Chapter 40

Fan Xing’s earliest impression of his home country should have been of Jiangnan.

When he was a child, his grandmother would often hold him and hum the melodious and melodious tunes of Jiangnan, using the soft and pleasant local dialect to depict the beauty of their hometown for him.

Back then, he could imagine the scenes in his homeland: apricot blossoms in the spring rain and riverside homes.

As he grew up and read many descriptions of his home country, he realized that Jiangnan was just one region of his homeland, and each place had different customs, culture, and landscapes.

However, this did not diminish his longing for Jiangnan.

So when he actually set foot on that land, his heart was filled with excitement and joy, even with a hint of nervousness.

In the car from the airport, he kept his eyes fixed on the scenery outside the window, comparing it with the image he had in his mind.

The disparity was significant.

After all, his imagination of Jiangnan was based on his grandmother’s memories from twenty years ago, and it was only a small village on the eastern shore of Lake Tai.

He found that He Qingmo was highly efficient. After deciding to come here last night, he asked Fan Xing for details about his grandmother’s hometown and then had Song Yang arrange everything.

They left for the airport early in the morning, and after just over an hour, they had already traveled from the north to Jiangnan.

After getting off the plane, they headed directly to their destination.

Zhujia Village, his grandmother’s hometown, a place that Fan Xing had heard about countless times from his grandmother.

His grandmother had mentioned a small river at the entrance of the village, with a large persimmon tree by the river, which had supposedly been there for decades. Every year, when the persimmons turned red, the children in the village would climb up to pick and eat them secretly. She also said that their family lived at the back of the village, with a large yard full of various flowers, plants, and fruits. There was something to eat in the yard throughout the year, which is why the village children liked to visit.

His grandmother had talked about it many, many times, so many that Fan Xing’s mind had painted a complete picture, but reality was completely different.

The present Zhujia Village had been completely redeveloped. The houses were all the same, neatly arranged in rows. Various facilities were also very well-established, making it look beautiful.

But the flowing river at the village entrance, the persimmon tree, and the house at the back with the backyard full of flowers, plants, and fruits had all disappeared. In their place was a row of fitness equipment.

Fan Xing stood there, watching a few old people with children playing on the equipment. He felt somewhat dejected, but also felt that this dejection came out of nowhere.

In fact, before coming here, he knew that it would not be the same as before. After all, his grandmother’s memory of her hometown was from twenty years ago, and these twenty years were the fastest period of development in the country. It wasn’t just this small Zhujia Village that had undergone significant changes; the entire country had experienced tremendous transformations. He had mentally prepared himself for this.

But still, there was a small expectation in his heart, a desire to see that persimmon tree and the backyard his grandmother had built.

He Qingmo accompanied him all the way, and he saw Fan Xing’s initial excitement turn into a slight sense of loss. He reached out and gently rubbed Fan Xing’s hair. “No matter how much things change, this is still your grandmother’s hometown.”

Fan Xing turned to look at him, the disappointment in his eyes turning into a sweet smile. “Thank you, big brother.”

Indeed, no matter how much things change, for his grandmother, it will always be home.

And seeing that their hometown has become better, his grandmother must be very happy as well.

Fan Xing’s mood finally improved, and he took out his phone to take photos and record videos, preparing to send them to his grandmother when it was daylight over there.

At this moment, an elderly person who was exercising with a child walked over. He probably knew that they were not locals, so he spoke in slightly non-standard Mandarin and asked Fan Xing, “Young man, where are you from? You look so much like Yu Fen’s son. Are you related to their family?”

Fan Xing was taken aback and showed a pleasant surprise. “Do you know my grandmother? My grandmother’s name is Yu Fen.”

The other person was also surprised, “You’re Yu Fen’s grandson, right? I was just saying how much you look like Junwen. I thought you were a relative of their family. How are your grandmother and your parents? Are you here to visit by yourself, or is your whole family coming back?”

Fan Xing’s eyes darkened slightly, and he directly ignored the first question, responding, “I came back by myself.”

The elderly person was very warm and didn’t notice Fan Xing’s odd reaction. He held Fan Xing’s hand and sighed, “Oh my, time has passed so quickly. Junwen’s son has grown up so much. When your father was your age, he was a role model for all the children in the village. He had excellent grades, was very obedient, handsome, and brought back many awards every year. The teachers liked him very much. Your father has also done very well, and he got into that… that…”

The elderly person’s memory wasn’t very good, and she couldn’t remember the name of the university, so she waved her hand and continued, “Anyway, it’s a very good university. Later, he went abroad to study, and then, within two years, your grandmother and mother followed. We all said that your grandmother could finally enjoy her life. You don’t know, your grandfather passed away early and left a lot of debt. Your grandmother had to work hard to put your father through school. She even borrowed other people’s fields that weren’t being used and planted crops there. During the busy farming season, she would often wake up in the middle of the night to plant seedlings in the field. It was really tiring. Now, things are finally better, and your grandmother doesn’t have to work so hard anymore. Your father is really successful, and it’s not in vain that your grandmother worked so hard for so many years.”

The elderly person spoke with endless enthusiasm about the past. Fan Xing couldn’t get a word in and didn’t want to speak. He just smiled gently.

She talked about things that Fan Xing partially knew and some he didn’t. But hearing it from someone else, whether he knew it or not, made him feel different.

After a while, the elderly person finally finished reminiscing and warmly invited Fan Xing to her home. She said that when she first got married and moved to this village, Fan Xing’s grandmother took good care of her. Now that Fan Xing had returned, she wanted to treat him well. Fan Xing politely declined.

