Mr. Lin: "Come out, everyone. Let Xia Ran calm down. We also have other things to do."
After Lin Ziming covered Grandpa Xia with the blanket, he and his father left the room. Gu Zheng wiped away Xia Ran's tears.
"Don't be afraid, we're here for you. Since Grandpa made this decision, he must think it's worth it. He's protected you for so many years, it's time for him to live for himself. Not only are you and we reluctant to part with him, but there's someone else in another world waiting for him."
Xia Ran opened her mouth, but couldn't say a word. She could only turn to look at Grandpa Xia. Grandpa Xia's face was still peaceful, and the corners of his mouth were even slightly upturned.
He nodded to Gu Zheng with his back to him. Then Gu Zheng carried Gu Chen, who was silently shedding tears, out of the room and closed the door behind him.
At this time, it's best to let Xia Ran be alone to calm down. They never thought that their grandfather would choose this path, but now, thinking back on his story, everything seems quite normal.
Lin Ziming and his father were discussing something outside. When they saw Gu Zheng come out, they said to him...
"Call the Feng family and ask them to come over. Tell them about the old man's passing. Let them come together to discuss his funeral arrangements. The old man was right; we should all discuss things together. That's what he would have wanted most."
After listening, Gu Zheng was very puzzled. "Why did you invite the Feng family to come as well? What is the relationship between the Feng family and Grandpa?"
Lin's father also knew about the old man's attitude towards Gu Zheng, so he no longer planned to hide it from Gu Zheng and directly revealed Xia Ran's background.
Gu Zheng was also very shocked after hearing this. So that's how it is. No wonder his grandfather made this decision.
All these years have passed, but Grandpa has never forgotten the love he had in his youth.
"Let's call them," said Mr. Lin.
Gu Zheng nodded and made a phone call to Feng Ming.
Xia Ran, who was in the room, sat down on the edge of the bed, holding a notebook and a longevity lock in his hand.
Xia Ran had never seen this longevity lock before, but he knew that his grandfather had placed it here to leave it for him.
"Grandpa, I know you can't forget him, but you also..."
Xia Ran didn't know what to say next, and her tears never stopped.
He opened the notebook and saw the message his grandfather had left for him.
"Xiao Ran, by the time you see this notebook, Grandpa will probably have already passed away. But don't be sad or upset. Believe me, Grandpa is truly happy and delighted with this decision. Grandpa missed him so much, especially after learning the truth about what happened back then. Grandpa missed him even more."
Grandpa knows this decision is cruel to you, but Grandpa really can't bear to leave him alone. All these years, he must still be waiting for me down there. I'm going to see him, and just thinking about it makes me happy.
Fortunately, you're not alone anymore. You have Gu Zheng, Gu Chen, Ziming, your Uncle Lin, your own parents, and your family. With these people around, Grandpa is incredibly at ease because Grandpa knows they will take good care of you.
Xia Ran was stunned when he saw this. What did he mean by his own parents?
He continued reading and discovered something that shocked him beyond belief.
Actually, you are not Grandpa's biological grandson. The story that Grandpa said your parents passed away early was made up by Grandpa. In Grandpa's heart, you will always be my biological grandson.
Please forgive Grandpa for telling you the truth in this way, but it's the best way I can think of. Grandpa can't bear to watch you reunite with your biological parents. You could say it's Grandpa's selfishness. I'm deceiving myself into thinking that as long as I don't see you reunite, you will always be Xia Ran, my Xiao Ran.
Grandpa Feng has already made arrangements with the Feng family. You can't throw a tantrum and disown them. They've suffered a lot too. Did you see the white hair on their heads? That's because their hair turned white overnight after you were taken away, and it's never gone back to normal.
"When Grandpa found you, it was when Grandpa least wanted to live. Your appearance gave Grandpa the motivation to continue living. Grandpa has lived so many more years now, and Grandpa is very satisfied."
Grandpa used to think that he had abandoned him, but now that Grandpa knows the whole truth and knows that he didn't abandon him, Grandpa is going to find him. Don't be sad, and don't blame Grandpa, okay? Grandpa has just gone to another world where he can be happier and more content.
Grandpa hopes you can help me take my ashes to Liucheng, so that I can be closer to him and maybe find him sooner. Well, Grandpa has said enough, I have to go now. My little Ran, you must live a happy and joyful life. Grandpa will be watching over you from another world. Please forgive Grandpa's selfishness.
