In fact, Ning Anmiao wasn't hungry. Excessive worry had taken away her appetite. But thinking that Lu Yan hadn't eaten much either, she felt a twinge of concern.
She was worried that Lu Yan's stomach problem might flare up again.
Seeing the conflicted look on Ning Anmiao's face, Lu Yan gently tucked her long hair behind her ear with a tender gesture and said slowly, "It'll still be a few days before Grandpa wakes up. I've left someone to watch over him."
"We're not at the most critical moment yet. We need to rest well these days to prepare for any unexpected situations later."
Ning Anmiao understood what Lu Yan meant. Leaning in his arms, she was overwhelmed with a heavy sense of sadness.
She shifted slightly in Lu Yan's embrace and softened her voice, asking, "The doctor said, how much longer does Grandpa have?"
Lu Yan lowered his head slightly, resting his chin on her forehead, and replied in a steady voice, "At most half a month. We've been told to prepare for the funeral as soon as possible."
So this was the truth.
Ning Anmiao's heart skipped a beat, and her breathing quickened.
"Isn't there really any other way? Grandpa is such a kind person..." As Ning Anmiao spoke, her voice choked with sobs.
Her eyes turned red again.
Lu Yan reached out his hand and gently wiped away the tears on her face. His movements were slow and tender as he said, "Letting him endure the pain and linger on is also a kind of torture."
Ning Anmiao understood the logic, but she still couldn't accept that the kind - hearted old man was about to pass away.
In the end, Lu Yan took Ning Anmiao home.
The atmosphere at home was dull, as if shrouded in a thick, unbreakable fog.
Neither of them had much of an appetite. They ate a little casually, and then Ning Anmiao went into the bathroom to take a shower. When she came out, the living room was completely silent.
She dried her hair by herself and then tiptoed into the bedroom. The man was standing by the window in loose, casual pajamas.
He heard the footsteps at the door and slowly turned around.
"All done with your shower?"
Ning Anmiao pursed her lips and silently nodded.
Her eyes were still red, and her big eyes were moist. It seemed that she had secretly cried in the bathroom just now.
Ning Anmiao was always sentimental. Grandpa's sudden critical condition was quite a blow to her, and she needed time to digest and accept it.
Lu Yan rubbed the space between his eyebrows, walked up to Ning Anmiao, and firmly grasped her waist with his big hand, pulling her into his arms.
"Still thinking about Grandpa?"
Ning Anmiao lowered her eyes. The emotions she had barely managed to control now seemed on the verge of bursting out. "I'm sorry. Whenever I think about Grandpa leaving, I just..."
At this point, her voice clearly choked with sobs.
Lu Yan was a calm - tempered man with an amiable look. He gently stroked the long hair of the girl in his arms and rubbed his head against hers.
"When I returned to the Lu family a few years ago, Grandpa was the first one to accept me."
His tone was extremely calm, as if he was recalling the past or telling a story to Ning Anmiao. "With the old man backing me up, none of those Lu family members dared to say a single 'no'."
Ning Anmiao nestled in his arms and quietly listened to his past with Grandpa.
At first, when Lu Yan returned to the Lu family, every relative in the family was against him. They either sneered at him or openly humiliated him.
At that time, the old man was still in good health. With just a cough from him, no one dared to say a word.
Especially when the old man threw the pre - written will in front of everyone, the Lu family fell completely silent.
No one could believe that the shrewd Mr. Lu, who had been clear - headed all his life, actually intended to hand over all his family property to Lu Yan, who had been drifting outside for the first twenty years of his life!
Even though Lu Litian and Lu Qingfeng tried to persuade the old man kindly at that time, they couldn't change his mind.
"If you really have the ability, go and ask Lu Yan for the property. If he agrees, then do as he says."
That's what the old man said at that time.
Ning Anmiao was sitting in his arms. Listening to Lu Yan's steady voice, she looked up at him and asked, "Why did Grandpa like you so much right from the start?"
Lu Yan's tone was always calm. "At that time, the Lu family was in an economic crisis, and my father was seriously ill. It was some of the connections I had made that helped the Lu family out."
He said it lightly, but Ning Anmiao could sense the special meaning behind his words.
This definitely wasn't something that could be achieved by simply finding some random connections. Lu Yan must have put in a great deal of effort, which touched Mr. Lu.
Mr. Lu was no ordinary person. He was a shrewd old fox. After just a few days of getting along with Lu Yan, he could see the young man's capabilities.
"However, it wasn't all because of this." Lu Yan's expression softened as a gentle look flashed across his eyes. "Grandpa taught me a lot of truths and told me to cherish those around me."
Ning Anmiao didn't say a word. She kept recalling the old man's face in her mind.
Mr. Lu was a true - to - life person. The first time she came to the Lu family, he was very enthusiastic towards her and said that his grandson finally had a companion.
In the few subsequent meetings, although they weren't many, Mr. Lu always had a smile on his face, obviously very satisfied with her as his granddaughter - in - law.
"There aren't many people in this world who are truly good to me. The old man is one of them." As Lu Yan said this, he always kept his eyes fixed on Ning Anmiao.
"Of course, you are too."
Ning Anmiao clasped her hands in front of her, lowered her head, and said softly, "If Grandpa leaves, you'll definitely be very sad."
Lu Yan didn't deny it. He just gave a faint response, "Yes."
It was impossible for him not to be sad.
People always said that Lu Yan was calm, indifferent, and cold towards everything, with nothing to care about.
In fact, Lu Yan was very afraid of losing.
Because the people and things he had were so few, he cherished everything he had even more.
And he was even more afraid of losing the people and things he cherished.
Ning Anmiao's eyes were red. Her breathing became rapid as she buried her head in his arms and said in a muffled voice, "Grandpa also cared a lot about you. He must be very reluctant to leave you."
Lu Yan's body stiffened slightly. He continued to hold Ning Anmiao in his arms in the same position and said in a low voice, "Yes, I know."
"Grandpa must love you very much too, which is why he was willing to hand everything over to you. He trusted you."
"Yes, I know all of that."
Because of Grandpa's trust, he had taken on the heavy responsibility of the Lu family and managed all the family's industrial companies in an orderly manner.
If it weren't for him, the Lu family might have been in an economic crisis and gone bankrupt a few years ago.
He had to live up to the old man's trust in him.
"Miaomiao." Lu Yan's voice was calm. He tightened his arms slightly. "Okay, you don't need to be sad for me or for Grandpa."
He comforted her gently, "The old man was shrewd all his life. He had already anticipated that his days were numbered. He had already told me everything he needed to say."
Ning Anmiao's heart was pounding. Her chest heaved with sobs, filled with sorrow.
"If there's any regret, it might be that he won't be able to hold his great - grandchild."