The elderly person was somewhat disappointed but still saw them off all the way to their car. She repeatedly urged Fan Xing to take good care of his grandmother and parents.

Fan Xing expressed his thanks with a smile.

But after closing the car door, the smile in his eyes was replaced by a profound sadness.

He Qingmo gave him a glance, started the car, and drove away from Zhujia Village.

It wasn’t until Zhujia Village was far behind them that He Qingmo reached out to hold Fan Xing’s hand, giving it a reassuring squeeze. He said softly, “My mistake. I should have known not to come.”

Fan Xing turned his head towards He Qingmo, and in his clear eyes, there was a lingering trace of sadness. He spoke, “Big brother, you meant well. Where did you go wrong?”

He Qingmo let out a sigh, then parked the car on the side of the road, turned to pull the child into his arms, and held him gently without saying a word.

At first, the child’s body tensed, but then he relaxed, reaching out to wrap his arms around He Qingmo’s waist and burying his face tightly against He Qingmo’s chest.

After a while, Fan Xing’s voice emerged from He Qingmo’s chest with a heavy nasal tone, “My father passed away. My grandmother always considered my father her pride, but my father… he…”

Fan Xing’s words got stuck, and he unconsciously tightened his grip on He Qingmo’s hand. He tried several times to continue speaking but couldn’t get anything out.

He Qingmo gently stroked his hair and spoke softly, “You don’t have to say it if you don’t want to. Whenever you’re ready, you can tell me. Is that okay?”

Fan Xing loosened his tightly clenched hand, and the small face buried in He Qingmo’s chest gently nodded, saying, “Hmm,” but he still didn’t want to lift his head.

He Qingmo remained still until the damp feeling on his chest gradually disappeared, and Fan Xing finally moved, lifting his head from He Qingmo’s chest. His small face had returned to normal, and he gave a sweet smile, softly thanking him, “Thank you, big brother.”

If you ignored the redness in his eyes, He Qingmo felt that the child’s act was seamless. After all, the wet patch on his chest had already dried, leaving no evidence.

He lightly pinched the child’s cheek and half-jokingly said, “What’s the use of thanking me? Look at the time. We might have to spend the night outdoors.”

Only now did Fan Xing realize that the sun had already set.

They had left when it was only a little after four in the afternoon. How…

He suddenly realized that He Qingmo had been holding him like this, waiting for him to stabilize his emotions, for almost two hours.

Unable to help himself, he looked at the man, opened his mouth, but didn’t know what to say. He felt a strange mixture of emotions, including guilt, gratitude, and something else he couldn’t quite describe. It was a kind of warmth, a sweet sensation.

The man started the car, half seriously, half playfully saying, “Staring at me won’t change anything. If we can’t find a place to stay, I might have to throw you out to feed the wolves.”

“Big brother wouldn’t do that,” Fan Xing retorted without thinking.

The man turned to look at him, raised an eyebrow, and asked, “Oh? Why wouldn’t I?”

Fan Xing replied softly, “Because you just wouldn’t.”

The man didn’t say anything more and just looked at him with deep, slightly amused eyes.

Fan Xing felt his heart racing faster, his cheeks blushing, and feeling uncomfortable, he turned his gaze forward, clumsily finding an excuse to change the topic, “Big brother, focus on driving and stay safe.”

The man’s smile deepened as he turned his attention back to the road.

Saying they would spend the night outdoors was clearly a joke, as Song Yang had already arranged their itinerary perfectly.

Half an hour later, He Qingmo’s car stopped in front of a private villa on the eastern shore of Taihu Lake.

He Qingmo had always disliked having outsiders on his private property, so the staff had ensured that the villa was well-prepared with all the necessary supplies. They never appeared in person.

After Fan Xing entered the villa, he checked the time, then headed straight to the kitchen. Upon opening the fridge, he found it stocked with ingredients, and all the kitchen utensils were available. He immediately started preparing dinner. He Qingmo, who had followed him in, pulled him out.

The man seemed somewhat helpless and said, “Aren’t you tired? Sit down and rest for a bit, or take a shower.” He then ordered some food delivery.

Fan Xing didn’t feel tired at first, as he had only been on a plane and in a car all day. However, once He Qingmo sat him down on the sofa, he finally felt the strain on his back and shoulders. After all, sitting for a long time could be exhausting. Dinner would take a little while to arrive, so he decided to go upstairs and take a shower.

He Qingmo also took this opportunity to take a shower.

After both of them had changed into clean clothes, feeling refreshed, they came downstairs. Dinner had already been delivered and was waiting for them.

The chefs at this private resort had meticulously prepared local specialties, and the taste was undoubtedly excellent. After a long day of travel and not having had a proper meal, they were genuinely hungry, making the food even more delicious.

Once they had eaten their fill and quenched their thirst, Fan Xing began to feel even more exhausted. He slouched on the sofa, on the verge of falling asleep.

The man, busy with a work-related phone call, didn’t notice Fan Xing’s drowsiness. When he finished the call and turned to Fan Xing, he saw the child almost dozing off with half-closed eyes.

He walked over, gently brushing Fan Xing’s fluttering eyelashes and said, “If you’re tired, you can go upstairs to sleep.”

Fan Xing’s sleepiness was disrupted, and he reluctantly opened his eyes, trying to gather his energy to get up and go upstairs. However, the man’s tall frame leaned in, his arms encircling Fan Xing’s back and legs, lifting him up horizontally.

Due to the sudden movement, Fan Xing instinctively clung to the man’s neck. However, he misjudged the pressure, and his soft lips accidentally brushed against the man’s cheek.

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