Suddenly, the door is fiercely pushed opened. A medium-sized man, looking about 60-70, full of prestige and vigor stood at the door.

ZhouXiang felt that he looked familiar but his brain was still in a state of confusion. It took him three to four seconds to fully recognize that this is the person he often saw on TV. He is YanMingXiu’s grandfather, a significant well known figure in the government, YanDeJiang.

At this time, ZhouXiang didn’t feel nervous. He couldn’t even get himself to wipe the tears off his face as he stared at the person who had just entered.

When YanMingXiu’s mother saw her son’s dispirited emaciated self, with tears strewn all over his face, she felt immensely pained. She tried to alleviate the situation at hand, “Dad, you just came back. Got take a rest first. Leave the children’s matter to us.”

YanDeJiang ignored her as he slowly moved his eyes from ZhouXiang’s face to YanMingXiu’s face. When he spoke, his voice is very slow but sounded powerfully resonating, “Crying like this, how shameful.”

YanMingXiu wiped his face and softly muttered, "Grandpa."

"Didn’t eat for how many days?" YanDeJiang glanced into the room and frowned with dissatisfaction.

“Just ate,” YanMingXiu stubbornly turned his face to the side.

“Is not eating going to solve the problem? This same old trick, your dad had used it back then when he refused to the join the army. I was still able to make him give in.”

YanMingXiu didn’t say anything.

ZhouXiang had a bit of difficulty breathing under such high pressured situation.

YanDeJiang glanced at ZhouXiang and said, “Mnnnn ... young people falling in love... as though it’s a matter of life and death, isn’t that stupid? If you really have the time and energy, why not go do something useful."

There was not a sound in or out of the room, nobody even dared to take a deep breath.

“Young man, go back. This is our family matters. Outsiders don’t need to intervene.” YanDeJiang said faintly as he looked at ZhouXiang. Every one of his words made ZhouXiang felt so ashamed he wanted to find a hole to crawl into. He stood up almost automatically and headed toward the door.

YanMingXiu bolted from the sofa and stepped in front of ZhouXiang. Wiping his tears with his voice trembling, “You’re not allowed to leave.”

YanDeJiang raised his voice, “You dare!"

ZhouXiang wanted to push YanMingXiu away but he wasn’t strong enough. He didn’t dare to look at YanMingXiu’s eyes. It made him feel pained.

YanMingSu came over and pulled YanMingXiu aside, “Let him go back first. This won’t solve the problem.”

“No way. Ge, I can’t let him go. What am I going to do if he leaves and not come back?" YanMingXiu was still tightly gripping onto ZhouXiang’s sleeve, refusing to let go.

YanMingSu patted his face and lowered his voice, “Let go first (referring to ZhouXiang’s sleeves). I’ll help you think of a way. Let go.”

Everyone was looking at them. ZhouXiang felt so overwhelmed. He kept his head lowered with his ears red. His entire person felt weak and listless.

YanMingXiu’s paranoia is a bit abnormal.

YanMingSu had no choice but to say something in his ear. YanMingXiu deeply furrowed his brows and finally let go of his hand reluctantly.

ZhouXiang pulled his arm back. With his head lowered, he rushed out of the door. YanMingXiu’s mother’s voice sounded behind him, "Son, you’re making mom feel very hurt...."

The car that picked him up was waiting downstairs. ZhouXiang rushed into the car. His tears uncontrollably streamed down his face.

He leaned back in the seat and reached his hand out to cover his eyes, his tears continued to well up around his eyes. He cried quietly. He kept asking himself. Is doing this right? Is it right or not? If it’s not, then does he have the courage to go back?

Even when the car arrived at the downstairs of his home, he didn’t have an answer. It’s just that every time he thought of leaving YanMingXiu alone there and he himself escaped, the pain in his heart felt as if it had been pierced with a knife.

He didn’t know how he got upstairs. After entering the home, even ChenYing’s shocking expression didn’t make him come back to his senses. He went straight into his room and flopped down on the bed.

