Chapter 222: Leaving Gu Fan……?

When I said those words that were almost like urging my grandmother, a quarrel suddenly erupted in the Main House’s hall.

With my sharp hearing, I could tell that one of the voices belonged to my mother. She was doing her best to suppress her emotions, but from her slightly cracking voice, I could hear her dissatisfaction with my grandfather’s betrayal and her disgust toward my father’s cunning deceit.

I shifted a bit closer to the Main House, leaning against the edge of the swing seat.

At first, I wanted to listen more closely to what they were talking about, but the voices of the argument quickly lowered, obviously because those inside the Main House didn’t want either me or my grandmother to overhear too much.

Father came back to his old home these days, and he must have been in contact with my grandfather. My grandmother had also lived in this house for a while, so she probably knew some inside information.

I steadied the thoughts flitting around in my mind and started pondering what method they had used to persuade my ever-cautious mother to specifically bring me back this year.

There’s no way mother would truly, for the sake of profit, sell the daughter she raised with her own hands, right?

Thinking back to my years of interaction with her, my heart suddenly sank, and I didn’t dare to guess too deeply about what my mother was really thinking.

Grandfather and Grandmother have never treated me warmly. Likewise, I never liked their overly snobbish faces—honestly, it’s even more annoying than my grandfather’s violent tendencies.

Though grandfather often hit me for not eating well, or called me clumsy when I broke a porcelain bowl, at least that was straightforward.

But Grandfather, Grandmother, and my father were alike in another way. On the surface, they were always perfectly courteous, but inside, they were always driven by self-interest. It was as if the pursuit of profit was the guiding principle for their entire family.

I looked at my grandmother, sitting beside me. There was no longer any struggle or embarrassment on her face. Instead, she lowered her head, searching for something in the pocket of her mended clothes.

“Child, wait a moment, let me see where I put my phone.”

Because her clothes were so old, the chest pocket had been torn and patched many times, making it bigger and bigger.

My grandmother took out all sorts of things from it: folded tissues, a needle and thread box, scissors with a protective cover, and so on. After fumbling around for a while, she finally pulled out a brand-new smartphone and handed it to me without hesitation.

“This phone was given to me and your grandfather by your father a few months ago. We haven’t used it much, only answered a few calls. When your father sent your grandfather a text the other day, I took a picture of it with the phone, but I don’t know where it saved to. You look for it yourself, child. The phone doesn’t have a password.”

“Alright, thank you, Grandmother.”

Forcing a slight smile, I took the phone. The back was made of frosted glass, which felt a bit heavy.

I didn’t know much about phone brands, but judging from the brand logo on the back and the smoothness of the main interface, this was probably a newer model. It seemed my father really spent a lot of money to ‘buy off’ my grandfather and grandmother.

Although, for father, this little bit of money was less than what he’d spend on one meal at a fancy restaurant. But for ordinary people like us, we’d have to save up for several months to buy a phone like this.

My thoughts drifted for a moment, but as I found the album app tucked away in a tools folder, my attention snapped back to reality.

Time was running short. It always marches forward mercilessly, and I couldn’t keep indulging in my own world.

It was fine to daydream and kill time on ordinary days, but not now.

I had to quickly figure out what father’s goal was, why he insisted on bringing me along, so I could have the upper hand in the negotiation that was bound to happen.

Once these troublesome matters were settled, I could go back to that ordinary Seaside Small Town.

Once Mr. Bamboo Horse returned from his own hometown, I could freely jump into his arms and demand hugs, absorbing Gu Fan’s energy to truly calm my chaotic heart.

Thinking this, I scrolled past all sorts of photos Grandmother had taken—scenery, newspapers, flowers—and found the picture taken a few days ago of another phone’s screen, stored by time stamp.

Because Grandmother didn’t know how to focus the camera, and since the phone was held too far away and the words on the screen were too small, I couldn’t make out what father had texted grandfather at first. I had to tap and zoom in, and only then did I see the content that made my heart jolt.

“……Is this a joke? Grandmother, are you sure you didn’t take the wrong photo?”

“No, I might not know how to use these smartphones, but I can still read. When your father sent the message, your grandfather was at someone else’s house playing mahjong and losing money, so he didn’t take his phone. That’s how I got the chance to take a picture of the message.” Grandmother explained.

Maybe my shock was too obvious, because Grandmother anxiously leaned over and hugged me, gently stroking my back.

“Don’t be scared, don’t be scared. No one is going to kidnap little Zhiyan. Times are much safer now. When I was young, I didn’t even dare walk at night. But now, even if you don’t bring a flashlight, the roads are all lit up, and those little black box things are everywhere. I think they’re called monitors, right? With those recording, there are a lot fewer hoodlums in the streets and alleys.”

“….. Mm, I know, I’m not afraid. I just can’t believe that father actually wants to do this.”

My suspicion was, in some sense, confirmed.

If Grandmother didn’t take the wrong picture, and if this message wasn’t a mistake my father sent to grandfather by accident—

Then… According to the content described in the text, father’s purpose for coming back was to take me back to Huacheng, to introduce his daughter—who basically never showed her face and was about to come of age—to his business partners.

He had even contacted my school ahead of time and already handled the transfer procedures, just waiting for my Qingming break to end. Then he’d pack up my leftover books and send them to that ‘Foreign Language’ Academy in Huacheng.

According to the message… the tuition was at least a hundred thousand or more, an amount I’d never even imagined in my life. The school I attend now only charges five hundred or so, and I’d already thought that was expensive…

Knowing I was about to go to a place with better prospects, I didn’t feel happy at all.

I knew very well: once I left this ordinary school, it would be almost impossible for me to stay in touch with Gu Fan and maintain a good relationship under father’s control.

I wouldn’t mind the trouble, but knowing Gu Fan’s personality, he’d probably find it boring and just give me the cold shoulder, trying to drive me away like that.