Back then, just like Grandpa Tao now, her own grandfather must've been terrified he wouldn't get to see the person he missed the most before he died.
And in the end… he hadn't.
He left with regrets. With unanswered questions. With a name on his lips and longing in his eyes.
But she—she had been given another chance. A whole new life to do it right, to make up for what she couldn't do the first time.
This time, she would be there. She would honor him. She would make sure he lived out his final years in peace and joy.
But Old Mr. Tao wasn't as lucky. If he left this world carrying regrets, there wouldn't be a second time for him. No miracle rewind button. No cosmic do-over.
Lin Xia bit her lip and turned her eyes toward the hospital room door, hoping—no, praying—that Ethan Yu would walk in.
Because that's the only thing that could bring Old Mr. Tao peace. A final glimpse. A proper goodbye.
But would he come?
Did he even know what was happening?
Just as the thought flickered across her mind, she heard it—heavy, hurried footsteps pounding through the hallway.
She turned instinctively. Her eyes were still glassy from crying, and the world beyond was a blur. But through the haze, she could just make out the silhouette of a tall man in camouflage.
Broad shoulders. Powerful stride. Unshakable aura of command.
Her heart jumped.
Was it—
The man stepped closer, and his features came into focus.
A chiseled face, stern and unwavering. Eyes sharp and stormy. And beneath the weathered exterior, a trace—just a faint echo—of Old Mr. Tao's familiar features.
Lin Xia's breath hitched in her throat.
Her hands flew to her mouth in disbelief. It was him. Ethan Yu. He'd come.
She hadn't really expected it—not this time, not when it mattered. But there he was, larger than life, walking straight toward her like a scene ripped from a memory she never got to live.
He barely acknowledged her, giving her a brief look full of tangled emotions before pushing through the door into the ICU.
Lin Xia followed with her eyes, watching as he rushed to his grandfather's side and took his frail hand in his own.
She saw the way his lips trembled as he called out to the old man. Saw how his carefully controlled face crumbled. How the tears finally came.
And for the first time in days, Lin Xia felt her chest loosen. A soft, grateful smile tugged at her lips.
He made it. He came back in time.
Grandpa Tao wouldn't leave with regrets after all.
And not long after Ethan Yu's arrival, the old man finally passed away peacefully, as if the one thread tying him to this world had at last been released.
The funeral was held two days later.
Lin Xia and Grandpa Hai stood side by side as the ceremony concluded. When it was over, they returned quietly to C City.
Two and a Half Weeks Later
As the plane touched down, Lin Xia stared out the window, watching the familiar skyline glide past in silence.
She should've felt grounded, relieved even.
But all she felt was a strange, dreamlike disconnect. Like she had been away for months instead of just half a month.
And for the first time since she was twelve years old, she realized—
She had completely forgotten about Ethan Yu.
She hadn't thought of him even once during the funeral. Not during the long nights in the hospital. Not even when she felt at her loneliest.
And the realization made her… smile.
Not bitterly. Not sarcastically. But softly, like someone who had finally let go of a heavy weight they'd carried for too long.
It felt good.
So this is what it's like… to stop revolving your entire world around someone.
The sky was dazzlingly blue above the airport, and Lin Xia tilted her head up, soaking it in.
She used to think he was the sun, and she was just a planet helplessly circling him.
But now she understood—she was a sun, too.
No wonder he never really respected her. She had lived so many years without any respect for herself.
And frankly, the old her? She wouldn't have liked that girl either.
But that ends today.
From this moment on, she would live for herself. Not for Ethan Yu. Not for anyone else.
"Excited to see Ethan again?" Grandpa Hai teased as they walked through the arrivals gate. Her happy expression had not gone unnoticed.
Lin Xia blinked, caught off guard. "Huh? Oh. Uh, not really…"
He laughed. "Come on, you two have been apart for over two weeks. I'm sure he missed you."
She forced a chuckle. "Let's get you home first, Grandpa. You're way more important."
"Hah!" He grinned proudly. "You're just saying that."
"I'm not," she said with a straight face. "In my heart, you'll always come first."
Grandpa Hai beamed at her, but still added, "Well, Ethan should be back from his trip, right? Let's have dinner together tonight. Just the three of us."
Lin Xia's smile froze. "I don't think he's back yet."
Lying came surprisingly easy. She didn't even blink.
Unfortunately, her lie unraveled before it even had a chance to breathe.
Just as they stepped outside the terminal, a sleek black Lincoln SUV pulled up to the curb.
And out stepped a man.
Tall. Broad-shouldered. Crisp white shirt rolled up at the sleeves. Sunglasses perched on his nose. His entire aura practically screamed VIP—commanding attention without even trying.
Lin Xia stopped in her tracks.
Of course. Ethan Yu.
What was he doing here?!
He strode toward them with the same cool confidence she used to find irresistible. Now, all she could think was Why did he bother coming?
He stopped in front of them and slowly removed his sunglasses, revealing a pair of sharp, obsidian eyes.
His gaze flicked past Lin Xia as if she were little more than scenery, landing squarely on Grandpa Hai instead.
"Grandpa," he said with a warm, polished smile. "Welcome home. I came to pick you up."
His voice was low and rich, like velvet wrapped around steel.
It used to make her heart race.
But this time?
Lin Xia didn't feel a thing.
Not anger. Not joy. Not longing.
Just a strange, quiet kind of detachment.
And for the first time, she realized—she might finally be free.