Pampered by My Ex's Cousin-Chapter 241 - 235 I Miss You! (27)

"Save it for college. Once you’re in college, you’ll have made it." The father lifted his other hand and gently patted the back of Ji Anning’s hand.

’Jiajia, another coin, put it into your savings jar.’

’Jiajia, study hard for college. Aim for the big cities.’

The father’s words stirred up Ji Anning’s memories from before she entered the Ji Family, and she almost couldn’t help but cry. Biting her lip, she held back for a while before smiling and opening her mouth, "Dad, I’m already in college, at T University."

"You’re already in college?" the father exclaimed, his gaze shifting to the mother standing behind Ji Anning, "How come I didn’t know? Why didn’t you tell me?"

"She..." The mother frowned, stammering, not knowing how to answer.

Ji Anning stood up and said, "Dad, let Mum and me take you out for a walk."

She grasped her father’s arm with both hands, negotiating and urging him to get up.

The father refused, instead clutching her hand and asking, "How many points did you get on the test? Did you listen to the teacher?"

Ji Anning couldn’t hold back any longer. These past few days, her father had been like this every day, always forgetting she had visited the day before, recognized her, but always stuck in her childhood.

The memories from before she became part of the Ji Family had been vague, but in these few days, they were thoroughly evoked by him.

Her father always carried her on his neck, stuffed any coins he had into her savings jar, and spent a month’s salary to buy her a beautiful princess dress—the birthday gift for her sixth birthday.

But she had never worn it once. After joining the Ji Family, everything changed, including her hair, which had been cut short and grown out anew.

Memories flooded in like a deluge, and Ji Anning let go of her father’s hand, covering her mouth as she turned and fled.

She ran breathlessly to a secluded spot, leaned against a large tree, and sobbed with sorrow.

"You’ve had a recent miscarriage, so it’s actually not appropriate for you to cry."

A familiar male voice suddenly came from behind her, and Ji Anning’s sobs abruptly paused for a second.

The owner of the voice was already behind her. She wiped her tears and greeted him with a choked voice, "Doctor Xiang."

Xiang Yiqing handed her a tissue, "I’ve just learned about your father’s condition. He’s been recovering quite well recently."

"Thank you," Ji Anning said with appreciation, taking the tissue and wiping her tears with her head down.

The emotions that had erupted were now drained through the tears, and she felt considerably better.

As gusts of evening breeze swept by, soon the tear tracks on her face dried, and the wind tousled her hair.

Xiang Yiqing observed her reddened eyes, pondering for a while before speaking, "Chicheng, he’s gone to the United States."

"Oh." Ji Anning’s head drooped even lower. She wanted to avoid any topic about Ji Chicheng, yet conflictingly, she also wanted to hear news about him.

She tore one facial tissue after another from the pack.

"He resigned from his job at T University." Xiang Yiqing watched Ji Anning with a scrutinizing gaze, as if waiting for her reaction.

He was sure Ji Anning was unaware of Ji Chicheng’s whereabouts.

After hearing about the resignation from T University, Ji Anning was stunned, lifting her head and gazing at Xiang Yiqing with her mouth agape, "He... he’s not coming back?"

"Hmm," Xiang Yiqing nodded, but he also wasn’t certain, "He’s probably planning to stay in the States for a long time." 𝙛𝒓𝒆𝙚𝒘𝒆𝓫𝙣𝓸𝙫𝓮𝒍.𝒄𝒐𝓶

Ji Anning’s hands hanging by her sides trembled, clenched into fists, and then she tucked them behind her legs.

The last time he disappeared, it was for three years; this time, for a long time... how many years did that mean?

Three years... five years? Ten, or twenty?