Chapter 72

“You get out of here, take all your stuff and roll as far away as possible. I never want to see you again, get lost!”

Fan Xing was about to go in to persuade Fan Meixi to leave, but Grandma couldn’t contain her anger and smashed all those nutritional supplements on the floor by the bedside.

Worried that Grandma’s agitation would affect her health, Fan Xing rushed in, but Fan Meixi was much faster than him. She dropped to her knees with a thud, instantly bursting into tears, her voice filled with a miserable taste, “Mom, Mom, please help me this time, persuade Fan Xing for me. That kid listens to you. As long as you speak, he will help me. Mom, I was wrong, it was my fault, it was me…”

“Shut up!” Grandma suddenly got up from the bed in agitation, as if she was about to hit someone.

Fan Xing was caught off guard, hurriedly went to support Grandma, gently embracing her shoulders to comfort her, “Grandma, Grandma, calm down, your health is important.”

But Grandma just glanced at him, then turned to Fan Meixi, her eyes fierce as a knife’s edge, “I told you to get lost, didn’t you hear me? If you keep blabbering, watch me tear your mouth apart! Get out!”

“Mom, I…”

Fan Meixi knelt on the ground, crying bitterly, trying to say something more, but the security guards came in. The hospital had the right to expel unwanted visitors who could affect the patient’s health.

And the one who called the security guards was He Qingmo.

Accompanying Fan Xing, He Qingmo hadn’t expected to see this scene. Unlike Fan Xing’s headache, he swiftly called the security guards.

Fan Meixi didn’t want to leave, struggling and crying without dignity.

“Mom, I was wrong, I know I was wrong. It was my fault back then…”

“Get out, the farther you die, the better. Don’t come back!” Grandma didn’t want to hear another word from her, her roaring voice drowning out Fan Meixi’s words.

It wasn’t until Fan Meixi was dragged away, out of sight and out of hearing, that Grandma finally seemed to relax, sitting down by the bed with a pale face.

Fan Xing, worried, said, “Grandma, how are you? Let the doctor check you.”

Grandma looked up at him, shook her head, “I’m fine, just angry. How dare she come? Did she fulfill her responsibilities as a mother? Does she still remember how she treated you back then…”

The more Grandma spoke, the angrier she became, but suddenly she sighed, swallowing back the rest of her words, “Forget it, I won’t say anymore. You, just pretend she’s not your mother, she’s not worthy.”

No matter how Grandma scolded Fan Meixi, it was okay, after all, she was the elder. But Fan Xing couldn’t talk about his own mother behind her back.

So all along, no matter how Fan Meixi treated him, Fan Xing never complained about her.

In Fan Xing’s view, they had no mother-son relationship, and it was best not to interfere with each other. He had always done so.

But today, Fan Xing was also very angry. He couldn’t believe Fan Meixi would come to bother Grandma.

When Grandma was on the verge of death, she could turn a blind eye, but now she actually came back to kneel down and beg Grandma.

Sometimes Fan Xing felt like he and his mother were from two different worlds. He couldn’t understand Fan Meixi’s behavior at all.

“Grandma, don’t be angry. We neglected today. We won’t let her disturb you next time. It’s because of me that she came to bother you. Brother, why don’t you just let them go? After all, the contract is signed. What should be done according to the contract. I know you want to help me vent, but dragging this on, they will definitely come to Grandma again.”

Fan Xing originally didn’t care about this. He Qingmo could do whatever he wanted. Whether the Gu family went bankrupt or not had nothing to do with him.

But now that Fan Meixi could come to the hospital and kneel down, what about later?

Fan Xing began to suspect that if this dragged on, the other party might jump off a building in front of him and Grandma, forcing them to death.

If that happened, Fan Xing couldn’t just ignore it and remain indifferent.

Moreover, he didn’t think He Qingmo signed the contract with the Gu family just to casually find someone to marry. There must be projects their company needed to do, and coincidentally, the Gu family could do them.

Now He Qingmo was dragging it out like this, the Gu family was incurring losses, but Ge Ming Technology might not necessarily suffer. It’s just that the Gu family couldn’t afford to drag it out.

