?” She beamed.
“En. Now that we are married, as your husband, I should meet mother-in-law and pay my respects.”
Nana smiled and hugged him. “Thank you.”
He pinched her nose. “Stupid.”
But then she pursed her lips. “It would be good if the twins come too. After what happened, they have never visited her. I ask them every time, but they always refuse. I will try again today, but I don’t feel so hopeful.”
Jinhai patted her head. “It’s alright. We cannot force them with these things. I understand their anger. And if you honestly ask me then…even I’m a little mad at her.”
Nana said nothing.
“After all, she disowned you and shamed you even if nothing of it was your fault. After what you suffered, as a woman and as a mother, she should have stood by your side, not slap you on your face.”
Nana sadly smiled.
He sighed. “But since you still respect her and do your filial duties, then I can only support you.”
She hugged him even tighter. “Why are you so good to me?”
He kissed her hair. “Because I simply love you.”
“I love you too.” She looked at him. “After I talk to the twins, we can leave. Oh, I forgot. Serena will also come.”
Jinhai asked, “Serena? What does she have to do?”
“Well, the twins never come, and Serena doesn’t want me to go alone, so she accompanies me sometimes. She thinks I will get sad because Mom still gets angry at me, so she tries to cheer me up.”
“Hm.”
—
Nana saw the twins leaving for school and called from behind. “Yukito, Yukira, wait!”
They stiffened.
Before she could say anything, Yukito indifferently said, “Nee-chan, we know what you want to talk about. But our answer is the same. You ask the same question every year, and we give the same answer.”
She pursed her lips.
“No, we are not coming with you to meet her.”
Yukira said nothing, but the expression on his face reflected the same answer.
“She hasn’t seen you for years now,” Nana said in a low voice.
“And she deserves that.”
They said no more and left.
Standing at the corner, Jing heard everything.
‘Who were they talking about? Wait…their mother?’
This was the first time he saw such indifference in Yukito’s eyes. There wasn’t even a trace of hatred. Simply indifference.
—
Jianyu entered the room and saw Serena a little zoned out. It looked like she was on a call.
He hugged her from behind. “Is everything alright?”
Serena smiled. “Yes. It was Nana.”
He stiffened a bit.
The last time Jianyu tried to confess, Serena’s phone rang at the last minute. Her smile froze when she saw the caller’s name. She could guess the conversation.
When she came back, Jianyu found her a little stressed out. When Serena noticed his hesitation to continue, she smiled. “It’s alright if you need some time. I am always here.”
He thought it was for the best. She already looked depressed, and he didn’t want to add on to it by telling his past. Plus, she was now pregnant too. It was dangerous to be too anxious. So he thought he would quickly find another suitable time and tell her everything.