Hearing this, his expression shifted from surprise to worry. After a moment, he hesitantly said, “What if—just what if—Gu Yu’s mom sees me and her condition relapses? I think I’d better not go and upset her.”
Watching him worry like this stirred a complex feeling in me that was hard to describe. He was so kind—kind to the point that it made my heart ache.
Carrying several large bags of gifts, Chen Qiao Luo followed me to Gu Yu’s house, visibly nervous the entire way. He kept asking me if there was anything he needed to be mindful of. I teased him, saying he looked like he was about to meet someone he liked, but secretly, his behavior filled me with warmth.
By the time we arrived at Gu Yu’s house, it was already 10 a.m. Gu Yu had been waiting by the door. When he saw us, he smiled at me but still wore a cold expression toward Chen Qiao Luo.
Chen Qiao Luo, however, didn’t seem to mind, focusing instead on how to face Gu Yu’s mother.
This time, Gu Yu’s mother looked much healthier than before, her face glowing. She warmly held my hand and chatted for a bit. Then, noticing Chen Qiao Luo behind me, she walked over and asked, “Are you the boy from the Chen family?”
Hearing this, Chen Qiao Luo trembled slightly, taking a long time to nervously nod.
Seeing his reaction, Gu Yu’s mother burst into laughter. “You don’t have to be so afraid of me. I’m not going to bite. Besides, you’ve already done more than enough over the years. At my age, with all my health problems, I wouldn’t have made it this far without you helping to pay for my medical bills year after year. So, the debt your father owed our family has long been repaid. As for Gu Yu, I know he’s caused you a lot of trouble over the years, but don’t hold it against him. He’s just a child.”
Hearing this, Chen Qiao Luo’s eyes reddened, and after a long pause, he nodded vigorously.
Gu Yu’s mother smiled in relief, took his hand, and led him to sit on the sofa. She then turned to me and said, “Make yourselves at home. I’ll go prepare lunch—it won’t take long.”
With that, she headed into the kitchen.
Gu Yu, meanwhile, sat silently on a single sofa.
The silence quickly spread.
I knew that perhaps Gu Yu still couldn’t forgive Chen Qiao Luo. But it didn’t matter. In time, this resentment would fade away, washed clean by the tides of years gone by, leaving no trace behind.
During the meal, the silence was palpable. I, like a monkey, tried my best to lighten the mood at the table—praising Gu Yu’s mother’s cooking and Gu Yu’s academic success, for instance.
Though there was little conversation, the meal was harmonious and calm.
Afterward, I helped Gu Yu’s mother wash dishes in the kitchen, leaving Chen Qiao Luo and Gu Yu sitting outside. Worried about them, I kept glancing toward the living room.
Gu Yu’s mother, however, seemed unfazed. Smiling, she reassured me: “Yun Hao, don’t overthink it. Gu Yu is just throwing a little tantrum. He won’t really hold a grudge against that boy from the Chen family.”
I turned to look at her. She smiled and continued, “Actually, it was Gu Yu’s idea to have that boy over. On the day I was discharged from the hospital, he told me that most of my medical bills over the years were paid by that boy. I’m old now and don’t cling to past grievances. As the elders say, ‘Life and death are predestined, wealth and honor are up to fate.’ What happened to Gu Yu’s father was just fate. As for what their family owed us—it has already been repaid in full. Hatred is too heavy a burden. Gu Yu still has a long life ahead of him, and I don’t want him weighed down by it.”
Her words left me silent. Indeed, what parent in this world doesn’t wish for their child to live well? My father to me, Aunt He Pei to Chen Qiao Luo, Gu Yu’s mother to Gu Yu—each of them truly wants us to live happy and resilient lives in this fleeting world.
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