So Fan Xing felt that there was no need to make a big deal out of this. Following the contract would also make Grandma feel better.

But He Qingmo said it had nothing to do with him.

“What do you mean?” Fan Xing was puzzled.

“Our cooperation with the Gu family is proceeding according to the contract, but the Gu family has problems of their own. Their funding chain is broken, the assets mortgaged to the bank are about to be auctioned off, and the Gu family is facing bankruptcy.”

He Qingmo simplified it, but in fact, this matter had been causing waves in the business world recently. Not only was the Gu family facing bankruptcy, but before the incident, Gu Yongchang had transferred the legal person of the Gu family to Fan Meixi, then quietly sold off many of the Gu family’s properties and assets.

Now the mess was all on Fan Meixi’s shoulders.

Fan Meixi had tried to find Fan Xing, but He Qingmo had stopped her. Unable to find a way, she came to beg Fan Xing’s Grandma.

Fan Xing usually didn’t pay attention to such matters, and he had been busy with exams and his relationship with Lu Chi recently, so he naturally didn’t know much about it.

He Qingmo didn’t want to bother him with these troubles, and now he didn’t want to say anything more.

Fan Xing listened and was slightly stunned. “So she wants Brother to invest now?”

Before He Qingmo could speak, Grandma became impatient, and without a good word, she slapped Fan Xing’s hand on his back, her face cold. “Enough, what’s it to you? Did she ever take care of you when you couldn’t make it abroad? Let me tell you, she’s the kind of person who’ll die at your doorstep in the future. Just ignore her!”

“Fang Xing, you go away, take all your things and get as far away as possible from me. I don’t ever want to see you again, just go!”

Fan Xing was about to step in to persuade Fang Meixi to leave, but Grandma was already furious and smashed all the nutritional supplements on the bedside to the ground.

Fan Xing was worried that Grandma’s agitation would affect her health, so he rushed in, but Fang Meixi was much faster than him. She knelt down with a thud, instantly bursting into tears, her voice filled with a sense of misery, “Mom, please help me this time, persuade Fan Xing for me. He listens to you, just say the word, and he will help me. Mom, I was wrong, it was my fault…”

“Shut up!” Grandma suddenly became agitated and rolled off the bed, as if she was about to hit someone.

Fan Xing was taken aback, too late to react. He quickly went forward to support Grandma, gently embracing her shoulders to calm her, “Grandma, please calm down, your health is important.”

But Grandma just glanced at him and then turned to Fang Meixi, her eyes suddenly fierce as knives, “I told you to leave, didn’t you hear me? If you keep blabbering, I’ll tear your mouth apart! Go!”

“Mom, I…” Fang Meixi knelt on the ground, crying bitterly, trying to say something more, but the security guards came in. The hospital had the right to expel unwanted visitors that could affect the patients’ health.

And the person who called the security guards was He Qingmo.

Accompanying Fang Xing, He Qingmo didn’t expect to see this scene. Unlike Fan Xing’s headache, he decisively called the security guards.

Fang Meixi didn’t want to leave, struggling and crying, completely losing her composure.

“Mom, I was wrong, I know I was wrong. It was my fault back then…”

“Go, get out, the farther the better, don’t come back!” Grandma didn’t want to hear another word from her, her furious voice drowning out Fang Meixi’s words.

Only when Fang Meixi was dragged away, out of sight and out of hearing, did Grandma finally seem to breathe a sigh of relief, sitting down by the bedside, her face pale.

Fan Xing was concerned, “Grandma, how are you? Let the doctor check on you.”

Grandma looked up at him, shaking her head, “I’m fine, just angry. How dare she come here? Did she fulfill her duties as a mother? Does she even remember how she treated you back then?”

Grandma grew angrier as she spoke, but suddenly sighed, holding back the rest of her words, “Forget it, let’s not talk about it. You, just treat her as if she’s not your mother, she doesn’t deserve it.”

Fan Xing understood that Grandma had always been like this, not just disliking Fang Meixi, but hating her. So he rarely mentioned Fang Meixi in front of Grandma.

Today was an exception due to the incident that had occurred.

