In the Jiang family residence, only a few servants were scattered about the living room, sweeping and dusting. The place felt cold and desolate.
Jiang Tiansong led Shen Qiaofei and Nianchu through the elevator from the underground garage directly into the living room. Seeing the scene, he asked a servant, "Has Grandpa eaten yet?"
The servant shook her head. "We asked earlier. The old master said Miss Liang and Young Master Qi haven't returned yet, and he can't eat much alone anyway. He wants to wait for them."
Jiang Tiansong was busy with work and owned a place near his office, so it was the norm for him not to return to the old residence.
Grandpa Jiang had already assumed he wouldn't be back tonight, placing all his hopes for companionship on Nianchu and Jiang Tianqi.
Jiang Tiansong glanced at the antique pendulum clock in the living room, then looked out at the sky through the window.
It suddenly struck him—for a man who had led troops in his youth and was accustomed to collective life, spending his twilight years alone in a cold, empty house was utterly cruel.
"Where is Grandpa?"
"In the media room."
Jiang Tiansong made his way upstairs and arrived at the door of the media room.
The interior was decorated with great ambiance—essentially a miniature home theater.
The lighting and audiovisual equipment were perfectly calibrated.
Jiang Kaishan sat alone in the center seat of the front row. He didn't care for newly released films, but had a particular fondness for the old classics from his era.
On the large screen played a foreign art film. In the movie, a family was enjoying a warm, harmonious time together. Outside the screen, Jiang Kaishan sat alone, reclined in his massage chair, his back still ramrod straight, yet his face betraying a weariness befitting his age—no longer putting on a spirited front as he did before the younger generation.
Jiang Tiansong didn't disturb him. He walked in slowly, keeping his footsteps as light as possible. He wanted to let his grandfather finish watching the film before calling him to dinner.
But the old man was remarkably alert. He sensed someone's arrival at once and, without even turning his head, asked cheerfully, "Which little one is back? Is it Xiao Qi or Zhaozhao?"
Jiang Tiansong's feelings were complicated. Of all the children in the Jiang family, he was the one who had spent the most time with his grandfather—practically raised by the old man's own hands.
As he grew older, his grandfather was slowly aging. To save time and increase efficiency, he had bought a house and moved out of the old residence, but he had overlooked the fact that the elderly also needed companionship.
Jiang Kaishan didn't hear a reply and assumed the other was being deliberately mischievous:
"Not talking? Are you trying to test this old man, making me guess?"
"Grandpa, it's me." Jiang Tiansong answered in a gentle voice.
Jiang Kaishan turned his head sharply. Seeing it was him, a flicker of surprise crossed his eyes.
Yesterday had been Jiang Tiansong's day off, so with ample time, staying at the old residence was normal.
But today was a workday—Monday, no less, the busiest day of the week.
Jiang Tiansong's emotions were equally complicated. A jumble of thoughts crossed his mind, no fewer than Grandpa Jiang's own.
But he was poor at expressing himself. A thousand words condensed into one dry, plain sentence:
"I came back to have dinner with you."
Grandpa Jiang beamed with delight. "Good, good, good."
He said "good" three times in a row, abandoned the movie, and made to stand up.
Jiang Tiansong hurried over to support him.
"Grandpa, why don't I move back here?"
Jiang Kaishan was naturally delighted, but he still asked hesitantly, "If you move back, won't it be far from your office? Won't it interfere with your work?"
Jiang Tiansong replied, "There are strict inspections everywhere right now. Everyone at the top is on edge. For a long while, the procuratorate won't be too busy."
Only then did Elder Jiang relax. He patted Jiang Tiansong's hand and said, "Of course it's good to have you back. No matter how nice it is outside, there's nothing more comfortable than living in your own home."
The two chatted as they walked out, stepped into the elevator, and arrived at the living room.
Shen Qiaofei was touching up her lipstick with a compact mirror. Hearing footsteps, she quickly put her things away, hurried toward the newcomers, and flashed a charming smile:
"Grandpa Jiang, do you still remember me?"
Jiang Kaishan squinted and studied her for a moment. "Qiaofei?"
Shen Qiaofei's smile widened. "I knew you wouldn't forget me, Grandpa."
She played the little girl role to perfection, and Jiang Kaishan let out a hearty laugh:
"It's been three years since you went abroad, hasn't it? Now Qiaofei is a grown young lady—more radiant than a movie star. If I passed you on the street, this old man wouldn't dare recognize you."
Shen Qiaofei walked to Jiang Kaishan's other side, flanking him with Jiang Tiansong on the left and her on the right, supporting his arms.
She pouted playfully. "Grandpa's just flattering me. If I were really that pretty, how could someone refuse to even hug me?"
Jiang Tiansong gave her a faint, indifferent look, said nothing, and swept his gaze across the living room. Not seeing Nianchu, a hint of confusion appeared in his eyes.
He was about to call a servant to ask when a flash of skirt hem appeared on the staircase. Nianchu had changed into a plain dress with delicate lace trim along the hem, and she descended the stairs lightly.
"Grandpa Jiang."
She too walked toward Jiang Kaishan, greeting the old man first thing.
Seeing that she had also returned, Jiang Kaishan's face lit up with even more joy:
"Zhaozhao, did you have fun today? Where did that boy Xiao Qi take you?"
Jiang Tiansong's expression shifted subtly, his gaze deepening as he looked toward Nianchu.
But Nianchu's expression remained natural, as if she hadn't suffered the slightest grievance. She smiled at Jiang Kaishan with gratitude:
"I'm very happy. We got along very well."
