He wasn't mocking him; he found it quite amusing.
But by the time he got a good look, the person next to him had already stood up and rushed out.
Huo Shenyan took an umbrella from the door and walked all the way to the garden, both surprised and angry. As he led Ni Jingxi into the corridor under the umbrella and was about to pull her into the private room, Ni Jingxi suddenly grabbed his wrist.
Her fingers gripped his wrist tightly, almost with all her might.
For some reason, a strange emotion rose in Huo Shenyan's heart.
Ni Jingxi looked up at him, gazing at him so earnestly and affectionately, and whispered, "Be careful what you say."
"I'm here," Huo Shenyan said in a low, hoarse voice.
Ni Jingxi said, "Do you still remember our wedding vows in that little church in Israel? We said we would be true to each other. Now, can you answer one question for me?"
Did you marry me because you love me?
For the first time, Huo Shenyan's eyes were filled with despair and panic as he reached out to grasp Ni Jingxi's hand.
He didn't speak.
Ni Jingxi smiled sadly and said softly, "Then let me ask you a different question."
"Did you know I was Ni Pingsen's daughter before you married me?" Ni Jingxi stared straight at him.
The rain was still falling outside the corridor, and the sound of the rain seemed to drown out all other sounds, leaving only silence between them.
Finally, he spoke, "I know."
Ni Jingxi blinked, and tears fell, landing on the back of her hand.
Suddenly, she remembered Israel.
The origin of all her pain and happiness.
That year, she traveled to that unfamiliar country with all her trepidation, anticipation, and unease, hoping to find her father's whereabouts. As a result, she met the man she loved most in her life.
That day at the car dealership, she turned her head and saw him the instant...
When she asked him if he could get drunk and he said he could, when he risked his life to protect her, when she heard him ask if she could marry him...
He was the Huo Shenyan she had chosen.
Just this morning before getting out of bed, he cuddled with her and wouldn't get up. This handsome and composed man was like a lazy big cat, showing a rare childlike side in front of her.
A few days later was their wedding. She had imagined him standing at the end of the flower-lined path, waiting for her to walk towards him step by step.
Even without her father holding her hand, there was the man who loved her most at the other end of the road.
She won't be afraid.
What is she supposed to do with Huo Shenyan like this?
Finally, it felt like an eternity had passed.
She looked up at Huo Shenyan and whispered, "Shenyan."
"We've disbanded."
Chapter 52
Under the eaves, rainwater cascaded down relentlessly, and despite it being May, a bone-chilling cold lingered. When Ni Jingxi uttered that last sentence, even she herself was stunned.
Huo Shenyan looked at her, his gaze somewhat unfocused, as if it took him a long, long time to gradually regain his focus.
"Jingxi," Huo Shenyan called her name softly.
Suddenly, her phone vibrated abruptly. It was Ni Jingxi's phone, but she didn't reach for it and just let it ring.
If she could, she wished she were somewhere alone, where no one would disturb her, so she could quietly think things through.
Huo Shenyan lowered his eyes and stared straight at her, his gaze deep and unfathomable.
It wasn't until Xiao Yichen came out of the private room, looking anxious, that he said, "Shenyan, Tang Mian has already called me, he said..."
Xiao Yichen paused. He and Han Zhao had noticed the situation from inside the private room. Although they hadn't heard what they were saying, they were sure it wasn't a pleasant discussion. Otherwise, Ni Jingxi wouldn't have come in the rain.
He said Jingxi's grandmother was in the hospital receiving emergency treatment.
When Ni Jingxi got into Huo Shenyan's car, her mind seemed to have gone rusty, and she had no thoughts at all.
Because Huo Shenyan had been drinking, the driver was a designated driver from the club.
He gently hugged Ni Jingxi and whispered, "It's okay, Jingxi, don't be afraid, don't be afraid."
Ni Jingxi's clothes were soaked through. Huo Shenyan draped a suit jacket from the car over her shoulders and held her in his arms. Whether from the cold or fear, Ni Jingxi was trembling all over.
She leaned against Huo Shenyan's chest, without saying a word.
There were still quite a few vehicles on the road at this time, and with the slippery roads due to the rain, everyone was driving rather slowly.
It was almost an hour before the car arrived at the hospital.
Tang Mian arrived at the hospital before them and stood at the entrance to greet them.
I was a little stunned when I saw Ni Jingxi get out of the car.
Ni Jingxi's hair was completely soaked, and her face, which was already pale, now looked almost transparent, without a trace of color.
After she got out of the car, Huo Shenyan wanted to help her, but Ni Jingxi slowly shook her head: "I'm fine."
She straightened her back and slowly walked into the hospital, with Huo Shenyan walking quietly beside her.