ChenYing’s worried voice sounded from outside the door but she didn’t come in.

ZhouXiang closed his eyes and fell into a deep slumber. He slept very deeply. When he woke up, it was dark outside. ZhouXiang felt an excruciating migraine. It was particularly painful, as if his head is about to crack open.

He sat up unsteadily and stared blankly at the darkness outside the windows. He can’t see anything outside. There was nothing.

“Xiang Ge... I have always liked you.”

“Xiang Ge... can I really not be forgiven?”

“Xiang Ge...."

In his mind, all he kept repeatedly hearing and seeing is YanMingXiu’s voice and face. ZhouXiang felt that he had been possessed.

His mouth is extremely dry. He walked out of his room, intending to go into the kitchen to pour himself a glass of water. However, as soon as he opened the door, he found the living room brightly lit. ChenYing is sitting on the sofa looking at something.

Hearing movements, ChenYing turned her face and glanced at him sadly.

ZhouXiang glanced at the clock on the wall. It was already passed two o’clock in the middle of the night. He forced himself to liven up but his voice is still lifeless, “Mom, how come you’re not asleep?”

“Ah Xiang, come here.”

ZhouXiang sat next to ChenYing.

He thought that ChenYing would definitely ask him about what happened today. His eyes are so swollen that it was hard to see anything. ChenYing can’t possibly not notice. Unexpectedly, ChenYing didn’t ask. Instead she pointed to the photo album in front of her, "This was taken when you were six years old. At that time, your father was still alive.”

ZhouXiang looked at her, not understanding.

“If your father is not dead, I don’t have to work so hard, you also don’t have to work so hard."

ChenYing sniffed her nose, “Ah Xiang, sometimes, I feel that it would have been better if I had just died, then I won’t give you so much trouble.” "

“Mom, how can you say that?”

ChenYing looked at him deeply, “Ah Xiang, what mom said that day is too harsh. Don’t take it to heart.”

"I won’t."

“Actually, do you like him? Tell me the truth, do you like him?”

ZhouXiang lowered his head and didn’t say anything.

"You like him. But could his family accept you."

He already got an extremely accurate answer to this question. ZhouXiang shook his head.

“You also know it yourself. So you must not be foolish to get your feet stuck in this ditch and can’t pull yourself out. That would be too terrible.”

ZhouXiang slowly closed his eyes.

———

The 7th day of the Lunar New Year was unusually long. ZhouXiang didn’t go out. Every day, he just stayed home, lost in his own thoughts.

CaiWei and LanXiRong called him to go out but he made some excuses to refuse them.

Putting the phone near his hand, he knew he was waiting for someone to call him, but didn’t know whether or not he wanted that call to come. This kind of anxiety is about to make him crazy.

Having stayed home for the third day, ChenYing finally couldn’t stand it anymore and handed him a mirror to look at himself.

ZhouXiang glanced once. He felt that he still looked quite good. This young man is quite handsome, even if he was dejected to such an extent, he still had his charms. He wanted to laugh at himself, but the laugh is more unsightly than crying.

ChenYing caressed his hair, “How come you are so foolish? As long as you like him, mom is willing to support you but mom is most afraid of seeing you in pain... most afraid of seeing you hurt.”

ZhouXiang took her hand and gently patted her back, “Mom. Don’t worry. Who hasn’t gone through a breakup in their lives? Give me some time. I’ll be fine. Don’t take this so seriously."

He didn’t know whether he is comforting ChenYing or comforting himself. Only he, himself knows that he would never love any other person as he had loved YanMingXiu in his life. He had already given up a life, how could there be another person who can still make him give in to that extent.

ChenYing shook her head, not knowing what to say.

The phone call that ZhouXiang was waiting for never came. But instead, YanMingSu came. YanMingSu rang the doorbell to his home. The moment ZhouXiang opened the door, the emotions in his heart is like the ocean’s surging waves, almost fiercely drowning him to death.

End of the chapter