Chapter 21

Translator: Larbre Studio

Editor: Larbre Studio

Shi Feng stayed at Shen Qinglan’s place for half a month, thinking that Shen Qinglan would come back soon, but in the end she didn’t show up. Ah Nan had gone to check the owner of the house and had found out that it was a man, who, however, couldn’t be found in the capital.

Helpless, Shi Feng had to give up his search and return to his Stone Gang.

What had Shen Qinglan been doing for half a month? Apart from going out with Yu Xiaoxuan occasionally, she spent most of her time at home with Grandma Shen.

Recently, Grandma Shen had been getting worse mentally and physically. Besides, she slept most of the time during the day. Shen Qinglan had already sensed that there indeed was not much time left for Grandma Shen.

She sat beside grandma’s bed—she had just fallen asleep. Holding her skinny hand, she watched the old woman’s peaceful face.

Grandpa Shen came in and patted Shen Qinglan on the shoulder. She stood up and followed him out.

Grandfather and granddaughter went to the garden together.

It was summer. Gardenias were in full bloom, filling the air with a faint fragrance. It was Grandma Shen’s favorite flower, so Grandpa Shen had planted several in every corner of the garden.

“Lan Lan, you are twenty-one years old already, a grown-up now.” 

Looking at his granddaughter’s perfect side face, Grandpa Shen sighed.

Shen Qinglan turned her look to him, “Grandpa, what are you trying to say?”

“You’ve always been a smart and sensible child. Most of the time, even if we don’t tell you, you know it as well, which your grandmother and I are most satisfied with. But we are also very much worried about that. As the saying goes, wisdom will hurt.”

He never denied the granddaughter’s intelligence, which had been obvious since her early years and had increased as she grew up, especially after she had returned to the Shen family.

Grandpa Shen knew without a doubt that he had seen countless people in his life, few of whom he could not see through. If there were, Fu Hengyi was one, and his granddaughter in front of him was another.

Shen Qinglan appeared to be cold, but deep inside, she was soft and warm. If she was said to be kind, sometimes she was really indifferent. That indifference was to people and things, as well as to life.

Grandpa Shen had sent people to investigate what Shen Qinglan had been through after being abducted by traffickers. Apart from knowing that she had been adopted by a couple, who had later sent her to the orphanage after having their own child, and that she had then grown up there, he had not been able to find any other information. 

Mr. Shen had never doubted that Shen Qinglan was the child of the Shen family. With the cutting-edge current technology, it would be easy to confirm it—the Shen family had done so right away.

“Grandpa, I’m not too persistent. I just want to be with grandma in her last few days, so as to not regret it in the future.”

“It’s the best that you can figure it out. Seeing you stay at home all day without going anywhere else…your grandma is quite worried. She and I are old. Sooner or later our last day will be around the corner anyway, and we are prepared. We hope that you too can take that in a positive manner.”

Grandpa Shen was being serious. Although he couldn’t see through this granddaughter, her respect and love for the two elders was clear.

With only a few days left for his old wife, he was afraid that the child would not be able to bear the blow and would get downhearted.

“Your grandmother often nags at me and wonders, since our Lan Lan is so beautiful, what kind of talent could match her in the future.”

“That’s because grandma likes me, then she thinks I’m perfect in every aspect. Maybe in others’ eyes, I’m just an ordinary person,” Shen Qinglan said, with a little warmth in her eyes. She had also heard that from grandma.

Grandpa Shen glared at her, “Nonsense, how can you be ordinary? That is because they are all blind.”

Shen Qinglan chuckled, with a rare real smile on her face, “Grandpa, they will say that you are boasting.”

“No, I am not. Don’t you know that your Grandpa Fu wants to have you as the granddaughter-in-law of his Fu family? Every time he sees you, his eyes twinkle.”

At that point, Shen Qinglan really laughed out, “Grandpa, if Grandpa Fu hears this, I’m afraid he is going to kick up a fight with you.”

“How can I be afraid of him!?” Grandpa Shen snorted coldly. Seeing the smile on his granddaughter’s face, he was also in a better mood.

Those days, his old wife’s health was getting worse and worse, while Shen Xitong was still in the hospital because of her fracture. Chu Yunrong would go to the hospital every day, upset at seeing Shen Qinglan back home. On the day of the orchestra performance, it seemed that Shen Xitong had nearly killed herself by taking sleeping pills in the hospital. Back home, Chu Yunrong had made a terrible scene, which had been suppressed by Grandpa Shen at last.

The atmosphere at home was grim. After that day, Shen Qinglan, apart from staying in her grandparents’ room, would be in her own room, seldom stepping into the living room.

“Grandpa, what are you talking about here?” 

When Shen Junyu came back from work, he heard from Shen Qinglan that Grandpa Shen and Shen Qinglan herself were in the garden, so he went outside to meet them.

“I’m chatting with your sister. What are you doing here?” Grandpa Shen was impatient with his grandson. He only cared about his business all day and did not even spare time to take care of his sister.

Despised without any reason, Shen Junyu innocently touched his nose.

—-

In the city of Bian, Fu Hengyi mentally relaxed a little after returning to the hotel. 

Since the customer was dissatisfied with the person he had sent over, after the negotiation he had gone there in person to protect the customer’s interests. He hadn’t had a good rest for several days. 

Finally he had managed to spare some time and had headed back to have a rest.

He took out his mobile phone from his luggage—it was already dead. He then charged it and went to the bathroom to take a bath.

Five minutes later, Fu Hengyi came out, refreshed and rejuvenated. He picked up his mobile phone and saw that there were no missed calls and no text messages.

His eyes were deep—they showed no emotions.