Without Me

Li Yu Feng decided to marry Yao Xi with his grandson, Li Ye Han, hoping to lead a better life than with the Yao family.

He was not stupid. Such an old fox, like him, how he might not know that the Yao family treats her like rubbish, even despite the fact that they adopted her.

Until yesterday, however, he was not even aware that instead of giving her a good life, he nearly led to her death.

Just the memory of this incident made the man lips whiten.

His hopeless grandson dared to defy his grandfather's will and got involved in an ambiguous rumor with another woman! And Li Yu Feng did not know anything about it.

He looked again at Yao Xi with guilt. How could he not know that his own grandson would be so heartless?

Li Yu Feng has long stopped listening to rumors circulating among the upper classes, considering it a waste of time. He lived too long in the circle of elites to know perfectly well that rumors are just rumors. However, he regretted it now. This time the rumor turned out to be true. If only he'd been interested in advance, could he prevent Yao Xi's suffering?

"I'm sorry, Little Xi," guilt squeezed Elder Li's throat as he spoke, his voice barely audible in a whisper. "Grandpa did not take care of you as he should. Instead of giving you a happy life, as I promised, I only gave you suffering. "The man's voice broke down on the last word and he had to clear his throat a few times before getting rid of the sudden dryness in his throat. "Will you forgive the old stupid grandfather?"

Tears came back to Yao Xi's eyes and she wondered for a moment whether the fact that she had not spilled all her life or a drop of tears had any effect on the fact that now they were running out of control.

She shook her head, taking the old man's hand in her own. The inside of her mouth was completely dry from long-term crying, which is why her voice sounded weak and raspy: "I have nothing to forgive you, grandfather." She wanted to tell him that if it was not for his help and care, she would have been dead long ago.

However, at the last moment, she bit her tongue. Yao Xi could not tell him that. Knowing grandfather and his temperament, he would not give up the Yao family.

And even if Yao Xi did not care about them lot at all, she was very concerned about grandfather and his health. If he had found out how they had treated her all these years and what really was behind Yao Xi's adoption, it would have worried him and would have made him unnecessarily angry.

It was not worth to upset the grandfather with someone like the Yao family. They were not even worth one of his thoughts. Besides, Yao Xi was already thinking about how to deal with these people. There was no reason to interfere in this grandfather. She will take care of them herself when she regains strength.

"You gave me a lot more than I ever could have dreamed of, grandpa."

"What have I given you?" He snorted until the black lines of anger covered his wrinkled forehead. "Humiliation, tears, and now you've almost died. Everything because of me. "The elderly man's eyes pinched dangerously until salty tears appeared in their corners. "I would never forgive myself if something happened to you."

"What humiliation?" Yao Xi's voice was extremely gentle, but there was a serious tone in it as she slowly said, "What tears? Grandfather, you gave me much more than you can imagine, "she assured her in a voice distorted by the flow of emotions. "You are the first person and certainly the last one, to look after me and give me so much love. Even if I died today, I would be happy that there is one person in this world who honestly cared for me. And even despite the fact that I'm not your real granddaughter. Thank you so much. "With the last sentence, Yao Xi's voice broke down uncontrollably, but she managed to smile honestly. Every word she said was the widest truth.

"Stupid child!" He indignantly threatened with his finger, but there was neither nervousness nor anger in his eyes. Only feeling. A deep affection of a loving grandfather to his granddaughter. "Who let you talk such foolish things? I am forbiding you to think even about that. What death? What a not real granddaughter? With all this bunch of useless grandchildren I have, no one would ever risk my life to save me, and many of them just wait for me to smell the flowers from the below [1] . Of all of them, only you are worthy to be called my granddaughter! "

[1] Sniffing flowers from the below is a metaphor of someone who is no longer alive and is buried under the ground, where are the roots of flowers.