Grandma

Sighing in relief, Su Guang said with tears in her eyes, "My little child. Your hair… and your eyes… what happened?"

As though there was an automatic switch, Bai Shuixian felt pain in his head and the world spinning. He did not want to worry about the old woman, so he walked as slowly as he could, trying to not stumble or walk crooked.

When Bai Shuixian walked, he went into a daze and his eyes grew teary with him staring straight into Su Guang's eyes. Only when he had reached a hand's distance away from her did the dazed eyes finally retrieve with clarity in them. At that moment, it was no longer a male person in the body, but a little female child.

Su Guang held no suspicions of whatever could be going on in the body and could only care about her grandson who was now weeping on her lap grievously.

With soft and gentle hands, Su Guang caressed Bai Shuixian's face and asked, "How have you been, my child?"

"Grandma," Bai Shuixian choked out tearfully.

Hearing his voice, Su Guang's eyes reddened as tears threatened to spill.

"My child, it's fine now. Come, sit down and talk to grandma," Su Guang calmly said.

Listening to Su Guang, Bai Shuixian got up from her lap and sat down next to her. She then leaned her head on her shoulder and continued crying.

Patting Bai Shuixian, Su Guang worriedly asked, "What's wrong, my child?"

Shaking her head, Bai Shuixian lightly answered while leaning on Su Guang, "Nothing, grandma. Nothing. This child was only grieving and missing grandma."

Bai Shuixian did not want to worry about her grandmother. Even she did not know what was going on with her emotions. Maybe it was the adventurous day, or maybe it was the fact that she would have to leave her grandmother for a long time.

Immediately upon that thought, Bai Shuixian froze. 'A long time?' Where did that thought come from?

Within her mind, Bai Shuixian heard a voice tell her, "Tell your grandmother you need to leave the city."

Carefully, Bai Shuixian silently asked, "Why?"

"Because you need to grow up," the deep male voice softly told Bai Shuixian.

At first, Bai Shuixian thought she was going crazy, but eventually, it seemed as though the male voice had made her fall into a trance of comfort and warmth. She felt that her body was no longer hers and the light around her started to darken.

A second later, the darkness Bai Shuixian saw became lighter and the warmth of the light embraced her. Immediately after she felt that sensation, it disappeared. She tried to look around for the light she had seen, but it was only filled with darkness.

Hearing a sweet and melodic voice call out her name, Bai Shuixian pitifully struggled to wake up.

"Xiao Xian, Xiao Xian," the feminine voice called out once again when it did not see Bai Shuixian reacting.

A little worried, Su Guang shook Bai Shuixian's body while calling out her name. Only then did she finally open her eyes, albeit her sight was a little bit blurry.

Rubbing her eyes, Bai Shuixian asked sleepily, "Is something wrong, grandma?"

Seeing Bai Shuixian's cute form, Su Guang hugged her and said, "I called you so many times but you never got up. I was worried that you were sick."

Shaking her head, Bai Shuixian said, "I'm still young and energetic. I won't get sick easily."

Though lecturing, Su Guang said in a spoiling tone, "Children are the most vulnerable to sickness and disease."

"Grandma, I'm so strong. How can I get sick?" Bai Shuixian replied in a mischievous tone with a smile on her lips.

Heaving a happy sigh, Su Guang asked, "Magistrate Chen told me that it was you who asked them to take care of me?"

"Hmm… Was it me?" Bai Shuixian mischievously asked in return.

"You-don't joke with me," Su Guang said in a serious tone as her gaze became sharper.

Su Guang did not care about her life or how well she lived, but she wanted to make sure Bai Shuixian was safe and happy. He was the only descendant left that she had. She could not bear to lose her grandson after losing her son.

The magistrate though not as powerful as the Bai family was also a powerful figure himself. When Bai Deming had gotten arrested, Su Guang thought she would also get arrested along with him.

However, Chen Shi had stated, "Someone told me to release the females."

Chen Shi only spoke that one sentence to her before leaving with the rest of the men. At that time, Su Guang was confused as to who it was that allowed the ladies to be safe, but for the men to not be forgiven at all. She did not understand what was going on as she looked at the empty estate.

It was only a few hours later when she was still standing at the entrance of the estate that she saw a carriage return. Earlier on, when they came to take away the clansmen, this was the carriage that Chen Shi had gotten out from. This carriage was important as it was personally bestowed by the emperor.

It was personally crafted by the emperor's men and the materials used were of unknown value. The public only knew that all the materials used were probably worth more than the Bai family assets. After the construction was made public, all the people in the capital knew that though Chen Shi was just a magistrate, he held more worth than anyone else.

Seeing this fancy carriage, Su Guang came out from her long trance and moved to welcome Chen Shi.

When she was about to call out his name, he instead said loudly, "Elder Madam Bai, please get in the carriage."

Su Guang was a bit confused, but she saw no harm in entering the carriage, so she got in.

When Su Guang got in, Chen Shi immediately addressed while standing up to bow, "Grandmother Su."

Surprised, Su Guang anxiously and jokingly said, "Magistrate, please. This old lady has not divorced yet."

Shaking his head, Chen Shi states, "I promised your grandson that I would take you in as a family member of my own and care for you. I really can't go against it."

Opening her eyes wide, Su Guang asked, "W-what did you say? Did you say it was my grandson?"

"Yes," Chen Shi affirmed. "Grandmother, please sit down."

Sitting down, Su Guang cried tears of joy.

In a teary and cracked voice, Su Guang asked, "Is my Xiao Xian fine?"

Handing a handkerchief to Su Guang, Chen Shi calmly answered, "He is fine. He told me he was going to be leaving the capital tonight, so I thought perhaps you would want to see him one more time before he left."

Shocked, Su Guang exclaimed, "What did you say? He's leaving the capital?"

"Indeed. I have no say in the boy's decision so I didn't stop him, but as his grandmother, I'm sure you would be able to convince him to not leave," Chen Shi stated.

With a weak voice, Su Guang sighed, "Will I really be able to stop Xiao Xian? He ran away from home without noticing anyone. He didn't even think to tell this grandmother of his."

"I'm sure he was just worried about you and decided not to tell," Chen Shi assured. "Grandmother, please take a rest. We'll be at the prisons soon."

"Hm? Prisons? Why would Xiao Xian be there?" Su Guang asked, losing her previous exhaustion.

"I do not know why. He only told me that he was to go visit his grandfather one last time," Chen Shi answered with a weak smile.

He was really not used to lying. Chen Shi would never lie or speak half-truths if not for the fact that Bai Shuixian was so helpful and young. Had it been others, he would not care to help with their extended families or care about their being.

Thinking all about their conversation in the carriage before she came here, Su Guang resolved herself to persuade Bai Shuixian to not leave the capital. She believed she was doing well. He had slept, leaning on her comfortably as the sun rose from the horizon.

"Tell me honestly, Xiao Xian, what did you promise the magistrate?" Su Guang asked with a serious face.

Bai Shuixian herself did not know what she had promised nor anything about what happened in the past few days. She didn't even know why she was in a carriage. The last thing she remembered was being in her room, dressing up to go to class with Teacher Chang.

Though, Bai Shuixian still knew that she was somehow involved with the activities of the previous days, so she replied, "Hm… I didn't promise anything. I only traded favors. If that's what you call it."