43: Chapter 43: He Was Isolated by Her on the Opposite Side_1 43: Chapter 43: He Was Isolated by Her on the Opposite Side_1 The night was as dark as ink, West Street closed early, and at this time, many shops were already shut.
There were few pedestrians about, giving the scene a slightly desolate feel.
The man in the car gazed out the window with an apathetic look, his thin lips tightly pressed together, emanating a sense of chilling arrogance.
“She seems to have a good impression of you!” came a cold voice, shattering the silence inside the car.
Mo Yan cleared his throat awkwardly, “Mr.
Lu, that’s one joke I can’t afford to make!”
The man’s eyes twinkled with amusement as he responded nonchalantly, “She is always grateful to those who help her.
Apparently, I am now isolated as an adversary in her eyes…”
Mo Yan pursed his lips, seeing the man partially close his eyes, though the smile on his lips never faded!
Nanxi walked up to her uncle’s house and checked the time before knocking on the door.
At this hour, her uncle should still be awake!
After pressing the doorbell, Nanxi took a sniff of herself, noticing the smell of smoke.
She thought back to Lu Yinchu smoking in the car and frowned at the recollection: she didn’t find the smell so off-putting at the time, but now, she found it quite disagreeable…
However, if her uncle were to ask about it, she would just tell the truth.
There was nothing to hide!
Finally, the door was opened.
Just as Nanxi was about to call out to her uncle, she was momentarily stunned by the appearance of the person who opened the door.
It was not Liang Youquan, but…
Nanxi froze at the doorway, as did the woman standing there…
“Hello, Aunt Xu!” Eventually, it was Nanxi who finally broke the silence.
Xu Mei muttered something under her breath, quickly motioning for Nanxi to come inside.
Nanxi walked in feeling uncomfortable, but couldn’t shake an unsettling feeling:Xu Mei is moving in already?
That means, Xu Mei and my uncle…
Whilst Nanxi’s mind was filled with speculation, Xu Mei began to speak.
More precisely, she began to explain.
Xu Mei said, “Your uncle received a call this afternoon and had to attend a Cultural and Arts Expo in the neighboring city.
He didn’t have enough time to notify you and Qiaoqiao in advance, fearing it might disturb your studies and work.
He asked me to look after grandma in the meantime…”
Xu Mei looked a bit embarrassed, “But rest assured, both your uncle and I are mature adults.
I’m not trying to prove anything by doing this.
It’s just a simple act of kindness, especially since I get along so well with the old lady!”
Hearing this, Nanxi relaxed slightly, offering a polite smile.
“Aunt Xu, don’t misunderstand.
I have nothing against it…
Moreover, I’m grateful that you’re helping to take care of my grandmother!”
That night, Nanxi lay in bed contemplating whether to call Qiaoqiao about Xu Mei’s surprise arrival.
Eventually, she decided to keep it a secret.
Although Qiaoqiao had given her consent for their uncle to remarry, she still needed time to fully accept it!
The fierce opposition Qiaoqiao showed when their uncle sold the front-house indicated that deep down, she was still resistant to the idea.
Nanxi didn’t want Qiaoqiao to be upset!
But she also couldn’t hide the fact that their uncle was gone to attend the expo…
Nanxi frowned, eventually deciding to stay at the Liang family’s home before her uncle returned.
This way, if Qiaoqiao asked later, she could always say she was the one taking care of grandma in these couple of days!
If Qiaoqiao came back, she could even pretend that Xu Mei was just a guest visiting the grandmother…
Thankfully, Qiaoqiao rarely stayed at home overnight, often leaving after dinner at most!
With that thought, Nanxi found peace of mind.
Spending time with her grandmother was a way to fulfill the duty of filial piety on behalf of her mother, and it felt really good!
However, what Nanxi did not expect was that the next morning, Qiaoqiao rushed back to the Liang’s house.
At that point, Xu Mei, wearing an apron, was busy in the kitchen…
Because Nanxi was in the midst of freshening up and didn’t have a chance to come out in time, it was Xu Mei who personally opened the door for Liang Qiaoqiao….
