Chapter 873: He’s Huo Ci!
It would have been fine if the others had not seen her. Upon seeing Ling Sheng walk over, everyone’s expressions changed. Their expressions were very unnatural, but they still greeted her warmly.
Ling Sheng had become a big celebrity. She was earning a lot of money, became successful, and was now impressive. The news spread like wildfire, and the whole town knew about it.
In this society, people had always laughed at the poor but not the prost.i.tutes[1]. Money was omnipotent. No matter what kind of relationship they had had with you in the past or how they had looked down on you in the past, as long as you were making money now, everyone was great friends and family. That was the reality.
Ling Sheng greeted them gently and politely with small talk before going in to find Grandma Lin.
Grandma Lin was very happy that her grandson was getting married. However, she was already pretty old after all. It was cold outside, so she could not keep being busy outside. Thus, she was helped into the house by her grandson to rest.
“Grandma Lin.” Ling Sheng greeted her with a smile and walked over.
Grandma Lin was sitting on the sofa and watching television. Upon hearing Ling Sheng’s voice, she turned around hurriedly and greeted her warmly, giving them wedding candy. “Sheng Sheng, you’re here! Come and sit here quickly.”
Grandma Lin was alone in the house, and everyone was busy outside. They would be eating soon.
After Jun Shiyan entered, he was afraid that someone would barge in, so he deliberately closed the door. He even asked An Yan to watch the door and not let an unrelated person in.
Xiaoqi was familiar with Grandma Lin and sat beside her. Grandma even unwrapped a piece of soft candy for the child. “Xiaoqi, do you miss Grandma?”
Xiaoqi nodded. His mouth was still full of candy so he spoke incoherently, “Yes.”
Grandma Lin was overjoyed. She asked Ling Sheng, “Sheng Sheng, will you and your husband stay for two more days? If it’s not convenient at home and you don’t have everything, come over to Grandma.”
Upon hearing her mention her husband, Ling Sheng held her breath suddenly. She pointed at Jun Shiyan and asked carefully, “Grandma, do you still remember him?”
Grandma Lin frowned. “What’s wrong with you? Didn’t we meet in the afternoon? Grandma is not muddled either. He’s your husband.”
Ling Sheng was delighted. Grandma still remembered. She really still remembered. Overjoyed, she blurted out, “Grandma, how did you know he’s my husband?”
No!
He was not her husband!
They were not married yet!
“You told me this afternoon. He’s your husband, Xiaoqi’s father.” Grandma Lin wondered what was wrong with this child. She even smiled at Nangong Lengyu. “This is your biological mother. You told me everything.”
Ling Sheng’s heart, which had been full of joy and excitement, turned cold again. She pointed at Jun Shiyan and asked once more, “Grandma, don’t you remember that he came to my mother’s funeral? Or was it a funeral arranged by him?”
Grandma Lin was baffled. What was wrong with this child? She kept saying things she did not understand. “What’s wrong with you today, child? When did I say that? Your mother’s funeral was arranged by us neighbors.”
Nangong Lengyu also looked at Ling Sheng in confusion, her beautiful face stiff. “Sheng Sheng, what are you talking about? Didn’t your mother pa.s.s away a year ago? Did you know Ah Yan at the funeral? Why would he arrange the funeral matters? Exactly when did the two of you meet?”
The two of them had lied even to her? Had they known each other long ago?
Ling Sheng’s heart skipped a beat as she pinched Jun Shiyan’s hand secretly. Auntie Yu did not remember anymore. She no longer remembered what Grandma Lin had said when they met. In order to confirm this, she asked, “Auntie Yu, do you remember what she said when we met Grandma Lin in the afternoon?”
Nangong Lengyu did not know why she was asking this. She did not have amnesia, so how could she not remember? “Auntie asked us to come over for the wedding banquet.”
“What else?” Ling Sheng’s hand grabbed Jun Shiyan’s hand tightly. Their fingers interlocked as she held her breath nervously.
