You Are My Omega - Chapter 43

Grandfather Xu had indeed returned.

Xu Manyue originally thought he would stay for a long time, but strangely, when he visited Liu Lingyan at the hospital, he didn’t even hold the baby once before turning around and leaving. His steps were rushed, and even his back looked unusually unsettled.

Liu Lingyan instinctively tried to get up and chase after him, but Xu Manyue moved quickly to stop her. She had no choice but to sit back on the bed, looking up at Xu Manyue with concern.

“Yueyue, what’s wrong with Grandfather?”

“I’m not sure either. One of the bodyguards is following him. Don’t worry. You need to rest. You’re still weak and can’t be going out in the wind,” Xu Manyue said gently but firmly. After repeating her reminder several times, she finally turned to go after him at Liu Lingyan’s urging.

She had a bad feeling. It was vague, but strong. It felt like something terrible was about to happen, and somehow it involved Liu Lingyan. Otherwise, why would Grandfather Xu have reacted that way?

When she learned that he had gone to the Xu residence, Xu Manyue felt even more uneasy. Now her concern extended to Xiaojiu.

Because she had promised that Grandfather Xu would never meet Xiaojiu again, and Xiaojiu, who trusted her sister completely, was not on guard at all. Whatever she had been doing before, she was still doing it now.

Lin Xinyi gave Xiaojiu’s hand a light pat and said with a mix of amusement and helplessness, “Xu Shijiu, snap out of it. You got ice cream on your face.”

Xiaojiu pouted and shook her head, eyes glued to the TV screen. Right now, it was showing the most exciting part of the character her sister-in-law played.

Lin Xinyi had no choice but to reach out and take the ice cream stick from her hand.

“Xu Shijiu, let go.”

Xiaojiu obediently released her grip.

Lin Xinyi threw the ice cream away and grabbed a tissue to wipe her face. As she leaned in to clean her, she noticed Xiaojiu’s fringe. It had been trimmed slightly, not enough to cover her eyes but still carefully covering her forehead.

If she lifted it now, Xiaojiu wouldn’t have time to react or stop her.

Lin Xinyi couldn’t help smiling. Watching Xiaojiu focused and completely at ease around her, she realized how much trust she now had in her. When had that started? Xiaojiu had no idea how to guard against people.

Not that she would ever do such a thing to her, of course.

Suddenly, loud knocking came from the door.

Both Lin Xinyi and Xiaojiu froze. Xiaojiu immediately knew who it must be. She grabbed Lin Xinyi’s hand and whispered urgently.

“Quick, go into my room. He can’t see you.”

If Grandfather saw Lin Xinyi, he would definitely make things difficult. Xiaojiu had long since gotten used to his treatment, but she would never let him direct that same cruelty toward Lin Xinyi.

“I’m not leaving,” Lin Xinyi whispered back firmly. If Grandfather didn’t like Xiaojiu, then how could she leave her to face him alone?

“You have to go,” Xiaojiu insisted, trying in vain to push Lin Xinyi toward the bedroom.

“I—”

A sharp cough sounded from just outside the door, cutting through the air and tightening the knot in both of their chests.

Now, it was too late to leave.

Xiaojiu shot Lin Xinyi a glare, clearly frustrated. Why couldn’t she just listen? But her frustration turned quickly into helplessness. The truth was, Lin Xinyi was worried about her. She knew her body was too fragile to fight these battles alone.

Lin Xinyi squeezed her hand gently to reassure her, then turned to greet the man standing at the door.

“Hello, Grandfather Xu. I’m Lin Xinyi. Please, have a seat on the couch.”

Xiaojiu tugged at Lin Xinyi’s sleeve, signaling her to lean down. She whispered into her ear.

“He just came from the hospital. He must have seen Jie. She’s probably on her way back right now. Let’s just hold out a little longer.”

Lin Xinyi didn’t ask how she knew that. She simply nodded in understanding.

“So you’re Xu Shijiu’s fiancée,” Grandfather Xu said as he sat down in the single armchair. His sharp eyes scanned Lin Xinyi from head to toe.

A wave of pressure washed over her. Lin Xinyi could feel the dominance of an Alpha pressing down on her through his pheromones.

Xiaojiu rolled her wheelchair between them and looked straight into Grandfather Xu’s cloudy eyes. Her gaze was sharp, her tone firmer than ever before.

“Grandfather, she is my Omega.”

She was protecting her. Lin Xinyi knew that clearly.

“Your Omega? Don’t be ridiculous. A little child talking about claiming people like that,” Grandfather scoffed and shook his head. Still, the moment he saw the change in Xiaojiu’s expression, he was stunned.

He didn’t say anything more about it. Instead, he shifted the topic.

“What’s Liu Lingyan’s family background?”

“My sister-in-law has a father. Her mother and younger brother died in an accident,” Xiaojiu answered calmly, gripping the armrests of her wheelchair tightly. She forced herself to remain composed and not show any weakness in front of him.

“An accident,” Grandfather Xu repeated, then sighed heavily. His voice carried an unexpected heaviness. “Do you know what kind of accident it was?”

“What are you trying to say?” Xiaojiu’s tone became sharp.

