Chapter 444: Extra Story 10
The joy from Wen Man’s good news didn’t last long—Grandpa Gu had an accident. He went missing!
When the caregiver found Su Tao, she was so anxious that she was crying:
“I just went downstairs to take out the trash, and when I came back, he was gone. I asked the neighbors, but no one saw him. I searched all the places he usually goes to in Taoyang, but he wasn’t there. Boss Su, could you ask Manager Qi to check the surveillance footage quickly? He’s confused these days—what if he’s left Taoyang and can’t find his way back?”
Su Tao immediately went to the monitoring room and checked the footage with the staff. Sure enough, around 2 PM, they saw Grandpa Gu leaving Taoyang.
But there was something strange about him.
He stood in a daze at Taoyang Park for a long time, as if trying to figure out where he was. Then, he asked a few passing tenants something before walking straight toward the main gate of Taoyang.
*
Meanwhile, Grandpa Gu was standing at Dongyang Bus Station, frowning at the ticket board.
He recognized the words, but the place names didn’t match his memory.
“Changjing? Where’s Changjing? Isn’t our capital called something else?”
A person waiting nearby overheard his mumbling and suspiciously asked:
“Old man, where are you from?”
Grandpa Gu reported the name of his hometown and asked how to get there and which bus to take.
The bystander gaped at him. “Isn’t that Dongyang? It was called what you said twenty years ago. Later, the old chief gathered the surrounding cities and built a new one called Dongyang. Old man, are you okay in the head?”
He tapped his own head for emphasis.
Grandpa Gu was stunned as if struck by lightning: “What did you say? Twenty years ago?”
The bystander, realizing he was genuinely confused, kindly led him to the city’s defense force rest station.
Coincidentally, one of Pei Dong’s subordinates recognized Grandpa Gu and exclaimed:
“Old man, how did you end up here? I’ll take you back to Taoyang.”
Grandpa Gu eyed him warily. “Who are you, kid?”
The subordinate froze in surprise.
Something was different about Grandpa Gu—he seemed both sharp and serious, much more clear-headed than before.
The subordinate quickly called Pei Dong.
Although Pei Dong had past grievances with Gu Mingchi, he wouldn’t involve the elder. So, he contacted Su Tao.
When Su Tao and her team rushed over, Grandpa Gu vaguely recognized her:
“Oh—you’re that girl, right?”
Sensing something was wrong, no one dared to respond.
The caregiver quietly called Gu Mingchi.
Less than twenty minutes later, Gu Mingchi arrived.
When Grandpa Gu saw the young man before him, his long-buried memories began to stir:
“You… you—”
Gu Mingchi pressed his lips together tightly and stared at him without speaking.
“You brat! You’re all grown up and only now coming to see me!”
With that, he raised his cane to hit Gu Mingchi.
The caregiver and those around them were alarmed and tried to shield him, but Gu Mingchi stopped them.
As Grandpa Gu continued to strike him, his voice began to choke with emotion:
“Mingchi… what’s going on? I just took a nap—how did the world change so much? And how did you grow up so fast? Have I been sick for a long time? Have I caused you a lot of trouble…?”
This once-dominant business figure, who had ruled the commercial world for decades before the apocalypse, was now crying like a child.
Although Gu Mingchi’s face remained calm, his body trembled, as if his blood was flowing backward.
He knelt in front of his grandfather, just like when he was a boy looking up to him, his lips quivering as he said softly:
“Grandpa, call me one more time.”
Tears streamed down Grandpa Gu’s face. “Mingchi, Grandpa is sorry…”
Gu Mingchi leaned against his grandfather’s legs. “It’s okay.”
As long as you remember me—even if it’s just this once—it’s all worth it.
*
Unfortunately, Grandpa Gu only stayed lucid for a day. By the next day, he couldn’t recognize Gu Mingchi—or even the old friends he used to play chess with.
When Su Tao visited, he merely glanced at her blankly before lowering his head to stare into space.
He couldn’t even remember the lyrics to the song he always sang.
His condition seemed to be worsening.
It was as if that brief moment of clarity was just to say a final goodbye to the people he cared about.
Even though Gu Mingchi had mentally prepared for this day, facing it was still difficult.
He took Grandpa Gu away from Taoyang to spend their last days together in the Eastern District.
Su Tao watched as Gu Mingchi carefully lifted the frail old man into the car, fastened his seatbelt, and finally leaned against his shoulder with his eyes closed.
The car door closed, the engine started, and they drove toward the Eastern District.
Su Tao’s eyes suddenly stung with tears, and Shi Zijin pulled her into his embrace.
This scene was caught by Gu Mingchi when he glanced back.
He turned his head forward again, leaning against the only family he had left. For the first time in twenty years, silent tears fell from his eyes.
*
After that, Su Tao never saw Gu Mingchi again. His awkward phone calls stopped altogether.
Just like Lei Xing, he disappeared from her life.
Her days gradually returned to their quiet routine.
Time passed—spring came and went, and another year slipped by. On Su Tao’s 23rd birthday, Shi Zijin finally presented her with an engagement ring.
Su Tao was suddenly overwhelmed, feeling lost as she stared at the sparkling diamond ring.
She needed time to think.
Shi Zijin put the ring away, hugged her, and said, “No matter how long you take, I’ll wait for you.”
That night, Su Tao lay in bed, reflecting on her journey with Shi Zijin—from strangers to lovers. It all felt surreal.
In her heart, she knew she loved him and was used to having him around. But the thought of marriage still frightened her.
The scars from her childhood were too deep. She equated marriage with her parents’ constant fights—petty arguments, endless calculations.
Even though she knew Shi Zijin wasn’t her father, and she wasn’t her mother, she couldn’t shake her fear of marriage.
Her anxiety grew, and she began to avoid him.
Until one night, after two years of silence, the system’s voice suddenly rang in her mind:
[The world has entered a rapid development period. In recognition of your contributions, you are awarded interstellar immigration eligibility. The interstellar space-time portal is now open. Would you like to enter?]
Su Tao bolted upright and asked mentally:
“What happens if I enter? Is it like traveling?”
[You will receive a new identity and can choose a new family.]
A perfect, loving family…
Wait!
“If I go, can I come back?”
[No. You will have a new life. This is a one-time offer—please consider carefully.]
Su Tao remembered Shi Zijin’s words: “I’ll wait for you, no matter how long.”
Recalling his sacrifices and love, her hesitation vanished.
“No.”
[Interstellar portal closed. Wishing you a happy life.]
Su Tao smiled. “Thank you—I will be happy.”
She ran downstairs and called to Ling Yu, who was dozing by the window:
“Tell Shi Zijin—I’m wearing a light blue dress today!”
“And tell him—bring the ring again!”
(The End)
