Seeing her crying so hard, Lu Yan lovingly pinched her cheek. "How about we work harder to have a baby after Grandpa passes away? That way, he can leave in peace."
Ning Anmiao sniffled and couldn't help but raise her hand to swat away his wandering hand. She pouted discontentedly. "What kind of time is this? Can't you be serious?"
She had no intention of having a baby now. All her attention was on the old man.
During the last few days, she didn't go anywhere. She just brought a few sets of light clothes and stayed in the ward next to the old man's.
Unable to persuade her stubbornness, Lu Yan had no choice but to let her do as she pleased. He also stayed in the hospital with her.
Just as the doctor had said before, the old man's health was deteriorating day by day. He was like a deflated ball, losing more and more energy.
In the last few days, he had to wear an oxygen mask and a heart - rate monitor.
Ning Anmiao didn't dare to cry in front of the old man. Every time she went to the ward to accompany him, her eyes were filled with tears, and she couldn't bear to take her eyes off him.
Each meeting might be the last.
One day, when Ning Anmiao pushed open the door and was about to give the old man some water, she suddenly found that he was awake, looking at her with his eyes open.
There was a look of peace in Mr. Lu's eyes. He was looking at her kindly.
"Grandpa, you... you're awake?" Ning Anmiao was stunned. She rubbed her eyes in disbelief and immediately rushed to the bedside.
Mr. Lu nodded. He opened his mouth as if to say something, but then he started coughing. His expression instantly became extremely painful.
Seeing this, Ning Anmiao almost broke down. Her eyes instantly welled up with tears. "Grandpa, where do you feel uncomfortable? I'll call the doctor for you."
"No... no need." Mr. Lu struggled to utter two words through the oxygen mask. He waved his hand that was hanging by his side, signaling her not to call the doctor.
Ning Anmiao managed to calm down a bit, but her eyes were still red and swollen. She tried to force a smile. "Grandpa, do you want to eat something?"
The old man shook his head. Talking would make his throat uncomfortable, so he simply didn't say anything. He just looked at her gently, just as he used to.
Just then, the door of the ward was pushed open, and Lu Yan walked in. Seeing Mr. Lu on the bed with his eyes open, his eyebrows furrowed slightly.
Mr. Lu looked up and glanced at Lu Yan.
"Grandpa, I've arranged everything you asked me to do before," Lu Yan pursed his thin lips. "You can rest assured."
The old man nodded slowly. His dim eyes showed appreciation.
Ning Anmiao watched the two of them, and there was an indescribable emotion growing wildly in her heart.
"Grandpa, I'm sorry," she said seriously, trying hard to hold back the tears that were about to pour out. "I broke my promise to visit you once a week."
She wished she had come earlier, even if not with Lu Yan.
The tree may prefer calm, but the wind will not subside; children may wish to serve their parents, but their parents may no longer be there.
Mr. Lu was first surprised, then he smiled indifferently. He mouthed "It's okay" to Ning Anmiao.
At this point, there was no need for him to care about many things.
Moreover, the old man knew in his heart who was truly kind to him and who was just being obsequious.
He knew it all clearly.
Seeing that the old man still looked calm, Ning Anmiao bit her lip. She wanted to say something, but as soon as she made the first sound, she couldn't stop sobbing.
Lu Yan leaned over and gently patted her on the shoulder. "Miao Miao, Grandpa doesn't like girls who cry all the time. If you keep crying, Grandpa won't like you anymore."
Before he could finish, the old man on the bed gave him a glare.
Obviously, he didn't agree with his words.
Ning Anmiao also stopped crying and laughed. She retorted stubbornly. "Grandpa will never stop liking me. I'm his favorite. No matter what I'm like, Grandpa will like me."
"Okay, okay. Grandpa likes you the most," Lu Yan indulged her, gently rubbing her head in a doting tone.
The two of them were very close. The old man lying in bed was happy to see such a scene.
He raised his hand full of tubes and held it in mid - air.
Ning Anmiao paused and leaned over to Mr. Lu's side. She asked in a low voice, "Do you need me to do anything for you?"
The old man's hand slowly landed on the corner of her eye and wiped away the tears that hadn't dried yet.
"Don't cry."
His chapped lips twitched under the oxygen mask as he tried hard to make the sound of these two words. It was more like a comfort.
He really liked the girl Miao Miao from the bottom of his heart. He also knew that Lu Yan was lonely.
A lonely person needed someone else to warm his heart.
Only in this way would his grandson not be alone.
Ning Anmiao gave Mr. Lu some water. Seeing that his mental state had improved a bit, she felt even more sad.
The doctor had said that all of the old man's organs were failing, and it would probably be just these two days.
The good mental state now was just the last flicker of life before death.
Lu Yan had only been there for a short while when his phone suddenly rang. He said hello to the two of them and then took his phone and left the ward first.
After the old man drank some water, his throat was moistened. He felt uncomfortable wearing the oxygen mask and yanked it off forcefully. Then he smiled at Ning Anmiao.
"Miao Miao, you have to accompany Lu Yan from now on. If he's alone for too long, something might happen to him."
Ning Anmiao's eyes were a bit dry. She nodded at Mr. Lu, and the smile on her face was a bit stiff.
"Don't worry. I'll accompany him from now on."
She seriously promised Mr. Lu that she would never break her promise again.
She knew that the person Mr. Lu loved the most was still Lu Yan.
It was because he felt sorry for Lu Yan that he had told her to accompany him at the end of his life.
...
Outside the ward.
Looking at the caller ID on his phone, Lu Yan's eyes darkened.
He answered the phone. The man on the other end of the line gave a soft laugh. "It seems that Mr. Lu is in a pretty good state. You even have time to answer my call."
Lu Yan paused for a moment, and his voice suddenly became cold and stern. "Is the old man's matter related to you?"
Lin Chuluo said slowly, "Mr. Lu thinks too highly of me. I don't have that kind of ability."
After he finished speaking, he added a few more sentences. "However, after the old man falls, the Lu family must be in a complete mess, right?"
Lu Yan remained silent. He habitually took out a cigarette from his pocket.
Lin Chuluo's voice still came through the receiver gently, without much emotional fluctuation, but it was full of schadenfreude. "It's just right for Mr. Lu to recall what his identity is."
"I didn't expect that Mr. Lu would choose to help Zhou Si. Could it be that you saw your own shadow as an illegitimate child in Zhou Si, so you empathized with him?"