Holding Su Huan in his arms, Gu Beixian arrived at the parking spot. He opened the car door with one hand and placed her in the passenger seat. Su Huan had already cried into a tearful mess, her pale little face like pear blossoms after the rain, looking utterly dispirited, which would break anyone's heart. Gu Beixian got into the car, helped her fasten the seatbelt, hugged her, and whispered in her ear, 'Be strong, I'll take you to the hospital right away.'

Su Huan couldn't hear what he was saying; her mind was filled with thoughts of her grandmother, who had passed away. She no longer had a grandmother.

Gu Beixian drove the car at breakneck speed all the way.

Finally arriving at the hospital, he got out of the car and opened the door for her.

Su Huan got out of the car, nearly collapsing, her legs too weak to walk.

Gu Beixian simply picked her up again and strode towards the inpatient department.

Upon reaching the ward, Su Peilan was covering her face, weeping bitterly.

Her grandmother lay on the hospital bed, covered with a white sheet, her face also concealed.

It was as if something had collapsed with a thunderous crash; Su Huan's heart suddenly tightened, as if someone had choked her with a rope, the pain leaving her unable to breathe.

She struggled to get out of Gu Beixian's arms and staggered towards the bed.

Gu Beixian quickly supported her.

The doctor lifted the white cloth, allowing her one last look.

Her grandmother's eyes were tightly closed, her complexion pale to the point of grayness, her lips already turning blue.

With a 'thump,' Su Huan knelt to the ground, tears blurring her vision. She frantically wiped them away.

She wanted to take a good look at her grandmother, but no matter how she wiped, she couldn't dry her tears.

She leaned over the bed, hugging her grandmother's waist, wailing hysterically, "Grandma, Grandma," but her grandmother could no longer respond to her.

She patted her face, trying to wake her up, but her grandmother would never wake again.

She cried like a child, feeling so lonely, so alone, with a profound sense of desolation deep within her.

Grandpa had passed away, and now grandma was gone too.

The two people closest to her had left her one after another.

She felt like an orphan, all alone.

Gu Beixian was afraid she would catch a cold from kneeling on the cold floor, so he helped her up.

Su Huan stubbornly remained kneeling on the ground.

Gu Beixian had no choice but to place a pillow under her knees and went to the bathroom to get warm water, wetting the towel and continuously wiping her tears.

By the end of her crying, Su Huan could no longer produce tears, her throat hoarse, just kneeling there woodenly, staring at her grandmother's face, motionless.

Su Peilan wanted to send her mother's body back to their ancestral home in Su Village to be buried with her father.

Gu Beixian went out to call his assistant, arranging for the hearse and funeral matters.

An hour later, the hired hearse arrived, and her grandmother's body was carried into the vehicle.

A convoy of several cars set off for Su Village.

The professional funeral team quickly set up the spirit shelter, dressed her grandmother in her burial clothes, and placed her in the coffin.

That night, Su Huan, dressed in heavy mourning, kept vigil, with Gu Beixian by her side.

As the night deepened, he urged her to sleep for a while.

Su Huan shook her head lightly.

Gu Beixian had someone bring bedding to make a bed on the floor and firmly pressed her down onto it, asking her to lie down for a bit.

During the days of keeping vigil, Su Huan spent most of her time kneeling blankly, only closing her eyes for a moment when she couldn't hold on any longer.

If she didn't sleep, Gu Beixian wouldn't sleep either, watching over her carefully.

He was afraid she would faint from excessive grief, afraid she would feel lonely and scared, afraid she would do something rash, and even more afraid of losing her.

He didn't know how to comfort her, so he just held her hand tightly, offered his shoulder for her to lean on, and silently accompanied her. Under the everlasting light.

Her beautiful little face was as pale as the cold moon, her fluffy big eyes filled with deep sorrow like water, her long eyelashes drooping, like a dying butterfly with its wings hanging down.

She looked haggard, kneeling stubbornly in front of her grandmother's coffin, motionless.

Her thin frame stood out in the orange glow, emaciated.

During these days, he felt more heartache for her than ever before.

So much so that many years later, Gu Beixian could never forget this scene; whenever he thought about it, his heart ached.

In the courtyard.

A relative with a sharp tongue approached Su Peilan and said, "Isn't your son-in-law's leg doing well? I heard he was disabled before and could only use a wheelchair?"

Su Peilan knew that they were all laughing at her behind her back, selling her daughter to a cripple for money. She lifted her swollen eyelids and glanced sideways at the relative, 'My son-in-law is just injured, temporarily in a wheelchair, his leg has been fine for a year.' The relative curled their lips, 'Really? That's pretty quick recovery.' 'Of course, my son-in-law is blessed with great fortune, the righteous have their own protection.' The relative smiled ambiguously and said, 'I heard your in-laws are very wealthy, will Xiaohua be mistreated in their family? Our small family can't compare with their big family.' Su Peilan gave a cold look, 'That's not the case, their family respects my daughter a lot.' The relative smacked their lips, 'Then why didn't your in-laws send anyone? They still look down on us from the bottom of their hearts, it's not easy to climb up to the high branches.' 'No one came, but the gift money did. My mother-in-law and mother-in-law each transferred two hundred thousand to my card. My son-in-law treats my daughter incredibly well, these days he has been by her side day and night, not closing his eyes once. To this extent, your son-in-law couldn't do it even if he had money, right?'