Tang Mian walked behind them, watching their backs, a vague unease creeping into his heart.
The two were still walking side by side, but there seemed to be something between them.
This was something he had never seen in Huo Shenyan or Ni Jingxi before.
Sometimes even Tang Mian couldn't help but feel envious. He had been by Huo Shenyan's side for a long time and was used to his calm and self-possessed demeanor. Every move he made was tinged with aloofness and politeness, as if there was an invisible film separating him from everyone else.
But after meeting Ni Jingxi, his entire demeanor changed.
Even he would envy that kind of change. Perhaps this is what happiness is all about marrying the one you love.
When Ni Jingxi arrived at the emergency room, she stood outside and watched quietly.
In fact, Grandma's condition has never been good. In the past six months, she has often stayed in this private hospital, and Huo Shenyan has arranged a whole medical team for her.
At this moment, Ni Jingxi leaned quietly against the wall, her gaze seemingly lost in the distance.
She remembered when she visited her grandmother a few days ago, her grandmother looked disappointed when she saw that she was alone, and even while eating the cake she brought, her grandmother kept muttering, "Why didn't Shenyan come this time? Shenyan..."
Her cautiousness in speaking was so endearing.
Ni Jingxi abruptly closed her eyes, forcibly holding back her tears.
But then I suddenly remembered what she had just said.
She actually doubted him, actually said those things to him; Ni Jingxi felt she must be crazy. She trusted Huo Shenyan as much as she trusted herself.
How could she be so reckless with her words?
Ni Jingxi opened her eyes again. The atmosphere in the emergency room was still tense, and Huo Shenyan was standing beside her, quietly keeping her company.
Her eyes were slightly lowered, and out of the corner of her eye, she caught a glimpse of his hand, which was hanging down so quietly at his side.
Ni Jingxi took a deep breath, and moved his palms along the wall little by little, until he was almost in the spot where he was standing.
Her hand stopped, and she waited in place for a long, long time.
Until her little finger gently hooked his palm.
Huo Shenyan was waiting quietly until he felt a soft, tender touch on his left hand, and then he felt his little finger being gently hooked twice.
It's very light.
He hadn't reacted at first, but as his consciousness gradually returned and he realized what it was, it suddenly felt like something exploded in his heart.
The emotions that had been weighing heavily on my heart were suddenly shattered into pieces.
He reached out and grasped her hand firmly, as if grabbing the last piece of driftwood before he sank to the bottom of the sea.
The two remained standing against the wall, but neither spoke; their hands never parted again.
After an unknown amount of time, when the doctor came out, Ni Jingxi stood up straight, her body no longer against the wall. She stared intently at the doctor, but as if guided by some inexplicable premonition, she didn't dare to approach him and ask what was wrong.
This time, the doctor looked at Ni Jingxi and said in a low voice, "Please prepare yourselves mentally."
When faced with death, even the most compassionate doctor cannot overcome the cruelty of fate.
Ni Jingxi's gaze suddenly went blank. She stared blankly at the people in front of her, but she couldn't make out anyone's face clearly.
"Jingxi." Huo Shenyan hugged her as soon as the doctor uttered his first words, but even so, she was still in a daze.
After an unknown amount of time, Ni Jingxi looked at him in front of her, tears streaming down her face.
When she and Huo Shenyan entered the ward, apart from the faint sounds of various machines, the person lying on the hospital bed seemed lifeless.
Grandma lay there so peacefully.
After walking over, Ni Jingxi gently knelt down beside the bed, looking at her grandmother who was wearing an oxygen mask.
I don't know how much time passed, maybe just a few seconds, or maybe a very, very long time.
Grandma's eyelids twitched slightly, and then she opened her eyes and saw Ni Jingxi kneeling by the bedside and Huo Shenyan behind her. Grandma clearly wanted to smile.
But she was so tired that she couldn't even manage a slight twitch of her lips.
"Jingxi." Grandma's voice was hoarse, as if she had used a lot of strength to open her mouth.
Ni Jingxi nodded immediately: "Grandma, I'm here."
She knelt forward a step so that her grandmother could see her more clearly.
This time, Grandma finally smiled a little and said, "Don't cry, Grandma isn't upset."
Ni Jingxi obediently raised her hand and wiped her cheeks until she was sure there were no tears on her face before saying, "I didn't cry, I didn't cry."
"Grandma was most worried about you," Grandma looked at her, her eyes filled with affection, until she looked up at Huo Shenyan behind her: "But after you married Shenyan, Grandma was relieved."
Although Grandma couldn't live with them, she could always tell how well Huo Shenyan treated Ni Jingxi whenever they came to visit.
The way he looked at her was the same way Ni Pingsen used to look at his Mingzhu.