Chapter 246: How Long Are You Going to Keep Hiding This From Me?

After reading only two lines, Xia Xi knew this was her grandmother's will.

She thought her grandmother's passing was sudden, but in fact she herself had had a premonition all along.

"I don't know who found this letter first; I guess it was Xi Xi. If I guessed wrong, don't blame me—this letter is written for all of you."

"A few days ago I dreamed of the deceased old man. I'm used to calling him the old man, but in fact he was still young when he passed, not old at all. In the dream I was still buying braised dishes at the little shop; he came to the window and asked why I hadn't gone to find him, and he had waited until his legs were sore. He was just as I remembered, suffering from the young master ailment, picky about this and that, but he was very good to me. Later I dreamed of him several more times, and each time he was waiting for me. I think the day I will go to find him is not far off."

"Don't be sad, everyone will have this day. Whether you are poor or rich, whether you live a hard life or a happy one, none can escape death. So don't be sad; only when you are all well can I leave without hindrance."

"Jinru never mentioned it, but I know these years she has lived in guilt, blaming all of Xia Chenggang's mistakes on herself, which is wrong. Jinru, try to see things more openly—you are also a victim; Xia Chenggang is at fault, and it has nothing to do with you. As a mother, I have never blamed you, and Xi Xi and the others don't blame you either, so stop tormenting yourself. You must take good care of your health; only then can you stay with the children a little longer."

"I don't know if I can wait until Xiao Yue is released from prison; if I can, I want to tell her these words in person. If I can't, she will see this letter and it will be the same. Xiao Yue, people should look forward—this is not just empty talk. You are only thirty-five, still young, with a long life ahead and countless possibilities. Since you have already paid the price for your mistakes, learn to let go, let go completely, and stop regretting and resenting. Whether for yourself or for Youyou, you should perk up and embrace a new life. Grandma didn't read much, has no great wisdom, and can only tell you some simple truths."

"Xi Xi, I don't know what to say to Xi Xi—she is the most opinionated in our family; from childhood she reasoned things out clearly, ordinary people can't out-argue her, and she doesn't even want to hear ordinary talk——"

Reading to this point, Xia Xi couldn't help but curl the corners of her mouth; at this moment joy overcame sorrow.

She continued reading downward.

"Speaking of Xi Xi, I often feel I owe her a lot. When something happened at home, she was still so young—just in her early twenties, never having set foot on campus—and I never expected her to have such strong opinions. If I had known earlier, I would have stopped her. No matter how hard the obstacle, if you endure it, it will pass; it shouldn't be for her to bear alone. She has sacrificed too much, and I always want to make it up to her, but I am powerless. Xi Xi, Xi Xi, ah, Grandma hopes you won't be so strong-willed; follow your heart and do what you want to do, rather than what you ought to do. Sometimes a turning point lies in a single thought; Grandma also doesn't want you to be always clear-headed and rational, for that is too exhausting—having a shoulder to lean on would be wonderful."

"Lastly, Xiao Xuan. Although Xiao Xuan has been taken care of by us since childhood, she has also endured much suffering, both physical and mental. At a young age she underwent several major surgeries, escaped death, and things that other children could play with and eat, she could not touch—so it's impossible for her not to feel distressed. Even if she married, in my eyes, in your mother's and your sisters' eyes, you are still a child who needs care. Xiao Xuan, you must love yourself; nothing is more important than your own body."

"In my life I have survived hardships and enjoyed blessings; it has been worthwhile."

"I have said all that needed to be said; if there is anything to add later, I will insert it."

"Jiangpeishan stays."

"Pa-ta," a tear fell onto the paper, soaking a round dark stain; the ink spread, and Xia Xi hurriedly used her hand to wipe it, for others had not yet seen the grandmother's will, and she must not ruin it.

After wiping the letter and then her face, if it weren't for the tear dropping onto the paper, she wouldn't have realized she was crying.

Grandma said her life had been worthwhile, one shouldn't be sad for her, and she should listen.

After the Spring Festival holiday ended, the company took on a new look; because news of cooperation with the Xu clan spread widely, many projects came knocking, covering both home and commercial decoration, and everyone became busy.

During the holiday, Xia Xi had no idle time, and after the holiday she would only be busier.

At a quarter past nine, Huang Shiyu knocked on Xia Xi's office door, entered to remind her: "Sister Xi, we need to go to the Xu clan headquarters at ten thirty." To avoid possible traffic, they had to set off now.

