Chapter Sixty-Four: It Was Him All Along

At five o'clock in the afternoon, a black Audi pulled up to the building where Li Yunxi lived. The driver stepped out, scanned his surroundings, and then walked to the rear door to gently open it for an elderly man in his fifties.

After stepping out, the old man gave the driver a brief instruction before heading inside. The driver returned to the car, parked it nearby, and waited.

A short while later, the old man reached the door of Li Yunxi's apartment and knocked lightly. After the doorbell rang a few times, the door opened to reveal a smiling Li Yunxi.

"Dad! You're here," Li Yunxi said happily upon seeing his father.

Li Senior, who had arrived with a pleasant expression, immediately pulled back his smile. "So you still remember to call me Dad!" he said, sounding somewhat indignant. "I’ve wasted my efforts raising you. You live so close, yet you haven’t been to the city to see me all year."

"Dad, I’m sorry. It was my fault for being so stubborn and crossing you in the past. I felt too ashamed to face you, fearing that my presence would only anger you further." Recalling the past conflicts with his father, Li Yunxi felt a pang of regret. Perhaps if he had communicated properly back then, they wouldn't have spent so many years estranged.

Hearing this, Li Senior sighed, a sense of melancholy and regret washing over him as he recalled those years.

"After all these years, I’ve finally come to understand. I’ve thought it through. Whatever you choose to do from now on, I won't stop you, nor will I force you into things you don't want to do."

These words touched a tender spot in Li Yunxi’s heart, and tears welled up in his eyes.

"Dad, thank you for understanding. I was too impulsive before and made things difficult for you. Now that Tianyi is well, my greatest wish is to watch him grow up and for our family to live happily."

"Where is my Tianyi? Let me see him!" Li Senior looked around the living room, hoping to catch a glimpse of his grandson.

"Dad, he's in the bedroom. Let me tell you, Tianyi is so clever now." With that, Li Yunxi led his father toward the bedroom.

Inside, they found Chen Lin sitting on the edge of the bed, playfully coaxing Li Tianyi. The boy was happily fiddling with his toys, his expression radiating innocence and charm. Compared to his past state, Tianyi now truly looked like a normal child. His adorable face beamed with smiles, and his once-dull eyes now sparkled with a newfound vitality that made him instantly endearing.

Upon seeing Li Senior, Chen Lin felt a tightening in her chest, a remnant of her past fear. "Father," she said timidly.

Li Senior looked at her with a hint of self-reproach. "Chen Lin, it was my fault as a father in the past. These years have been hard on you. I’ve realized my mistakes; from now on, you and Yunxi should just live your lives well."

"Thank you, Father." Upon finally receiving the elder's approval, the heavy burden Chen Lin had carried for so long vanished, and a joyful smile bloomed on her face.

Li Yunxi then took Li Tianyi’s hand, pulled him into his arms, and pointed at the old man. "Tianyi, this is Grandpa. Call him Grandpa, and he’ll buy you lots of fun toys, okay?"

"Grandpa... Grandpa..." Li Tianyi’s large, bright eyes darted around, and he chirped in a milky, childish voice.

Hearing this, Li Senior’s face lit up like a flower, his previously stern features softening into a warm, kind expression. He scooped the boy into his arms, his voice thick with emotion. "Tianyi, my sweet grandson."

Tianyi, not being shy, didn't struggle; instead, he reached out his tiny hands to touch his grandfather’s cheek and giggled.

"Grand... pa..."

Watching the scene, Li Yunxi reached out to embrace Chen Lin. They shared a smile, having not felt this happy in a long time.

Half an hour later, as Tianyi began to tire, Chen Lin lulled him to sleep. She offered to go prepare dinner, but Li Yunxi stopped her.

"Dad," Li Yunxi said to his father, "Tianyi’s recovery is all thanks to Zhou Xuan. I think we should invite him to dinner tonight."

"Saving Tianyi is a debt of immense gratitude; inviting him to dinner is only right. By the way, tell me how this Zhou Xuan managed to save him. You and Chen Lin have traveled all over the country for two years, visiting every famous doctor in every hospital, until I had lost all hope." Li Senior had been well aware of the boy's condition and had used his own connections to find specialists, all of whom had declared it hopeless.

This had been a great source of disappointment for him. He had never been satisfied with Li Yunxi’s marriage, and with his grandson in such a state, his anger toward his son had only deepened. He felt that Li Yunxi had made every wrong turn: refusing to follow his advice on university, rejecting his career plans, and marrying the wrong woman.

Li Yunxi had been equally headstrong, choosing to study physical education, secretly registering his marriage with Chen Lin, and settling for a job as a humble gym teacher. Because of this, their relationship had been strained for years, with barely two visits a year.

"Dad, this is how it happened with Zhou Xuan..." Li Yunxi recounted the details of Zhou Xuan’s involvement and watched his father’s reaction. In his heart, Zhou Xuan, who had provided such a miraculous medicine, was now the savior of their entire family.

As he listened, Li Senior’s expression shifted to one of astonishment. He was genuinely shocked; he hadn't expected the path to Tianyi’s recovery to be so fantastical—a mysterious man hiding in the countryside with extraordinary abilities, a magical pill that could cure cognitive impairment, and the sudden, powerful emergence of this Zhou Xuan.

"This Zhou Xuan is truly surprising. Regardless of anything else, since he saved Tianyi, he is our family's benefactor. As long as it’s nothing illegal, if he ever needs help, we will certainly provide it." Li Senior held to his principles, but he decided that he must meet this Zhou Xuan to see what made him so unique.

Zhou Xuan received Li Yunxi’s call just before seven. He was surprised that Li Yunxi wanted to thank him by hosting a dinner on a riverboat. Fortunately, Zhou Xuan hadn’t eaten yet.

Taking a three-wheeler to the riverbank, he found the boat mentioned. A smile tugged at his lips. "Oh? Isn’t this the place where I had fish with Liu Yixue last time? What a coincidence."

As soon as he reached the boat, Li Yunxi hurried over to greet him, gripping his hand. "Zhou Xuan, I really can’t thank you enough. From now on, you are my brother. If anyone dares to bully you, I’ll take it personally."

"Haha, Teacher Li, you are too kind, there’s no need for that," Zhou Xuan replied politely before they headed to the second floor.

At the door of the private room, Zhou Xuan looked inside and saw that, besides Chen Lin and the sleeping Tianyi, there was another person—an older man. For a moment, Zhou Xuan felt a sense of familiarity.

"Zhou Xuan, let me introduce you. This is my father."

The introduction sent a jolt through Zhou Xuan: *It’s him—Li Jing, the Secretary of the Rongzhou Municipal Committee.*