After a long while, Ji Wei finally lifted her head from Mo Qian’s chest.
"Mo Qian, I want to go see Grandma." After a pause, Ji Wei said hoarsely.
The woman’s eyes were red like a rabbit’s. Although distressed, Mo Qian understood the place Old Madam Ji held in Ji Wei’s heart. What had just happened certainly weighed heavily on Old Madam Ji as much as it did on Ji Wei.
"Alright, let’s go together," Mo Qian replied softly.
When they arrived at Cuiya Residence, A Xiu was standing guard at the door to Old Madam Ji’s room, which was closed.
"How is Grandma doing?" Ji Wei asked worriedly.
A Xiu glanced at the door with concern. "The old madam said she wanted to rest as soon as she got back. She didn’t even have dinner. Madam Yunxiang’s situation... it really broke her heart."
"Let me try," Ji Wei said, attempting to knock on the door. "Grandma, it’s Little Wei. May I come in?"
There was silence inside the room.
"Grandma, can I talk with you for a while?" Ji Wei asked again.
She waited quietly by the door, not rushing or pushing. Finally, after a while, Old Madam Ji’s voice came through. "Come in."
Relief softened Ji Wei’s face into a faint smile. She turned to A Xiu and said, "A Xiu, go prepare some food and bring it up later."
A Xiu quickly nodded in agreement.
Ji Wei turned to look at Mo Qian, who silently gave her a nod, his gaze full of encouragement.
Ji Wei pushed the door open and entered the room.
Old Madam Ji sat at the head of the bed. Under the dim yellow light, her figure appeared even more hunched. One hand held a photo album, while the other gently dusted the photos with a handkerchief. Her expression was absorbed and focused, as if she hadn’t noticed Ji Wei enter.
The closer Ji Wei walked, the harder it was to suppress the ache in her chest. When she saw her grandmother’s hair, now fully silver, she held back her tears with great effort.
She sat down beside her grandmother and leaned in, looking at the photos in the album together. "Grandma, are these photos of Dad when he was little?"
Ji Wei saw the faded yellow photos—young versions of her grandparents, her father, and Ji Yunxiang.
There were many photos of Ji Yunli and Ji Yunxiang, from infancy to their twenties, when Ji Yunli was a handsome young man and Ji Yunxiang a lovely young woman.
"Grandma, I know you must be feeling very sad right now, but what’s done is done. There’s no way to undo it." Ji Wei forced herself to speak, her voice trembling.
Old Madam Ji reached out her trembling hand to gently touch the youthful face of Ji Yunxiang in the photograph. "Yunxiang was a good child back then. If I hadn’t insisted on forcing her to marry that man with a tendency for domestic violence, she wouldn’t have divorced and been thrown out. Since she came back, she began giving up on herself, pinning all her hope on Shanshan. But Shanshan... she’s another child who brings no peace of mind..."
Ji Wei listened quietly as her grandmother spoke, biting her lip in silence.
The issue of Ji Shanshan falling into the sea—Ji Wei had already had the news tightly suppressed. For now, her grandmother wouldn’t know about it. Facing a double blow, she didn’t know whether her grandmother could bear it.
"Ah, girl... Yunxiang has wronged you. She’s my daughter, but it’s all on me. I didn’t discipline my own child properly, which let her commit so many mistakes!"
Ji Wei shook her head, choking up, and after a long time finally said, "Grandma, don’t be sad anymore. You still have Dad, and you have me. I’ll always be here to care for you, making you happy every single day."
She hugged her grandmother’s shoulders, unable to hold back her tears as they began to stream down. "Oh, by the way, I haven’t told you yet—I’ve registered my marriage with Mo Qian. He’s officially your grandson-in-law now. You always said you liked Mo Qian’s manners and demeanor. From now on, I’ll make sure he visits you often, keeping you company and lifting your spirits."