HLnovel Chapter 339 If you don't want to go home, then we won't go back.
Chapter 339 If you don't want to go home, then we won't go back.
The doctor removed his mask, revealing himself to be visibly exhausted.
"Assistant Yin, rest assured, President Qin is out of danger. However, he suffered a head injury with mild cerebral edema. He will need to rest absolutely and minimize external stimulation. Finally, we must prevent President Qin from getting emotionally agitated."
Yin Li breathed a sigh of relief. "Okay, thank you for your hard work, Dr. Liu."
"Of course," Dr. Liu said, and then strode away.
Yin Li turned around and saw that Ji Ran's tense expression had visibly relaxed. He hesitated and said...
"Professor Ji, now... we can inform Miss Qiu."
Ji Ran's gaze darkened slightly, and he did not reply.
Seeing this, Yin Li seemed to understand what was troubling her, so she didn't bring up the topic again.
"I apologize, Professor Ji, I have spoken too much."
Ji Ran took a deep breath. "I'll go back and tell her."
With that, she turned to leave.
She was relieved to see that Qin Wenzhou was out of danger.
"Professor Ji!" Yin Li called out to her from behind.
Ji Ran paused, turned around, and looked puzzled.
"You...you shouldn't go see President Qin first?"
Ji Ran was taken aback, then replied, "He's still unconscious, so let him rest. I'll come see him tomorrow."
Hearing how rational her words were, Yin Li didn't try to persuade her any further, and simply nodded: "Okay."
Ji Ran then lifted his foot and left.
Back in the car, Ji Ran looked very serious, but his mind was blank, and he didn't know what to think about.
He gently cupped her head in his large hand and let her lean on his shoulder.
Ji Ran closed her eyes as if escaping, burying her face in his neck. She was clearly helpless in the face of reality, and it seemed that only by smelling the unique sandalwood scent on him could she feel a little more at ease.
She wasn't trying to force her parents to get along like a loving couple, but at least it didn't have to come to this extent...
Girls who lack family warmth from a young age, even if they are naturally intelligent beyond their years, are helpless when faced with conflicts between their parents.
After mentally preparing herself for a while, she straightened up, took a deep breath, started the car, but hesitated to press the accelerator.
Qi Mu looked at her profile, which she was trying to maintain, and his eyes were filled with deep tenderness. Every inch of his gaze was gently tracing her face, as if he wished he could take all her pain away from her.
"If we don't want to go home, then we won't go back."
Ji Ran turned to look at him, and when she met his gentle yet cautious gaze, she felt a surge of relief.
Thankfully, he's always been by my side, no matter what happens.
She nodded, but her expression betrayed her hurt.
But I just texted Chi Tao that I wasn't going to school today. If I don't go home, where else can I go?
Qi Mu reached out and took her phone, opened the notes app, and placed it in front of her.
"here."
Ji Ran only remembered this matter immediately.
"That's right."
She had promised He Yanchen she would dig something up and deliver it to his wife and children, but she had completely forgotten.
Seeing the fleeting guilt in her eyes, Qi Mu couldn't help but smile.
She actually felt guilty towards others.
After navigating, Ji Ran drove towards his destination.
The location is in a small neighboring county, which is a bit far.
Qi Mu could have taken her there directly, but today he hoped that the long journey would ease her weariness and bring her a moment of peace.
After a long while, the car drove south into a small, deserted county town. The further it went, the more desolate it became, and the hustle and bustle was left far behind.
This place is no longer bustling; the young people have all gone to the prosperous city to find a living, leaving only empty streets and alleys, slowly fading into silence with time.
Ji Ran parked the car at the entrance of an alley and took Qi Mu's hand as they walked towards the end of the alley.
Two elderly people still lived in the alley. They sat at their mottled doorways, quietly gazing at the empty alley. They would sit there for most of the day. The afterglow of the setting sun shone on the stone steps beneath their feet. They didn't speak, as if they were waiting for something, or as if they were waiting for nothing at all.
When Ji Ran appeared, the old man looked up at her, his cloudy and dull eyes brightening for a moment, with a hint of curiosity, a hint of inquiry, and a hint of daze.
They were really on their last legs—and then they saw a fairy!
Ji Ran had long been used to such gazes from others, and normally she would ignore them. But when she saw these empty-nest elderly people, she was reminded of her wet nurse's final days, when she could no longer leave the house. She was in the same situation, and could only sit at the gate of the house on sunny days, embroidering worn-out socks for her.
Even with herself by her side, the old lady's lonely figure still broke her heart.
She bent down slightly and asked one of the elderly women,
"Grandma, does He Yanchen live here?"
Qi Mu looked at the back of the girl's head. He knew that she wasn't unable to find He Yanchen's house, but she was thinking of her grandmother and couldn't help but want to show some care for these elderly people, even if it was just to talk to them for a few minutes.
He tightened his grip on her hand with a tenderness, holding it even more firmly.
The old woman was stunned for a moment, seemingly not expecting such a beautiful girl to speak to her.
"What?" she asked, tilting her ear and speaking rather loudly.
Seeing that the old lady seemed to be hard of hearing, Ji Ran patiently raised his voice and repeated it.
Do you know He Yanchen's house?
The old lady understood this time, but the name seemed both familiar and unfamiliar. She kept repeating to herself, "He Yanchen, He Yanchen..."
“Yes, the one who joined the army later,” Ji Ran prompted.
The other old man behind him was the first to remember this person.
"Oh!! You mean Chenwazi!"
Ji Ran was taken aback, then turned to the old man and nodded, "You know?"
The old man cheerfully raised his hand and pointed to the house at the end of the alley, "That's Chenwa's house."
Ji Ran glanced at it, showing no surprise in his eyes.
"Okay, thank you, grandpa, thank you, grandma."
She thanked him and started to walk towards the end of the alley.
The old man behind him seemed to be talking to himself, or perhaps to the old lady across the hall.
"Chenwa is quite the achiever! He's been in the army for decades, he's bound to be a high-ranking officer! It's a pity Old Man He passed away so early, he won't live to see it~"
The old lady across the street seemed to be remembering the little boy with the crew cut who often passed by her house.
"Chenwazi! I remember now, back then I often went out with my youngest son."
Ji Ran did not turn around, but an overwhelming sadness welled up in his eyes.
She pushed open the creaking old wooden door. The courtyard was already desolate, with weeds growing wildly from the cracks in the bricks and dust covering the ground. When the wind blew, only silence remained in the air, without a trace of human presence.
Ji Ran glanced around but couldn't see any orange trees.
It wasn't until the man patted her shoulder that she turned her head and looked in the direction his chin was raised, only to see a withered branch that had long since died.