Jiang Yuli’s phone screen lit up again.
He glanced down.
It was Su Lingyu sending scenic photos from New Zealand—dozens of images popping up in rapid succession.
[Pao Pao: Uncle, I took these scenery shots for you to enjoy.]
Hearing the notifications, Shen Qiao instinctively recalled how Su Lingyu had similarly “bombarded” him before, eventually leading him to mute her messages.
But now, hearing the rapid pings from Jiang Yuli’s phone, his first thought was that a work group chat had blown up.
“Uncle,” Shen Qiao strolled over to the desk, “She hasn’t come looking for you lately. Actually, that’s pretty normal—you don’t really know her. She has Separation Anxiety Disorder and can only cling to people she depends on and feels close to, otherwise she gets distressed.”
“She’s beautiful and soft-hearted. That morning, she only went to the hospital with you because she couldn’t bear seeing you get hurt.”
“Ultimately, she’s just throwing a tantrum with me, using you as a tool to provoke me.”
Jiang Yuli turned off the screen, casting a cold glance at his nephew. “A tool? That’s fine by me.”
He was happy to be Pao Pao’s tool.
If it incidentally infuriated this nephew of his, all the better.
Seeing Jiang Yuli’s “relishing it” expression, Shen Qiao thought he was just putting on an act. He had no idea how overwhelming Su Lingyu’s clinginess could be.
“Uncle, let me show you how many messages she can send in a day.” Shen Qiao pulled out his phone, swiped a few times, and slammed it on the table.
The screen displayed dense chat logs—Su Lingyu’s white message bubbles far outnumbered Shen Qiao’s green replies.
[Where are you?]
[Having lunch together?]
[Do you miss me?]
[You’re going on another business trip—will you still love me when you’re back?]
[I’ll miss you after three days apart.]
[Did you arrive?]
[Checked in?]
[In your room?]
[Had dinner?]
[What did you eat?]
[Can I come see you?]
[I miss you—I’ll visit you tomorrow!]
Looking at those messages, Jiang Yuli felt an indescribable envy.
If these were from Pao Pao to him, how happy he would be.
Shen Qiao had intended to showcase Su Lingyu’s “unreasonable” and annoying behavior, unaware that in Jiang Yuli’s eyes, it only made Shen Qiao seem ungrateful.
“She cares about you so much, worries about you,” Jiang Yuli’s voice was icy, “yet you abandoned her—someone with Separation Anxiety Disorder—alone at the airport.”
“Is that all you see?” Shen Qiao couldn’t comprehend Jiang Yuli’s thought process.
“Uncle, honestly, even if Su Lingyu and I break up, you chasing after my ex-girlfriend would sound terrible if it got out. I can’t afford that embarrassment.”
“Dad and Grandfather feel the same way.”
“You always blame us for not loving you, but what about you? Insisting on doing things we all dislike, making everyone unhappy.”
“Grandfather asked you back for dinner tonight—he’s definitely going to lecture you again. Why put yourself through that?”
“You’re father and son. Grandfather isn’t in good health now—don’t you want to reconcile with him?”
Jiang Yuli paid no attention, letting the words go in one ear and out the other.
“If you’re done, get out. I’m busy.”
Shen Qiao scoffed lightly. “Don’t forget—dinner at the old mansion tonight!”
It seemed Jiang Yuli had completely given up.
Shen Qiao thought to himself, Grandfather has disliked Uncle for twenty-six years—how could “reconciliation” be easy?
He was certain Grandfather would despise Uncle forever.
After Shen Qiao left, in the vast and chilly office, Jiang Yuli sat bolt upright, yet his silhouette exuded an indescribable loneliness.
He picked up his phone, his fingertips lightly swiping as he carefully scrolled through the photos Su Lingyu had sent.
She had always had a talent for photography.
Since childhood, her photographic works had won numerous awards, and she had even held a solo exhibition during university.
Exceptionally outstanding.
He treasured all of Su Lingyu’s photos in his phone.
He opened the chatbox and replied: 【The scenery is beautiful, and the photos are well taken too. Are you having fun?】
【Pao Pao: Yes! How about you, Uncle? Are you busy?】
【Jiang Yuli: Not busy, we can chat.】
From the chat records Shen Qiao had shown, Su Lingyu had been sending messages frequently after they parted.
【Pao Pao: I was afraid of disturbing your work. I heard you’re super busy.】
Who told her that? Shen Qiao?
【Jiang Yuli: It’s not that exaggerated. I have my own life and free time too.】
【Pao Pao: Shen Qiao complained to me before, saying you were still working overtime at the company at 10 p.m.!】
So it was indeed Shen Qiao.
Having grown up abroad, he maintained a regular schedule. Working overtime was an exception only in rare emergencies, yet Shen Qiao had portrayed it as the norm.
【Jiang Yuli: He’s talking nonsense. You can message me anytime.】
【Pao Pao: Okay then, I’ll really send messages often!】
More contact was necessary to nurture their relationship.
As night fell, the Shen Family Mansion was brightly lit.
Shen Qiao slumped on the sofa, his brow furrowed tightly.
That sister-obsessed Su Huainan!
He had withdrawn the technical team for the intelligent robot project just like that.
The new energy team had followed suit.
Several other collaborative projects were also in jeopardy.
Was it really necessary?
So lacking in overall perspective! Was making money not important?
Just because he and Su Lingyu had broken up, he had to cancel all cooperation?
“Ah!” A sudden pain shot through his calf.
Shen Qiao looked up and saw his father, Shen Baichuan, standing before him.
“Dad! Why did you kick me?”
“I told you to ask Jiang Yuli to come back for dinner. Where is he?” Shen Baichuan demanded.
“His legs are his own. How should I know?” Shen Qiao continued scrolling through his phone impatiently. The screen was filled with urgent messages from project teams, annoying him to no end. “I delivered the message. Whether he comes back or not is up to him.”
Shen Baichuan kicked him again. “Stop playing with your phone! Your grandfather hasn’t come downstairs yet. Go and invite him!”
Shen Qiao reluctantly stood up.
He was already upset and distracted, and now he was being bothered with such trivial matters.
He quickly went up to the second floor and called out outside his grandfather Shen Zeming’s room, “Grandpa, may I come in?”
Without waiting for a response, he pushed the door open.
Inside the room, the white-haired Shen Zeming sat on the sofa, holding a well-preserved photograph.
It was a picture of his wife, Jiang Wanfeng, who had died of Amniotic Fluid Embolism at the young age of forty-five.
Well-maintained by the wealthy family, his wife in the photo looked only in her early thirties.
The old man’s wrinkled fingers repeatedly caressed the youthful face of his wife in the photograph.
Shen Zeming’s eyes were filled with sorrow, and he appeared much older than he had ten days ago.
It had been ten full days since the last conflict.
In those ten days, Jiang Yuli had not contacted him even once.
Not even a single greeting.
During these days, Su Lingyu’s words kept echoing in his mind.
At night, he frequently dreamed of his wife, who had not appeared in his dreams for a long time.
He dreamed of her holding Tang and Song poetry, choosing a name for their child while she was pregnant with Jiang Yuli.
He dreamed of her knitting tiny clothes with her own hands for their soon-to-be-born youngest son.
She dreamed of gently asking him: “How is our youngest son now? Has he grown handsome and charming, beloved by all?”
In the dream, he remained silent, at a loss for how to answer his wife’s question.
Between father and son, a thousand miles of ice had long frozen their relationship.
Shen Qiao softened his footsteps and sat beside Shen Zeming: “Grandfather, Uncle hasn’t returned yet… He might still be upset about what happened last time. Shall we go downstairs for dinner first?”