When Nanxi saw Xu Qian and Liang Qiaoqiao standing at the door, gazing at each other in disbelief, she instantly felt a sense of melancholy, as if “doom was imminent”….
“Give me five minutes to explain what exactly happened?”
In order not to spoil their grandmother’s mood, everyone at the breakfast table maintained cheerful conversation.
It was lively, but Nanxi was having a hard time swallowing her food.
Finally, after breakfast, Liang Qiaoqiao asked Nanxi to accompany her to the supermarket to buy some things.
Once they stepped out of the small community, Qiaoqiao demanded an explanation right away.
Nanxi took a deep breath, then another.
She felt there was no way to lie about this, so she told the truth, albeit with a few embellishments.
Nanxi said, “Uncle left in such a hurry yesterday that I planned to take care of grandmother by myself.
But it happened that Aunt Xu came to visit grandmother.
As you saw, grandmother likes Aunt Xu very much, so she stayed over last night….”
Liang Qiaoqiao didn’t say anything, leaving Nanxi unsure about her thoughts.
When she first came to this city four years ago, Nanxi was a timid and innocent 18-year-old.
She was somewhat timid around Liang Qiaoqiao, careful not to anger her cousin!
However, after spending some time together, she realized that Liang Qiaoqiao was really nice to her.
She bought her clothes, took her shopping and out to eat….
Deep down, she liked Liang Qiaoqiao as if she were her own sister!
If she were forced to choose between Aunt Xu and Liang Qiaoqiao, she would choose Liang Qiaoqiao without hesitation!
“Never mind…” Liang Qiaoqiao sighed, a hint of helplessness in her voice, “Since grandmother likes her, and the old man doesn’t seem to dislike her, what else can I say….”
Despite her words, Nanxi still caught a glimpse of loss in Liang Qiaoqiao’s eyes….
The two of them bought some groceries at the supermarket, mostly vegetables that their grandmother liked.
Liang Qiaoqiao mentioned, “Actually, grandmother’s favorite food was the dishes my mother made.
After my mother passed away, grandma had anorexia for a long time and eventually fell ill….
I don’t remember clearly how she recovered.
Anyway, she gradually got better, probably she came to terms with reality as time passed.”
After finishing her sentence, Liang Qiaoqiao sighed, “Sometimes I wonder how long those who pass away can stay in our hearts?
I hope it’s forever, but I’m afraid it will result in the living person’s efforts being in vain; I hope it’s brief, but I fear that one day I too will be forgotten just as quickly….”
She looked at Nanxi and gave a weak smile, “Don’t you think my thoughts are contradictory?”
Nanxi shook her head.
She understood Liang Qiaoqiao.
There were some melancholic feelings hidden in Liang Qiaoqiao’s heart.
She rarely showed them, but that didn’t mean they didn’t exist!
Born into the world, who could completely detach themselves from worldly matters and keep their eyes unclouded by life’s turmoils?
It was hard, almost impossible!
Time wore away our innocence, and smoothed out our tenacity.
We were all being pulled forward by the flow of time.
All we could do was force ourselves to accept and somehow seek pleasure within this acceptance.
By the time they returned to the Liang Family home, Xu Mei was engaged in a conversation with their grandmother.
The soft atmosphere was filled with sunlight streaming in through the window and roses blooming on the balcony.
It all seemed tranquil and beautiful.
Nanxi furrowed her brow and glanced sideways at Liang Qiaoqiao.
As she did, she saw Qiaoqiao get up and walk towards the balcony.
Nanxi wanted to stop her, but it was too late!
Xu Mei stood up with an awkward smile and called out to Qiaoqiao and Nanxi….
Liang Qiaoqiao had a friendly expression, giving no hint of what she might be thinking.
Then, she pulled Xu Mei by the hand and asked her to sit down.
Xu Mei looked slightly taken aback, and so did Nanxi.
Then, Liang Qiaoqiao started to speak with an amiable smile.
She said, “Aunt Xu, you know, my father rarely goes out and I’m rarely at home.
Nanxi will be graduating soon, she has a lot of things to take care of at school and job hunting leaves her with little time.
So, if it’s possible, I have an unceremonious request….”