Chapter 234: You Didn’t Get to See Her One Last Time
Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
When Jin Nian’s grandmother was sent for cremation, she stood in front of the crematorium without shedding a single tear. She felt that perhaps in the next second, in the next blink of an eye, her grandmother would appear in front of her again. Everything that happened before would just be a nightmare.
When Jin Nian and her mother went back to the house that her grandmother often lived in during the winter vacation, she walked to the backyard and saw that the grape rack was empty. She felt as if something was missing from her heart.
At that time, the image of her grandmother picking grapes for her appeared in Jin Nian’s mind. Bunches of purple-red grapes hung on the green leaves. When the wind blew, they would shake heavily. Every time this happened, her grandmother would leave the sweetest and most delicious bunch of grapes for her.
Jin Nian called out to her grandmother in the empty house, but no one responded. There was only a faint echo from the sound waves reflected on the wall.
Suddenly, tears fell from Jin Nian’s eyes like pearls on a necklace that had been cut off.
Lu An’s grandmother woke up not long after. She held Jin Nian’s hand and chatted with her affectionately in Mandarin.
Jin Nian was still nervous before this. But after the conversation, she realized that the old lady was easy to get along with.
After staying in the mansion for nearly an hour, Lu An finally took Jin Nian away. The reason why he was delayed for so long was because he saw that Jin Nian and the old lady were having a good chat. There was no need for them to stay for dinner. It would only make Jin Nian feel awkward.
Although Hong Kong was bustling, it was not a big place. Lu An had his house at Repulse Bay. He had already gotten someone to clean up the place early in the morning so that he could bring Jin Nian there tonight.
On the way there, Lu An suddenly asked Jinnian, “Do you miss grandmother?”
Lu An didn’t specifically mention whose grandmother she was, but Jin Nian knew who he was talking about.
“Yes, I do.”
Lu An patted Jin Nian’s back gently. “It’s already over.”
Jin Nian felt a little regretful. “Lu An, the year Grandma pa.s.sed away, you were in Canada. You didn’t get to see her one last time.”
“I did.” Lu An held Jin Nian’s hand. “It’s just that you didn’t notice me.”
When Lu An found out that Jin Nian’s grandmother had leukemia, she was already in the final stage and was about to die. He flew back from Canada to visit her.
Grandma was still sleeping when she went to the ward. She used to be such an energetic old lady, but now she had lost a lot of weight. She could hardly look like her old self.
Teacher Tan stood at the side, her eyes red from crying.
Lu An was always attentive and caring. He held a bouquet of lilies in his arms. He squatted down and handed the flowers to Teacher Tan, comforting her softly.
When Lu An left the ward, he saw Jin Nian and her boyfriend rushing into the hospital. Lu An’s originally steady footsteps were in disorder. He lowered the brim of his baseball cap and his head as he stood on a stone pillar at the side.
Jin Nian walked over and brushed past Lu An. Lu An had been standing there. He could hear his heart pounding. The noise around him seemed to be blocked at this moment. He could only hear Jin Nian’s low voice in his mind.
Jin Nian didn’t notice him.
Lu An stayed in Binhai City for one more day. He went to the school that Jin Nian was studying at that day, but he didn’t see her.
The next day, he boarded the plane back to Canada.
When Grandma’s funeral was held, Lu An also flew back to the country and specially sent her off. He was dressed in black and drove a pure black low-key car as he silently followed behind the funeral procession. He did not continue to partic.i.p.ate in the ceremony of sending the ashes to the cemetery. He just smoked silently at the foot of the mountain.
The wind was quite strong that day. Lu An was wearing a black windbreaker, and the smoke from his cigarette was white. The smoke was quickly blown away by the wind, making his figure blurry for a moment. From afar, he saw Jin Nian who was in the middle of the group. She wasn’t crying.
Lu An didn’t intend to take the initiative to mention this past to Jin Nian. Since Jin Nian had brought it up now, he told her everything he knew.
Jin Nian let out a long sigh after hearing the story. “Lu An, I think I’ve seen you on the day I sent Grandma away.”
That day, the wind was blowing wildly. Jin Nian was wearing a long black dress and holding her grandmother’s photo. Her long hair was blown messily by the wind. After she adjusted her hair, she subconsciously turned around and saw a black figure standing at the foot of the mountain. For a few seconds, she was stunned.
That figure was familiar. Even though it was just a back view, her first reaction was to think that it was Lu An.
On second thought, it might just be a person who looked very similar. Lu An was in Canada at that time.
“Did you see me that day?” Lu An asked Jin Nian.
“You were wearing a black windbreaker that day, right?” Jin Nian nodded..