Jiang Li felt a little confused. What did Old Master Shang want to talk to her about? She had a vague feeling she already knew the reason.
She followed Old Zhang to the sunroom.
Old Master Shang was about to start brewing tea. When he saw Jiang Li arrive, he smiled and waved her over.
“Girl Jiang, come sit here.”
Jiang Li picked up the tea set. “Grandpa Shang, I’ll do it.”
Brewing tea and coffee were her strengths.
Old Master Shang laughed. “I’ll make it for you today. Just sit and taste my tea skills. See if I’ve gotten worse, or if I can still compete with young people.”
“Your tea skills are always the best, Grandpa Shang.” Jiang Li learned tea-making from him. Back then, whenever she was free, she would learn tea brewing and chess from him.
At that time, Old Master Shang even said he wanted her to inherit his skills and make Old Jiang jealous.
Jiang Li sat properly across from him, helping arrange the tea set and add tea leaves. “Grandpa Shang, did you want to see me for something?”
Old Master Shang sighed. “Girl Jiang, there’s something I should have made clear earlier. It’s my fault. When you first came to Beijing, I should have told you directly.”
Jiang Li already had a feeling of what he was going to say. She didn’t interrupt and quietly listened.
“Do you know? That shameless brat got anxious last night. He kept hinting to me, both directly and indirectly, not to forget about the matter between you two.”
Jiang Li was a little surprised by this, but then she remembered what she overheard in the garden. Shang Huizhou had argued with the old master because of this.
It was probably the old master who wanted to match them up.
Since Shang Huizhou couldn’t refuse the old master, she would handle it instead.
Jiang Li smiled lightly. “Grandpa Shang, I don’t plan to get married. At least not right now.”
“No plans to get married? That’s fine! You two can just date for a few more years—I fully support it.” Old Master Shang already imagined the two of them walking together, holding hands. The thought alone made him happy.
“……”
Jiang Li didn’t know how to respond. After thinking for a moment, she said, “Grandpa Shang, let me tell you a story.”
Old Master Shang nodded.
Jiang Li told a story about a wolf, a fox, and a rabbit.
In the story, the family wanted the wolf and rabbit to be together, but they were not the same kind. In the end, the one who could walk with the wolf would only be the fox.
Just like how Shang Huizhou already had someone who suited him.
Old Master Shang was sharp. He understood immediately that Jiang Li was politely refusing.
Some things didn’t need to be said directly. It was already clear—there was no possibility.
He asked in a low voice, “Girl… is there really no chance at all?”
Jiang Li took over making the tea, finished brewing it, and poured a cup for him. She handed it over with both hands.
“Grandpa Shang, this will always be my home. You will always be my Grandpa Shang. I will come back often.”
Old Master Shang felt a little sad.
Jiang Li added gently, almost like a child asking for favor, “Grandpa Shang, you can’t stop loving me because of this. My grandfather always said I am half your granddaughter.”
Old Master Shang took the tea, which meant he accepted her decision. He drank a little and sighed.
“How could I? I love you too much already.” He was just a bit disappointed.
“That brat just doesn’t have the luck,” he said sadly.
“Mr. Shang is very outstanding. Every decision he makes must be carefully thought out. Grandpa Shang, you should support him.”
For example, the marriage arrangement—Jiang Li could understand Shang Huizhou’s decision. It was like the story she just told.
“He understands nothing. He’s just stubborn and difficult! I don’t know what he’s thinking all day!” Old Master Shang angrily threw down his tea spoon.
Jiang Li didn’t argue. Shang Huizhou was usually very rational.
She knew the old master was just mixing his own expectations with Shang Huizhou’s thoughts.
She gently comforted him, “He was raised by you. He won’t act without sense.”
Old Master Shang didn’t like hearing Jiang Li call Shang Huizhou so distantly as “Mr. Shang,” but reality couldn’t be changed.
He frowned. “Hmph! I never raised such an unfeeling boy!”
He looked at Jiang Li again and again, more and more regretful.
What a pity.
But as Old Zhang said, children have their own fate.
If they were forced together, neither would be happy.
Jiang Li looked at the old man’s lonely back and felt a little sorry.
She sighed quietly.
The Shang family home was far from the theater, so Old Master Shang arranged a driver to send her back. Jiang Li didn’t refuse.
The old master was already upset. If she refused, he would feel worse.
More than an hour after Jiang Li left, Shang Huizhou returned.
Old Zhang greeted him. “Huizhou, you’re finally back. Where did you go so early? You were gone all morning.” Jiang Li had already left, and the old master was unhappy.
