Had the smell of disinfectant damaged his brain?
Besides, when Qin Xian’s own mother and grandmother passed away, he hadn’t been crushed by grief.
Yet now his great-aunt had died, and he was supposedly so heartbroken that he made mistakes at work?
She didn’t believe it.
And the city was only half a day’s journey from the countryside. If the old man truly missed him, why didn’t he come in person?
Why go through the trouble of writing a letter instead?
Ahhh!
This was bad!
She had told Qin Xian that his father had introduced her to him…
Calm down.
Think carefully.
He had no way to prove that what she had said was a lie. Otherwise, why would he have taken her in?
Besides, from He Fanzhi’s account, it wouldn’t have been strange for the old man to miss Qin Xian and arrange a match for him.
“Could you help persuade my uncle?”
He Fanzhi’s anxious voice pulled Li Yingtang back to reality.
Since the story came from someone on Qin Xian’s opposing side, it was naturally possible they were trying to make themselves look better.
Perhaps Qin Xian had a completely different version of events.
If Qin Xian refused to meet them, he must have had his reasons.
Why should she persuade him?
Right now, what she needed to do was cover up the lie she had already told.
After a brief moment of thought, she came up with an idea.
“I can’t be sure what you’re saying is true. What if it’s all a lie? Wouldn’t Xian be angry with me?”
“You can come to the hospital and see the old man yourself,” He Fanzhi said.
She had been waiting for those words.
“Shall we go now?”
He Fanzhi stood up and gestured politely.
Li Yingtang followed him to the hospital.
The old man occupied a deluxe private room.
There was not only a kitchen but even a separate room for a caregiver.
This wasn’t the kind of place money alone could buy.
The old man’s status was obviously no ordinary one.
He lay on the hospital bed with completely white hair, so thin that he was little more than skin and bones.
His original appearance was no longer recognizable.
Seventy?
Eighty?
In any case, he was very old.
The room was full of people.
Men, women, old, young—all of them sized her up.
Especially the elderly woman sitting beside the bed.
Behind her reading glasses, her sharp eyes examined Li Yingtang coldly.
“Fanzhi, who is this young lady?”
Without the slightest hesitation, Li Yingtang met her gaze.
“I’m Qin Xian’s wife.”
“That’s impossible!” the old woman cried sharply. “I’ve never seen you before!”
“There are plenty of things you’ve never seen.”
Li Yingtang walked to the bedside and spoke as though she had always known the old man.
“Dad, I’m Xian’s wife, Tangtang. How did you become like this? Please look at me.”
The old man’s eyelids trembled without opening.
His hand shook as he slowly raised it.
Li Yingtang immediately took it.
“I’m here.”
“Old… Old Seven…”
The old man reached out with his other hand.
Li Yingtang understood immediately.
Qin Xian must have been the seventh child.
She grabbed He Fanzhi and pulled him over.
“Old Seven is here.”
He Fanzhi glanced at her before taking the old man’s hand.
The old man slowly brought their hands together.
Li Yingtang subtly curled her fingers against the back of He Fanzhi’s hand, minimizing any contact.
He Fanzhi frowned.
Was she avoiding touching him?
The old man spoke with great difficulty.
“Old… Old Seven… you… and your wife… live… live well together… Let… let the old woman… go outside.”
The elderly woman trembled with anger.
She pointed at him, about to scold him, but the others hurriedly persuaded her away and escorted her out.
Only after hearing the door close did the old man continue.
“Old… Old Seven… I… I wronged your mother… I… I’m going… to atone for my sins… I… I left something for you… The key… is… is…”
Everyone held their breath, afraid of missing even a single word.
Li Yingtang finally understood.
The old man had secretly left something for Qin Xian.
The family clearly didn’t want him to inherit it, which was why they were so desperate to find him.
If Qin Xian couldn’t have it…
Neither would they.
She urged impatiently, “Where is it? Hurry and tell us!”
Her interruption startled the old man.
His tightly shut eyes suddenly flew open, staring wide.
Li Yingtang jumped in fright and instinctively tried to pull her hand away.
Instead, he gripped it tightly.
