Book Synopsis
Book Tags
Donation Rankings
Comment
0 Comments
You May Also Like
墨書 Inktalez
Chapter 33: I Will Take Care of You for a Lifetime
Hearing his question, Nie Xiaoqian appeared quite puzzled and said, "Of course, it's my grandfather. Why do you ask like that?"
Uh—Xiao Yun was momentarily speechless.
In an instant, he felt a bit overwhelmed.
In Xiao Yun's mind, he had been speculating about who the Old Man really was. As for whether he could be considered some kind of deity, he still didn't believe it; after all, it was the twentieth century, and how could he possibly believe such absurdity?
However, there were many things in the world that were difficult to understand. Xiao Yun at least thought that the Old Man was a hidden master with extraordinary abilities; otherwise, how could he recover so quickly after having all his bones shattered into 412 pieces by a car?
Moreover, just the seven-colored Heart Pearl he had given him was unfathomable...
"Nie Xiaoqian, can you tell me more about your grandfather and some things at home?" Xiao Yun asked Nie Xiaoqian.
Nie Xiaoqian looked bewildered upon hearing this.
She shook her head and said, "I know very little about my grandfather. When I was young, I only heard my father mention that when my grandmother was still a young woman, she was from Jianghai City and was known as a beauty in the Jianghai area. One time, she was surrounded by bad people on the street when my grandfather Nie Daoxuan happened to find her and saved her. After that, they fell in love. Unfortunately, my grandmother was a Young Lady from a wealthy family, and her parents did not approve of her relationship with my grandfather. So they secretly agreed to elope to Galaxy City, where they lived together and later had my father!"
His grandfather's name was Nie Daoxuan? If you remove the surname, isn't that "Dao" the same character as the nickname of the Tang painter Wu Daozi? Xiao Yun found it somewhat unbelievable.
Jianghai City was thousands of miles away from Galaxy City, and Xiao Yun had never been to that place. But from Nie Xiaoqian's narration, one could imagine the touching love story between the Old Man and her grandmother back then.
Xiao Yun asked again, "Is your grandmother still around?"
Nie Xiaoqian replied, "According to my father, my grandmother unfortunately passed away in the spring seven years after my father was born. It is said that her death was related to my grandfather. Because of this, my father's relationship with him is quite poor; whenever they are together, they end up arguing—either banging on tables or smashing dishes..."
Hearing her words, Xiao Yun recalled the Old Man's temperament; indeed, he had quite a temper. But what could be the connection between his grandmother's death and him? It seemed that her father should know some of the truth; otherwise, he wouldn't have such a strained relationship with his own father.
"Nie Xiaoqian, how are your parents doing now?" Xiao Yun casually asked.
To his surprise, Nie Xiaoqian's eyes turned red, and a stream of crystal-clear tears rolled down her cheeks.
Xiao Yun was most afraid of women crying; when she did, he couldn't help but feel anxious inside.
"Ah, Nie Xiaoqian, what's wrong with you?"
He immediately appeared somewhat flustered and said, "If there's anything wrong with my question, please don't blame me. You... you shouldn't cry..."
He casually handed her a napkin.
Nie Xiaoqian took the napkin and wiped her eyes, choking back her words, "My dad and mom have been divorced for a long time. Now, my... my dad is living in a Mental Hospital."
"Ah? Why did this happen?" Xiao Yun asked in surprise.
Nie Xiaoqian sighed and said, "Because our family isn't well-off, I couldn't go to college after finishing high school and started working at a company early on. I rarely went home. More than two years ago, one day I suddenly received a call from my grandfather at work, saying he was leaving the Nie family. I was shocked at the time; I figured he must have had another argument with my dad and was angry enough to leave home. But when I got home, my dad was lying on the floor, rambling incoherently. I didn't even know what he was saying; he had gone mad. Since then, my grandfather has never come back!"
Xiao Yun asked, "After that, did you ever see your grandfather again?"
Nie Xiaoqian replied, "Only twice. The first time was when I went to a town in the countryside at the invitation of a colleague. That place is called Jade Maiden Town, and there I actually saw my grandfather mingling with a group of beggars. I was stunned at that moment; I didn't understand what could have led him to the path of begging, which made me feel incredibly upset. I ran over and called out to him, but when he saw me, he hid away like a mouse seeing a cat while saying something like 'My biggest failure was giving birth to your father; you mustn't come after me. If you need to find someone, look for a Bone Painter with the surname Xiao; he will take care of you...' As he spoke, he suddenly vanished from sight..."
Uh—looking at it this way, Old Man Nie Daoxuan had been secretly watching over her all along. How come I never encountered him? Xiao Yun sighed inwardly.
Xiao Yun asked, "So the second time was what happened recently at the restaurant?"
"Yes, you saw that too," Nie Xiaoqian said.
Xiao Yun still felt puzzled and asked, "I seemed to see two bodyguards behind you; what was that about?"
Nie Xiaoqian blushed slightly and said, "There was this guy who kept pestering me to be his boyfriend. I refused him, but he was too persistent. That day he insisted on taking me out to eat at that restaurant, so I... pretended to be a rich girl and invited two classmates to pose as bodyguards to teach him a lesson. I didn't expect to run into you and my grandfather in that situation..."
Xiao Yun laughed and said, "I'm really sorry for making you pay that day; I'll repay you another time!"
"No need," Nie Xiaoqian shook her head with a smile. "Coincidentally, that restaurant is owned by one of my classmates; when I tried to pay the bill, my classmate insisted on treating me!"
Xiao Yun could tell that Nie Xiaoqian wasn't living well. Girls love to look pretty; aside from saving up some money for things girls use, she also had to take care of her father in the mental hospital while single-handedly supporting a household—it truly wasn't easy for her.
Not to mention that Old Man had once mentioned in front of her that there would be a Bone Painter to take care of her; even if he hadn't said it outright, upon meeting Old Man's granddaughter, he wouldn't neglect her care.
He said to Nie Xiaoqian, "Nie Xiaoqian, I am the Bone Painter your grandfather mentioned. From now on, your matters will be my matters. I will protect and take care of you for a lifetime."
Uh—he wants to take care of me for a lifetime?
Xiao Yun's words were sincere, but they were indeed not precise enough. However, the girl was sensitive; upon hearing him say that, her heart fluttered. A delicate face flushed with crimson, and she shyly lowered her head, not daring to look at him even once.
Facing Nie Xiaoqian's subtle change in mood, Xiao Yun did not notice. He raised his hand to check the time and said, "Nie Xiaoqian, where do you live? I'll take you home now; it will also be a chance for me to get acquainted with your place."
Nie Xiaoqian's expression suddenly turned a bit gloomy as she whispered, "Since my father was admitted to the hospital and due to financial issues, I sold our house!"
Xiao Yun was taken aback and asked, "Then where are you living now?"
Nie Xiaoqian forced a smile and replied, "I’m living in the company dormitory with a few sisters."
Xiao Yun felt a pang in his heart as he looked at this lively and charming girl who was filled with sorrow inside. For a moment, he didn't know what to say.
He reached out with some concern and gently patted her shoulder, saying, "From now on, with me as your brother, you won't have to worry about anything. I'll support you in everything. Come on, take me to see where you live in the company!"
"No… Brother Xiao, you… you absolutely cannot go to my company!" Nie Xiaoqian's expression suddenly changed. Her lips trembled, and she appeared extremely tense, even showing a flicker of unusual fear in her eyes…
Xiao Yun was confused; why did she react with such anxiety and fear when he suggested visiting her company?
Comment 0 Comment Count