The room was huge and carpeted, giving off a tranquil feeling. An older gentleman sat in front of the window, watching the snow falling outside with distant eyes. Such a beautiful scene made one feel peaceful looking at it.However, the older gentleman was not sitting in an ordinary chair but in a wheelchair. Even though it looked sturdy and high-tech, it was still a wheelchair.“Grandpa?” Lily called him with a trembling voice.‘What’s wrong with him?’“You’re back!” Wilfred answered her in a soft tone but did not shift his sight.Lily quickly stepped forward and stopped in front of him. She wanted to continue forward but felt a little timid. Only now did the older gentleman turn his wheelchair around to look at her. He was still the same as how Lily remembered.However, he looked much older and had whiter hair and more wrinkles. His eyes were not as sharp as before and looked more peaceful and kind.Could it be because Lily had been away for a long time that she felt he had be
Lily remembered that her grandfather was not someone who admitted defeat. He would get up at five in the morning every day to exercise. Even though Wilfred was old, he was still very fit. Wilfred could stand straight and run as fast as the wind those days.However, Wilfred was in a wheelchair now. He used to prefer standing compared to sitting down. Even though he said it was nothing, it was apparent how much pain he was in that he used a wheelchair.“It’s okay!” Wilfred felt embarrassed when Lily looked at his knees, so he pulled his blanket over his lap. “How long has it been since you left the Lodge family?”“It's been seven to eight years, I think.” Lily’s eyes dimmed when Wilfred asked her that. “To be precise, it’s been seven years and three months,” Justin answered promptly.Lily was rendered speechless.“Looks like you were able to get used to life outside. That’s good, then.”She was surprised by everything Wilfred had said today. She thought they would argue or quarre
Although Wilfred’s voice was grand, his expression was peaceful.Alexander was stunned. He looked at Lily, had a realization, and immediately said, “You’re right.”He retracted his hand, took a bow, and said respectfully, “As your grandson-in-law, I wish you great fortune and a long life.”“G-Grandson-in-law?” The old man of the Lodge family was stunned and he widened his eyes. Were the young people nowadays so wanton in their actions?One moment it was Mr. Lodge, and the next he declared himself the grandson-in-law.“The Lodge family does not recognize you yet.” The usually steady Justin was not able to contain himself.Wilfred had seen a lot in life. He raised a hand to calm Justin down, then said dryly, “Alexander, you are of the older generation. It’s reasonable for you to address me the way Lily does, but to call yourself my grandson-in-law… that’s premature, isn’t it?”As a whole, they had not recognized the relationship between the two yet. Thus they would not recognize A
“Grandpa, the party is about to start,” Justin said as he looked at the time.“Okay.” Coming back to his senses, Wilfred nodded. He looked at Lily with a questioning gaze.Lily shook her head. “Grandpa, I won’t be going. I don’t like crowded places, as you know.”“Oh.” Wilfred did not say much and turned to Alexander. Alexander immediately put his hand on Lily’s shoulder. “I won’t go either. I’ll stay with her.”With a slight smile, Wilfred said, as if to gratify them, “In that case, do stay. I’ll get someone to prepare two rooms. Stay two days before leaving, okay?”The final sentence was for Lily as if begging for her agreement.Seeing her grandfather asking that way, Lily was flattered. She hurriedly nodded and said, “Alright, if you wish.”Hearing that, Wilfred was very satisfied and he flashed a relaxed smile. “Justin, let’s go.”Justin responded affirmatively, walked forward to grab the wheelchair, then looked at Lily. “Someone will take you both to your rooms.”“Okay.
“That’s right. I’ll miss you.” Lily was not shy. She boldly put both arms around his neck and said, “What if you miss me?”“No matter what, there’s always a solution,” he laughed lightly, then bent forward to peck her on the lips. “Look in your room.”It was the room she always had at the Lodge family residence. Lily pushed the door open and was instantly touched.Her room was maintained the way she had left it. The things inside were untouched, but the room was clean. It was obvious that the room was cleaned frequently while the items were undisturbed.The only difference was that the beddings were new. They seemed to have been dried under the sun and looked very comfortable.However, there was no heater in the house. Alexander noticed that there was no air-conditioning either. The space felt stuffy."There’s no air-conditioning in the room?" He walked another round to ensure that he had not missed something. True enough, there was no cooling system.When he said this, Lily rem
It was such a cold day. Even without an air conditioner, the house felt more like an igloo.“Even the guest rooms have no air conditioners? Does your family have to torture their guests too?” Alexander was amused.There were so many guests here to attend the celebration. Surely not all of them were going to leave on the same day. They would likely stay the night. Did they have to endure the cold too?Lily shook her head. “The block in front is for the visitors. The few guest rooms there have air conditioning. Back here is where the Lodge family resides.”The message was that the family was not allowed to enjoy the luxuries, but outsiders could. When Alexander heard her, he felt that something was wrong. After thinking for a while, he said, “Does that mean I’m one of you guys?”‘If not, why else would they assign me to a room with no air conditioner?’“You’re right. Logically, that is what it means.” Lily nodded thoughtfully.Alexander could not decide if he should be happy or sa
Now, the thick snow covered Lily’s memories of this place, perhaps because she could depend on the person next to her. It was as if the courtyard was not the one she once knew, even though it was the same.“Are you feeling cold? Do you want to go back?” Alexander held Lily’s shoulders, worried she would feel cold.Lily smiled. “It’s not going to be much warmer when we go back. If we run around here, it won’t be as cold.”That was the truth since their room was chilly. Especially now that there was nobody around, it would feel even colder.“If you’re uncomfortable, we don’t have to stay here tonight. Let’s go home,” Alexander suggested after some thought. It was hard to imagine how Lily survived all this for many years.Alexander had interacted with the Lodge family a few times through business, but nothing extensive. He did not know they had such old-fashioned thinking.“I grew up like this, so it is no big deal. I’m worried that you’re not used to it instead.” It was not that sh
Lily did not expect to see the young man she had been trying so hard to find in her family’s backyard. He looked like he did not change much except that there were no more sparkles in his eyes. There was a gloomy atmosphere surrounding him instead.“Everyone who’s here today has the same purpose,” Benedict stated as he raised his head nonchalantly and glanced toward the banquet hall.“Then why aren’t you inside?” Lily asked.“You’re not either.” Benedict looked at Lily. Although Benedict looked less happy than his previous self, he was still the same mouthy kid.“You still owe me an explanation. Why did you quit all of a sudden? You were the one who promised that you’d handle the job I gave you properly, but then you just disappeared without even a text or a phone call,” Lily could finally voice out her dissatisfaction after keeping it inside for such a long time.When Benedict heard what she said, his eyes became further clouded. He did not try to explain and just mumbled, “I h