After Xia Ran finished reading the notes, his vision was already blurred by tears, some of which dripped onto the notebook. He quickly wiped them away gently with his hand, as if afraid that he would damage the notebook if he used too much force.
He cried silently. Before looking at the notebook, he truly couldn't understand why his grandfather would be so willing to abandon him. Now he understood. He thought that if it were him, he would make the same decision as his grandfather.
He was still very upset. He had relied on his grandfather since he was a child, and now that his grandfather was suddenly gone, he really couldn't bear it.
"Why couldn't you stay with me for a few more years?" Xia Ran choked up, recalling her grandfather's every move these past two days, it was clear that he was saying his final goodbye.
He looked at Grandpa Xia's peaceful face and tried to force a smile.
"I know, I'll live a good life, I'll live happily. Don't worry too much about me, just come visit me in my dreams occasionally. Oh, and don't forget to bring your 'him,' so I can see what kind of person could make you so infatuated..."
Xia Ran suddenly couldn't continue speaking; his tears flowed uncontrollably, no matter how hard he tried to stop them.
"This time, I won't keep you. Go find him properly and don't keep him waiting too long. When you get down there, you must stay together forever and never separate because of any unnecessary misunderstandings. I... I'm not angry with you. I just regret not being able to stay by your side for a few more years."
He had thought that his grandfather was getting old and this day would come eventually, but he didn't expect it to come so soon, nor did he expect his grandfather to say goodbye to him in this way.
But thinking about it, this seems to be the best ending for Grandpa. Even if Grandpa really lived to be a hundred years old, if he didn't know the truth, he would never be able to let go of the regret in his heart.
Now the regret is gone, and I've let it go. That person loved Grandpa from beginning to end, so how could Grandpa bear not to go find him?
Xia Ran talked on and on with Grandpa Xia, tears streaming down his face. It was as if he and Grandpa had switched roles; Grandpa was a child, and he was the parent. He kept telling Grandpa to slow down, to live well in the other world, and to come visit him in his dreams often.
He held Grandpa Xia's cold hand and kept talking as if he never got tired.
The Feng family had also arrived by then; they had rushed over after receiving Gu Zheng's message.
"What do you mean by the old man suddenly leaving? He was perfectly fine yesterday, how could he just leave like that?" Mr. Feng asked.
When they received Gu Zheng's call, they were completely stunned and didn't know what to do.
In particular, they were all wondering if their appearance, or their insistence on recognizing Xia Ran, had upset Grandpa Xia, causing him to suddenly lose his composure...
If that's the case, then they are deeply sinful.
Mr. Lin sighed and explained the whole story. He had glanced at the notebook earlier, so he knew what was written in it.
Actually, he was the one who understood the old man the most. After his wife passed away, he once wanted to follow her, but he knew he still had children, so he tried his best to live on and now he has slowly come to terms with it.
However, the old man and his wife's love was too intense. Now that they know the truth and Xia Ran has family to protect her, it's understandable that the old man would make this decision.
But everyone was heartbroken by the old man's passing.
"So that's how it is..." Mrs. Feng murmured to herself, "The old man... was also a man of deep feelings."
In fact, this kind of feeling can be described by more than just the word "deep affection." It transcends life and death, but these are the only two words she can think of to describe it right now.
Mr. Lin sighed, "The reason I asked you to come here is to tell you that Xia Ran already knows your true identities. But now that the old man has just passed away, he is inevitably in a bad mood. I hope you can not force him to acknowledge you so quickly, and give him a chance to calm down first."
"We know that," Mr. Feng nodded quickly. "Don't worry, we will never pressure the child. So, where is the child now?
“He’s with the old man right now, let him have some time alone,” Mr. Lin said. “Gu Zheng, do you know any of the owners here? Go and have someone buy the houses here first, so that they don’t find out about Grandpa’s situation and cause unnecessary trouble.”
Chapter 421 A Breathtaking Parting
"Okay, I understand." Gu Zheng had actually thought of this as well, but Lin's father had said it first.
"I'll make a call first." Gu Zheng went to the balcony to call Qin Hao, since Qin Hao was the one who had handled the house here.
Qin Hao was also shocked when he learned about his grandfather's situation.
