Chapter 199: I Want You to Be My Grandpa
Madam Liu nodded upon hearing this.
Elder Gu thought to himself, ’Stabbed with such a long dagger... Even a Divine Doctor might not be able to heal an injury that severe.’
’When I first saw the wound, I had a bad feeling, but I couldn’t bring myself to say anything in front of the little girl.’
’I never thought the little girl would actually manage to pull him back from the brink of death. It’s simply miraculous!’
"Elder Gu."
Still lost in thought, Elder Gu heard his name called and quickly looked over. He saw Ye Qianning giving him a respectful bow.
"Whoa there, little one, what are you doing?" Elder Gu quickly bent down to steady the small girl.
"I’m thanking you for stepping forward to help me today, Elder Gu."
"You’re making too much of it, little one. I was just lending a hand, it was no big deal." Seeing her being so formal, Elder Gu felt a little awkward.
"Elder Gu, come with me." Ye Qianning took the initiative and gently took hold of his wrist.
Elder Gu was slightly taken aback the moment the little girl took his wrist. A trace of warmth spread through his heart as he let the little child lead him away.
For a moment, he felt a strange sense of déjà vu, as if he were seeing a young Gu Shuo. He remembered that when the boy was little, he would often pull on him just like this, being impossibly mischievous.
A warm smile touched Elder Gu’s lips. A cool breeze blew past, snapping him out of his reverie. He was surprised. ’Why would looking at this girl remind me of that little rascal Gu Shuo? How strange.’
Ye Qianning led Elder Gu to a side room and sat him down at a table. She began to unwrap the white cloth from his hand, revealing a wound so deep the bone of his knuckle was visible.
Although it had been treated, the wound was still gruesome to look at.
"If Xiang Mingli had used a little more force when he pulled the dagger out, your hands would have been crippled, Elder Gu." As she spoke, Ye Qianning picked up pieces of sliced fruit and fed them to him one by one.
Elder Gu didn’t know what she was giving him, but he ate it anyway. "If they were crippled, I’d just get to start my life of being waited on hand and foot a little earlier."
"Elder Gu, we’ve only met a few times. Why are you so good to me? Is it because of my academic abilities?" Ye Qianning asked.
"Of course not," Elder Gu replied without a second thought.
"Then why?"
"I just find you very likable, little one. There’s a certain affinity."
"Is that all?"
"Of course. Some people judge others based on profit, and some based on power. But I judge people based on affinity and fate. When I saw you from a distance atop Lou Mountain, I felt as if you had a gravitational pull. That’s why I dragged the dean over. Then I happened to overhear what you said, and it only strengthened my feeling of affinity for you." Thinking back to that moment, Elder Gu couldn’t suppress a smile. He added, "Of course, after finding out you’re an academic prodigy, I liked you even more."
Ye Qianning listened quietly, her gaze fixed on his face, which looked to be over eighty years old. His hair was white at the temples, and his face was lined with the wrinkles of time. Right now, his eyes were full of kindness and warmth.
He did feel very familiar.
"Do you want to adopt me as your great-granddaughter, Elder Gu?" she asked.
Elder Gu froze, staring at her, his face filled with delight. "Little one, you... you agree?"
"Mhm. But I want to call you grandfather instead."
"Er... Fine, fine, fine! Grandfather it is." Elder Gu was overjoyed. ’Grandfather, great-grandfather, what’s the difference? No difference at all!’
"Then you can’t treat my father as your grandson anymore."
"Of course! From now on, I will dote on Xiang Minghou as if he were my own son." Having seen how the Xiang family operated, Elder Gu’s heart ached for the man. He’d never known the love of a father or mother and was nearly stabbed to death by his own mother.
’From now on,’ he thought, ’I must show Xiang Minghou the warmth of a father’s love.’
Ye Qianning lowered her head, continuing to bandage Elder Gu’s hand.
She seemed to understand Elder Gu’s train of thought perfectly. A smile played on her lips. ’This way, her father would be a generation above Gu Shuo. That should be enough to annoy him.’