I’ll Hold Your Hand And Promise You A Lifetime - Chapter 41

“Pack a few clothes. We’re going back to P City,” Ning Ran said seriously, which was rare for her. “Grandma… she’s sick. Very sick.”

Yue Xi stood in the doorway, blinking in disbelief. “What did you say?”

“Grandma’s been in the hospital for a while now. They just issued a critical condition notice,” Ning Ran walked over and pulled Yue Xi down to sit on the sofa.

“You knew?” Yue Xi finally processed what she’d heard, and said with a trace of blame, “You knew and didn’t tell me? Grandma’s been in the hospital for a while?”

“I just found out too. Grandpa just called and asked all of us to come home,” Ning Ran understood Yue Xi’s emotional nature. Just because she didn’t say anything didn’t mean she didn’t care.

“Jie…” Yue Xi felt guilty for her earlier tone. “I…”

“No need for that. Let’s hurry and pack,” Ning Ran patted her on the shoulder. “I’ve already informed Qiangzi and the others. We’ll all go see Grandma together.”

“Okay.” Yue Xi walked into the room while dialing Yi Luo’s number. She briefly explained that she had to return to P City, gave a few reminders, and then hung up.

Three hours later, Yue Xi once again stepped onto the soil of P City. The unfamiliar air cleared her head, but at the same time, a strong sense of belonging called to her, making the bl00d in her veins boil—yearning and fear intertwining.

Sarah, ever thoughtful, sensed Yue Xi’s tension and gently took her hand. “It’s going to be okay.”

Yue Xi was deeply grateful. These two older sisters always looked out for her. “Mm.”

“Qiangzi! Xiao Ning!” a tall and burly man waved at them from a distance.

“Lao En!” Qiangzi was thrilled. After all these years of brotherhood, though they seldom met, their bond remained as strong as ever.

“That’s that rascal soldier Lao En,” Ning Ran smiled as she introduced him to Sarah and Yue Xi, then nodded toward Lao En. This guy was getting more roguish by the year.

“You’re Yue Xi, right?” Lao En smiled warmly. This was the precious girl from the commander’s family—the reason a few of his brothers had made something of themselves.

“Hello.” Yue Xi found him familiar and paid closer attention.

“This is my girl,” Ning Ran introduced Sarah with unmistakable pride, feeling extremely lucky to have such a beautiful and talented mixed-race girlfriend.

“Hello~ I’m Lao En.” Lao En struck a cocky pose, raising his chin flirtatiously at Sarah.

“Hi, Lao En. I’m Sarah.” Sarah beamed.

Lao En’s face froze immediately, a little embarrassed as he looked at Ning Ran. “Little Fireball, why didn’t you tell me your girlfriend speaks Chinese?! I just made a fool of myself.”

“What’s the big deal? Are we strangers or what?” Ning Ran rolled her eyes. This guy was regressing—the thicker his skin, the thinner it got.

“Ahem. I need to maintain my image in front of beautiful women,” Lao En said, putting on a soldier’s demeanor, mixing uprightness with swagger, attracting glances from passing girls in the airport.

“Pfft.” Ning Ran laughed, leaning on Sarah, not caring one bit about Lao En’s pride. “Let’s go. Drive. We need to get to the hospital quickly.”

“Right, I came just to pick you up,” Lao En said as he started the car.

“Where’s Da Mei? He said he’d change his flight.” Ning Ran asked.

“He’ll be here later. He knows how to get there,” Lao En replied as he drove out of the parking garage.

“How’s Grandma doing?” Yue Xi sat beside Sarah, her face unreadable.

“She was awake when I got here, but her condition is bad.” Lao En sighed. “You know her health has never been great. These years of sorrow have really taken a toll on her.” He glanced at Yue Xi in the rearview mirror. “You need to prepare yourself.”

Yue Xi took a deep breath, drowning in guilt. Su Niansheng was no longer a threat, so why hadn’t she thought to come back sooner and spend time with Grandma? Everyone was always protecting her. But she was someone who should take responsibility too—she didn’t want to hide under others’ wings forever.

The car fell into an icy silence.

“Don’t let me scare you. Grandma will be so happy to see you. Who knows, maybe she’ll get better from the joy,” Lao En said, seeing the guilt written all over Yue Xi’s face. If the commander knew what he’d just said to her, he’d probably get skinned alive.

Yue Xi nodded slightly. She understood what Lao En meant. In the end, she had failed in her duty as a granddaughter. She always made her grandparents worry. She needed to grow stronger—so strong that no one could ever hurt the people she cared about. Not even a little.

Outside the ICU, a crowd had gathered. Many looked familiar to Yue Xi—perhaps people she’d met as a child, perhaps neighbors from the military compound.

“Grandpa.” Yue Xi walked through the crowd and saw the visibly aged Shen Wei. She stepped forward.

“It’s good that you’re back. That’s all that matters.” Shen Wei held her hand. “Your grandma has been holding on just for you. That’s why I asked Xiao Ning to bring you back.”

