If You Are a Dodder Flower

Part 51

"After all, my surname is not Cao," Xia Rou said slowly, looking at Cao Yang.

"Big brother... When my mother passed away, I was very scared because she was the last of my family." She tried to recall the feelings she had in the past when Cheng Wan had passed away. "Inside the house was me alone and I sat on the sofa, not knowing what to do. Just sitting... Even as the morning passed, I didn't eat."

"After that, Uncle Zhou came to knock on my door to invite me to this house, saying that Uncle wanted me to live here. At that time... I was like the drowning mouse that encountered a boat..."

Though these feelings had been from long ago, they were very memorable. Now that Xia Rou was recalling them, tears immediately began to spill from her eyes.

"I am really... really grateful to uncle, and all of you, big brother."

She whimpered, continuing, "These past three years, the only reason I could be carefree and attend school was because of all of you."

"But I'm an adult now." Translated by The Novelst

"I shouldn't continue to stay here in this house without leaving."

She wiped her face but tears continued to streak down her face. She sniffled and let out a long breath.

I feel that a person shouldn't be greedy. When my mother passed away, I was only fifteen. I couldn't live independently. But now I'm eighteen and I can live on campus. By the time I graduate, I'll be twenty-one. Now I can live on my own."

"Big brother..." She looked at Cao Yang, and said softly, "Thank you for taking care of me the entire time. In the future... I'm fine on my own now, and you... You don't have to worry about me, ah."

When she said "ah" at the end, the tone was raised, as though she were trying to soothe him.

She seemed to be made out of water. Even her voice was gentle like water.

Cao Yang was touched.

His anger had already vanished into thin air. All that remained was pity.

Xia Rou... This child.. How could she be so distressed!

"Silly girl," he said helplessly. "Silly girl!"

"You're really silly!" He patted her head and sighed.

"Though I can't say I took you as family from the start, since that would be too much to believe, right now, you are already a part of this family."

"You think just because your name isn't Cao you should stop living here? Silly child, let me tell you, feelings are developed over time and are never there from the start."

"In this world, aren't there many cases that blood relatives turn into enemies? Even though they all bear the same surname."

"But..." Xia Rou wanted to interrupt.

Cao Yang didn't give her that chance. He looked at her directly and said, "You want to leave just like this. Have you thought about my father?"

"Ah...?" Xia Rou opened her mouth, puzzled.

"Actually, in the beginning, I thought to send you to a boarding school. That way it would be easiest. But it was my father."

"The person who wanted to bring you home was my father."

"The person who decided to give you an identity was also my father."

"Now, when you walk outside, how do people see you? To the people of the capital, you are.... 'Xia Rou of the Cao Family.' That's your identity."