Chapter 9

Translator: Larbre Studio

Editor: Larbre Studio

Grandma Shen went home that day. Chu Yunrong was the one who opposed it the most.

“Mom, the doctor said you’d better stay in the hospital in your conditions,” Chu Yunrong persuaded with great concern. She indeed worried about her mother-in-law’s health.

However, since the old lady’s attitude was firm, no matter how much Chu Yunrong tried to persuade her, her attempt failed at last.

Seeing Shen Qinglan, who was sitting there peeling an apple for her grandma, Chu Yunrong suddenly lit up: her mother-in-law loved this granddaughter the most—she would certainly accept Qinglan’s advice.

“Qinglan, have a good talk with your grandma. We can’t afford to worsen her health.” 

Shen Qinglan cut the apple into equal sized pieces and carefully inserted toothpicks into them to make it easier for Grandma Shen to eat.

“Grandma, this apple is very sweet. Try it.”

Grandma Shen took it happily.

“Qinglan, did you hear your mother?” Shen Qinglan was not in a hurry, but Chu Yunrong was anxious and restless.

Shen Qinglan picked up the wet towel aside and wiped her hands clean before looking at Chu Yunrong, “It’s grandma’s decision. I respect her.” The elder wanted to be with her family in her remaining days, which was a small wish. She—they, ought not to be opposed.

“Qinglan, why are you so capricious? Don’t you know anything about your grandmother’s health? If something goes wrong with your grandma, how will you tell your father?” Chu Yunrong looked at her daughter angrily. 

She had asked her to persuade the old lady. She did not listen, and even supported her! Her grandmother really loved her for nothing. What did she have such a daughter for? Raising a pig would have been better than raising her.

“Yunrong, that’s enough,” Grandma Shen said softly, “This is my own decision. What does it have to do with Lan Lan? What do you blame her for?”

“Mom, I mean good for you.” 

Scolded by the old lady in front of her daughter, Chu Yunrong felt in the wrong.

Grandma Shen calmed down and replied, “Yunrong, I know you mean good to me, but I am in poor health now. Staying in the hospital simply means a few more days of suffering. I’ve lived in this family for decades, and I’ve been used to it. In my remaining days, I still want to stay here.”

Her words made Chu Yunrong burst into tears. She did regard Grandma Shen as her own mother—upon hearing Grandma Shen speak, she felt extreme pain deep in her heart.

“Mom, stop it. It’s me, my fault,” Chu Yunrong wiped the tears from her eyes, “Mom, you like the fish balls I make best. I’ll make them for you tonight.”

Chu Yunrong left the living room. Grandma Shen looked at her granddaughter’s calm expression, sighing silently.

—-

“Qinglan, your cell phone is ringing.” Yu Xiaoxuan’s voice came from outside the bathroom.

“Who is it?”

“I don’t know. It’s a strange number,” Yu Xiaoxuan said loudly, for fear that Shen Qinglan, who was bathing inside, could not hear her clearly.

Shen Qinglan hadn’t lived at school recently, because Grandma Shen wanted her to live at home. Although Shen Qinglan didn’t like going back, she couldn’t disregard Grandma Shen, who actually loved her.

That day she was going to take a shower in the dormitory only because they had had PE class in the afternoon and she had played badminton with Yu Xiaoxuan—she was sweating all over and didn’t like the feeling of stickiness. 

Hearing that it was a strange number, Shen Qinglan didn’t rush, taking time to tidy herself up. By the time she went out, her cell phone no longer rang. She cast a look at the missed call from a strange number but did not give it any attention.

Just as she was about to put the phone down, the screen lit up again—the same number was calling again. 

“Hello, this is Shen Qinglan,” her clear female voice echoed from the other end of the phone.

“It’s Fu Hengyi.”

Shen Qinglan glanced at her mobile phone, as if she couldn’t figure out why he had called her.

“Where are you now?” Fu Hengyi’s deep and attractive voice buzzed in her ear.

“In the school’s dormitory,” she said truthfully.

Fu Hengyi glanced at old Fu standing beside him, whose ears were almost glued to his face, and asked, “Are you free tonight? I want to invite you to dinner.”

Shen Qinglan didn’t say neither yes nor no.

“Just as a payback,” Fu Hengyi said before she could open her mouth. Grandpa Fu was there. Fu Hengyi didn’t explicitly say it, but Shen Qinglan understood.

She, who had intended to refuse, swallowed the words dancing on her lips and instead replied, “Okay.”

Hearing Shen Qinglan’s acceptance, Grandpa Fu beamed, hands fixed on his back, hummed a little song and left, without even noticing that his grandson had actually remarked that it was “a payback.”

Shen Qinglan didn’t like to owe others anything. Although she herself could have sorted what had happened at the restaurant that day on her own, Fu Hengyi had helped her. If having a meal could repay his help, Shen Qinglan would not refuse.

—-

She didn’t let Fu Hengyi pick her up. Instead, she took a taxi to the restaurant Fu Hengyi had mentioned. The Shen family had actually bought Shen Qinglan a car, but she was used to being low-key and didn’t like driving to school.

Fu Hengyi had arrived before her. He saw the girl walk into the restaurant gracefully. Although she only wore a simple casual suit with no make-up, her delicate face and the indifference in her expression added more nobility and coldness to her, as if she was a flower on the high mountains—visible, but unapproachable.

Fu Hengyi frowned unconsciously, which he himself was not even aware of. Seeing Shen Qinglan being indifferent about everything, he felt a little uncomfortable.

Shen Qinglan had thought that Fu Hengyi had turned to her for help. However, Fu Hengyi didn’t ask for anything over dinner. It was really just a meal.

Seeing that they were about to finish, Shen Qinglan couldn’t help but glance at Fu Hengyi from time to time.

What was he? How could he not be aware of Shen Qinglan’s undisguised scrutiny? He was simply helpless.

But he couldn’t tell Shen Qinglan that his grandfather had forced him to invite her to dinner that day.

“I heard that Grandma Shen was discharged from the hospital?” It was all that Fu Hengyi could find to say.

Shen Qinglan nodded. Grandma Shen had been out of hospital for three days. Since the Shen and Fu families were in such a close relationship, she did not believe that he didn’t know.

Somehow, Shen Qinglan spotted a trace of helplessness on Fu Hengyi’s calm and composed face and a sense of curiosity flashing through her eyes.

Fu Hengyi was the “child of the other family” in Grandpa Shen’s mind. Although Shen Qinglan hadn’t seen him since she had returned to the Shen family, she knew a lot about his deeds.

She knew that at the age of thirteen he had been sent abroad to study. At the age of nineteen, he had joined the Army. In the same year, he had been selected to join the Special Forces. Even more, at the age of twenty-eight he had been promoted to Young Commander-In-Chief—the youngest general in their country, to be precise. 

Three years before, however, Fu Hengyi had been seriously injured in a mission and had had to leave with regret.

Since the Shen family was also an Army family, Shen Qinglan naturally understood that if one was to be promoted to Young Commander-In-Chief at the age of twenty-eight, he, the man in front of her, wasn’t an ordinary Special Force.