石器盒子

Chapter 484 There Was No Chance

Luo Xiaoxi had asked her agent to clear her schedule after returning from the island. The only thing she needed to do was to wait for her wedding with Su Yicheng.

Compared to Luo Xiaoxi, Su Yicheng couldn’t be busier with his work, while preparing for their wedding and stealing time to make arrangements for their honeymoon.

That comparison made Luo Xiaoxi ashamed, so she took the initiative to prepare for the wedding. That day she had gone to the hotel to make a final confirmation about the menu of their wedding banquet. As soon as she arrived at the house, she saw Su Yicheng who had just returned from work.

Seeing Luo Xiaoxi step out of the garage, Su Yicheng held her hand and asked, “How’s the menu?”

“In general, it’s good. I only asked them to renew several courses and some beverages.” Luo Xiaoxi turned and leaned close to Su Yicheng, giving him a querulous and pettish look. “I’m stuffed.”

Luo Xiaoxi had rarely behaved like that. However, Su Yicheng was in no mood to chat with her. He just asked, “What’s your plan for tomorrow?”

“Tomorrow...” Luo Xiaoxi didn’t notice his abnormal behavior. She thought for a while and said lazily, “Tomorrow I’ll discuss with the wedding planning company about the decoration design for the church. What’s wrong?”

After a silence, Su Yicheng said, “Ask someone else to do it.”

“...Why?” Luo Xiaoxi was confused. “I’m not tired, and it’s not heavy work. I’ve rarely been so hard-working like a little busy bee. Are you sure you don’t want to take advantage of it?” She thought that Su Yicheng didn’t want her to rush around.

Su Yicheng gazed at Luo Xiaoxi and said in a low, sorrowful voice, “Granny Xu passed away. I want to go to City G tomorrow.”

Luo Xiaoxi was stunned at that moment.

Luo Xiaoxi had never seen Granny Xu, but she had heard about her many times from Su Yicheng and Su Jianan. She knew better than others that Granny Xu had been like their family.

The other day when they were on the island, Su Yicheng had discussed with Xu Youning about taking Granny Xu to City A to attend the wedding.

“It’s only been a few days. Why did Granny Xu pass away?” she wondered.

After a long while, Luo Xiaoxi came to her senses and asked with disbelief, “What happened?”

Two dangerous fellows, Mu Sijue and Kang Ruicheng, were involved in it, so Su Yicheng decided to skip the details. He said, “It was an accident.”

Luo Xiaoxi was afraid of making Su Yicheng sad, so she didn’t make detailed inquiries. She held Su Yicheng’s hands and said, “Go to bed early today. I will go with you tomorrow.”

Hearing that, Su Yicheng’s grieved face became relaxed. He replied “oh,” and held Luo Xiaoxi’s hand as he went into the house.

The next day. The hilltop temple in City G...

Su Yicheng made some inquiries and finally knew that Granny Xu’s ashes had been kept there. After he reached the temple, he was led by the old abbot to Granny Xu’s memorial tablet.

Every brand new tablet represented the soul of each deceased person. The strokes of those Chinese names that had been newly chiseled into the tablets deeply touched Su Yicheng’s heart.

Su Yicheng stood there, giving a long look at the tablet engraved with Granny Xu’s name. After a while, he reached out and touched it.

He touched it gently, and his movements became slower and slower. Luo Xiaoxi turned her head toward him, only to see the tears in his eyes.

In Luo Xiaoxi’s mind, Su Yicheng had never shed tears, and he had always looked at ease as if he were able to handle it even if the sky fell. The reason why Luo Xiaoxi had fallen in love with him without hesitation was that she liked the confident way he conducted himself.

Su Jianan had once told Luo Xiaoxi that no matter what happened, she wouldn’t panic as long as Su Yicheng was there.

However, at that moment, the fearless Su Yicheng was devastated.

Luo Xiaoxi held Su Yicheng’s hands tightly. “I know you are very sad.”

She had felt the same way.

Lao Luo and her mother had a car accident half a year ago. Back then, Luo Xiaoxi had thought that they would never wake up, and she had fallen into despair.

She thought, “Granny Xu did pass away. She will never come back. Su Yicheng must feel even sadder than how I felt half a year ago.”

As Su Yicheng closed his eyes, a teardrop fell. Luo Xiaoxi lifted her hand and wiped it gently. She said in a soft voice, “Granny Xu would not want to see you feeling so sad.”

“...”

Su Yicheng opened his eyes and looked at Granny Xu’s memorial tablet. He recalled that Granny Xu had always told him that she wished for them to be happy regardless of success, and his misted eyes gradually cleared up.

All of a sudden, Luo Xiaoxi thought of something and asked, “Are we going to visit Youning?”

Luo Xiaoxi had a good impression of Xu Youning. She thought, “Granny Xu was Xu Youning’s only family. Nobody could feel more grieved than her when Granny Xu passed away.”

When hearing the words “Xu Youning,” a strange look flashed across Su Yicheng’s face. He said, “Youning is no longer in City G.”

