Chapter 1468: Chapter 1468: Life Is Like a Game of Chess
If this young man really had any grievances, the steward, though somewhat regretful, wouldn’t blame the young man for being ungrateful, because the young man had indeed done what he should have, and as for the rest, it was up to fate.
Just when the steward thought he wouldn’t get a reply from Xu Ke, Xu Ke looked up and gave the steward a smile: "Just drop the young lady off today, I’ll go up and chat with the old man another day. I have something to do today, so I won’t go up for now. Please send my regards to the old man for me."
Upon hearing Xu Ke’s words, the steward’s face lit up with smiles. It seemed the young man in front of him hadn’t really distanced himself from the old man because of past events. This was a good sign, surely the old man would be very happy to hear this.
Xiao Keyi, seeing that the steward and Xu Ke had such a good relationship, felt happy inside. Although the steward couldn’t represent her grandfather’s decisions, he often stayed by her grandfather’s side and could even speak on his behalf. Sometimes he would even introduce them as friends, and often their opinions were similar, so her grandfather probably didn’t have any major objections to Xu Ke.
Watching the steward lead Xiao Keyi inside, Xu Ke leaned back in the seat, yearning to know the old man’s opinion.
Xiao Keyi, listening to the steward babble on about the old man’s matters, felt a bit worried.
"Young lady, you’d better not be stubborn with the old man anymore. Didn’t you see how unwell the old man was after the last time you quarreled with him? He dared not let you know and bore it alone. If you go back, please don’t argue with the old man again. The old man loves you dearly, but some things are out of his control. He was educated in a certain way, just like me for many years, and his temper... isn’t it all for your good?"
These days, the steward had painstakingly told the young lady that she never came home, and even when she did, she wouldn’t take the initiative to find the old man. How could the old man not be sad? But the old man suppressed these feelings, afraid to make his granddaughter worry, so he said nothing. But how could the steward, who grew up with the old man, not understand?
In his youth, the old man worried about his son. In middle age, he worried about his son and daughter-in-law not living well. In old age, he worried about his granddaughter. Now he’s worried about her marriage, but none of the children understand him, so the old man has to bear this bitterness alone.
The steward, seeing this, felt the pain in his heart. So whenever there was a chance, he would talk to Xiao Zhen about it, and sometimes he would pull Xiao Keyi aside for a few words.
Listening to the steward’s words, Xiao Keyi suddenly began to worry if she’d really been a bit excessive, hurting her grandfather’s feelings. Her grandfather’s health had already been poor for years, yet he kept holding on for the sake of the family.
Her pace quickened significantly: "Then let’s hurry inside. Grandpa must have been terribly upset because of me these days. I am really something. Knowing the kind of person grandpa is, I still insisted on being stubborn with him."
The steward found Xiao Keyi much more easygoing than Xiao Zhen, and his heart ached. Sometimes the steward didn’t even know which side he should help.
If he sided with the old man, the old man would definitely upset the young lady.
If he sided with the young lady, the old man would be terribly upset.
The two of them had never managed to reconcile this matter, and this was the first time the old man and the young lady didn’t get along.
After leading Xiao Keyi upstairs, the old man was playing a game of chess alone, muttering to himself. The old man, who had been alone for so long, didn’t quite care about anything else, but seeing this made Xiao Keyi’s heart ache.
In his youth, grandpa had led an army and even thrived in the business world, yet in old age, he was so lonely, just like a regular elderly person, waiting for his children and grandchildren to return home.
"Grandpa..."
Xiao Keyi called out, and the old man thought he was hallucinating. He scratched his ear, adjusted his sitting posture, took a sip of water, and muttered to himself, "This old man must be hard of hearing because of age, to hear that girl’s voice. That girl, she’s stubborn. Though not as gentle as her mother, her temper is just like her mother’s. Well, never mind, when that girl figures things out, it’ll be okay."
"This chess game is really difficult. If I capture his piece, I lose the whole game. If I don’t, we’re stuck in a stalemate, which isn’t good either. This chess game is like life. What should I do?"
This chess game, like life, not only left the old man perplexed but also made the steward sigh.
Sometimes, a chess move can’t go on, just like hitting a difficult obstacle in life, suddenly stuck. If you can overcome it, it’s a bright path ahead. If you can’t, it may just be a heavy stone pressing on your back forever.
The steward gently coughed, prompting the old man to raise his head and he immediately saw Xiao Keyi standing next to the steward. He rubbed his eyes in disbelief, thinking, how could this be, Yiyi actually came back.
"Am I dreaming?"
Hearing the old man’s voice filled with doubt, Xiao Keyi felt deeply guilty. Had she known grandpa would be like this, she wouldn’t have been this way at all, and she suddenly threw herself beside the old man.
Feeling the presence of his granddaughter, even the formidable old man, who had been brimming with vigor throughout his life, couldn’t help but shed tears. What had he done to push his grandson and son far from home?
"Child, don’t cry. Seeing you cry breaks grandpa’s heart. Did you suffer grievances outside? If you did, you must tell grandpa. Grandpa will surely stand up for you. Never suffer grievances. Our family’s children shouldn’t suffer grievances anywhere."
Hearing the old man’s caring tone, Xiao Keyi felt unspeakable pain. Had she known grandpa would be so sad, she honestly wouldn’t have been angry with him.
Moreover, even when grandpa was extremely upset, he was incredibly tolerant with them, never blaming them.
Even now, he’s still concerned if she’s been wronged outside, while all she cares about is pursuing freedom, wanting her own happiness, completely ignoring whether grandpa is truly happy.
"Grandpa, I’m sorry. I’ve been too willful, not realizing you were suffering by worrying about me. I thought I was the only one in pain but overlooked your feelings. It was utterly wrong of me, and I won’t be like this anymore."
