Chapter 406 Things Have Changed
Wu Nian felt butterflies in her stomach. “What is it?”
“I think it’s better if we talk about it in person when we meet,” the man on the line replied.
At his unusually grave tone, she could feel anxiety rising inside her guts. “You’ve already mentioned it, so just tell me. You know I won’t be able to sleep if you leave me hanging like this.”
Another brief pause came before he began hesitantly, “So… I just found out that Grandma has been investigating about you. She discovered you once went to see someone at the psychiatric hospital who resembled her late friend. You looked devastated at that person’s grave back then, so she’s been very curious about the relationship between you both.”
“She’s my mother, Bai Bing,” Wu Nian admitted plainly. “She grew up in an orphanage and eventually became mentally ill.”
“Does that mean you’re possibly a descendant of Grandma’s friend?”
“No idea. My mother’s dead, and I went through a bone marrow transplant, so there could’ve been changes to my DNA,” she noted. “Besides, even if I turn out to be someone related to that friend of your grandma, I doubt it’ll make any difference to anyone. I don’t wish to intervene in someone else’s daily life either.”
“What if…” Aaron probed again. “What if your grandpa has been looking for you all this while? It seems like he wants to atone for the mistakes he’d done towards his wife, and you’re the only family whom she left behind after all.”
“I don’t need any compensation. It’s pointless. He’s only trying to cover up his own guilt,” Wu Nian stated coldly. “His wife is long dead. She won’t be able to feel anything now regardless of what he tries to do. It’s too late to make any amends when the person who mattered most is already gone. He brought it upon himself, so let him live the rest of his life in his own regrets.”
“What if I ask you to meet him instead?”
Wu Nian lowered her eyes.
She would’ve denied that request without any hesitation if it wasn’t Aaron who had asked.
A lot of things would be exposed the moment she acknowledged her grandfather.
It could possibly mess up other people’s lives too.
That was the last thing she wanted.
But it’s Aaron…
Her lips twitched. The man had helped her so much all this while. How could she say no to her benefactor? “Fine,” she answered.
At that, Aaron’s voice took on a slightly more lighthearted note. “That’s great! I’ll see you on the 15th then. Your grandpa will be coming along when I bring Grandma over.”
“Cool, see you then. Don’t forget to send me Yan’s address,” Wu Nian said and ended the conversation. She leaned against the recliner and stared at the clear blue sky. The clouds above shifted their shapes constantly as if reflecting her unease and restlessness.
Within seconds, Aaron’s new message came in.
Wu Nian understood what she had to do next. She sat up and dialed Shen Yiyan’s number.
Shen Yiyan too answered the call just as quickly as Aaron did. “I thought you disappeared!”
“I was out at sea. There’s no signal there.”
“Where is she now?” he chastised. Wu Nian sensed his desperation. She could even hear his uneven breathing from the other side of the phone.
“Hold it. Don’t forget the three conditions we agreed upon earlier,” she stressed.
“Are you done with your lecture? It’s time you tell me where she is now,” he prodded.
Wu Nian’s eyes dimmed a little. That man didn’t consent to her reminders this time. She swore to herself that she’d never let that man find Yan forever if he dared to go back on his words.
“I’ll send you the address shortly. Don’t forget what you promised.” At that, she ended the call without a further word and proceeded to forward Aaron’s message to him.
Determining that the yacht should arrive at shore within half an hour, she went back into the kitchen and whipped up a simple lunch.
As soon as she docked, Wu Nian began restocking on clean water and fresh produce. She even went as far as purchasing two hens, a poodle, and some supplies for her new livestock and pet dog.
She then set off to the island once again.
With a straw mat and some hay, she built a little makeshift barn for her hens.
She then placed the poodle’s kennel near the bow of the yacht and chucked some toys inside.
Upon resetting the auto-navigation, she retreated into her room for the night.
Before sunrise, Wu Nian jolted awake as the dog started barking violently. The yacht swayed back and forth. Struggling to balance herself, she wobbled towards the door and swung it open to take a look outside.
The waves were raging despite the sky showing no signs of an impending storm.
Seeing that there was no danger to worry about, she went back inside and freshened up. She slid on a knitted cardigan and walked towards the kennel.
The dog barked fiercely as she approached.
She reached out her arms in an attempt to pick it up.
“Aren’t you dirty? Let’s give you a nice bath, shall we?”
Still wary of its new master, the poodle scuffled and barked. It even tried to bite her as she grappled around to secure it in her arms.
After putting it down and feeding it a handful of dog food, the dog gradually calmed down.
Wu Nian put the dog down in the bathtub and bathed it gently.
As she dried its fur with her hairdryer, she said to the poodle, “What should we name you? How about ‘Qing’? It sounds pretty cute to me.”
The puppy barked twice in response, albeit a lot less hostile than before.
Wu Nian handed it a biscuit, smiling down at the animal. “That’s settled then, Qing! You like that name too, don’t you?”
Qing barked again, wagging its tail while looking up at her.
She gave it another piece of biscuit.
The dog eventually warmed up its master and settled peacefully in her arms.
Due to the rough waves earlier, the journey was delayed by two hours.
By the time Wu Nian docked at the island, it was already 8 a.m.
The sky had lit up brightly, and the waves had subsided. To her surprise, the mysterious house she’d come across earlier now had its gate opened.
She peered inside the compound. Behind the gate was a spacious yard.
It was furnished with a well and a set of alfresco furniture.
Through the glass walls, she could see numerous rooms and partitions on each floor of the three-story building.
Wu Nian glanced around anxiously. Ensuring that there weren’t any signs of wild beasts, she carried Qing her arms and disembarked from the yacht, slowly making her way towards the house. “Hello, is anyone in there?” she called out.
Woof! Woof! Qing mimicked her.
There came no answer.
Hesitating for a second, Wu Nian took a few nervous steps past the outer gate and cautiously walked up to the interior door. “Anyone in there?”
With a sudden click, the door swung open.
She was petrified at the sight of Gu Mingchen, who stood there quietly and stared at her. There was no surprise in his eyes, nor were there any hint of emotions.
Perhaps he had recognized her voice from the very start.
Wu Nian could feel her heart racing and thump violently beneath her chest.
Didn’t he tell me we’ll never meet again?
Earlier on, she did have an inkling that this mysterious house could belong to him, but she’d never expected that this man would still return to this island after their argument.
“I’m sorry,” Wu Nian excused herself and turned to leave.
Gu Mingchen’s cold voice rang behind her, “Yanny is sick.”
She froze at his words. Turning back slowly towards him with her eyes widened in shock, she began carefully, “What happened to him?”