Shang Huizhou replied calmly, in a good mood. “I went out to get something.”
Old Zhang looked at the bag in his hand. Inside seemed to be a white clay pot.
Curious, he asked, “What did you buy?” Shang Huizhou was not picky with food, so it was rare to see him buy something early in the morning.
“Duck stew,” Shang Huizhou said with a faint smile.
He didn’t explain further and walked into the living room.
But Jiang Li wasn’t there.
Still sleeping?
She was sleeping so well lately?
A faint smile appeared in Shang Huizhou’s eyes.
Old Master Shang came down the wooden spiral stairs with a heavy expression. He saw Shang Huizhou scanning the room with a cold gaze and asked unhappily,
“What are you looking for?”
Shang Huizhou didn’t say anything and walked straight toward the other staircase.
Old Master Shang struck his cane on the floor. “Don’t rush upstairs. I have something to talk to you about.”
Shang Huizhou handed the bag to a servant and instructed, “Put it in the warming box. Keep it around 80 degrees.”
After that, he walked to the sofa area, a faint smile on his lips. “Why are you so angry this early in the morning? It’s not good for your health.”
Old Master Shang sat on the sofa with a dark expression. “Have you really decided you will only marry someone from the Ming family?”
Shang Huizhou sat across from him and frowned slightly. Why was this being brought up suddenly?
In Old Master Shang’s eyes, his silence was already an answer.
His face grew even darker. “As expected. Jiang girl said you’re a wolf—you should be with a fox, not a rabbit.”
Shang Huizhou frowned. “You talked to her?”
Old Master Shang snorted. “Yes. Jiang girl doesn’t even look at you.”
“……”
Old Master Shang waved his hand. “I respect your decision. When you have time, bring the Ming girl home for me to meet.”
“……”
Shang Huizhou looked up at him.
Old Master Shang glanced at him. “What? Surprised? When I opposed you before, you showed me a cold face. Now I agree, and you still have opinions?”
“……”
Shang Huizhou stood up. “No problem. I don’t object.”
Old Master Shang watched his back and muttered, “What does that even mean?”
Upstairs, Shang Huizhou ran into a servant who was coming down after cleaning a room.
“Is Jiang Li upstairs?” he asked.
The servant replied respectfully, “Miss Jiang left early this morning. She said the rehearsal at the troupe was urgent, so she didn’t even eat breakfast. The old master tried to keep her, but she still left.”
Left?
Last night they agreed he would send her to the troupe after breakfast.
She had agreed.
Even if rehearsal was urgent, it shouldn’t have been that rushed.
Shang Huizhou went upstairs and pushed open Jiang Li’s room.
It was clean and empty. Even the bathroom counter, which used to be filled with her bottles and jars, was spotless.
It looked as if she had never stayed there.
On the desk, there was a bank card and a note stuck behind it:
“About the antique last time—you paid for it for me, and I didn’t have a chance to return it. I’ve transferred the money into this account. The password is the last six digits of the card. Thank you.”
Shang Huizhou tightened his grip on the card. His brows furrowed deeply.
A trace of unease flashed in his calm eyes.
He turned and quickly walked downstairs.
Jiang Li returned to the troupe apartment a little after seven. It was still early.
She took a shower, ate a simple breakfast, and prepared to practice dancing.
Then her grandfather’s video call came in.
Jiang Li sat cross-legged on a yoga mat and propped her phone on a strap. She deliberately shook it.
Her grandfather’s view became unstable, making him dizzy.
“Hey, hold the phone properly! I’m getting dizzy!” he complained.
Jiang Li snorted. “Old people should accept reality. It’s not the phone’s fault.”
“……”
Her grandfather didn’t argue with her.
“Girl, Old Shang just called me,” he said.
Jiang Li lifted her chin. “So tell me. What’s going on?”
Her grandfather looked guilty. “I was tricked by that old Shang. He just can’t stand that I have a granddaughter.”
“……”
He then explained everything about how Jiang Li had somehow become engaged to Shang Huizhou.
The reason was ridiculous—they had lost a chess game, and she was “given away” as a joke.
“……”
Jiang Li didn’t know whether to laugh or cry.
She sighed. Was she really that unimportant to her grandfather?
Then her grandfather added, “Oh, and you actually nodded in agreement back then.”
“!!!”
“I agreed?” Jiang Li was shocked. “When did I agree? I don’t remember at all.”
Her grandfather thought for a moment. “At my birthday party. The year you played piano for me. You were about five years old. You kept grabbing onto Huizhou, and Old Shang also heard it.”
