To make up for the debt owed to Lin Qingping and Gu Juncheng

After a slight surprise, Zhiyuan instantly understood why Xiaomai was still there.

He smiled and said, "I'm fine."

"What should I do?" Xiaomai sighed.

"Really, you don't need to. I can manage on my own. Keep things simple. You can go home now." Zhiyuan "sent" her away.

It means keeping everything simple.

Cremation and burial.

Without notifying anyone else, he simply took care of everything himself.

While we were at the cemetery, someone came—it was Zhiyuan's maternal grandfather, Wenxiao's father.

Grandpa Wen had aged considerably. Leaning on his cane, his eyes were red-rimmed. He sighed repeatedly before finally saying, "Zhiyuan, thank you anyway. You're the only good child."

Zhiyuan remained silent.

He had nothing to say to the Wen family.

Thank him? What's the use? When Wen Xiao needed hospitalization and medical expenses, what did he, as her father, do? What was he doing when Wen's two uncles stirred up trouble?

He had no intention of seeking justice for Wen Xiao; he just felt that they weren't family. It was true that birds of a feather flock together, and that the Wen family members were all like that.

But Grandpa Wen kept rambling on and on.

"I thought she was living a good life as a rich man's wife in Hong Kong, but actually she's not doing well at all."

“She has no children of her own, and no one in the family takes her seriously. Especially after her husband got into trouble and she returned to Hong Kong, she was treated worse than the family’s nanny.”

“That man’s children have a tight grip on the money. She has no money and no skills. Everyone in the family can boss her around. Even the nanny bullies her. She has worked hard all her life and only has a few coins left. Now that she’s old, her health is failing and she needs to see a doctor, but no one will give her money. She really can’t go on living, so she pitifully came back to me and her mother.”

“What ability do we have? The little money we have has been taken by your two uncles over the years. Your grandmother is in poor health and can no longer walk. We are struggling to make a living ourselves, and we can only give her a bite to eat. And yet your two uncles still have complaints.”

“This attack came on suddenly and violently. Your maternal grandmother and I begged your two uncles to take him to the hospital, but we never expected them to cause such a scene.”

"Zhiyuan, in the end we are sorry for you, but your grandma and I can't do anything about it. We will have to rely on your two uncles in the future."

“You are kind-hearted to see your mother off on her final journey. Your grandmother and I are grateful to you and will pray for you.”

So, what is it that people are pursuing in their lives?

Zhiyuan looked at the square tomb, which contained the life of someone he didn't understand.

He silently turned and left.

The bond with the person in the tomb has come to a complete end.

"Zhiyuan!" Someone called him from afar.

He squinted and looked into the distance. Someone was running towards him, running very fast.

It was a sunny day.

"Zhiyuan!" She rushed towards him like a small cannonball, panting heavily when she reached him, with fine beads of sweat on her forehead and bright, sparkling eyes.

The sky brightened considerably in an instant.

He chuckled and brushed the hair that fell across her forehead. "Why are you running so fast? How did you know?" Every time she ran towards him, it was in such a hurry, every single time.

"I heard it from Aunt Lin. Aunt Lin must have heard it from your aunt and Xiaomai. Aunt Lin was originally going to come with me, but then she said she wasn't coming and told me to come by myself." She spoke quickly and explained in a few words.

Zhiyuan nodded. He understood why Lin Qingping wasn't coming; it was his own business, and he should handle it himself.

"Let's go, it's over, let's go home." Zhiyuan took her hand.

Qingtian's gaze swept over the grave, then over the person standing before it, and she asked softly, "Who is that...?"

"Let's go, she's not really related to us." Zhiyuan led her away.

Upon hearing the words "not really related people," Grandpa Wen couldn't help but smile bitterly. He turned and gazed at his daughter's grave, sighing deeply, "Xiaoxiao, you gave him life, and he sent you off. He owes you nothing. But you owe him so much. In the next life, let's be strangers, so this child won't suffer anymore..."

Zhiyuan never expected Qingtian to come. On his way back, he kept glancing at her. Qingtian caught him looking at her and then laughed.

"Can't you just drive properly?" Qingtian couldn't help but glare at him.

"Okay, I won't watch it anymore. I'll watch it properly later." She laughed as she said this, but then couldn't help glancing sideways while waiting for the red light, which earned her a flushed face and anger from Qingtian.

"Alright, alright, I just wanted to ask you what you want to eat?" Zhiyuan said with a smile. "How about we eat at home? We'll go buy groceries in a bit. I'm a very good cook."

Qingtian listened, somewhat stunned.

Grocery shopping? Or should we go home and cook together?

The cold air in the north suddenly felt warm and cozy.

“Tell me what you want to eat, and I can cook anything. If you want cake, I can bake it too.” While waiting at a red light again, Zhiyuan reached out and took her hand.

Qingtian gazed at his hand, wondering if he would become a vegetarian, but the thought only flashed through her mind. She figured he probably wouldn't. So she smiled and looked at him with bright eyes, "Let's go to the market and see what we like to eat."

"Okay!" Zhiyuan laughed after saying that. "What kind of look is that? Don't idolize me too much!"

"Dream on!" Qingtian retorted first, but after thinking for a moment, she said softly, "My Zhiyuan is the best person ever. He's the best at everything, even cooking."

Zhiyuan's grip on the steering wheel tightened involuntarily.

Such soft and gentle praise—who wouldn't feel a warmth in their heart upon hearing it? Especially when she said "My Zhiyuan," his whole heart felt like it was soaking in honey, sweet and melting.

“Sunny day…” He coughed twice, “Don’t praise me too much. I can’t handle praise. I’m afraid I’ll become arrogant and do something bad…”

sunny:……

"Drive carefully!" Qing Tian's tone turned stern.

What constitutes a bad thing he might do?

Can't you understand?

Zhiyuan parked the car at a supermarket near the community, and then took Qingtian's hand to go into the supermarket to buy groceries.

Both of them were a little dizzy and their minds were no longer on grocery shopping. They grabbed whatever they saw and filled the shopping cart, then went to pay in a daze.

When he got to his building, he ran into Xiaomai and Gu Youlian. Gu Youlian called out to him, and he finally came to his senses.

This was the first time Qing Tian had met Gu Youlian, and she followed Zhi Yuan's lead and called her "Auntie" in a very natural and open manner.

Gu Youlian was overjoyed and repeatedly invited the two children to her home for dinner that evening.

Seeing them carrying so many groceries, Xiaomai couldn't help but laugh, "Mom, you really are..."

Gu Youlian immediately realized what was happening and quickly smiled, "I forgot, we have something to do tonight. Next time, come to my aunt's house for dinner when you have time."

Qingtian blushed immediately after being told off, and Gu Youlian herself felt embarrassed, so she quickly made an excuse and pulled Xiaomai away.

Zhiyuan looked down at Qingtian and chuckled. "My aunt and Xiaomai are both very good people. Also, I'm not that bad, so don't worry."

Qingtian pinched his arm hard, and Zhiyuan burst into laughter.

Hearing Zhiyuan's laughter, Gu Youlian turned around, glanced at him, and nodded with a sigh, "That's good. I was worried that Zhiyuan might feel uncomfortable. After all, he's my own mother."

“Whether he feels uncomfortable or not is uncertain,” Xiaomai said with a smile. “But I’ve heard of this girl named Qingtian since I was a child. It’s fate that we can meet again after so many years. Qingtian is a very good name. Even if Zhiyuan feels uncomfortable, seeing her will make him feel better.”

Gu Youlian glanced at her daughter, "Then what about your destiny?"