Xia Ran subconsciously looked up at him, then silently put the photo down and picked up the remaining pages to read.
He discovered that it was all from one person's oral account, which was then printed out. Xia Ran was a little confused and subconsciously asked a question.
"Why do we have to dictate and print it out? Can't we just record it directly on our phones?"
“We found a nanny who was my grandfather’s ex-wife at the time. This nanny was afraid that we were going to do something bad, so she refused to speak. In the end, we sent someone to write it down, and I printed a copy for backup.”
"There are two more photos below. Take a look at them, and you'll probably understand why I said Lin Ziming had a relationship with your grandfather's girlfriend when he was young."
Upon hearing this, Xia Ran immediately picked up the two photos at the bottom and found that one of them was Lin's father when he was young, and the other was his grandfather's girlfriend. Lin's father was also holding a child in his arms. Xia Ran thought that must be Ziming when he was a child.
These two photos were taken at the entrance of an old residential area, and they seem to have a pretty good relationship.
Xia Ran was completely stunned and asked anxiously,
"What exactly is going on?"
"It's very simple. Just like what those papers say, back then, when Mr. Lin was down on his luck, he met this man with Lin Ziming. This man saved them, but he was sick at that time. However, it was too long ago, so we can't know what kind of illness it was. Even the nanny at the time wasn't sure what the illness was. She only knew that the illness was very painful, and it seemed to be the kind that caused gradual aging."
“The nanny said that he took care of Grandpa’s girlfriend when he was young for about three months. After that, the Lin family father and son took the man abroad, and then there was no further news. So there’s probably something wrong with what happened between Grandpa and that man back then, and that’s probably why Lin Ziming and the others approached you.”
After listening, Xia Ran thought about it carefully. If he combined what Gu Zheng had just said with what his grandfather had said about their experiences back then, he would find it hard not to suspect that there was a reason why his grandfather's girlfriend left him. If that was the case, what would happen if his grandfather knew the truth?
"Aran, we need to know everything from the Lin family father and son. We can't guess anything by just guessing here."
"Are they related by blood?"
"No."
Hearing this, Xia Ran breathed a sigh of relief.
If there's no blood relation, that's fine. But if there is a blood relation, and Ziming is older than him, then it proves that Grandpa's ex-girlfriend really did cheat on him.
No, Xia Ran suddenly thought of himself. He was also his grandfather's grandson. It wasn't really cheating, but rather that the two of them had families and children after they separated.
Xia Ran felt uneasy. It turned out that even the most loving people could separate and turn around to marry and have children with someone else.
Gu Zheng seemed to understand Xia Ran's thoughts immediately.
"Aran, I have never been with anyone else, whether in the past or later, you are all I have."
Upon hearing this, Xia Ran paused for a moment, then packed her things up and put them into a file folder.
"I hope you won't tell anyone about this. I'll ask about the rest myself."
"Don't worry, I won't tell. Otherwise, I wouldn't be telling you now. But, Ran, about us..."
Gu Zheng got up and tried to pull Xia Ran away, but Xia Ran instinctively dodged him.
"Thank you for telling me about this, but that's all. If you need compensation, I can pay you. Just tell me how much."
"Aran, you know I don't want money, I just want to have a proper talk with you about what's between us."
"I'm busy," Xia Ran said without hesitation, then turned to leave.
Gu Zheng still tried to pull Xia Ran away regardless, forcing Xia Ran to stop.
"What else do you want to say? Say it all at once, I'm in a hurry."
Upon hearing this, Gu Zheng paused, a hint of bewilderment appearing on his face. He clearly hadn't expected Xia Ran to say these things to him; he had thought she would speak harshly to him.
"Huh? You're not going to tell me? If you're not going to tell me, I'm leaving."
"No, no, I'm telling you," Gu Zheng said, coming back to his senses. "I just want to say that I don't want money, I just want to have a proper talk with you. And I've never been with anyone else before. When you were a virgin, it was also my virginity. Don't overthink it."
"Oh, I see. Are you done?" Xia Ran said in a nonchalant tone.
"That's all."
"I understand. It's late, I need to go back to sleep."
Gu Zheng wanted to persuade Xia Ran to stay, but in the end, he let her leave.
Indeed, it's very late now, so let Aran go to sleep first.
After Xia Ran left, he closed the door behind him. He stood at the door for a while, and couldn't help but sigh when he thought of what Gu Zheng had just said. His feelings were still very complicated.
Has there never been anyone else? So what? Grandpa and the others went through so much back then and still couldn't make it to the end, but what did he and Gu Zheng go through? They didn't go through anything, so why should they be able to make it to the end?
Xia Ran returned to her room, hid the file folder, and went to sleep.
He really wanted to ask Lin Ziming what was going on, but he couldn't now because Lin Ziming and the others were going to Liucheng and wouldn't be back for a few days.
Before tonight, Xia Ran thought that Lin Ziming and the others going to Liucheng was just a coincidence, but now it seems that it probably wasn't.
Grandpa and his family used to live in Liucheng, so Lin Ziming and his group went there specifically to see him. They just didn't know where that man from back then was now.
The next morning, Xia Ran went to take her child to school, but she didn't expect to run into Gu Zheng as soon as she stepped out the door.
The two looked at each other, and Xia Ran thought of what happened last night, so he could only silently look away.
Gu Zheng beckoned to Gu Chen, "Come here, your big dad will take you to kindergarten, and your little dad will go to the hospital with your great-grandfather for a check-up later."
Gu Chen glanced at Xia Ran, "Then, little dad, I'll go to kindergarten with big dad first. Remember to take great-grandpa to the hospital for a check-up."
"Okay, go ahead." Xia Ran patted the child's head.
