socalfunplaces Page 65
Page 65
He had just turned a corner when he saw Xiao Ci standing at the company entrance.
Today, Xiao Ci was wearing a light-colored JK uniform, paired with white over-the-knee socks and round-toed leather shoes, looking pure and cute.
She stood there all alone, like an abandoned kitten.
His eyes were red and swollen like walnuts, clearly from crying for a long time.
Her slender, jade-like hands gripped the hem of her skirt tightly, her knuckles turning white from the force.
He seemed completely lost and disoriented.
When she saw Lan Tianyu walking towards her from a distance.
It was as if they had seen the last straw.
The pent-up sorrow erupted in an instant.
"Uncle!!"
Xiao Ci let out a heart-wrenching scream.
She rushed towards Lan Tianyu without a care in the world and buried her head in his arms.
She hugged his waist tightly with both hands, buried her face in his chest, and burst into tears.
His thin shoulders trembled violently, and scalding tears instantly soaked the front of Lan Tianyu's shirt.
"Waaaah, Grandma... Grandma, she..."
Xiao Ci wept uncontrollably, the grief of losing her only relative making it almost impossible for her to utter a complete sentence.
It was rush hour, and people were coming and going at the building entrance.
Xiao Ci's sudden crying instantly attracted countless curious, inquisitive, and even slightly strange glances.
Many people stopped to watch and whisper among themselves.
Lan Tianyu could clearly feel those gazes, and a sense of helplessness welled up inside him.
He wasn't afraid of anything.
However, in this situation, a young girl throwing herself into his arms and crying could easily cause unnecessary misunderstandings.
"Don't be afraid, it's okay."
Lan Tianyu whispered a comforting word, and then teleported away without hesitation.
The next instant, the two figures disappeared from the building entrance, leaving behind only a few passersby looking at each other in bewilderment.
A quiet, deserted street corner.
In the dim shadows, only Lan Tianyu and Xiao Ci were there.
Xiao Ci still held Lan Tianyu tightly, her crying gradually changing from loud sobs to suppressed whimpers.
But the trembling in his body did not stop.
Lan Tianyu gently patted her back, his movements soft and rhythmic, and asked in a low voice:
"Alright, Xiao Ci, calm down."
"Tell me, what happened?"
Upon hearing this, Xiao Ci raised her head, her eyes brimming with tears as she looked at Lan Tianyu, her voice choked with emotion.
"When I got home at noon, I found my grandma lying there motionless..."
"Uncle, I don't know what to do. I don't know how to handle Grandma's funeral arrangements. I'm so scared..."
Lan Tianyu understood, but a sense of heaviness also arose in his heart.
He had already noticed a few days ago when he treated Grandma Xiaoci that the old woman was on her last legs.
Lost lifespan cannot be recovered; death is inevitable.
"Don't be afraid, I'm here."
"Leave your grandmother's matter to me."
Lan Tianyu's voice is steady and powerful, with a reassuring charm.
He then took out his phone and dialed a number.
"Hello, is this the funeral home?"
"I need to urgently handle the body of an elderly person who has just passed away. The address is..."
After explaining the situation in detail, Lan Tianyu looked at Xiao Ci, who was still sobbing.
“I’ve contacted the funeral home. They will take care of your grandmother’s body. Let’s go home and wait for them to come.”
"Uncle, I'll do whatever you say."
Xiao Ci now regards Lan Tianyu as her pillar of support, so naturally she has no objections.
Lan Tianyu nodded and said no more. He put his arm around Xiao Ci's slender waist and teleported away from the deserted street corner.
About a minute.
The two appeared in front of the tenement building where Xiao Ci lived.
Lan Tianyu pushed open the slightly chipped door, and a whiff of air mixed with the scent of old furniture and faint herbs rushed out.
The room's furnishings remained simple and old.
The only difference was that on that narrow bed, Xiao Ci's grandmother lay quietly.
He was covered with a thin, old sheet, his face peaceful, as if he were just asleep.
Perhaps because the time since his death was relatively short and the weather was not hot, there was no unpleasant smell in the house.
When Xiao Ci saw her grandmother's body, tears silently streamed down her face again.
But she forced herself not to rush over and cry, instead tightly clutching Lan Tianyu's clothes as if he were her only support.