“……”
Jiang Li didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. “Grandpa, I was five years old. That doesn’t count!”
Her grandfather added another detail. “Huizhou also agreed.”
“……”
Shang Huizhou agreed? That didn’t sound like something he would do at all.
Her grandfather continued, “I also think it doesn’t really count. But Old Shang is very serious about it. Recently he brought it up again and suggested you two meet.”
“……”
Jiang Li sighed again.
Her grandfather’s expression became serious.
“Girl, I’ve seen many people in my life. That boy from the Shang family—I quite like him. He’s good-looking, meets your standards, and his ability doesn’t need to be said. He started managing a huge company at eighteen, and now it’s a top business group. Old Shang always says he’s a bit ruthless, but business isn’t child’s play. Without skill, you can’t succeed.”
He paused.
“I watched him grow up. He’s not irresponsible.”
“If you two can really work out, I’ll feel at ease.”
He looked at her gently.
“If possible, I hope you can consider the Shang boy.”
Jiang Li lowered her eyes slightly. It wasn’t a matter of whether she would consider it or not—Shang Huizhou already had someone he liked.
Things like this depended on mutual willingness. It couldn’t be forced.
Besides, right now she just wanted to focus on dancing. Nothing else mattered for the time being.
She said, “Grandpa, I’ve already made things clear with Grandpa Shang. Let’s leave it at that.”
After thinking for a moment, she added, “I know you might feel embarrassed to refuse Grandpa Shang, so I’ll talk to him myself.”
Her grandfather waved his hand. “It’s not that serious! There’s nothing to feel embarrassed about. You already made your position clear to Old Shang. I just heard a few things from him and came to ask. I’ll tell him later and settle it.”
Jiang Li didn’t say much more, but she took the chance to add, “Grandpa, I don’t want any more arranged ‘coincidences’ in the future—like friends’ sons sending music scores, or talented young men from music circles, or your proud students showing up.”
Her grandfather clearly didn’t agree. A sly smile appeared in the wrinkles at the corner of his eyes. “That might not be possible. If there are suitable ones, they’ll still appear.”
“……”
Jiang Li felt a headache coming on. “Grandpa, you and Grandma should just enjoy life. Don’t worry about me anymore.”
Why did they keep trying to find her a partner? It made her sound like she couldn’t get married.
Her grandfather’s smile slowly faded. He let out a deep sigh.
“How can I not worry?” His voice grew heavy. “What if one day your grandmother and I are gone, and you’re all alone with no one to take care of you? How can we leave in peace then?”
Jiang Li didn’t like hearing this at all. She felt uneasy.
“Grandpa, you’re thinking too far ahead. You and Grandma are still young and healthy. You’ll live a long life.”
Her grandfather replied, “Even if we live long, we can’t stay with you forever. I still need to spend my life with your grandmother, not you.”
“……”
He sighed again, his eyes darkening with emotion.
“Girl, I’m not forcing you. Your grandmother and I are just getting old. We’re worried about you.”
Jiang Li understood.
Her uncle and father had both died in service. There was no one else in the family except her.
Her grandparents had many worries. Her grandmother especially had never recovered emotionally, and her mental state was not stable. Her grandfather had spent years taking her everywhere to travel and relax.
Some of her firm beliefs were starting to shake.
Maybe she really could consider finding someone who would make her grandparents feel at ease. Otherwise, they would always worry about her.
Her grandfather huffed. “I’m not talking to you anymore. We can’t understand each other.”
“……”
Jiang Li smiled helplessly. “Where’s Grandma? I want to talk to her for a bit.”
Her grandfather’s expression changed immediately, looking displeased.
“Hmph. She ran into a couple of old men outside and is happily chatting away. I don’t even know what there is to talk about.”
Jiang Li teased, “Then why are you still talking to me? What if Grandma likes another old man and doesn’t want you anymore—”
Before she could finish, her grandfather hung up the video call.
Jiang Li chuckled and shook her head. Sometimes she was a little envious of her grandparents’ relationship—decades together, still so close.
It was about time for her to leave. She picked up her materials and prepared to go to the rehearsal room.
Then her phone rang.
Were the two old people really arguing again? It wasn’t the first time they had asked her to judge their quarrels over the phone.
She looked at the screen.
It was Shang Huizhou.
Her heart suddenly skipped a beat.
She answered. “Hello.”
“Jiang Li.” His voice was deep.
She bit her lip slightly. “What do you want?”
His voice was calm but low.
“Come downstairs. I’m at your apartment.”