Luo Xiaoxi thought that Xu Youning had left for relaxation, so she said, “Oh. Shall we... postpone the wedding date? We can make it since we haven’t sent out our invitations yet.”

Before Su Yicheng could answer her, he heard a female voice from outside the door. “Mr. Su?”

Luo Xiaoxi and Su Yicheng subconsciously looked over and saw a strange face.

“My last name is Sun.” Auntie Sun went in through the door. “I was taking care of Granny Xu.”

Su Yicheng had heard Xu Youning speak of Auntie Sun. Seeing the sandalwood incense in her hands, he realized what was going on. He greeted Auntie Sun and pointed to Luo Xiaoxi. “Auntie Sun, this is my wife.”

Auntie Sun looked at Luo Xiaoxi with a smile. “Granny Xu often remembered her granddaughter-in-law in our talks. She would be very happy to know that you’re here to cherish her.”

Luo Xiaoxi responded with a faint smile.

Auntie Sun lit the incense for Granny Xu, then she took Su Yicheng and Luo Xiaoxi to the yard and asked, “I heard you talk just now. Do you want to delay your wedding?”

“That’s what we should do,” Su Yicheng said, “She was like my own grandmother. She passed away so suddenly. I shouldn’t hold my wedding in such a short time.”

“She wouldn’t want you to do that.” Auntie Sun sighed. “She had thought it over. She told me on her deathbed that she didn’t want anyone to be affected by her death. She said that death could relieve her from her old age and poor health, so she didn’t want you to make any changes because of her.”

After a pause, Auntie Sun said, “I just wanted to pass her words to you. As for what to do... it’s up to you.”

“...” Su Yicheng was lost in his thoughts.

“Auntie Sun,” Luo Xiaoxi suddenly asked, “Where did Youning go?”

Auntie Sun glanced at Su Yicheng awkwardly. As she was wondering how to answer, Su Yicheng’s phone rang.

The caller ID was a string of numbers, without showing any information about the regional operator.

He had never received any mysterious calls like that, so he had a hunch that he knew the caller.

Su Yicheng answered the phone and heard Xu Youning’s voice. “Brother Yicheng.”

“Youning?” Su Yicheng asked without hesitation, “Where are you?”

“I’m in City A, but I can’t go to visit you,” Xu Youning said, “I’m fine. Don’t you worry.”

“...” For a while, Su Yicheng didn’t know what to say.

“Brother Yicheng, I’m sorry,” Xu Youning apologized, “I’ve been keeping you in the dark.”

“You don’t need to apologize to us.” Su Yicheng sighed. “It’s your choice. We have no right to interfere.”

However, he hadn’t expected a girl like Xu Youning to have made such a hard choice.

“Don’t apologize to Jianan for me,” Xu Youning said with a wry smile, “I owe Jianan. I shouldn’t redeem myself with a single apology.”

“Youning, Jianan won’t blame you, as long as...” Su Yicheng was thinking about asking Xu Youning to come back.

Xu Youning guessed what Su Yicheng would say to her, so she interrupted him without hesitation. “I know that you and Xiaoxi went to City G. You are there to see my grandma, aren’t you?” She smiled, sounding sad. “My grandma often looked at the bright side of things. She must have been calm in the face of death, and she wouldn’t want to affect you.”

Su Yicheng got Xu Youning’s point. “I see. Xiaoxi and I will hold our wedding as scheduled. You...”

“I may not be able to attend your wedding.” Xu Youning tried to hold back her sobs. “Brother Yicheng, I’m sorry.”

“... That’s OK.” Su Yicheng understood Xu Youning’s difficult situation, and he knew that she would never return. He said in a low voice, “Youning, from now on... be careful in all things.”

Xu Youning worked for Kang Ruicheng, who was their enemy. From then on, they might never see each other again.

However, Su Yicheng still wished for Xu Youning to be safe and sound. He was even willing to spare no efforts, if possible, to enable Xu Youning to live safely.

Su Yicheng didn’t expect that one day in the future he would realize that it had been an extravagant hope, because Xu Youning had never thought about living a stable life when she had decided to return to Kang Ruicheng.

“I will.” Xu Youning’s voice was struggling with sobs. “Brother Yicheng, I wish you all the best.”

As soon as she uttered those words, Xu Youning hung up, crying alone in City A...

Su Yicheng stared at his phone screen which had dimmed when the call ended, while his eyes looked like the night sky.

Luo Xiaoxi felt that something was wrong. She poked Su Yicheng’s arm and asked, “Did Youning leave for relaxation?”

“If not, what else do you think she can do?” Su Yicheng feigned a relaxed smile. “She lost her only family, and she can’t drag herself out of it for the time being. Our wedding will be held as scheduled, but she may not be able to attend.”

Luo Xiaoxi still felt confused, but she didn’t ask further. She said with a smile, “It doesn’t matter. We can attend her wedding with Mu Sijue in the future!”

Su Yicheng simply touched Luo Xiaoxi’s head and said, “Let’s go home.”

He wondered, “Maybe there won’t be a chance for us to attend Xu Youning and Mu Sijue’s wedding in our lifetimes.”