Chapter 71
Because Fan Xing was pregnant, her plans to accompany her grandmother abroad for Chinese New Year had to be canceled. Not only did He Qingmo disagree, but the whole He family felt the same way, treating him like a treasure.
If it weren’t for He Qingmo’s firm opposition, Ji Jin would have stayed at home and not left. She said she had experience in childbirth and wanted to personally take care of Fan Xing.
In reality, she wouldn’t know how to take care of anyone. According to He Qingmo, when they were born, Ji Jin basically didn’t lift a finger; it was all taken care of by nannies and caregivers.
But now, regardless of generations, they all cherished Fan Xing, including the one in her belly.
And Fan Xing was particularly different. After all, she had given up on He Qingmo before. Who would have thought that Fan Xing not only behaved but also could give birth to a chubby grandson for their family? Now they were overjoyed, forgetting any lingering grievances towards Fan Xing from the incident with Eric. They were constantly thinking of ways to nourish Fan Xing’s body, often preparing various tonics at home and tirelessly delivering them to her.
Fan Xing’s tastes were now quite specific, and she couldn’t eat those things at all. Whenever they advised her not to bother, she insisted on being troubled. Fan Xing could only go along with her to make her happy.
In fact, it wasn’t just the He family who was happy; when Fan Xing called her grandmother to share the news, her grandmother was ecstatic. Originally, her grandmother had started counting the days until his arrival, but as soon as she heard about her pregnancy, she immediately forbade him from coming and asked him to stay at home and take care of himself.
Fan Xing’s body was fine. If she hadn’t found out she was pregnant, he would have flown to his grandmother’s side by now.
But because of his gender, everyone was too nervous.
He understood and didn’t object, but he felt very uncomfortable.
He had never been separated from his grandmother since he was a child. This time, after half a year apart, he actually missed his grandmother very much. Every time he told himself that he would be able to go back and see his grandmother during the winter vacation, he gave himself a glimmer of hope. But who knew that when the winter vacation finally arrived, he couldn’t go.
Not to mention not seeing his grandmother, the thought of his grandmother spending the New Year abroad alone, in such a cold and sterile place as the hospital, made him feel heartbroken.
Naturally, He Qingmo could see his thoughts, so he suggested, “Let’s bring Grandma back to the country. I’ve asked, and Grandma’s current condition is stable, so flying is no problem at all. And I think Grandma can stay in the country; the medical level here is completely fine.”
Fan Xing knew he meant well, so he thanked him softly, but his expression was somewhat dim. “Thank you, brother, but… Grandma won’t come back.”
The man’s deep eyes darkened, and he held his hand gently, asking softly, “May I ask why?”
Fan Xing lowered his head and didn’t speak, so He Qingmo could only see his lowered eyelashes trembling slightly. He tactfully added, “If you don’t want to say, you don’t have to.”
Fan Xing looked up at him, and there was a hint of struggle in his clear eyes. “Brother, I…”
“Okay, don’t force yourself. I was just asking casually.” The man didn’t want to see him like this, let alone force him, so he preemptively interrupted.
Fan Xing blinked his eyes lightly, and his dense eyelashes trembled like butterfly wings. The struggle in the depths of his eyes gradually dissipated, replaced by an unparalleled determination.
He looked at the man, and his voice became firm. “If it’s brother’s words, I won’t force myself. Grandma won’t come back because she doesn’t want to. She feels ashamed to come back.”
He Qingmo couldn’t help but show a surprised expression. “Why?”
Fan Xing continued, “Brother, you went to Zhujia Village with me before. You should know how hard it was for Grandma to raise my dad, and the people there also thought my dad was very promising, right?”
“Your dad was indeed very promising,” He Qingmo said.
In that era, it was already very difficult to raise a university student in a rural area, but Fan Xing’s father not only achieved that but also received a full scholarship from a prestigious foreign university. He then stayed abroad and even brought his family over, showing how outstanding he was.
Fan Xing nodded. “Yes, I think so too. But… ” Fan Xing paused for a moment before continuing, “In the end, my dad disappointed Grandma. When I was one year old, my dad… accidentally killed someone.”
He Qingmo’s pupils widened slightly. He had previously had Song Yang investigate Fan Xing, but at that time, the investigation had revealed that his father had died accidentally when he was young.
Until a few days ago, when he heard Fan Xing say that he had gone to identify a corpse at the age of twelve, he realized that the investigation results were inconsistent, but he never expected the difference to be so great.
