章 12: A New Destination

After this episode, Liu Xinyu seemed visibly happy and relaxed which was baffling to the ghost beside her. Yiyi was unable to understand why Liu Xinyu's mood changed so much. Did she get some kind of stimulant after teasing the guy from earlier? And if that was so, Yiyi really had some serious questions for Liu Xinyu.

Humans are weird these days. That's what Yiyi thought and decided to forget about the rest.

Liu Xinyu had a plan now so she went back to her ward to sleep but as soon as she opened the door of the ward, her smile stiffened.

"Old man, don't be in such a hurry to come and join me. I'm waiting patiently for you here. You stay here and take better care of our daughter for me."

An old grandma sat beside the bed of the old grandpa who was sharing this ward with Liu Xinyu but right now, the old grandpa was sleeping. The old grandma's hand was placed on his head as she kept talking.

"You have wronged our daughter for our sons for far too long. You have to make it up to her. If you dared to leave before making it up to her, I'm gonna go to the underworld first and find myself a new partner. Then you can only cry all alone!"

Liu Xinyu stiffly closed the door behind her and walked to her bed in silence. She didn't look elsewhere as if she couldn't hear any voice or see anything. Yiyi looked at her acting and wanted to laugh. This girl was not completely unfazed by the presence of ghosts but she still had some mental fortitude to act like she couldn't see or hear them.

Just like right now, she could clearly see and hear that old grandma's ghost but she was more inclined to keep up her act. Liu Xinyu pulled up the covers to cover her head and closed her eyes as she mentally chanted, 'I can't hear anything. Nothing at all. It's all an illusion. Mind your own business. There is no one here. No one!'

Chanting this a hundred times, she was finally able to sleep.

Early the next morning, Yi Qin showed up on time, carrying some homemade breakfast for Liu Xinyu. When he entered the ward, he found Liu Xinyu massaging her sprained ankle.

"Morning!" called out Liu Xinyu with a bright tone when she saw Yi Qin.

"Morning!" responded Yi Qin and walked to her side. "What are you doing? Doesn't that hurt?"

"After the massage, it'll be better," answered Liu Xinyu.

"Did you ask the doctor if you can do this?"

"Don't have to ask. I have experience. I'm a sports person. Sprains are a part of our life. This one is rather a minor one," told Liu Xinyu honestly.

"Oh," responded Yi Qin and then put down the lunchbox he was carrying. "I brought you something for breakfast from home. Try it, it's still hot. My nanny makes the best food in the whole world."

"Thank you!" said Liu Xinyu. "And sorry to trouble you so much."

Yi Qin waved his hand nonchalantly, "It's not a problem at all." Suddenly, he seemed to have thought of something as his brows knitted up together tightly and he stared at her intently.

"Do you want to ask me something?"

"You just said you are a sports person. Does that mean you remember everything now?" asked Yi Qin with anticipation clearly visible in his eyes.

Liu Xinyu shook her head which made Yi Qin's happiness fly away but he froze when she continued, "I never lost my memory."

"What?!" Yi Qin's eyes widened and he pointed at her as if she betrayed him or something.

"Yes, I don't have amnesia. Yes, I lied yesterday but I just woke up in an unfamiliar place. I'm sorry for being a little out of sorts and deciding on using the worst lie of the century. But that doesn't mean I was trying to deceive you or anything. It wasn't the purpose. I promise it wasn't," Liu Xinyu explained sincerely. She really was feeling too guilty just seeing the look of betrayal in Yi Qin's eyes.

She was a Daddy's girl. Yes, she was! So, there had never been a time in her life when she lied to her father. Seeing such vivid expressions on the younger version of her father made her feel really worse too.

She avoided his accusing eyes because she felt like if he kept looking at her like that, she might even spill the beans and tell him everything about her supposed time travel. But she couldn't do that. If a time-traveling person appeared in 2023, someone would still be willing to give you the benefit of the doubt but in the 90s, she was pretty sure, she'd be having her first trip to the mental hospital if she misspoke.

Yi Qin calmed down himself and sat down as he said, "Do you have any idea how worried I was about your amnesia? I couldn't even sleep properly last night just thinking about what I have done to you. You can't lie about something like this. I was so scared about ruining your whole life."

Liu Xinyu was startled by his words but then she felt warm inside her heart. Indeed, her father would be more worried about a stranger's health than the lie that stranger told him. Tsk, that was so like something he would do.

"I am really sorry! I didn't think so much at that time," said Liu Xinyu apologetically.

Her well-behaved appearance got to Yi Qin. He wasn't a person with a big temper. He didn't get easily mad at people either. In truth, Yi Qin was a laid-back and affable individual, often taking life in stride. As long as he felt that Liu Xinyu's apology was sincere, he didn't feel like holding on to this matter any longer.

"What's your name?" asked Yi Qin.

"Liu Xin Yu. Xin for 'new' and Yu for 'rain.'"

Yi Qin nodded his head, "Your name is beautiful. A new rain, a new beginning, like a new spring of life. Indeed, a beautiful name. And it is quite befitting too."

"Why is that so?" asked Liu Xinyu.

"You appeared in the rain. If you really had amnesia, I'd have still chosen the name Yu for you to remind myself of how you carried the untimely rain with you."

Liu Xinyu smiled at him.

"Where are you from?" he asked further.

"Qinghua city," she answered.

Yi Qin frowned, "That's far from here. What are you doing in Yuchen city?"

"Running."

Yi Qin's eyes widened when he understood the meaning of her answer. "You mean, you ran away from home?"

I lost my way home, but right now, can I say that? I don't think. So, Liu Xinyu went along with him and nodded her head, "Yes."

"Why? Did your parents want to force you into an arrange marriage? Or maybe they didn't want you to pursue your passion? Or you just had an argument and wanted to escape. Which one is it?"

"None of the above," told Liu Xinyu. "I'm just feel lost in life. So, I'm trying to look for the right way to lead me to a destination."

"And what is this destination?"

Liu Xinyu looked into his eyes and shrugged, "I have no idea."

Yi Qin opened the lunchbox and put the food in front of her. He passed her the chopsticks as he said, "How do you expect to know if you're heading in the right direction when you haven't even chosen a destination? Without a clear purpose, any path can seem like the right one. Wherever you choose to pause becomes your destination, and each time you set off anew, it's a fresh journey toward a new destination."

He paused, meeting her gaze directly. "Instead of seeking the right path, shouldn't you be asking yourself what you're truly searching for? What destination do you long to reach?" His words carried a weight of wisdom as he continued, "Isn't it exhausting to keep moving forward without a sense of direction? Without purpose, this journey seems rather aimless."