But now he decided to let it go. Originally, he wanted He Qingmo to be lenient, but now it seemed to be their family’s own problem, so he wouldn’t involve others.

He immediately put on a smile to placate Grandma, “Okay, I’ll listen to Grandma obediently, alright? Grandma, let’s not talk about this anymore. Today is the twenty-ninth, didn’t you say you wanted to go home and personally prepare the New Year’s Eve dinner? Shall we prepare it now? Let’s go.” He then took Grandma’s hand and led her out.

He Qingmo followed behind, watching the backs of the two generations, with a strange emotion flashing in his deep eyes.

In fact, he recently had Song Yang thoroughly investigate Fan Xing’s father’s case, so he knew some truths that Fan Xing didn’t know.

After Fang Meixi married Fan Xing’s father, she quickly started an affair with Gu Yongchang. Interestingly, Gu Yongchang was a good friend of Fan Xing’s father, a very close friend. As a result, Fan Xing’s father got into a fight with a group of thugs the night he accidentally killed someone. He was protecting Fang Meixi from their harassment. Due to her nervousness or something, Fang Meixi mistakenly testified that it was Fan Xing’s father who killed the person with a stone.

Because of her testimony, Fan Xing’s father could have received a light sentence, but he was ultimately sentenced to twenty years.

However, even before going to prison, Fan Xing’s father had taken the initiative to divorce her, allowing her to return to her home country without any worries.

He Qingmo had always been curious as to why Fan Xing used Fang Meixi’s surname, and he remembered Fan Xing saying that his name was given by his father.

Now he understood. Regardless of Fang Meixi’s character, Fan Xing’s father genuinely loved her. Even though he accidentally killed someone for her and ended up spending ten extra years in prison because of her testimony, he never blamed her.

When He Qingmo saw this, he felt something indescribable. He felt that Fang Meixi was unworthy of being human, and he thought Fan Xing’s father was too naive.

So when he learned about the current situation of the Gu family and Fang Meixi’s predicament, he didn’t plan to tell Fang Xing.

Because Fan Xing actually didn’t know the truth of what happened back then.

From Grandma’s reaction today, it was clear she didn’t want Fan Xing to know the truth either.

On this point, He Qingmo and Grandma reached a consensus.

Because they both knew what kind of person Fan Xing was. Fan Xing could ignore Fang Meixi and live as if she didn’t exist, but if he found out that Fang Meixi had been repeatedly abused by Gu Yongchang and might end up in jail because of him, he would definitely soften.

This was Fang Xing, beyond all his other traits, his most important characteristic deeply ingrained in him was kindness.

So he had a bottom line when it came to his own mother. If it exceeded that, he couldn’t do it.

But what if he found out the truth from back then?

Fan Xing would be in great pain because it would prove that his mother was not only selfish but also indirectly responsible for his father’s death.

How would he face that?

Grandma probably didn’t want him to be in such a dilemma, so she had kept the truth hidden for so many years.

He Qingmo was the same. After learning the truth, his first reaction was to keep it from Fang Xing, and he hoped it would stay hidden forever.

—

Fan Xing and Grandma had maintained the tradition of celebrating the New Year abroad for many years, but they still prepared a traditional Chinese New Year’s Eve dinner. Although the dishes might not be very rich, they made sure to have all the traditional ones. What Fan Xing missed the most was the magnolia cake.

Grandma’s health was not good now, and with so many people coming over this year, she couldn’t handle all the preparation herself. Fan Xing was naturally forbidden from entering the kitchen, so apart from the magnolia cake, everything else for the New Year’s Eve dinner was prepared by others.

Speaking of the large number of people, it was because the He family was coming over.

Normally, they would have a reunion dinner at the He family’s mansion every New Year’s Eve, but this year, because Fan Xing was pregnant, they didn’t want her to travel back and forth, fearing it might tire her out, so they all came to Fan Xing’s house for the New Year’s Eve dinner.

Fan Xing thought they were being excessive. It was only a little over an hour’s drive, and he would just sleep in the car, so what’s the big deal?

But it was fine this way too. After all, Grandma might not feel comfortable going to the He family’s mansion.

Oh, and Lu Chi.