When they went to Zhujia Village, the people there said that Fan Xing resembled his father a lot. How could someone who looked so much like Fan Xing accidentally kill someone?
Fan Xing knew his confusion, simply shaking his head gently. “Actually, I’m not very clear about the specifics. After that incident, Dad went to prison, Mom divorced and returned to China, and Grandma raised me alone, never mentioning him. When I grew older and asked where my parents had gone, she always said they were dead. I didn’t find out until I was about eleven years old that my dad was still alive, in prison. I sneaked away with Grandma to the prison once when I skipped school and saw Dad for the first time.”
“Grandma always told me to treat it as if she never had this son, but she actually went to see Dad in prison every month. But… she never forgave Dad, until Dad was…” Fan Xing’s throat seemed to choke up, unknowingly clearing his throat. “She doesn’t want to come back. She doesn’t want others to gossip behind her back. Actually, I know she doesn’t want those who used to praise Dad to look down on him now. So, no matter how we’ve been living abroad these years, she grits her teeth and never mentions returning to the country.”
He Qingmo listened and felt like his heart was being tightly squeezed by a hand, not painful but slightly suffocating.
He had speculated on various causes of Fan Xing’s father’s death, but he had never pursued it because he didn’t want Fan Xing to recall those memories. However, he never imagined the truth to be so cruel.
Fan Xing didn’t finish, but he already knew. His father was beaten to death in prison.
Being Asian abroad would already result in various unfair treatments, let alone in prison?
He Qingmo could easily imagine what his father had experienced during his eleven years in prison. In fact, Fan Xing knew too; he just didn’t let himself think about it.
He Qingmo always felt sorry for Fan Xing because he knew Fan Xing had it tough, but he didn’t know how many terrifying and cruel memories were still hidden in his heart.
He couldn’t help but want to hug Fan Xing, but Fan Xing shook his head. Instead, he gently touched his face and spoke in an unusually calm voice. “Don’t worry about me, I’m fine. Actually, the culprit has received the punishment he deserved, sentenced to death for treason, and it was carried out back then. Although this outcome couldn’t bring my father back to life, it’s the best result we could hope for. Although I’m sad, it’s been a long time. And, brother, you probably don’t know, but I’ve only seen my father three times, and each time was through thick glass. Now, I sometimes can’t even remember what he looks like.”
But even when talking about his death, it still hurts, doesn’t it?
This sentence lingered on He Qingmo’s tongue but was swallowed back. He knew Fan Xing was saying one thing but feeling another, and he also knew that some things could never change overnight. The past buried deep in Fan Xing’s heart would still need time to heal slowly.
So he just gently hugged Fan Xing, stroking his back to comfort him without saying anything more.
Fan Xing, especially after getting pregnant, was particularly fond of sleeping. He Qingmo knew he had something on his mind, so he leaned on the man and listened to his strong heartbeat, gradually falling asleep without realizing it.
When he woke up, it was already the next morning.
He Qingmo had already gotten up.
Since discovering his pregnancy, Fan Xing felt that this man didn’t love to sleep in as much as before. Often, when he got up, breakfast downstairs was already prepared, and because he was worried about him being alone at home, he hadn’t gone to the company for several days.
Fan Xing felt that he was being overly cautious, as if he were made of paper and could scatter at any moment, so he had to be watched over all the time.
This wouldn’t do; today he must let him go to the company!
Thinking like this, Fan Xing lifted the covers to get up, but his phone rang, and it was his grandmother calling.
He quickly answered, “Good morning, Grandma.”
“What morning? Isn’t it sunny where you are? Aren’t you up yet?” Grandma teased.
Fan Xing laughed, “Yes, just woke up, about to go downstairs for breakfast.”
“In that case, I won’t delay you. Just letting you know, I’m preparing to return to the country. Hurry up and eat, don’t starve.” Grandma said and was about to hang up.
“Wait, Grandma, don’t hang up. What did you just say? You’re coming back? Is it true?” Fan Xing unconsciously straightened up, his expression more serious than when attending professional classes, afraid of missing a word.
On the other end of the phone, Grandma couldn’t help but laugh, “It’s true. Xiao He is arranging it. I’ll be back after the formalities are done. And you, don’t always furrow your brows. Don’t you know?”
Fan Xing was stunned for a moment, then immediately burst into laughter. “Okay, Grandma, I’ll be happy if you come back. From now on, I’ll always smile, okay?”
