Qin Ningyi looked up and saw Qin Feivan standing not far away, having gone out for some fresh air. Her short hair had grown a bit and was loosely tied into two small braids at the back of her head, significantly softening her usually sharp and assertive aura.
"Sis," Qin Ningyi said with a smile as he walked over. Seeing Qin Feivan so different from her usual self, he felt a pang of emotion.
Qin Feivan had changed not only her hairstyle but also her characteristic bold red lips. Now, she seemed to have shed all her hardness, becoming incredibly gentle.
As she got closer, Qin Feivan noticed the fatigue on Qin Ningyi's face, the dark circles under his eyes, and the bloodshot whites. Recalling the recent events at home and what Qin Ningyi had been through, Qin Feivan blinked and reached out to gently pat his head.
It had been a long time since she had shown such an affectionate gesture towards Qin Ningyi. Her brother had been precocious and steady since childhood; she had never even dared to play rough with him when they were little.
"I'm sorry," Qin Feivan said, looking deeply into Qin Ningyi's eyes.
Qin Ningyi felt a bit awkward with her gesture and took a small step back. "Sis, this has nothing to do with you."
He thought Qin Feivan was apologizing for not being home to help recently. He had simply done what any grandson would do. As for himself, having enjoyed the glory that came with being Qin Han's grandson, he had to accept everything that came with it.
"No," Qin Feivan looked at Qin Ningyi. "I'm apologizing for my selfishness."
She was selfish for impulsively leaving due to her own emotions, causing all these family matters to fall on Qin Ningyi. She was selfish for being so single-mindedly focused on her own dreams, leaving all the company's affairs to Qin Ningyi.
Qin Ningyi's eyes flickered, and he changed the subject. "Have you been waiting long? Shall we get in the car?"
As he spoke, he took the car keys from Xiao Konglin's hand and motioned for him to drive another car home.
In the cold winter, there were few cars on the road at this hour. Qin Feivan watched the snowflakes drift down from the sky and let out a warm breath, rubbing her hands together.
"I've heard about everything at home."
She had rushed to the Qin family to find Qin Ningyi right after returning from visiting their grandfather in Taichuan City. Seeing the deserted house, she realized he was still working overtime.
"Chen Guochao's attitude towards me..." She paused. "It's also because Grandfather acted as surety for that person's release back then."
As she mentioned this, the traffic light turned red. While waiting, Qin Ningyi glanced at Qin Feivan's expression. Her lips curled slightly, and the sadness she had shown earlier was gone.
"Don't worry," Qin Feivan's smile widened a bit. Reflected in her eyes were the dim streetlights, and she looked more at peace than ever before.
She looked out at the falling snow. "I'm just a little regretful."
And also a little heartbroken.
"After knowing the reason for Arou's departure, I guessed why Uncle Chen Guo's attitude towards us had changed so much over the years."
"I asked him, and he admitted it," Qin Feivan sighed. "You probably don't know about Arou's situation, do you want to hear about it?"
"Yes."
He did. He wanted to hear others talk about her, just to prove that his longing had a place to rest.
"Uncle Chen's injury happened during that operation, and it was Huo Jinyi who saved his life. So, when he learned that Grandfather had acted as surety for Cheng Guozhong's release, he decided to leave the compound."
"Chen Guochao learned about this after he was old enough to understand. Our relationship was still very good then, and Uncle Chen saw that. So he didn't forcefully demand that Chen Guochao distance himself from the Qin family like he did. But that little sprout, Chen Guochao, he couldn't get past it himself..."
He had been honest and simple since childhood. Knowing something like this, how could he still smile wholeheartedly and visit the Qin family as a guest, calling Qin Han grandfather?
Amidst the grievances and resentments, he could only slowly distance himself from their world.
"They kept this from Arou, but they didn't know that Arou knew everything from the beginning, and that she saw and heard it all herself."
Qin Ningyi listened blankly as she recounted these events. The honking of horns behind them jolted him back to reality, and he started the car.
Qin Feivan continued, "Uncle Chen submitted the adoption application and transfer request to the military after his injuries had healed." Qin Feivan thought of the stories she heard from Chen Guochao about Arou's childhood and sighed. "While Uncle Chen was recovering, people from the military took turns looking after Arou. A different person would pick her up every day. She was very quiet and withdrawn back then, completely different from now."
"She..."