Jun Shiyan’s eyes darkened, and the expression in them became serious. She did not remember. Not only did Grandma not remember, but Sister Yu did not remember either. Her expression told them that she did not remember those words that Grandma had said.
“Wasn’t Auntie just concerned about you and asking about your recent situation?” Nangong Lengyu looked at her worriedly. “Sheng Sheng, are you all right?”
Ling Sheng did not dare to ask anymore. She already had an answer. Besides panic, she was also fl.u.s.tered. Her back felt cold.
Auntie Yu did not remember anymore. Grandma Lin did not remember what she had said before. Even Auntie Yu had forgotten what Grandma Lin had said. She turned to look at the man beside her.
Jun Shiyan nodded at her, his eyes telling her that he remembered and had not forgotten at all. However, Sister Yu could not remember anymore. He looked at Xiaoqi.
Xiaoqi was eating candy, a soft candy that he liked a lot. He peeled one candy after another. When he sensed Jun Shiyan’s gaze, he brought a candy to his mouth with his small hand and said in a soft, crisp voice, “Dad, eat it.”
Jun Shiyan opened his mouth and ate the candy before carrying Xiaoqi to his side. He did not know if Xiaoqi still remembered, but he could not ask him in front of Sister Yu. He smiled and said, “I want to go to the washroom. Xiaoqi, can you take me there?”
“Okay,” Xiaoqi nodded hurriedly, feeling very happy.
Upon seeing that the father and son were about to leave, Ling Sheng stood up as well. “I’ll go too. Wait a minute.”
Nangong Lengyu thought to herself, Do they have to get together even for a trip to the washroom? She knew that Grandma Lin was a good person and had helped her daughter’s family a lot in the past. She also wanted to know how her daughter had lived here in the past and wanted to understand everything about her through others.
It was not appropriate to ask when Ling Sheng was around either. It was a good opportunity to ask someone while she was away.
Ling Sheng did not know what she was feeling now, nor did she know what was wrong with this world. Why did she and the Third Master remember, but not Auntie Yu?
Jun Shiyan did not go to the washroom. He carried Xiaoqi and Ling Sheng followed behind him. When they reached a quiet place by the door, he asked gently, “Xiaoqi, do you still remember what Grandma Lin said in the afternoon?”
Xiaoqi nodded. He had a good memory, so he directly repeated what Grandma Lin had said in the afternoon. His small brows furrowed. “But Mommy, why doesn’t Xiaoqi remember that Daddy came when Grandma pa.s.sed away?”
Ever since he had changed the way he addressed him at the Huo residence, Xiaoqi had not called him Uncle Jun again.
“It’s already wonderful that Xiaoqi remembers what Grandma Lin said,” Ling Sheng patted her son’s tiny head and looked at Jun Shiyan. There were many things she could not say in front of Xiaoqi. “Third Master.”
“I’ll find out,” Jun Shiyan promised in a low voice.
He did not know what was going on either. If someone had altered the memory of the old lady twice or controlled her, what about Sister Yu?
They had been together the whole afternoon. The situation he had originally presumed definitely did not happen. Things had already become so complicated that he did not know where to start either.
Could there really be a G.o.d? Was there an invisible hand controlling the world and them?
Xiaoqi was sent to Nangong Lengyu. When the duo went out again, Nangong Lengyu smiled as she looked at their backviews. She thought that the duo was going out on a date. She could understand a couple in love.
Things were becoming more and more confusing. Ling Sheng felt that she was too weak to find the answer alone.
She should tell the Third Master everything that had happened to her. She had come through a book. Were they characters living in a book or supporting characters? After making up her mind, she clenched her fists and looked up at the man beside her. “Third Master, I…”
Before she could say anything, she heard someone at the door of the Lin residence shout, “I recognize him! Huo Ci! He’s Huo Ci!”
[1] A Chinese idiom about how the notion in society is that it’s better to get ahead in the world by abandoning one’s scruples than to suffer poverty.