“If your face freezes, it’s not my concern. Alright, don’t waste time, go eat. There’s still a person in your belly now, can’t skip a meal.”
“Okay, I’ll go now, Grandma, bye.”
After hanging up the phone, Fan Xing’s mood soared to the extreme. He didn’t even have time to wash up, he just wanted to run downstairs. Just then, He Qingmo walked in and caught him.
Without saying a word, the man pressed him down on the bed and gave him a stern warning not to run!
Fan Xing was in a good mood, and He Qingmo’s grip wasn’t too strong, just expressing his opinion, so Fan Xing didn’t mind at all. Seizing the opportunity, he hugged the man, kissed him on the lips, and said in a soft, sweet voice, “Thank you, brother. How did you convince Grandma? And when did this happen?”
Last night, He Qingmo was still proposing to her, and in Fan Xing’s view, it was impossible to convince Grandma at all. However, overnight, Grandma unexpectedly agreed to come back, and she even seemed quite happy from the way she spoke.
He Qingmo was angry at him one moment for being indifferent, and the next moment he was so pleased, even enjoying it. He casually hugged and kissed him a few times, then pinched the kid’s cheek and said, “No need to persuade her. I just made a phone call to Grandma, saying you were worried about her, and she immediately agreed.”
“So simple?” Fan Xing looked at him incredulously.
He Qingmo nodded, “Just that simple. Actually, you’re overthinking it. Grandma hasn’t come back for so many years. Rather than saying it’s for your dad, it’s more for you.”
Fan Xing couldn’t help but freeze, then suddenly felt a bit sour in his nose.
Yes, what He Qingmo said was right. He had always thought Grandma didn’t want to come back because she didn’t want people to know about Dad’s situation, to avoid them looking down on Dad. But actually, what Grandma feared the most might be coming back and having people point fingers at him, calling him the son of a murderer.
Fan Xing gently bit his lip, feeling both happy and a bit uncomfortable inside.
He Qingmo ruffled his hair and said softly, “It’s all in the past. Isn’t everything fine now?”
Fan Xing looked up at the man, the corners of his mouth unconsciously forming a beautiful curve, his smile bright.
Yes, everything was fine now. Grandma’s health was recovering, he didn’t have to worry about not being able to afford medical expenses anymore, and he was married, expecting a baby soon.
How wonderful!
And the one who brought him all of this was the man in front of him, He Qingmo.
The first time he heard this name, he felt despair in his heart, thinking his life was now heading down an irreversible path. Who would have thought that this man, who was so poorly spoken of by outsiders and casually married someone, would become the most important person in his life.
Life’s circumstances are sometimes so strange.
He wrapped his arms around the man’s neck, solemnly whispered in his ear, “Meeting you, big brother, is really great.”
The procedures in Country M were done quickly, so a few days before the New Year, Fan Xing’s grandmother finally returned to her homeland after more than twenty years of absence.
The reunion of the grandmother and grandson after half a year apart was filled with endless conversations. However, Grandma needed rest after the long flight, so Fan Xing had to take her to the hospital first.
Although Grandma’s condition was stable now, she couldn’t be discharged yet. She could come out for a while during the day with the doctor’s permission, but she had to return at night.
But she was back after all, and the hospital was not far from home, making it much more convenient to meet than before.
So during the day, Fan Xing would often go to the hospital. If Grandma’s condition was good, he would consult the doctor and take her out for a walk, showing her the changes in the country over the years.
However, on the twenty-ninth day of the first lunar month, an unexpected visitor arrived in Grandma’s hospital room – Fan Meixi.
Fan Xing didn’t know how she found out about Grandma’s return to the country. In his memory, the relationship between Fan Meixi and Grandma was extremely tense. Every time Grandma saw her, she felt like she wanted to fight her to death. Fan Meixi was never polite to Grandma either. Otherwise, when Grandma was sick, knowing she didn’t have money and would die, she still refused to help.
So Fan Xing felt that even if Fan Meixi knew Grandma had returned, she shouldn’t have come to visit Grandma on her own initiative.
But the fact was, Fan Meixi did come, and she brought a lot of nutritional supplements. Even when faced with Grandma’s intense words, she didn’t lash out like before. Instead, she accompanied her with a smile and didn’t say anything harsh.
Fan Xing furrowed his bright brows, feeling a bit of a headache. Did Fan Meixi know she had no hope of getting anything from him, so she had to ask Grandma for help?