“You already suspect it, don’t you? Your guess is correct.”

There was exhaustion and age written all over Grandfather Xu’s face. He had never imagined that the grudges of the previous generation would one day entangle the lives of the next.

“I don’t believe you,” Xiaojiu shouted, her voice full of resistance.

Lin Xinyi didn’t understand what kind of veiled conversation they were having. She could only gently rub Xiaojiu’s back, trying to calm her down.

“Grandfather!”

Xu Manyue’s raised voice suddenly echoed from the hallway, interrupting the tense confrontation.

She saw the strained atmosphere in the room and immediately assumed Grandfather had said something to upset Xiaojiu. She hurried forward and stepped between them.

“Grandfather, Xiaojiu’s health isn’t good. Can you please not do this?”

Grandfather Xu was furious at Xu Manyue’s accusation, his eyes widening in anger.

“What did I even do to Xu Shijiu?”

His tone sounded sincere, but Xu Manyue didn’t believe him. She stood firmly in front of Xu Shijiu, her entire posture defensive. She had been fooled by him one too many times in the past, allowing just enough space for him to say those cruel and cutting words to Xiaojiu. How could she believe him now? How could she dare to?

If anyone was to blame, it was Grandfather himself. If he hadn’t planted those seeds, today’s consequences would not have come to bear.

“Xinyi, take Xiaojiu back to her room,” Xu Manyue said, glancing over and seeing Xiaojiu standing with her head lowered. Her heart tightened with worry as she gave the instruction to Lin Xinyi.

Lin Xinyi nodded and gently pushed Xiaojiu out of the room, away from the tension.

Even though she had been standing right there, she couldn’t make sense of what had just been said between them. Whatever it was, it had clearly affected both Xiaojiu and Grandfather. Their expressions said it all.

Back in Xiaojiu’s room, Lin Xinyi closed the door behind them with a heavy thud. She let out a long breath and looked at Xiaojiu’s pale face with concern.

“Xu Shijiu, what’s wrong? What did Grandfather Xu say to you?”

What did he say?

Xiaojiu wished she didn’t know. She wished she hadn’t understood, hadn’t guessed. She wished she were as unaware as Lin Xinyi. But she did know. She had guessed it all.

She had guessed something she had never wanted to know.

“Xu Shijiu?” Lin Xinyi was getting anxious. Xiaojiu wouldn’t respond, and her face was far too pale.

“I’m going to get your sister.”

“No!” Xiaojiu grabbed Lin Xinyi’s hand at once. Lin Xinyi stopped mid-step to avoid pulling her down along with her. Seeing the panic on Xiaojiu’s face, her heart filled with regret. She quickly tried to calm her.

“Okay, I won’t call her. Don’t be upset.”

“I’m not upset,” Xiaojiu said softly in protest.

Lin Xinyi let out a small sigh of relief. As long as she could still respond like that, things weren’t too bad. If she had completely shut down, that would have been far more frightening.

Xiaojiu’s distress didn’t last long. When Grandfather Xu returned to his home abroad, it was as if he had taken all of Xiaojiu’s heaviness with him. The moment he left, she returned to normal.

Because of that, no one suspected anything, except for Lin Xinyi. But the only people Xiaojiu wanted to keep this from were her sister and sister-in-law. Lin Xinyi didn’t know the exact details of the car accident, so even if she found out something, it wouldn’t really matter.

The baby’s nickname was Riceball, a name chosen by Xu Manyue. At first, everyone teased her for it, but gradually they found it catchy and endearing, so the name stuck.

The baby’s formal name was Xu Liushu. The name “Liushu,” which means “willow tree,” was inspired by a quick glimpse Grandfather Xu had caught of a grove of willows on television.

When it came time for the baby’s one-month celebration, Xu Manyue didn’t host a grand event. Instead, she invited a few close people who knew about her relationship with Liu Lingyan—her manager, assistant, and secretary—for a small, intimate gathering at home.

“Why not have a big celebration? We could go public,” Liu Lingyan suggested gently. She had noticed that Xu Manyue would sometimes space out when watching television scenes of grand baby parties. She assumed that maybe Xu Manyue felt envious and wanted the same.

She loved Xu Manyue deeply and didn’t want to see that kind of longing in her expression.

But Xu Manyue shook her head and gave her a warm smile.

“I was just thinking about Mom. It’s not that I wish we could throw a big party.”

Whether the celebration was grand or small didn’t matter to her. What mattered was that Liu Lingyan was her Omega. That alone made her feel incredibly lucky.

She was truly grateful. To have such a wonderful Omega and to have their own child together, she felt overwhelmingly happy. Genuinely, deeply happy.

But the more happiness she felt, the more guilt stirred in her heart.

All of this had started because of her. It was her stubbornness that caused their mother to speed up in the car. That led to the accident. That changed Xiaojiu’s life. Everything that happened, every consequence—stemmed from her. She was the one who should have been punished. She was the root of it all.

Yet now, she was the one living the happiest life.

Did she really deserve to be this happy? Did she deserve all this beauty and joy?

Could she truly allow herself to embrace it?

Xu Manyue didn’t know.

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