Slowly, Lay rose from his chair, grief clouding his face. He was puzzled, hurt.
"It took all these years… to say the truth?"
His voice trembled. "Why, Granny… why? Why did it take so many years? I thought I had lost my parents forever. Why did we suffer alone when Father was alive? Why wasn't he with us, Granny? You always watched over me wherever I went, but… I don't understand. I—I can't believe what we are."
Granny's eyes shimmered with tears.
"Sorry, dear… sorry, my dear pumpkin. Your past was dark, unpleasant. You were bullied for not having parents, and you were slowly turning stone-hearted. I didn't want you to feel small, or look down on yourself after hearing the truth. Parents' lives—their past, their present, their future—deeply reflect on their children. I couldn't let you break into pieces. You are my only hope, my trust, my pumpkin. I couldn't lose you to them. They aren't humans… they are monsters. I am not strong."
Her voice cracked as she cried.
Lay dropped to his knees, clutching Granny's legs, tears spilling from his eyes.
Granny bent down, lifted him up, and gently wiped his cheeks.
"Sorry, dear… will you forgive your granny?"
Lay nodded silently.
Later, Granny made soup, rice, and meat, urging him to eat more than usual.
That night, Lay couldn't sleep. Every word Granny had said turned into pictures in his mind—the death of his mother, the way his father had cried, the precious moments they had shared. And then, the sweet lie: "Your father is abroad."
Tears rolled from his eyes to his cheeks without his notice.
It took many days for him to feel like himself again.
One day, Lay asked softly,
"Granny… why are we separate from Papa? I thought the sick man I saw was someone else. I want to see him… please."
"No, dear, you can't. Though Mr. Lu is successful now, he still hates us. He believes your father is dead, but he also knows you are alive. If you appear, you could shake things up and cause harm, so he hasn't lowered his guard. I just want you to be safe."
"Then why didn't you change my name?"
"I thought about it… but I couldn't. Your name is the gift your parents gave you. God has already taken everything else from you, and I couldn't take that too."
Lay just looked at her, his eyes welling up again.
"Granny… if he's seen you, then we aren't safe, right?"
"We old bugs all look the same," she said with a faint smile.
"Bugs?"
"That's the word he used for me. But don't worry. I never gave away your parents' real names. Thanks to Mr. Wang."
Lay kept the rest inside.
I've been protected all these years without even knowing. I will return one day… to take back what was snatched from me.
These were the words of Lay, twenty-one years old.