When she said this, Shen Qiaofei didn't understand what was going on, but Jiang Tiansong's expression turned subtle.
He looked at Nianchu, wanting to see what she planned to do.
The next moment, Nianchu spoke softly again:
"Through today's interaction, I've discovered that Sixth Brother is very smart, with extremely strong potential."
Grandpa Jiang nodded in agreement—Nianchu had hit the nail on the head:
"The Jiang family genes are never inferior. Xiao Qi just doesn't work hard enough; otherwise, he wouldn't be where he is now."
Seeing that he approved of her, Nianchu pressed her advantage and probed:
"With so many tutors hired and his grades still not improving, it's likely not Sixth Brother's problem, but rather that their teaching methods aren't effective."
Elder Jiang's greatest wish was for his descendants to succeed. Hearing her speak so logically, he couldn't help but follow up:
"How do you know the teachers aren't good? Did the boy complain to you today?"
Nianchu shook her head: "I'm guessing. If tutoring can't improve grades, the problem lies either with the student or the teacher. Since Sixth Brother isn't the issue, then it must be the tutors' methods that are flawed."
Nianchu: "Grandpa Jiang, if you trust me, why not let me try tutoring Sixth Brother? I just went through the college entrance exams, so my knowledge is at its freshest. And since we're around the same age, we'd communicate better."
Jiang Kaishan didn't agree right away. He knew his grandson's temperament well—with Jiang Tianqi's shameless antics to avoid studying, how could a young girl like Zhaozhao possibly control him?
"Zhaozhao, Grandpa knows you mean well, but this needs more consideration."
He couldn't bear to dampen Nianchu's enthusiasm, so he tried to stall tactfully.
Nianchu also knew this couldn't be rushed, so she smiled and didn't bring up the topic again.
Since Shen Qiaofei had come to visit on her own initiative, Grandpa Jiang couldn't neglect her, so he turned to Shen Qiaofei and chatted with her.
During the conversation, he noticed Shen Qiaofei subtly steering the topic toward Jiang Tiansong.
A glint of worldly wisdom passed through Jiang Kaishan's eyes, and he remarked casually:
"In the years you've been abroad, Tiansong has thrown himself entirely into work. Men his age have two kids by now, but he's still alone."
"Qiaofei, this old bones of mine can't get through to him anymore. You're his friend—close and on good terms. Find an opportunity to talk some sense into him for me."
Hearing this, Shen Qiaofei's smile grew more genuine.
Nianchu sat stiffly to the side and happened to catch this remark. She couldn't help stealing a glance at Jiang Tiansong.
She had assumed Shen Qiaofei was his girlfriend—so she wasn't?
At that moment, Jiang Tiansong seemed distracted, leaning against the sofa, his long fingers tapping at his cufflink, lost in thought about something.
Just then, the elevator opened and closed again. Bracing himself for a scolding, Jiang Tianqi stepped back in with a light, cheerful stride and a pleased smile on his face.
He had expected that after being teased like that, Nianchu would immediately complain to Grandpa Jiang upon seeing him.
But Elder Jiang's attention was entirely on Shen Qiaofei—he hadn't even noticed him.
Jiang Tianqi spotted Shen Qiaofei too, delight flashing in his eyes as he exclaimed:
"Sister Qiaofei, you're back in the country!"
Shen Qiaofei saw him too and smiled: "Xiao Qi."
Jiang Tianqi immediately ran over to her. Just as he was about to say something, he suddenly felt a chill at the back of his head.
Instinctively turning around, he met Jiang Tiansong's icy, judgmental gaze.
Jiang Tianqi's shoulders trembled, and he instinctively hid behind Shen Qiaofei.
"Second Brother, what's wrong? I did you a big favor this morning—you can't repay kindness with enmity!"
Then, thinking of something, he looked around with a bewildered expression and muttered under his breath:
"Don't tell me that wild girl still hasn't come back?"
His gaze landed on the far corner of the long sofa, where he saw Nianchu.
She had changed clothes and was sitting on the sofa with a calm expression, quiet and unobtrusive.
If he hadn't been deliberately looking for her, he really wouldn't have noticed her.
The two exchanged a glance, and Jiang Tianqi instinctively looked at Grandpa Jiang again.
Grandpa Jiang was still beaming, not paying any mind to his return.
It didn't seem like he'd been reported on?
Jiang Tianqi felt a bit uneasy.
That wild girl had suffered such a loss—could she really swallow her pride?
Thinking about it, he sneered again. Ha, and she said she had no designs on the Jiang family.
What normal person with no ulterior motives would willingly endure such humiliation?
He became even more convinced that his actions were justified.
Since Shen Qiaofei was an honored guest, several lavish dishes were added to the evening's menu on top of the original plan.
The servants prepared for a while longer before reporting that dinner was ready.
Unlike yesterday's spread, tonight's dishes were less home-style and more business-oriented, featuring expensive delicacies.
At the table, Jiang Kaishan continued chatting with Shen Qiaofei, whose lively personality and sweet words kept the old man laughing heartily from time to time.
Jiang Tianqi couldn't get a word in, so he looked for other things to do. His eyes darted around, and he picked up a hairy crab, placing it on Nianchu's plate.
"This is imported seafood flown in from abroad—fresh and sweet. Sister Liang, give it a try."
He was willing to bet that this country bumpkin, having grown up the way she had, had never even seen this kind of crab before, let alone knew how to eat it.