Fan Xing had persuaded Lu Chi to come over. He couldn’t imagine how Lu Chi would celebrate the New Year alone in the school dormitory.

Although Lu Chi came, he seemed to be somewhat out of place with the He family members. He was sitting alone on the balcony on the third floor, playing with his phone.

Later, Fan Xing took Xinxin up there, and he couldn’t stay quiet anymore amidst the commotion. He finally put down his phone, looking displeased as he stared at Fang Xing. Fan Xing just raised his hands innocently, indicating he hadn’t said anything.

But the real troublemaker, little princess Xinxin, approached Lu Chi and kissed his cheek, sweetly calling out, “Sister, sister, you’re so pretty, can we play together?”

With the little girl’s adorable appearance and sweet voice, who could blame her?

Lu Chi also softened instantly, hugging her and giving her a kiss on the cheek, smiling brightly, “Okay, let’s play games together, little princess!”

“Sister is so nice!” Xinxin happily pulled him around the balcony, playing some childish games that adults might find silly, but Lu Chi patiently accompanied her.

Fang Xing, sitting on the swing chair nearby, couldn’t help but smile. He even felt that Lu Chi might actually be enjoying the games because at this moment, Lu Chi was genuinely happy and genuine.

“Why did you come here? And dressed like this?” He Qingmo’s voice suddenly came from behind, followed by a heavy coat draped over Fan Xing’s shoulders.

Fan Xing turned back and smiled at him, his eyes twinkling, “Thanks, brother. But it’s not too cold here. Besides, look how happy Shixiong and Xinxin are playing.”

Although there was no heating on the balcony, Fan Xing wasn’t wearing too little, and there was even a blanket on the swing chair, so he really wasn’t cold.

He Qingmo also knew that Fan Xing didn’t have much to say to the family members at home, probably just brought Xinxin up here to avoid the hustle and bustle, so he lightly pinched Fan Xing’s cheek, “Remember to come down for dinner.” With that, he turned and walked away.

Fan Xing watched him leave, then turned back to look at Lu Chi and Xinxin. Lu Chi was looking at him, his expression…

Hmm, how should I say it? It seems like there’s a hint of envy.

Fan Xing’s heart sank a bit, and he was about to speak when Lu Chi interjected, “Don’t get me wrong, I just feel happy for you. Honestly, I used to doubt what you told me about He Qingmo. I always felt he wasn’t as you described. But now, I believe.”

Fan Xing didn’t hide anything from Lu Chi about his relationship with He Qingmo, but even after seeing He Qingmo’s jealousy and knowing that He Qingmo was willing to help Fan Xing because of him, he still felt that He Qingmo was just a playboy and that his kindness to Fan Xing might have been temporary.

But today, at this moment, seeing the attitude of the He family towards Fang Xing, and seeing He Qingmo’s careful gesture of helping Fan Xing put on his coat just now, he believed. He believed that Fan Xing had found the right person, and he believed that Fan Xing would be happy.

He was a bit envious, after all, how many people in this world can marry for love?

But more than that, he felt happy, delighted, for Fang Xing.

Although he hadn’t encountered love himself, he had met Fang Xing, a very good friend. Seeing a good friend living happily, how could he not be happy?

The New Year’s Eve dinner was finally ready at seven o’clock in the evening. The whole family sat around the table, eating, chatting, making fun of the Spring Festival Gala, and waiting for the countdown.

In the northern tradition, there was also the custom of eating dumplings during the New Year, so in the afternoon, the whole family gathered together to make a lot of dumplings.

Ji Jin said that in previous years, their family would eat and stay up late together, waiting until after midnight to disperse.

This year, of course, it couldn’t be done. Fan Xing had to strictly adhere to the habit of going to bed and getting up early now, and Grandma couldn’t stay up late either.

So after ten o’clock, the elders gave out red envelopes and left, the others dispersed, and Grandma was sent back to the hospital.

After all the hustle and bustle, there were only the two of them left at home, and suddenly it felt a bit empty.

“We didn’t have to leave so early, it’s rare to have the New Year, I can stay up late once, it’s okay. Besides, I want to stay up late.” Fan Xing said with a hint of grievance.