Su Peilan has always been straightforward and quick to act; if she has a grudge, she settle it on the spot without letting it carry over to the next day. That relative was her cousin, who had been jealous of Su Huan's excellence since childhood. She had planned to take this opportunity to give Su Huan a good scolding, but ended up feeling embarrassed and left with a dark face after a few dismissive "tsks." Three days later... It was time to take her grandmother's body for cremation. As dawn broke, Gu Beixian brought a bowl of food for Su Huan to eat. How could she have the appetite? But according to the local customs, the descendants must not be hungry before the cremation. Su Huan picked at her food half-heartedly. The hearse arrived, and Gu Beixian's men, along with several relatives, lifted the grandmother onto the vehicle. Su Peilan and a few other female relatives wailed loudly. Su Huan stood beside the hearse, tears streaming down her face, as close to her grandmother as possible. In her heart, she whispered, "Grandma, don't be afraid, I'm here." According to custom, the family members of the deceased would support the hearse as it left the house, followed by an impressive procession that included relatives, neighbors, and even her grandmother's students. The hearse started moving slowly. Su Huan, clutching the handle of the hearse and weeping, followed it out of the village. As the hearse reached the main road and began to speed up, her outstretched hand grew farther from the cold door. It felt as if the sky had collapsed. Overwhelmed with grief, she didn't know what to say, just desperately reaching out and running after the hearse. Gu Beixian, fearing for her safety, quickly stopped her. Su Huan collapsed, sobbing so hard she could barely stand. Gu Beixian helped her up and held her tightly in his arms like a child. She couldn't keep up, so she reached out, but her hand couldn't touch the hearse, which was moving further and further away. Watching the hearse disappear into the distance, she cried until she couldn't make a sound. On the way home, she vomited repeatedly by the roadside. Gu Beixian wiped the mess from her mouth and comforted her softly. She could hear his voice echoing in her ears, but couldn't make out what he was saying. All she knew was that the person on the hearse was her grandmother, about to be consumed by flames. She was about to lose her grandmother completely. She would never have her grandmother again, never. After the cremation, the ashes were brought back. On the day of the burial, the sky was overcast, with a drizzling rain. The cold wind blew through the muddy path, chilling to the bone. Supported by Gu Beixian, Su Huan, along with her mother and relatives, went to the willow grove behind the village to bury her grandmother next to her grandfather's grave. The willow grove was eerily cold, even in broad daylight. But with her grandfather buried here, and now her grandmother about to join him, Su Huan felt no fear. Not far from her grandfather's grave lay A Yao, who had once saved her life. Her three most beloved people were all resting here. She felt a deep affinity for this place. Su Huan leaned quietly against Gu Beixian, watching as shovel after shovel of dirt was thrown onto her grandmother's coffin, gradually filling the grave and forming a new mound, soon topped with a carved headstone. Paper flowers and effigies were burned, the flames blazing brightly, casting a red glow over half of the chilly willow grove amidst the wind's howl. Crows cawed and flew to distant trees. Su Huan stared at her grandmother's photo on the headstone, tears falling like rain. Gu Beixian kept wiping away her tears. After crying for a while, Su Huan suddenly smiled through her red eyes and said to him, "I shouldn't be sad; I should be happy for grandma."

She went to find her grandfather, as he was the one she most wished to accompany. They were buried together, keeping each other company, never to be alone again." Gu Beixian uttered a sound of assent, silently gazing at her swollen red eyes, wanting to say: Let's be buried together after a hundred years. He opened his mouth but ultimately didn't speak. It was inappropriate, and he feared the unpredictability of life; making a promise he couldn't keep. He said nothing, just gripped her hand more tightly, tilting the umbrella in his hand completely towards her. After the funeral, Gu Beixian supported Su Huan as they walked back. For several consecutive days, she had no appetite, and Su Huan became extremely thin. Her frail figure was like a slender bamboo, so delicate that it seemed she would fall over with a gust of wind. Gu Beixian watched her with pain in his heart, holding her tightly in his arms, wishing he could take on all her suffering for her. As they walked... Suddenly, his pupils hardened, and he caught a glimpse of a tall figure standing by the broken bridge on the edge of the village, looking over from a distance. The man had a sharp posture, wearing a black windbreaker, with short black hair, a mask on his face, long legs, and an aura that ordinary people did not possess. He stood there like a statue, motionless, his dark eyes watching Su Huan deeply and quietly. Even from this distance, one could feel the deep and painful affection in his eyes. Gu Beixian's heart sank sharply. He intuitively felt that it was A Yao. His figure was almost identical to the person in the photo given by Chu Mochen. A gradual chill spread through his eyes, and Gu Beixian tilted the umbrella forward, blocking Su Huan's view, preventing her from seeing A Yao, and also preventing A Yao from seeing her again.