“Old Seven… Old Seven… birthday… birthday… happ…”
Before he could finish, his body slumped backward.
Everyone rushed to call for the doctor.
Li Yingtang pried his hand loose and quietly slipped away in the confusion.
On the way back, she ran into Qin Xian.
He was waiting outside the guesthouse.
Beside him stood a young woman holding a notebook and pen toward him.
Li Yingtang had no idea what he said to her, but the young woman became annoyed and stormed away.
Their eyes met.
Qin Xian immediately strode toward her.
“Tangtang, I…”
Li Yingtang apologized first.
“I made you worry. I thought I’d lost my wallet just now and went looking for it. Luckily no one picked it up.”
Qin Xian had originally intended to explain about the house.
Hearing that, he suddenly didn’t know how to begin.
Li Yingtang continued,
“I went with your nephew afterward. He said your father was dying and wanted to see both of us. Since you didn’t want to see him, I felt I should at least go. Your father left something for you. He was about to say where the key was, but couldn’t finish. Then he wished you a happy birthday… and then…”
Qin Xian silently stared ahead.
His slightly curled eyelashes trembled faintly.
His black overcoat made his already pale complexion appear even whiter.
To Li Yingtang, he looked heartbreakingly pitiful.
He had lost his mother while young and now his father as well.
Although that father had never truly fulfilled his role, blood was still thicker than water.
It had to hurt.
She gently wrapped her arms around him.
“Don’t be sad. You still have me. From now on, I’ll be the one who cares for you.”
A faint smile touched Qin Xian’s lips.
“Mm.”
Passersby immediately began whispering.
“Look at those two. Hugging in broad daylight. Aren’t they embarrassed?”
“The man is pretty handsome.”
“Handsome men are all playboys. Remember that when you’re looking for a husband—don’t choose a handsome one.”
Li Yingtang instantly raised her head.
Qin Xian subconsciously explained,
“I don’t think I’m handsome. And I’m certainly not a playboy.”
Li Yingtang burst into laughter.
“It doesn’t matter if you are. I’ll just find someone else.”
Qin Xian: “…”
Find someone else?
Who was it that had just promised to take care of him forever?
The road stretched endlessly ahead.
Li Yingtang pedaled the bicycle with Qin Xian riding behind her.
After a while, she suddenly turned around.
“I’m buying you a bicycle.”
What respectable young lady rode around carrying a man on the back?
Her strength was meant for making money.
Not hauling men around.
Men should be carrying her instead.
“Don’t waste the money,” Qin Xian said. “I don’t use one that often.”
“You have to have one.”
She returned to the bicycle shop and picked one out for him.
“Try it.”
Qin Xian looked at her, mounted the bicycle, and rode a lap.
Li Yingtang stared dreamily.
Clothes really did make the man.
With a new outfit and a brand-new bicycle, he looked every bit like the young master of an influential family.
“Xian, how does it ride?”
He returned and planted one foot on the ground.
“It’s good.”
Li Yingtang looked at his long legs and nodded with satisfaction.
“We’ll take this one. How much?”
“Without ration coupons, two hundred and twenty yuan.”
She paid immediately.
After registering the bicycle, the two of them rode side by side back toward the village.
The moment they entered, they were surrounded.
“You two struck it rich? Look at how you’re dressed—you look like city people!”
“They already are city people. Isn’t it normal to dress nicely when they go into town?”
“How much did those clothes cost?”
“They’re just old clothes from home. They’re not worth much.”
Li Yingtang laughed the questions away with a few casual remarks before walking with Qin Xian toward the clinic.
Several villagers were already waiting outside.
All of them had come to see Qin Xian.
When they saw him return, they hurried over.
“Finally! I fell while hauling manure a couple of days ago. My leg still hurts.”
“My lower back aches.”
“I can’t move my arm anymore…”
Qin Xian parked the bicycle, unlocked the door, and entered the clinic.
“One at a time.”
Meanwhile, Li Yingtang returned to their room and sorted through the clothes they had worn over the past two days.
She hesitated while holding her better padded coats.
Should she change into them?
The village was simply too dirty.
It was too easy to stain good clothes here.
Better to save them for trips into the city, when she needed to make a good impression.