Xia Xi held a pencil in her hand, pressing its tip against her brow.

She had already looked at and revised the opinions Huang Shiyu had organized for her; today she needed to take them over for feedback, and only if there were no problems could they proceed to the next step, otherwise adjusting after construction would be very troublesome.

In private she could refuse to talk with Xu Yanfeng, but in work settings it was unavoidable—something she had anticipated early on.

"Then let's go."

Xia Xi threw down the pencil, stood up with both hands braced on the desk, gathered her things, packed them into her bag, touched up her makeup simply, and walked out of the office.

Huang Shiyu drove her; fortunately there was no traffic on the road, hardly any red lights, and half an hour later they saw the Xu clan group's towering office building.

Xia Xi narrowed her eyes at the light reflected on the blue glass and suddenly said, "We arrived early; let's find a place to have a cup of coffee."

"...... Okay."

Huang Shiyu pulled over to the side of the road.

Xia Xi got out of the car, walked into a coffee shop, and Huang Shiyu followed.

At the counter, Xia Xi ordered an iced Americano; she needed to perk up to get into fighting shape, then turned to Huang Shiyu and asked, "What are you drinking?"

"A cinnamon apple latte," Huang Shiyu said what she wanted, paused, then added, "Is it okay for you to drink iced? Your stomach doesn't seem very good."

"How do you know my stomach is bad?" Xia Xi said, not recalling having mentioned it to her.

"You have pinaverium bromide tablets in your bag, which are for treating gastrointestinal pain." Huang Shiyu apologetically said, "Sorry, I happened to see them."

Xia Xi, also fearing a stomach ailment, changed to the same drink as hers.

The two sat in the shop and slowly finished their coffee; it was only a few minutes past ten.

Stepping into the Xu clan headquarters, Xia Xi told the front desk, "I am Xia Xi of Broad and Elegant; I have an appointment at ten thirty this morning with General Manager Xu to discuss the design plan for Jingyu Garden."

Assistant Guan had previously instructed that Xia Xi was a valued guest; the front desk dared not be the slightest bit negligent, helped her swipe her card through the turnstile, escorted her to the elevator, and pressed the corresponding floor.

Xia Xi entered Xu Yanfeng's office alone, while Huang Shiyu stayed outside.

Guan He brought in two cups of coffee; Xia Xi didn't drink, having already had coffee outside.

Xu Yanfeng unhurriedly signed a document, walked out from behind his desk, and strolled slowly to the reception area.

Xia Xi wore an olive‑colored wool suit, a white high‑neck inner layer, a silver sweater chain looped twice and hanging over her chest, paired with straight‑leg jeans, casual yet neat. Up close one could smell a faint fragrance, a cool green‑tangerine scent, fresh with a hint of bitterness.

Xia Xi got straight to the point, discussing the design plan, showing him the parts she had revised, indicating that if he wasn't satisfied she would revise again, and asking what else he needed to add.

The design plan posed no problem; Xu Yanfeng quickly gave his approval. Xia Xi hadn't expected it to go so smoothly—she had prepared for a protracted tug‑of‑war.

"Thank you for your trust, General Manager Xu; I'll take my leave now." Xia Xi rose to say goodbye.

Xu Yanfeng used to get angry when she called him "General Manager Xu," but having grown accustomed to it he now somewhat wanted to laugh, putting on a pretended seriousness.

"It's almost noon; I'll treat, please let Xia Gong have a meal."

"No need to be polite; I have things to do back at the company."

Xia Xi took a step forward, Xu Yanfeng immediately rose, extended his arm to block her path; though she wore high heels she was still not as tall as him, he lowered his gaze, imposing: "If you don't want to eat, we can talk about something else. Seven years ago, when we were still together, your family had such a big incident—why didn't you tell me?"

He still wanted to get to the bottom of things; Xia Xi sighed silently, since there was no way to avoid it, she would face it head‑on.

She avoided his gaze and said lightly, "There's no special reason; I'm strong‑willed and don't like to confide my troubles to outsiders."

Xu Yanfeng felt a sting from her word "outsider," his heart uneasy. When he had thought they were inseparable, she still regarded him as an outsider. He nodded, yielding: "Then why did you go and bear my outsider's child?"

Xia Xi's fingers tightened, the metal chain of her bag digging into her palm: "I don't understand what you're saying."

"How long are you going to keep hiding this from me?" Xu Yanfeng laid it bare: "Zi Heng is my child."

He was so certain, without a trace of doubt in his tone.