Win My Husband Over to Find My Child
Chapter 236: Well... Could He Make It Out Alive Today?

Chapter 236: Well... Could He Make It Out Alive Today?

"G-grandma... please! Calm down! Sit... sit again..."

Leslie raised both hands, randomly waving as she tried to ease the tension between Calix and Old Madam Xu. Her heart jumped into her throat seeing the old lady almost fainted.

Fortunately, the Xu family’s matriarch’s spirit remained tough in front of her grandson’s abrupt revelations. If not, someone might need to call for a doctor right this instant.

Old Madam Xu swiftly shifted her gaze from the anxious yet guilty Calix to the worried Leslie. She was still facing difficulty in accepting the disclosures.

’This is... nonsense!’

Old Madam Xu shook her head, sensing chills ghosting down her spine. Her incredulous gaze was locked on Calix.

Her grandson had just dropped some earth-shattering bombshells. Despite how far-fetched he sounded, he wouldn’t ever joke like that. She had to recollect herself if she wanted to interrogate him.

"Haa... what did you just tell me?" Old Madam Xu exhaled a deep sigh as she ran a hand through her white hair, "You two met before Calix’s accident? And... you even have a child together? That child is in the orphanage?"

What was that?

Were they used to be in a secret relationship?

Or... was it simply a one night of passion?

"Y-yes!" Calix immediately replied, continuously nodding his head like a rooster pecking grains, "Grandma, we’re telling you the truth ah. This is not a plot of your favorite morning drama."

Old Madam Xu was thoroughly speechless. Slapping her palm on the table again, her glowering gaze threatened Calix, "...dare to repeat that?"

"No, ma’am."

Squaring his shoulders, Calix meekly returned to his seat. He looked like a child getting scolded by his grandmother. His tall frame hunched slightly opposite the petite yet angry old lady.

Leslie briefly stared at Calix before she looked at Old Madam Xu, understanding why the matriarch had difficulty assessing the situation.

"Grandma, please... drink some water first... We’ll talk again... soon..."

The teapot and the jug still stood firmly on the table. Fortunately, the furniture was steady enough to accept Old Madam Xu’s hand slaps earlier, spilling no water.

"Yes, Grandma... Here, have some water ah."

Calix quickly grabbed the unused cup before hastily pouring some tea. He was still scared silly by his grandmother’s threatening glare.

Well... could he make it out alive today?

Calix quickly racked his brain, urgently finding ways to save himself against Old Madam Xu’s impending wrath.

First, he shouldn’t continue fanning the flame of her anger. Let’s start with a cup of tea.

Old Madam Xu scoffed as Calix put the cup in front of her. She understood better what was going on in her troublesome grandson’s mind.

"Calix, you better explain everything properly," frowning, Old Madam Xu inadvertently deepened her wrinkles, "What happened before? What is happening now?"

Old Madam Xu had thought how weird Calix’s marriage arrangement was. Knowing her grandson’s personality, he wouldn’t simply pick a comatose lady to be his wife due to its conveniences.

His being secretive didn’t help answer her curiosity.

Did he really have feelings for the lady?

Seeing how gentle and well Calix treated Leslie after she regained consciousness cemented the assumption more into Old Madam Xu’s mind.

But...

They already had a child together?!

"G-grandma! Careful ah!"

Grabbing the teacup, Old Madam Xu abruptly drank everything in one go. Her action once again stunned Calix and Leslie.

Thud!

Old Madam Xu put down the teacup. Wiping her lips roughly in a way unbefitting for a noble matriarch, she repeated her words, "Tell me everything. Don’t leave a single detail."

"...yes, Grandma."

Calix inwardly let out a sigh of relief. His grandmother’s initial reaction was still scary but, less than what he thought in the beginning.

Well... now, let’s continue to survive ah.

"That night, I felt more drunk than usual. I asked someone to lead me to the lounge. Instead, that attendant brought me to a hotel room. There..."

As discussed earlier, Calix handled the explanation. Leslie would only chime in when needed. He began by bringing up the moment from six years ago.

The young man did his best to relay everything – from the drugging incident, the following car crash, realizing the identity of the woman and discovering their child.

"...didn’t really remember what happened. But, the memory became clearer starting last year."

"I made sure that woman was really Leslie. Then, I learned of her recent accident."

"It’s just a guess. But, I did investigate the child. She has been living there since birth."

"Calliope... her name is Calliope. Isn’t her name pretty, Grandma?"

"Ah, Grandma! This isn’t Leslie’s fault! The Li family exiled her when she’s pregnant. They... separated her from that child."

"We only talked about that child last night. I confessed to Leslie about my... investigation behind her back. Turned out, she already has a feeling that I knew."

Calix’s voice echoed quietly in the vast greenhouse. It tended to be quiet as he carried the weight of his guilt. At times, he spoke too abruptly, driven by his tumultuous emotions.

Leslie let Calix continue holding her hand in between his palms. She gave him a squeeze from time to time, trying to channel him some of her strength.

Old Madam Xu continued to be surprised by the details. Despite wanting to intervene to ask her own questions, she still held herself back.

Her questions could wait. She needed to listen to the entirety of her grandson’s story first.

Calix eventually reached the end. Exhaling a sigh, he mournfully told Old Madam Xu of the last piece.

"Now that we’ve found Calliope... we want to bring her back to us as soon as possible. We came here to tell you that, Grandma. At the very least, we don’t want to hide it from you."

Pursing her lips, Leslie quietly nodded as she acknowledged Calix’s words. With her eyes on Old Madam Xu, she whispered, "...we know it’s very surprising... to you, Grandma. It’s not our intention... We’re sorry..."

Old Madam Xu blinked, taking a moment to ease the tension constricting her heart. If she wasn’t strong enough, she might have already succumbed to her fainting spells a few times.

Never once did she expect to learn such a life-changing matter from her second grandson.

No wonder Calix chose Leslie as his bride. He intended to investigate the truth behind that night. Eventually, he grew closer to her as they navigated their uncanny relationship.

And... their link revealed the existence of a child.

An innocent child.

Old Madam Xu coughed twice before a sigh left her mouth. Her voice shaky, she inquired, "The child... the one named Calliope... May I see her photos?"

Calix and Leslie blinked, never foreseeing that would be Old Madam Xu’s first request after she was done listening.

"Y-yes... You can, Grandma."

Calix hurriedly brought out his phone from his jacket pocket. Hands shivering, he handed the sleek metal to Old Madam Xu after looking for yesterday’s photos.

Calix captured some photos when Calliope and Leslie played in the ball pool pit. He even asked the orphanage staff to take a few that included all three of them.

"Here... she’s here."

Old Madam Xu took the phone from Calix, sensing another level of anxiousness from her grandson. She shifted her gaze from him to the phone screen.

"...adorable."

The word slipped out of Old Madam Xu’s mouth. Wonder glimmered in her eyes as she intently stared at the little girl in between Calix and Leslie.

The little one’s bright smile unknowingly hooked her old heart.