Gu Chen walked towards Gu Zheng, and Gu Zheng looked at Xia Ran.
"Aran, I'll take the child to kindergarten first. You'll have to pick him up in the afternoon."
Xia Ran didn't answer and turned back to the living room.
Gu Zheng sighed, then led the child towards the elevator.
Xia Ran returned to the living room and sat down. He was quite surprised that Gu Zheng had told him to take his grandfather for a follow-up examination. He hadn't expected Gu Zheng to know.
Xia Ran checked the time. Grandpa hadn't woken up yet, and it was still early for the follow-up check-up. Should she call Dazhuang?
Xia Ran's mood instantly improved when she heard Da Zhuang's sleepy tone on the other end of the phone.
"As expected, I can't be the only one getting up this early! Comrade Dazhuang, what are your thoughts on getting up this early?"
"What the heck! Xia Ran, are you crazy?! Calling me this early! You're not sleeping, but I am!"
"Tsk, it's because I missed you. It's time to get up, I have something I want to tell you."
"Hmm? What is it? Tell me, I'm listening." Da Zhuang's tone on the phone was very casual, not taking Xia Ran's words to heart at all. He felt that what Xia Ran said was not a big deal.
"It's about He Xiu. You said you were busy yesterday, so I didn't tell you after the banquet. I'm calling you now since I have some free time."
Da Zhuang, whose head was still foggy, was stunned when he heard the name He Xiu. His mind cleared up instantly, but he remained silent.
Xia Ran knew that Da Zhuang was thinking at this moment, so she didn't disturb him.
After a long while, Dazhuang's somewhat hoarse voice finally rang out.
"W-what happened? What's wrong with him?"
“He also came to the banquet yesterday. He looked very haggard, and we even talked for a while,” Xia Ran told Da Zhuang about his conversation with He Xiu.
After listening, Dazhuang fell silent again.
Xia Ran understands Da Zhuang and knows that Da Zhuang still has feelings for He Xiu, otherwise he wouldn't be reacting this way.
Have you been in contact lately?
“No,” Dazhuang said. “He blocked all my contact information.”
"Huh? He blocked everyone?" Xia Ran was a little surprised. "Is he giving up completely? But his expression doesn't seem like it. Could it be that he was heartbroken and that's why he did this?"
The more Xia Ran talked, the more she felt that he was right. She couldn't help but sigh. He Xiu seemed arrogant, but she didn't expect him to be such a romantic.
"Dazhuang, do you still like him? There aren't many days left until the New Year. Why don't you come here and spend the New Year with me and Grandpa?"
His words were also a hint that Dazhuang should come and find He Xiu. He believed that with his and Dazhuang's tacit understanding, Dazhuang would definitely understand.
"Hmm...I...I'll see when the time comes."
Hearing Dazhuang's hesitant words, Xia Ran sighed helplessly.
"Alright, alright, I'm just telling you these things. Life is only a few decades long, what's there to be afraid of? I've already tried it once, you can't be a coward than me, can you?"
"Pah! You're a coward! I'm not a coward! Alright, alright, I know what I'm doing. Just take care of yourself. Now tell me, how have you been lately?"
"I'm fine, but I know Ziming's true identity and his purpose in getting close to us, so I don't know what to do."
Chapter 401 Pride and Relief
Xia Ran went to the balcony and whispered to Da Zhuang about what Lin Ziming and the others had done.
Da Zhuang was shocked after hearing this.
"No way, really? What are you going to do? Tell Grandpa?"
"I don't know yet, but they probably won't tell my grandpa for now. I need to find out what Ziming and the others are planning first, and then I'll consider whether to ask my grandpa. What I'm concerned about right now is where my grandpa's girlfriend from when he was young is. Sigh, it's a real headache. I'll ask Ziming and the others first."
The two talked for a while longer before hanging up the phone.
Looking at the time, Xia Ran was about to wake her grandfather up. He couldn't eat breakfast before his check-up, so she had to take him early to avoid him getting hungry.
Because they had registered in advance, they went straight to the doctor when they arrived at the hospital. By the time they finished all the tests, it was almost 10 o'clock, and that was because there were so many people and they had to queue for all the tests.
After the doctor's examination revealed nothing wrong, Xia Ran breathed a sigh of relief. Thinking it was still early, she decided to take her grandfather out for a stroll, since the two of them were bored at home anyway.
While accompanying his grandfather to the hospital for his medical appointment, he silenced his phone to avoid disturbing others with phone calls. As a result, he didn't hear He Hao's call at all and only saw it when he was paying the bill after dinner.
He was a little confused; several messages had been sent, which really puzzled him.
He was going to the supermarket with his grandfather to buy things. He originally only wanted to send a message to He Hao and that would be it, but after thinking about it, he called He Hao instead. Why send so many messages and make so many calls? Could it be that something important happened?
As soon as the call connected, before Xia Ran could speak, an anxious female voice came from the other end.
"Son, why aren't you answering the phone? Has something happened?"
Xia Ran was taken aback when he heard the voice. The woman's voice sounded like Feng Ming's mother, but why was she calling him "baby"? Could it be that she mistook him for Feng Ming?
“Um…Auntie, I’m Xia Ran, not Feng Ming.”
He Hao, standing next to Madam Feng, felt a jolt in his heart and immediately said,
"Xia Ran, I'm sorry, my mom thought it was Feng Ming. Feng Ming went out early this morning and no one answered the phone. My mom was a little worried, so she mistook you for Feng Ming."
Xia Ran heard this and realized it was true.
"It's nothing. By the way, He Hao, is there something you need that called me and sent me so many messages? My phone was on silent and I didn't notice."