Hearing Professor Xiao's words, the elderly man's expression remained indifferent.
He lifted his eyes slightly, his face showing almost no ripple of emotion.
Professor Xiao said, "Old Xia, let me tell you something, but don't get too excited. I might have encountered your granddaughter."
Bang!
The teacup in Old Man Xia's hand suddenly fell to the ground, shattering into pieces.
He stood up abruptly and grabbed Xiao He.
Old Man Xia said excitedly, "What did you say? Who did you see?"
Xiao He was startled and quickly broke free, saying, "Didn't I tell you not to get too excited? I met a girl who I feel looks very much like your granddaughter, but I'm not certain if it's her."
Old Man Xia realized he had lost his composure just now and calmed his heart.
Hearing Xiao He say he wasn't certain, the look of expectation on his face faded considerably.
After all, over the years, he had experienced countless moments of sudden hope.
But in the end, they always resulted in disappointment.
Professor Xiao also let out a long breath.
After all, Old Xia was a senior figure at Beijing University.
If something really happened to him, Xiao He wouldn't be able to bear the responsibility.
Old Man Xia tried his best to restrain his emotions and asked, "What exactly is going on? Tell me quickly."
Professor Xiao and Old Man Xia were long-time colleagues and friends.
He understood that if Xiao He wasn't somewhat sure, he wouldn't have come looking for him.
Xiao He said, "When I went to Jiangzhou for recruitment this time, I ran into a girl. The moment I saw her, I felt she looked familiar. Isn't she the spitting image of your daughter?"
Professor Xiao and Old Man Xia were old friends; they had been on good terms since they were young.
Old Man Xia's daughter had also been watched over by Xiao He as she grew up.
Xiao He continued, "When I inquired, this girl's surname is also Xia, and she's an orphan. Don't you think that's a coincidence?"
When he first saw Xia Yingluo, Xiao He had felt an inexplicable sensation in his heart.
For some reason, seeing Xia Yingluo, he felt an inexplicable fondness for her, a feeling of special closeness.
Later, after conducting an investigation, he became more and more certain that this girl was very likely Old Man Xia's granddaughter.
Old Man Xia's expression became agitated again; he was even so excited that his speech became a bit strained.
"You... are you sure she is my granddaughter?"
Xiao He nodded. "It's almost a certainty."
Old Man Xia asked excitedly, "How is she doing now?"
Xiao He hesitated for a moment before saying, "She is doing very well. Through her own hard work, she got into Beijing University and was the second place in the entire province. She is very outstanding, but..." Old Man Xia asked urgently, "But what?"
Xiao He sighed and said, "Old Xia, I told you not to get too excited. She grew up in an Orphanage."
Old Man Xia froze for a moment, his expression becoming pained.
Then, he sighed and said, "Actually, I thought of that long ago. I've been looking for her all these years, but there was never any news."
Old Man Xia's family was also from a scholarly background. While not exactly a wealthy aristocratic clan, they were an intellectual family with no worries about food or clothing.
The family lacked nothing, and the only thing that made Old Xia feel sad was that his family was not complete.
Old Man Xia's parents had passed away early, and his wife had died of illness when she was young, leaving behind only one daughter.
Old Xia doted on this daughter in every possible way.
The daughter was very beautiful, but when she reached her 20s, Old Xia's daughter fell in love with one of his students.
Setting the romance aside, the two of them had a child before they were even married.
How could the conservative Old Xia accept his daughter having a child out of wedlock?
Old Xia immediately flew into a rage and demanded his daughter break up with the student.
As it turned out, the daughter was very stubborn. Unable to persuade Old Xia, she actually eloped with her Boyfriend.
Once she left, there was never any further word from her.
Xiao He understood Old Xia's feelings.
After all, in that era, pregnancy out of wedlock was seen as a moral failing.
Old Xia had always been deeply influenced by traditional concepts. How could he accept his daughter doing such a thing?
After his daughter left, Old Xia actually felt very regretful.
But after so many years, what use was regret? His daughter could no longer return.
Old Xia took a deep breath and asked, "Do you have a photo of her?"
Xiao He said, "I only have the photo from the recruitment form, but I have an interview about her."
Xiao He turned on the computer. As Old Xia sat before the screen and looked at the girl in front of him, old tears streamed down his face.
That's right, this was indeed his granddaughter, Xia Yingluo.
The girl before him was carved from the exact same mold as his daughter.
As Xia Bo watched the video, his tears had already blurred his vision.
He greedily watched the interview video over and over again.
Finally, his face suddenly darkened.
"Yingluo is so young, how does she already have a Boyfriend?" Old Xia was a bit unhappy when he saw Ye Chen in the video.
Xiao He smiled awkwardly and said, "This young man is quite extraordinary. He's the provincial top scorer of the National Higher Education Entrance Examination in Jiang Province."
Old Man Xia said dissatisfiedly, "So what if he's the Top Scholar? My granddaughter is only 18 years old and isn't even an adult yet. How can she be in a relationship?"
Xiao He couldn't help but remind him, "Old Xia, have you forgotten how your daughter left?"
In truth, Xiao He was Old Xia's friend of many years; otherwise, he wouldn't have dared to offer such advice.
Old Xia fell silent for a moment, then looked at Ye Chen, still feeling a bit disgruntled.
"My granddaughter is so beautiful and so outstanding. Is he worthy of her?"
Xiao He couldn't help but laugh. "Hehe, didn't you look closely? The boy is the provincial top scorer."
"What does a Top Scholar count for? I've seen plenty of Top Scholars." Old Xia was still somewhat defiant.
However, what he said was also the truth. A Top Scholar really didn't mean much to Old Xia.
He had personally cultivated dozens of them.
"Besides, my granddaughter is so good-looking!" The more Old Xia looked at his granddaughter, the more he liked her.
"Old Xia, is the boy lacking in looks?"
Old Xia said with a face full of disdain, "He's just average!"
Although he was reluctant, Old Xia still admitted that Ye Chen was indeed very handsome.
Xiao He said seriously, "Old Xia, don't blame me for not warning you. Yingluo actually wasn't happy before. It was precisely because this Ye Chen kept helping her that she became the lively and cheerful person she is now. Do you think she likes you more, or does she like her Boyfriend more?"
Hearing Xiao He's words, Old Man Xia was suddenly stunned.
Xiao He continued, "Even though you are her maternal grandfather, will she acknowledge you? So this matter is hard to say; you'll still need Ye Chen's help. From what I know, Yingluo listens to Ye Chen the most."
These words caused Old Xia to fall into deep thought.
Back then, it was because of him that his daughter was driven away, so he would absolutely never do such a stupid thing again.
In fact, Old Xia was worried. Because he had driven away Yingluo's mother, causing her to become an orphan and not seeing her for 18 years, would his granddaughter still blame him? Would Yingluo refuse to acknowledge him as her grandfather? Now, Old Xia himself had no certainty in his heart.
Could it be that he really had to curry favor with this kid?
Old Xia felt somewhat unwilling in his heart.
The reason Old Xia was conflicted was that if Xia Yingluo had a Boyfriend, she would surely spend most of her time with him.
Old Man Xia knew his own time was running out. How could such a short amount of time be enough? He still wanted to enjoy the happiness of family life.