Chapter 120: The Passing of Elder Gu

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Luo Xing tightly grasped Gu Shiyan’s hand, ignoring the chaotic noise around them, and pulled him through a narrow gap, forcing their way out. Assistant Song naturally saw the message sent to his phone and knew it was time to handle the aftermath.

“Lawyer Huo, you go ahead. I’ll take care of things here.”

Seeing the woman still trying to follow Gu Shiyan, seemingly attempting to extort him, Assistant Song immediately stepped forward, though he didn’t lay a finger on her.

To prevent her from putting on an act later, Assistant Song never so much as touched a strand of her hair, merely reasoning with her calmly, “Ma’am, I understand your child is upset and crying, but the hospital has surveillance cameras. When the police arrive, the truth will come out naturally.”

Hearing the mention of the police, the woman panicked inwardly. Of course, she knew her child was fussing. She had initially thought that these people, who looked educated, wouldn’t be difficult. Besides, she was in a bad mood that day and had lost her temper.

In the past, the other party would usually just give her some money to settle the matter, but this family didn’t even consider paying her off and instead threatened to call the police.

“What police report? I’m here for medical treatment. I don’t want to argue with you...” Assistant Song’s subsequent handling was unknown to Luo Xing.

She pulled Gu Shiyan to his grandfather’s hospital room.

After Gu Shiyan went inside, Luo Xing stood outside the door waiting.

She knew her grandmother was inside, but since she didn’t know anyone else in the Gu family, going in wasn’t appropriate.

After a while, Luo Xing squatted down, staring at her phone.

The door opened.

Luo Xing looked up to see a young man about Gu Shiyan’s age. He paused when he saw her. “Grandpa wants you to come in.”

Luo Xing slowly stood up, suddenly feeling dizzy. She steadied herself against the wall. “Should I go in?”

“Yeah,” he nodded.

Luo Xing went inside.

There were quite a few people in the room—she estimated about twenty.

She was a bit surprised. Did the Gu family really have so many people?

Luo Xing noticed her grandmother’s gaze fixed on her, making her feel guilty, so she quickly looked away.

“Grandpa Gu, did you call for me?” Luo Xing approached the elderly man’s bedside. Seeing him move his finger, she obediently reached out to hold his hand. “Grandpa Gu...”

Luo Xing had intended to offer some comforting words, to assure him that she would be fine.

But given the oppressive atmosphere in the room, it seemed Gu Grandpa’s condition was grave.

She said nothing, quietly keeping him company.

Luo Xing didn’t know what had been discussed in the room before she arrived.

“Xingxing... you’re a good child,” Gu Taihua’s voice was hoarse, stretched out slowly as if glued in place.

Luo Xing’s eyes quickly reddened; Gu Grandpa rarely called her “Xingxing.”

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He was a stern old man, yet in the face of life and death, everything seemed to fall away.

Gu Shiyan stood behind Luo Xing with his hands lowered.

A closer look revealed his tightly pressed lips and rigid posture.

“Grandpa Gu, thank you for the bracelet you gave me,” Luo Xing said solemnly.

Gu Taihua smiled faintly at Gu Shiyan, struggling, “No need to thank me. It was always yours.”

He was merely passing it on.

Luo Xing’s voice broke with tears.

Usually, she could cry at a video, but facing the death of an elder in person, sorrow was inevitable.

Her tears fell onto the old man’s hand, slipping into the crevices.

Gu Taihua pressed her hand gently. “Be well. You all must be well.”

His gaze swept across the room.

Among those standing, some were family, others key company personnel.

But truly shedding tears for him were only two people: Luo Xing before him, and Gu Yunzhi, the one who had raised her.

His lifelong regret.

Gu Yunzhi stepped forward, hand resting on Luo Xing’s shoulder. “Xingxing...”

Luo Xing turned and held her grandmother’s hand.

“It’s really good,” Gu Taihua smiled faintly, looking at the now faded face of a long-lost friend. Both were now white-haired, but in his mind, he still saw the cautious eyes of the little girl who first came to the Gu family.

At that time, he paid no heed to anyone. Seeing a little girl arrive, he thought she was a new maid.

He didn’t even glance at her when ordering her to pour water for him.

The little girl was timid but obediently went to pour the water.

Only when the adults returned did they realize she was the family’s adopted younger sister.

Named Yunzhi.

Lawyer Huo’s gaze flickered between Gu Yunzhi and Luo Xing.

Eventually, everyone was asked to leave, leaving only Lawyer Huo behind.

After Lawyer Huo stepped out, the entire family reentered to spend the last moments with the old man.

In the heavy, oppressive atmosphere, Gu Taihua slowly closed his eyes, his life ending.

Luo Xing’s nose and cheeks flushed red, feeling a bit sorrowful, her chest tight with melancholy.

But when she looked up, none of the old man’s relatives shed a tear.

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They calmly and methodically arranged all the subsequent matters.

Not a single person lingered.

Luo Xing saw Gu Shiyan leave after seeing the old man, while the remaining three sons of Gu Grandpa coordinated with the doctors.

The grandchildren, as if relieved to have completed some task, all sighed in relief and pulled out their phones once outside the room.

The only one who cried uncontrollably was her grandmother, Gu Yunzhi, who hadn’t seen the Gu family for decades.

Only then did Luo Xing truly understand the words her grandmother whispered the first time she met Gu Grandpa—that a house is not better for being bigger.

Luo Xing raised her hand to wipe away tears.

A cup of water and a tissue were handed to her.

She looked up and saw it was Huo Xingzhou.

“Thank you.” She accepted the water and tissue but didn’t drink.

Huo Xingzhou remained standing before her. Luo Xing felt curious. “Is… is something wrong?”

Huo Xingzhou shook his head faintly and turned to leave.

Luo Xing found Gu Shiyan on the hospital rooftop.

He sat by an abandoned box, slouching loosely, a thin cigarette between his fingers, the glowing ember flickering in the wind.

His hunched back formed an arc, the finely made black shirt stretched taut, highlighting his strong back muscles.

The ground around him was littered with cigarette butts, indicating many had hidden here to smoke.

Varied people, yet the same state of mind.

Luo Xing took out her phone, tapping the screen.

She pressed send.

Looking up, she saw Gu Shiyan’s phone beside him light up.

Silence.

He glanced over, took a slow drag of his cigarette, then unlocked his phone.

Smoke curled around his face, drifting away with the breeze.

Opening the phone, he immediately saw a chat window labeled “Yellow Star” with a bomb dropped inside.

The explosion erupted across the screen, shaking the entire display with smoke and fire.

It stirred Gu Shiyan’s once unmoving heart, the solid walls around it seeming to shatter, pain seeping through the cracks.

The old man’s aged face filled his mind, and in his ears, the stern teachings sounded again—once thought harsh and demanding.

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