Yao Tang knew that one day, her grandfather told her that it was her day off—that she should go to the village and play with her other friends.
That night, when she returned home, there was no sign of them.
It was as if her grandparents had disappeared into thin air. At first, she couldn't believe it, but after searching the entire village, she had different people telling her that her grandparents were nowhere to be seen.
In fact, they had even gone as far as to say that she was originally from the village, that her parents had been born and raised here, but they had died an unfortunate death.
She had always believed that her grandparents were real—that all the martial arts that they had left behind were real. But...how could they leave her like this?
Didn't they want her anymore?
She remembered how much it was pouring that day and how desperate she was to knock from one house to the other.
The next day, she was so sick that she suffered from a high fever for several days. With no one to take care of her, she could only persevere on her own.
Only after taking her grandmother's medicine did she recover.
Yao Tang winced at the sight.
Back then, she had thought this—if her grandparents didn't want her, then fine. She could always live on her own.
Yet, even then, she felt that something was wrong.All these years, she had never given up on looking for them.
However, it was as if their existence was nothing more than a figment of her imagination.
For so many years, she had received no news about them at all. It was as if she had disappeared into thin air and left nothing behind—except, of course, for the college she now lived in.
Could it be that they didn't really want her?
Suddenly, the scene in front of her changed.
One moment, it was the scene of her grandparents leaving her behind. The next, she saw something different. All of these resembled the different thoughts she had as to why they could've left her.
Yao Tang winced. She had always hated this.
And she was still unconscious! If her grandfather knew about this, he'd probably scoff and laugh at her.
"Tangtang, while you may be young, you've already experienced so much. You're smart, and you're cautious—just like your grandmother. However, despite everything you've been through, keep being kind and try to help others to the best of your ability."
"When you encounter a problem, just keep calm and observe your surroundings."
"Tang Tang ..."
The images of her grandparents flashed in her mind. It was the same one she had seen a few hours earlier. They were practicing martial arts.
Why did it have to be this scene? Why?
"Calm down and observe."
Yao Tang kept silent as she reminisced about the same scene again. Suddenly, she began noticing details that weren't there before.
On the day that her grandparents had left, there was hesitance in their movements as if they were unwilling to let her go.
Their words repeated in her mind.
"You have to take good care of yourself, okay? When you're alone, you have to look over yourself. You can do it."
"You'll always live a peaceful life."
"I know that the most terrifying thing could be right now is to be alone, but please know that we love you so much. You are so much braver than I could've ever been. And I know that you can take good care of yourself."
"Tangtang, you better go to the best university in Beijing, okay? I made sure to leave a few things behind for you."
"This is my favorite piece of Jade. I want you to keep it okay? This will protect you."
It turned out that they had already said their farewells!
She was just too young to notice it?
Her heart clenched. Before she knew it, tears started to slide down her cheeks.
"Grandma, Grandpa, I'm growing up well. I've met plenty of friends who are so amazing to me. I wish...I wish you were here."
Yao Tang's voice cracked.
She knew they were real. That they exist. That they didn't want to leave her. But where were they?
"We'll meet again, okay?" Grandma's voice echoed from a distance. While it was weak, she could hear it loud and clear.