After a while, steady footsteps echoed in the hallway.
Two funeral home staff members, dressed in dark uniforms and with solemn and professional expressions, walked in carrying a stretcher and a body bag.
Their movements were slow and practiced, showing respect for the deceased.
"Please grief."
The lead staff member nodded slightly to Xiao Ci, then looked at Lan Tianyu: "Was it you who made the call?"
"It's me." Lan Tianyu nodded. "Thank you for your help."
The staff member said no more and began operating quickly and gently.
They carefully transferred the old man's body to a stretcher, then covered it with a clean white body bag and carefully zipped it up.
The entire process was quiet, swift, and orderly, minimizing any secondary stress on the family members.
"Please accept our deepest condolences to the family."
The staff member looked at Xiao Ci and spoke gently.
"You will need to come back to the funeral home with us to complete the relevant procedures, including death certificate confirmation, cremation appointment, and selection of ash storage or burial.
Upon hearing this, Xiao Ci looked at Lan Tianyu with a blank and helpless expression.
"I go with you."
Lan Tianyu sighed. After all, she was just a seventeen or eighteen-year-old girl, so it was normal for her not to understand anything.
Xiao Ci nodded vigorously.
The group went downstairs and got into the hearse's vehicle.
The atmosphere inside the carriage was heavy. Xiao Ci sat close to Lan Tianyu, her little hands icy cold.
Upon arriving at the funeral home, things went exceptionally smoothly with Lan Tianyu accompanying them throughout.
His calm and composed approach made those complicated and unfamiliar procedures simple for Xiao Ci.
The staff were also exceptionally cooperative, making the process extremely efficient.
All the procedures were completed in just over an hour.
The funeral home staff handed Xiao Ci a receipt.
"All the formalities are completed. Come over at 9:00 AM on Sunday with this receipt for the cremation ceremony."
Stepping out of the solemn gates of the funeral home, a slight chill was in the air.
Xiao Ci clutched the receipt tightly in her hand, as if she were holding onto her grandmother's final resting place.
The grief of losing her loved ones still lingers over her.
But the feeling of being completely lost and terrified had largely dissipated thanks to Lan Tianyu's silent companionship and methodical handling of the situation.
"Uncle, thank you so much..."
Xiao Ci raised her head, her red and swollen eyes looking at Lan Tianyu, her voice hoarse but full of sincere gratitude.
Without the older man, she really wouldn't know how she would have faced all of this alone.
Thinking this, and looking at the uncle's profile, my heart suddenly started beating a little faster.
She didn't know what this feeling was like.
But I really want to stay by the uncle's side forever.
Enjoy the warmth he gives.
[Xiao Ci's affinity with the host: Supreme, collection efficiency +300%!]
Hearing the system notification, Lan Tianyu sighed inwardly.
This level of affection indicates that Xiao Ci has a deep dependence on him.
He looked at the girl in front of him who had lost her only support and gently patted her shoulder.
"Look ahead and don't dwell on past sorrows."
Xiao Ci nodded vigorously, tears silently streaming down her face once again.
But this time, besides sadness, there seemed to be a hint of courage to face the future in the tears.
"Xiao Ci, what are your plans for the future?"
Lan Tianyu pondered for a moment before asking the question.
"Intend?"
Upon hearing this, Xiao Ci's eyes instantly became empty and lost.
"I do not know either."
“I used to work to earn money to buy painkillers for my grandma so that she wouldn’t be in so much pain when her old injuries flared up.”
"Now that Grandma is gone, what can I do?"
Her words were filled with uncertainty about the future.
Lan Tianyu wasn't surprised; after all, Xiao Ci was still just a little girl.
I used to have something to hold me back, but now that I'm living alone in another time and space, I'm bound to feel lost.
Given the connection between the two, he decided to help Xiao Ci find a way out.
"How old are you?"
He looked up at Xiao Ci and asked her a question.
"I'll be eighteen in a few months."
Xiao Ci answered softly.
Lan Tianyu pondered for a while, and an idea came to him.
Normally, people of this age should be sitting in classrooms preparing for the college entrance examination.
Therefore, arranging for her to take the college entrance examination at the school might be a good way out.
Unfortunately, Xiao Ci is an unregistered resident from the Silver Dimension.
They have no identity, no roots, and have not even received a systematic education in this world.