Chapter 124: Heart-to-Heart on a Starry Night

“What a tragic child,” Grandpa Xie sighed heavily after learning about Gu Xiujin’s health condition, his eyes filled with concern as he looked at Xie Qingtang. “When your mother gave birth to you, she went through many hardships, and you were born with an illness that has plagued you ever since. Alas.”

Seated there, Xie Qingtang noticed her grandfather’s gaze and frowned in confusion. Though he spoke of Gu Xiujin, his eyes seemed fixed on her.

“Grandpa Xie, I’ve grown used to it by now,” Gu Xiujin said calmly. Indeed, he had become accustomed to life without his parents, shouldering the burdens of the Gu family alone while surrounded by relatives who eyed his inheritance like wolves and tigers.

Hearing this, Xie Qingtang paused mid-bite, her eyes betraying a complex emotion as she glanced at Gu Xiujin before lowering her head again, pretending nothing had happened.

After dinner, Gu Xiujin and Grandpa Xie retired to a room, leaving Xie Qingtang standing in the courtyard. She gently stroked a small bird in her hand, muttering, “They’re always whispering secrets without me. Ever since meeting Grandpa, the time I’ve spent whispering to him doesn’t even compare to the time Gu Xiujin spends with him. How unfair.”

Pouting like a child vying for attention, she placed the bird back into its cage.

“That bastard Shao Siming never even asked Tangtang’s opinion before introducing her to that widowed man from the Dong family. It’s despicable,” Grandpa Xie said, his face flushed with anger as he slammed his palm against the wheelchair.

Gu Xiujin nodded slightly. “It seems Dong Weiyi and Shao Siming have struck some kind of deal. If Xie Qingtang marries into the Dong family, Shao Siming’s company will receive their support.”

“Shameless scoundrels, always using underhanded tactics to gain advantage. They’ll never be respectable. It’s just a pity for my innocent Tangtang, who knows nothing of this,” Grandpa Xie lamented, though powerless to intervene.

At that moment, Grandpa Xie placed all his hopes on Gu Xiujin, his eyes imploring. “Xiujin, I know you both have been hiding the truth from me. Neither of you intend to honor this engagement, right? I understand young people have their own ideas and don’t want to be bound by the arrangements of our generation.”

“But Tangtang is a good girl and a skilled traditional Chinese medicine doctor. If you were to marry her, she could not only help manage your health but also hold up the entire Gu family.”

“Compared to entrusting Tangtang to a man I don’t know, I’d rather leave her in your care,” Grandpa Xie said resolutely, his trust in Gu Xiujin deepened by recent events.

Hearing these words from the elderly man, Gu Xiujin was momentarily at a loss, his gaze dimming as he lowered his head and murmured, “Grandpa Xie, you know my condition. I don’t know how long I’ll be in this world. I can’t care for Xie Qingtang forever, nor do I want to harm her.”

“I know. I know everything…but… well. Everyone has their own fate. Love is the one thing in this world that cannot be forced.” Grandpa Xie hesitated, wanting to say more but ultimately swallowing his words, sighing deeply instead.

When Gu Xiujin emerged from Grandpa Xie’s room, he saw Xie Qingtang sitting on a small stool, gazing up at the starry sky.

In the dim glow of a single lantern hanging from a tree, its soft yellow light brushed gently over her cheeks, casting a faint halo. Her eyes were fixed intently on the stars, sparkling as brilliantly as the night sky itself.

Her sleek black hair, as dark as the night, flowed freely, spilling over the stool and nearly touching the ground.

Moved by an inexplicable impulse, Gu Xiujin wheeled himself closer and reached out to gather her hair in his hands. The silky texture captivated him, and he rested it on his lap.

Startled, Xie Qingtang swiftly turned her head, but upon seeing Gu Xiujin, she relaxed and gave him a slightly reproachful glance. “Why do you always sneak up behind people without a sound?”

“You were so engrossed in the stars that you didn’t even hear my wheelchair,” Gu Xiujin replied calmly. The hair was gone now, and a faint wistfulness stirred in his heart. Feeling somewhat awkward, he placed his hands on his knees.

Xie Qingtang looked at him suspiciously before lying back down, a soft smile playing on her lips as she stared at the sky above. “Maybe so. The only beautiful memory from my childhood is this clear, starry sky. It never mocked me like the kids in the village, nor deceived me like those hypocritical adults. It treats everyone equally, rich or poor, shining bright and pure, inspiring endless wonder.”

Her words struck a tender chord deep within Gu Xiujin’s heart. He too looked up at the vast sky, mesmerized by the shifting constellations, slowly becoming captivated.

One seated on a small stool, the other in a wheelchair, both wore expressions of quiet fascination as they gazed at the stars above, sharing a moment of silent communion.

“Gu Xiujin, did Grandpa ask you about the engagement?” Xie Qingtang finally asked after a long pause, guessing that was the topic discussed most between him and her grandfather.

Snapping back to reality, Gu Xiujin did not hide the truth and nodded.

Xie Qingtang turned to face him, saying firmly, “I didn’t come down from the mountain to fulfill that engagement. So don’t worry—I won’t marry you.”

For some reason, when he first met this mysterious girl, Gu Xiujin never intended to marry her.

Yet now, hearing her refusal, an inexplicable irritation rose within him. He turned away, his face darkening like the night, and responded with a faint “Hmm.”

Seeing his cold demeanor, Xie Qingtang fell silent as well.