"Why so suddenly? How...how is Xia Ran? Can he accept it? He..."
Qin Hao suddenly couldn't continue speaking; in fact, he knew without being asked that the other person couldn't accept it.
My grandfather, with whom I had depended on since childhood, has passed away. If it were him, he would probably be devastated too.
"I'll stay with him." Gu Zheng said and hung up the phone, then called He Xiu.
Of course, he sought out He Xiu to ask for Da Zhuang's contact information. At this time, it might be best to have more familiar people around Xia Ran.
After hearing Gu Zheng's words, He Xiu was silent for a moment before reciting a phone number.
He was surprised by himself when he recited the phone number from memory.
To be honest, he thought he actually remembered the phone number; he thought he had long forgotten it.
However, Gu Zheng had no idea what He Xiu was thinking. After writing down the phone number, he called Da Zhuang.
After Gu Zheng had arranged everything, it was time to handle his grandfather's funeral arrangements. Since his grandfather had passed away, he needed to be taken to the funeral home.
When Gu Zheng entered the living room, Lin's father was explaining the matter of Grandpa Xia's passing to Gu Chen. Lin's father had already spoken very tactfully, but Gu Chen still couldn't hold back his tears and started crying after understanding.
When the child cries, everyone else feels even worse.
Gu Zheng picked up Gu Chen and said, "Grandpa has just gone to another place."
"Then... will I never see my great-grandfather again? I... I will miss him."
This was the child's first encounter with death. He didn't quite understand what death meant; he only knew that his great-grandfather would no longer exist and that he would never see him again.
“We will all miss him, but Great-Grandpa also has people he wants to see, so we should understand him, do you understand?”
Gu Chen thought for a long time before he understood what was going on, and said with tears in his eyes,
"I understand, I will always remember my great-grandfather."
Gu Zheng patted the child's back and sat down on the sofa, waiting for Xia Ran to come out of her reverie on her own.
In the next hour, Aunt Gu and her husband, Uncle Wang, and He Xiu also arrived. The last people to arrive were Qin Hao and Lin Yi.
Gu Zheng glanced at Lin Yi but didn't say anything more. He knew that Lin Yi had probably been waiting for Qin Hao in the company lobby for the past two days. Qin Hao had been hiding in his office for several days and had no choice but to stay in the company, so he ran into Lin Yi and the two of them came over together.
Lin Ziming had already gone to pick up Yu Wu, and the living room was soon filled with people.
Qin Hao walked over to Gu Zheng and said, "The house has been bought, and I've also contacted the funeral home. They'll be here soon. Where's Xia Ran?"
"Still in the room." Gu Zheng glanced at Grandpa Xia's room.
"Why don't we go check it out? What if something happens?" Qin Hao was thinking things through.
Gu Zheng thought for a moment and seemed to be a little worried. He took Gu Chen's hand and walked towards Grandpa Xia's room. Just as he was about to raise his hand to knock on the door, the door was opened from the inside, and Xia Ran, with red eyes, appeared in front of him.
Gu Zheng placed his hand on Xia Ran's shoulder and pulled her into his arms.
"It's alright. Grandpa just wanted to go find the person he had missed for so many years. He left happy and content."
Gu Zheng said softly, and his words made Xia Ran, who had finally managed to stop her tears, want to cry again.
He didn't have the energy to tell Gu Zheng not to get close, so he could only let Gu Zheng hold him.
And Gu Chen hugged his thigh.
“Little Dad, don’t be sad. Big Dad and I will always be with you, always and always. Big Dad said that Great-Grandpa just went to another world to find the person he had been wanting to see for a long time. We should understand Great-Grandpa.”
At this point, Xia Ran could no longer hold back his tears and began to fall. He rested his chin on Gu Zheng's shoulder, letting the tears flow silently.
Although I had already cried in my room for a long time, I still can't hold back now.
He cried silently, and after a long while he noticed a group of people sitting in the living room.
Seeing so many familiar faces, his tears seemed to flow even more fiercely. When he saw the Feng family, he only paused slightly before stepping out of Gu Zheng's arms and wiping away his tears.
"Why...why did everyone come?" Xia Ran tried to calm herself down.
Now he must be strong and calm. He also has to handle his grandfather's funeral arrangements and send his grandfather to his deceased brother, as he is now his grandfather's only remaining relative.