"Why not?"
Qiao Yushan's eyes were tinged with a smile.
He had always liked An'an, so when he found out he liked Huo Rou, he naturally accepted everything about her.
Including her slow emotional response and her child.
He realized that this was how her young master acted when he fell in love with someone. At the dinner table today, for the first time, she saw the young master, who was usually not very close or lively, become so talkative, joking and teasing, which finally matched his current age.
Aunt Luo didn't say anything more. Since the young master had arrived, it was up to the young master to see what happened next. This was all she could do.
Meanwhile.
Huo Rou turned off the study light and took An'an back to their room to sleep. Shen Feng followed them, carrying the bag in his mouth.
Grandma Yao was not asleep yet and was coming upstairs. Seeing her and An'an, she smiled broadly, "Are you going to rest? Remember to drink more water because the air is dry!"
"Mhm, Grandma Yao, An'an will remind Mom to drink water!" An'an thought for a moment and then saw Shen Feng behind them, "And Shen Feng too!"
When Shen Feng heard An'an call him, he couldn't open his mouth because he was carrying something, so he could only shake his head to indicate that he heard.
Grandma Yao's eyes fell on the familiar bag in Shen Feng's mouth. "Girl, what did Xiao Shan bring you?"
Huo Rou smiled sheepishly. She hadn't looked yet. When Grandma Yao mentioned it, she took the bag from Shen Feng and opened it to take a look.
"This guy!" Huo Rou chuckled and scolded, "He's here to get me to work."
Two or three raw jade stones lay quietly in the bag. Although they were not polished, the fineness and purity of the jade could already be seen.
Grandma Yao received gifts from Qiao Yushan every year. Having seen so much, she had a basic understanding of jade. She could tell that the inconspicuous ones were the main attraction in this bag.
She watched Huo Rou put the jade back into the bag with a calm expression. "An'an, can you take Shen Feng back to wash up? Grandma wants to chat with Mom."
"Okay!" An'an took the bag from Huo Rou and walked towards the bedroom with Shen Feng, "An'an is going to warm Mom's bed!"
"What's wrong?" Huo Rou looked at Grandma Yao's hesitant expression. Since Qiao Yushan's arrival, Grandma Yao and Grandpa Nong's expressions had been a little strange.
Grandma Yao gently took Huo Rou's hand. "Girl, An'an told us that he found his dad."
The light in Huo Rou's eyes dimmed, and she nodded, pursing her lips.
"Did you suffer any grievances?" Grandma Yao asked softly.
She hadn't dared to ask Huo Rou why she had come this time. She had always thought she would wait for young Yao to return so the younger generation could talk freely, but seeing Qiao Yushan arrive today...
That boy had never been so attentive. She knew what Qiao Yushan was like when Huo Rou was not around, so she felt even more that today's events were not right.
Grandma Yao looked at the silent Huo Rou with concern. "Did An'an's father make you suffer?"
Suffer?
Not at all.
"Grandma Yao, he is very good." Huo Rou spoke about Qin Ningyi in front of her for the first time. "He has a sincere and pure heart, and he did not make me suffer."
He was truly good. Even without knowing the full picture, he was willing to respect her wishes and did not stop her recklessly.
He was truly good...
However, his grandfather let go of the person she least wanted to let go of.
Huo Rou silently added this sentence in her heart.
"But I can't be with him anymore." Huo Rou said this with some frustration and smiled, "Grandma Yao, I'm a deserter too."
Escape was shameful but effective.
Besides love, one also had family.
If she left, Qin Ningyi wouldn't have to be torn between her and his grandfather, and she wouldn't have to face the confusion of Qin Han raising her hopes only to have them dashed and her hatred nowhere to go.
However, the home she wanted with Qin Ningyi was gone.
Grandma Yao looked at the look of loss on her face and her heart ached. She didn't ask any more questions, just hugged her gently.
"Girl, spend the New Year here with Grandma."
After a long while, Grandma Yao whispered softly, her warm palm gently patting her back.
Huo Rou blinked and put away her emotions, pretending to be mischievous. "Of course, I've brought An'an to stay here this time."
She didn't dare to go back to Changnan to see Uncle Chen, afraid he would see through her. Uncle Chen had been consumed by guilt for not being able to save her father his entire life, and she didn't want to cause him more distress.
Excluding Changnan City, she couldn't go back to Daolin Village where everyone knew her...
She had nowhere to hide in this world.
A person without a home naturally gravitated towards where the light was.
She snuggled into Grandma Yao's shoulder and rubbed against her.
As Grandma Yao walked her back to her room, she caught a glimpse of the quiet fields outside the corridor window. Qiao Yushan's house was next door.
"Girl, there are some things Grandma doesn't ask about, but what do you think about Xiao Shan?"
"Hm?" Huo Rou seemed a little confused. "What's wrong with Xiao Shan?"
"He never comes at this time." Grandma Yao implied, "Xiao Shan is afraid of the cold."
Huo Rou frowned. "He's afraid of the cold?"