Chapter 1826: Chapter 423: Good-for-Nothing Helian Qinglan

Aunt Li quickly walked back to the kitchen and brought out the ginger tea she had brewed. Yun Ya drank it all in one breath, making Aunt Li beam with joy.

The phone on the table suddenly rang; Yun Ya picked it up and glanced at it. It was from Zhuang Xiyue.

Connected.

"Yun Ya, I heard you returned to Jiangzhou as soon as I got back. Is there something urgent?"

Zhuang Xiyue’s gentle voice came through the phone, warming the night.

Yun Ya smiled and waved at Uncle Feng, who understood and sent the servants away. The living room was empty, leaving only Yun Ya.

"An aunt of mine is pregnant, so I came back to see her."

"When will you come back?" Zhuang Xiyue immediately guessed it was Ji Die. She had a general understanding of the people around Yun Ya. Ji Die was formerly a servant of the Ji Family and had raised Yun Ya and her sibling, being closer to Yun Ya than any blood-related aunt.

"Aunt Zhuang, I’m not going back."

"What? Why aren’t you coming back?" Zhuang Xiyue exclaimed in surprise.

Yun Ya raised her hand to rub her brow, "I’m planning to go abroad to further my studies for a few months. It came up suddenly, and I didn’t discuss it with Aunt Zhuang beforehand, which is my oversight...."

Aunt Zhuang, thinking something had happened, relaxed upon hearing that he was going abroad for further studies, and laughed, "Oh, you gave me quite a scare. Furthering your studies is a good thing. It’s just that Aunt Zhuang won’t see you for a few months. Make sure to take care of yourself abroad; if you lose weight, I’d be heartbroken...."

Yun Ya chuckled softly, "Don’t worry, Aunt Zhuang."

Listening to Zhuang Xiyue chatter on for a long time, Yun Ya reluctantly ended the call, staring in a daze at the dark screen of the phone.

"Miss, do you need me to pack your luggage?" Aunt Li asked.

Yun Ya shook her head, "No need."

At that moment, Uncle Chang strode in from outside, "Miss, shall we go?"

Aunt Li quickly grabbed a coat and handed it to Yun Ya. Yun Ya put on the coat and picked up her bag, "Let’s go."

The night was vast, and the cemetery felt even more desolate.

Yun Ya walked skillfully to a tombstone, placed the carnations she was holding before it, and gazed at the elderly man’s kindly smile engraved on it, her eyes full of longing.

"Grandfather, I haven’t visited you for a long time. Are you angry with me?"

The night flowed quietly, and the girl’s gentle voice was like a moving song in the silent darkness.

"I haven’t dreamt of you for a long time, grandfather. Yaya misses you so much...." She knelt down, pressing her cheek against the tombstone, as if returning to her childhood, face-to-face with her grandfather, feeling his stubble prick her skin and making her giggle in pain.

Tears unknowingly wet her face.

"I lost Miaomiao. I’m not a good sister. Grandfather, would you blame me? It’s been two years, and I dream of bringing him home... You said Miaomiao is my brother, my blood relative in this world, and told me to hold his hand tightly for a lifetime, never letting go, even in death...."

"So now, I want to bring him home. Grandfather, do you know what’s in my heart?"

"Would you blame me, or support me?"

"Grandfather, tell me, what should I do?"

"Yaya." A kindly voice suddenly sounded, freezing Yun Ya in place.

She incredulously turned her head, and in the darkness, a silhouette gradually appeared, the old man’s amiable smile seemingly capable of melting glaciers.

Those eyes brimmed with love as they looked at her.

Tears gushed forth as she cried out, "Grandfather," lunging forward, but only embracing emptiness.

Turning back, the old man remained standing in the dark, like a lighthouse, illuminating her entire world.

"Grandfather, is it you?"

"Yaya, don’t cry."

Listening to the gentle voice, Yun Ya’s tears flowed even more fiercely.

"No matter what decisions you make, grandfather will always support you. You’re a good child, and grandfather believes in your choices."

Yun Ya bit her lip, shaking her head desperately, "I don’t want... I don’t want any choices. I just want grandfather and Miaomiao... Grandfather, tell me why... Why do I have to have such a fate?" Her sobs filled the night with sorrow.

"Good child, this is a trial from above. Once you pass this, everything will be better. Don’t be afraid, child; grandfather will always be with you, supporting you...."

The silhouette before her gradually faded until it was swallowed by the darkness.

"Grandfather." Yun Ya cried out desperately, lunging forward, but only caught air.

She fell to the ground, scraping her arm, yet ignored it. She scrambled up, looking around in a panic, but saw only the ominous darkness....

After an indeterminate amount of time, the cold night wind dried her tears, sticking painfully to her face. She looked at the photo on the tombstone, kneeling down to bow three times.