Chapter 117 Visiting Linus
Olivia took a sip of water, looked up at him with a hint of questioning in her eyes, and asked, "How could Grandpa suddenly become like this? Did something upset him?"
Luca frowned and shook his head. "The doctors aren't sure either. They said it's a relapse of an old condition. He was already unconscious when they brought him in."
"That's impossible!" Olivia raised her voice, her emotions flaring. "Grandpa has always been in good health. When I left five years ago, he could still hike up mountains. How could he just faint out of nowhere? There must be a reason. Did someone make him angry? Did something happen?"
Luca looked at her reddened eyes and felt a pang in his heart. "I've already asked someone to look into it, but we haven't found the exact cause yet. The doctors said it might be due to his age and declining organ function."
"I don't believe it!" Olivia retorted. "Grandpa isn't the kind of person with a weak body. There must be another reason!"
Deep down, she had a nagging feeling that Grandpa's condition had something to do with Luca, maybe even related to Wendy, and that it had upset Grandpa. But she had no proof, so she could only vent her frustration on Luca.
The two started arguing back and forth, and the atmosphere in the hospital room quickly grew tense.
The hospital director stood at the door, wanting to intervene but not daring to.
Olivia took a deep breath, realizing she was losing control. She turned to Luca and said, "I want to be alone with Grandpa for a while."
Luca paused for a moment, then nodded. "Alright, I'll wait for you in the hallway. Call me if you need anything."
He turned to leave but stopped at the door, pulling a pass card from his pocket and handing it to her. "This is the access card for the nursing home. You can use it to enter the room or go to the cafeteria."
Olivia took the card, clutched it in her hand, and said nothing.
Luca glanced at her, then finally turned and left.
The room fell quiet again. Olivia sat by the bed, holding Grandpa's hand, and started talking to him.
She sat there chatting until noon, when her stomach growled from hunger, reminding her she hadn't eaten yet.
Stepping out of the room, she saw Luca leaning against a bench in the hallway, looking at something on his phone.
"Time to eat," Olivia said, her tone softening a bit.
Luca looked up at her and put his phone away. "There's a self-service cafeteria in the nursing home. I'll take you there."
They walked downstairs side by side, neither saying a word along the way.
The cafeteria wasn't crowded, mostly filled with nursing home staff and patients' family members.
Luca picked up a tray and naturally placed a piece of grilled chicken breast on it for Olivia. "This is light. Have some."
Olivia didn't refuse and started eating quietly.
She was starving after the long, exhausting day and all the crying. She had no energy left.
Watching her eat, Luca felt the irritation in his heart slowly fade away.
He could understand Olivia's feelings. If it were him seeing a loved one in this state, he'd lose control too.
"I'll have my assistant bring some things over this afternoon. If you want to stay overnight here, it'll be more convenient," Luca said.
Olivia shook her head. "No need. I want to go back and see Leo tonight. I'll come again tomorrow."
Luca didn't object. "Alright. After we eat, I'll have the driver take you back."
After lunch, Olivia spent a little more time with Grandpa in the room before leaving the nursing home with Luca.
As the car drove away from the mountainous area, Olivia leaned back in her seat and gradually fell asleep.
Luca looked at her tired face as she slept, his gaze softening.
He raised his hand, wanting to brush the stray hair from her forehead, but stopped midway.
He was afraid of waking her up, and even more afraid that his touch might make her uncomfortable.
By the time they reached the city, it was already evening.
Luca dropped Olivia off at her apartment complex. "I'll have the driver pick you up tomorrow."
"No need. I'll drive myself," Olivia declined. "You should rest early too."
With that, she opened the car door and quickly walked into the complex.
Luca watched her figure disappear into the building entrance before telling the driver to leave.
As soon as Olivia stepped inside her apartment, she smelled the aroma of food.
Ella was just coming out of the kitchen with a dish. "You're back? Go wash your hands and eat. I saved some of your favorite grilled ribs for you."
Leo rushed over and hugged her, waving a drawing in his hand. "Mommy! You're back! I drew a picture today. Look!"
Olivia's heart warmed, and much of her exhaustion melted away.
She washed her hands and sat at the dining table, looking at Ella and Leo, feeling a deep sense of comfort.
This was the life she wanted—simple, peaceful, without all the messy complications.
During dinner, Ella hesitated for a moment before speaking up. "Jason came looking for you today."
Olivia paused mid-bite. "What did he want?"
"What else? He asked if you've thought things over," Ella sighed. "He waited downstairs for almost two hours. I told him you were out handling something, and he finally left."
"Did he say anything else?" Olivia pressed.
"Not much, but he didn't seem right," Ella recalled. "He sounded a bit anxious when he spoke, and his eyes looked off, almost obsessive. I told him you might be busy for a few days, and he kept asking where you went. I didn't dare say too much."
Olivia frowned, feeling a bit annoyed.
She knew how Jason felt about her, but she really couldn't return his feelings.
"I got it. After I sort out Linus's situation, I'll talk to him clearly," Olivia said calmly.
Ella looked at her. "Liv, I'm not trying to meddle. Even though Jason is good to you, he's too intense. Sometimes being too stubborn isn't a good thing. It's easy to get stuck in a dead end. When you deal with him, be cautious. I can tell he's very possessive of you, and that kind of feeling might not last."
Olivia stayed silent. Ella was right.
Jason's kindness came with a heavy, suffocating pressure that made it hard for her to breathe.
She hadn't responded to him because she was afraid a direct rejection would hurt him. But now, it seemed dragging it out wasn't the solution either.
After dinner, Leo insisted on doing a livestream, saying it had been a while since he'd connected with his fans.
Olivia couldn't say no, so she helped him set up the phone and adjust the angle.
"Mommy, can you join me on the livestream?" Leo tugged at her hand, pleading.
"Mommy will just watch from the side. You chat with everyone on your own," Olivia smiled and declined, sitting on the nearby couch.
Leo greeted the camera with a sweet smile. "Hi everyone, I'm Leo! Long time no see! Today I'm going to draw a little bunny!"
The livestream chat exploded with fans flooding in, comments scrolling fast:
"Wow! Leo's finally live! Missed you so much!"
"You're getting cuter every day! Drawing a bunny today?"
"Is Mommy nearby? Wanna see Mommy!"
Leo responded cheerfully, picked up his crayons, and drew with focus.
Olivia sat nearby, casually flipping through a book, not noticing that the edge of her sweater had accidentally slipped into the frame.
She was wearing a beige knit cardigan with unique striped cuffs, quite eye-catching.
Meanwhile, Luca got home and, as usual, opened the livestream app.
Lately, he'd been watching Leo's streams every day. Seeing this soft, adorable kid somehow calmed his mind.
Opening the livestream, he saw Leo hunched over the table, drawing with a serious little frown.
A faint smile tugged at Luca's lips as he slid his finger across the screen, ready to send some virtual gifts.