On the hospital bed lay a frail and bony woman, nothing like the He Juan in Yue Xi’s memories. Time had devoured her completely, and illness had tormented her endlessly, leaving only a faint, trembling soul.

“Grandma.” Yue Xi called softly, sitting beside the bed. She couldn’t bear to see He Juan in such a state.

He Juan squinted at the tall, thin young woman before her, unable to see clearly, but the familiar features struck a chord. She reached out with trembling, skeletal hands and grabbed Yue Xi. Her voice was barely audible. “Shao’er? Shao’er, why are you here?”

“Grandma, it’s me, Xiao Ling.” Yue Xi held her hand. Grandma couldn’t even recognize her or her dad anymore.

“Xiao Ling?” He Juan suddenly let go, panicking. She struggled to sit up, using all her strength to push Yue Xi away. “Xiao Ling, run! That crazy woman will come after you again!”

Tears streamed down Yue Xi’s face. Even in this state, Grandma was still thinking of her safety. She caught He Juan’s flailing hands. “Grandma, it’s okay. She won’t come again.”

“No, she’s a madwoman…” He Juan kept muttering.

“It’s okay, really. Grandma, look at me. Xiao Ling came back to see you.” Yue Xi wiped her tears on her sleeve and forced a smile. “Grandma, I’m back.”

He Juan’s eyes cleared, and she kept saying “good” as she looked at Yue Xi. Her face regained a trace of color.

Outside the door, Shen Wei wept silently. His wife was clearly nearing the end. It was always Xiao Ling she worried about. If he had known, he would’ve fought tooth and nail to bring her home earlier, even under Su Niansheng’s watchful eye.

“Xiao Ling is all grown up. Grandma can rest easy now.” He Juan smiled—that same familiar smile from Yue Xi’s memory, that same loving gaze unchanged for decades.

Yue Xi’s heart swelled with joy, thinking Grandma had gotten better. She smiled even brighter.

Ning Ran, standing outside, couldn’t bring herself to tell Yue Xi the truth. She just clutched Sarah’s hand tightly, watching as Lao En shook his head sorrowfully.

“Grandma is having a moment of clarity before the end,” Lao En told Ding Qiang quietly as he settled everyone in a bit further down the hall. “Da Mei probably won’t make it back in time.”

“Sigh.” Ding Qiang sighed and walked over to Ning Ran. “Let’s go in.”

“Let’s give them more time. I’m sure they have so much to say.” Ning Ran’s eyes welled up as she watched the two inside laughing and talking. “Let them stay together a little longer.”

Yue Xi didn’t know that Lao En and the others had entered the room with sorrow written all over their faces. She didn’t know when Sarah had wrapped her tightly in an embrace. She didn’t know when the nurse had draped the white sheet over Grandma’s body. She couldn’t hear Grandpa’s hoarse cries as he beat his chest. She couldn’t hear Ning Ran’s concerned voice. She couldn’t hear the mournful weeping around her. All she could think about was one thing—Grandma was gone. She no longer had a grandma. One less relative in her already small family.

She stood dazed as the others bustled about, her mind blank. She let Sarah pull her up and guide her forward with stiff steps.

“Xiao Xi.” Sarah took her to a chair in the hospital’s rest area and handed her a cup of hot water.

Yue Xi reached out and took it, her eyes vacant.

“Xiao Xi, everyone will have this day. It’s the natural order. If you want to cry, then cry,” Sarah gently brushed her hair, straightening it out. Yue Xi’s expression was worrying. Sarah knew her well. This girl never said how much she loved or cared for someone, but she remembered everything—every kindness, every important date, even Sarah’s parents’ birthdays. Witnessing a loved one’s passing—how could she not be heartbroken?

“Jie, I’m fine,” Yue Xi whispered as her thoughts slowly returned to her. She took a sip of water. “It just feels so sudden.”

Sarah breathed a sigh of relief. At least she was lucid now. “It’s okay, then. Your grandpa—he cried a lot earlier. Ning Ran and the others are with him.”

Yue Xi nodded. Grandma was gone, but Grandpa must be the one hurting the most. All those years of marriage, of companionship—how could it not hurt? She had to go comfort Grandpa, help him through his grief, so Grandma could leave in peace.

He Juan’s memorial service was held soon after. Many people came. Ning Ran and the others greeted the guests, while Yue Xi stayed beside Shen Wei the whole time.

Everything afterward went smoothly—funeral, cremation. The flames leapt greedily at He Juan’s frail body, reducing her to ash. Despite Ning Ran’s protests, Yue Xi insisted on witnessing the cremation. She watched with tears streaming down her face—tear after tear, unchecked. In the end, what’s left of a person is just a pile of ashes. Only the memories of their face, their smile, their voice, remain. And in this ever-changing world, what could she leave behind?

That long-overdue reunion became the beginning of a great sorrow. Yue Xi looked up at the stars. That one is Grandma. That one is Dad. They’re still with her, giving her strength, giving her courage, helping her grow.