He Qingmo pinched his cheek and smiled, “Isn’t it good to have your husband accompany you?”

Fan Xing was taken aback for a moment, then happily hugged him and kissed him on the cheek, “Thank you, brother!”

Originally, he thought He Qingmo was the one most opposed to him staying up late, but he didn’t expect him to agree so readily.

“Come on, let’s go to the balcony upstairs. I read the news, and there will be fireworks by the Swan Lake tonight. The balcony is the best place to watch.” Fan Xing pulled him upstairs, realizing that something was missing, he quickly grabbed a bunch of snacks to take up, explaining, “We have to eat while we stay up, otherwise we’ll get sleepy.”

He Qingmo didn’t say anything, letting Fan Xing drag him up and down, fussing several times before finally getting everything ready and settling into the swing chair. It was almost midnight.

“Brother, over there, it’s said that there’s a huge fireworks display tonight, with many new varieties. You don’t know, when we celebrate New Year abroad, there’s no festive atmosphere at all. Every time, we can only hang up a big red lantern at home to show a little New Year’s atmosphere. At that time, I saw fireworks being played on TV during the New Year in China, and I thought that if I had the chance to come back to China, I would definitely want to experience celebrating the New Year here and feel this atmosphere. It must be especially fun.”

Fan Xing was particularly excited, talking non-stop like a chatterbox. The man beside him just watched him without speaking, suddenly recalling the shy and nervous look of the little boy when they first met. At that time, Fan Xing couldn’t speak Chinese fluently, and he even stuttered occasionally. Many times, because of the language barrier, he had to give up explaining for himself, softly apologizing.

But now he could lean on him and talk non-stop, even about his past experiences, without any guard.

The man’s heart softened, warmth enveloping him, his eyes unable to hide his emotions.

Fan Xing felt his gaze and was slightly stunned, his heart pounding, his cheeks heating up a bit, his voice soft and sweet, “Brother, why are you staring at me?”

The man raised an eyebrow, teasing, “My wife is beautiful, can’t I look?”

Fan Xing glared at him, about to say something, but suddenly heard a bang. A brilliant firework burst in the night sky, followed closely by more and more, almost illuminating the entire night.

Fan Xing was too excited to speak, his clear eyes sparkling with excitement. In He Qingmo’s eyes, his brilliance was even more dazzling than the fireworks.

The New Year’s bell also rang at this moment, almost at the same time, an extremely bright firework burst in the night sky, turning into five words in an instant – “Will you marry me?”

In just a moment, the words dispersed, almost making Fan Xing wonder if he was hallucinating, but the next moment, the man beside him hugged him, whispering softly in his ear, “Happy New Year. And, will you marry me, Fang Xing?”

Fan Xing didn’t know if he had become more sentimental because of pregnancy, but at that moment, he felt his nose tingling terribly.

So, the news of the grand fireworks display he saw online was deliberately set up for him, and allowing him to stay up late tonight was all planned!

But still, Fan Xing was moved beyond words, feeling like He Qingmo had filled up his heart.

He buried his head in the man’s shoulder, his voice muffled, “Haven’t we already gotten married? Brother, do you feel like what happened before doesn’t count?”

The man’s deep and charming laughter sounded in his ear, “It counts, but we’re still missing a wedding, aren’t we?” As he spoke, he let go of Fang Xing, and somehow produced a box from somewhere, opening it to reveal a ring inside. The design was simple, yet very beautiful and unique, obviously from a top designer’s hand.

He took out the ring, gently took Fan Xing’s hand, and placed the ring on his ring finger, the size fitting perfectly. Then he lowered his head and kissed Fan Xing’s hand, feeling Fan Xing’s fingers trembling involuntarily.

The man caressed his face gently, his fingertips sliding from the corner of his eye, wiping away the tears that were about to fall, speaking softly, “Fang Xing, let’s get married. This time for real, let’s make up for what we missed last time, okay?”

Fan Xing looked up at him, suddenly remembering this afternoon, when Lu Chi said he believed Fan Xing would be happy.

Yes, he would, definitely!

He reached out and hugged He Qingmo, nodding heavily, “Yes, okay!”

 

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