Early the next morning, just as dawn broke, Su Jin got up.
She washed up and went to the living room to look for her grandfather, but he wasn’t there.
After searching the courtyard and finding nothing, she saw Wang Guihua busy in the kitchen.
“Aunt Wang, have you seen Grandpa?”
“The master went out with the butler at dawn,” Wang Guihua replied.
Su Jin frowned slightly. “Oh, alright. Aunt Wang, when Grandpa returns, tell him I went out. I won’t be back for lunch.”
“Ah? Yes, Miss.”
Su Jin left the house and hailed a car, heading straight to the other Su family residences.
Valuables were usually kept in the old mansion, but the other estates also had plenty of fine items.
She collected a few things from inside, keeping only a surface-level appearance intact, then continued to the other estates.
After visiting six estates in a row, her legs ached. She drank some Spirit Spring water in her space to refresh herself, then kept running, careful not to waste any time.
Checking her watch, it was past two o’clock. She tidied up in her small space residence, grabbed two books, and carried them back home.
When she returned, she saw her grandfather sitting in the living room. She greeted him, “Grandpa.”
Su Tingyun waved at Su Jin. “You’re back. Have you eaten lunch yet?”
Shaking her head, Su Jin replied, “I was busy and forgot.”
Seeing this, Su Chengshan quickly went to ask Wang Guihua to warm some food for Su Jin.
Wang Guihua, aware that Miss Jin had been irregular with meals these past days, had saved a portion in the pot, keeping it warm.
When she heard Su Chengshan call her, she hurriedly tidied up and served Su Jin her meal.
After Su Jin finished eating, Su Tingyun beckoned her. “Xiao Jin, come here. Grandpa wants to tell you something.”
“What is it?” she asked, walking toward him and sitting beside him.
“Xiao Jin…” Su Tingyun’s gaze lingered on her.
Su Jin looked puzzled. “What is it, Grandpa? You can just say it directly—we don’t need any formalities between us.”
“Then I’ll say it,” Su Tingyun said, taking a deep breath as he steeled himself.
“I’m listening,” she replied.
Looking into his granddaughter’s eyes, Su Tingyun spoke slowly, “Actually, Xiao Jin… you do have a childhood betrothal…”
Su Jin’s eyes widened in shock. What?
Her grandfather continued, “When I was young, by a stroke of fate, I once saved a soldier. His surname is Pei, and his name is Pei Mingche.
Because of that lifesaving favor, our families had close contact.
When your grandmother was pregnant with your uncle, he came specifically to say that if our family had a daughter, his son could come to propose—to form a childhood betrothal.
But your grandmother gave birth to a son, and they also had two sons, so the plan was delayed.
Later, your grandmother had your mother, but your mother was too far apart in age from their children, so nothing came of it.”
He looked at Su Jin with a complicated expression. “By the time you were born, we had only you, our little treasure, while the Pei family had several grandsons.
Though Old Pei mentioned a proposal, their status was rising. We were a merchant family, and I didn’t want you to suffer if you married into theirs, so I didn’t agree.”
Su Jin nodded. “I see. So that’s why I never knew I had a fiancé popping up out of nowhere.”
Su Tingyun, seeing her calm expression, continued, “Xiao Jin, what I’m thinking now is… circumstances are different from before.
The Pei family is a proper ‘red’ family, politically well-rooted. Their situation isn’t the same as ours.
This storm we’re facing shouldn’t touch them.
Even though we plan to donate our valuables to show support, I still feel uneasy.
Right now, we have wolves in front and tigers behind. That brute Hong Jianguo could still have some trick up his sleeve. Even if we send him away, I may not be able to protect you.
You’re a young girl, and as the Su family heir, people will inevitably target you.”
Su Jin considered this. Her grandfather’s reasoning was sound. Even with the donation, some people wouldn’t trust them—they might suspect hidden reserves.
Su Tingyun, seeing his granddaughter take his words to heart, felt a pang of guilt. “Xiao Jin, if we could form a marriage alliance with the Pei family, it would give you an added sense of security.
It would prevent petty criminals, seeing our family as weak, from bullying you.”
It wasn’t just bullying he worried about—he feared someone could harm his granddaughter. Having lived a long life, he understood the world’s rules: when the tree falls, the monkeys scatter. People who disliked his family would certainly take advantage.
He, as an old man, didn’t mind, but his granddaughter was different—a young girl.
Su Jin, now, was no longer the Su Jin from the books. She pondered for a moment and said calmly,
“Grandpa, I understand everything you’re saying. But our situation is extremely dangerous. How the Pei family would feel about this, we don’t know.
Would they even want to get involved?
At this moment, forming a connection with us doesn’t benefit them—it could even bring them trouble.
We need to know their stance first. We can’t force them to agree, nor should we rush them.”
Su Tingyun understood this too. He just wanted some protection for his granddaughter. He had called the Pei family today, but Pei Mingche was busy and not home, so he had to wait.
“Xiao Jin, I don’t mean to pressure you. I want your opinion first.
If you agree, I’ll approach the Pei family. If not, I’ll figure something else out.”
A military family with proper revolutionary background truly was a strong backing.
From what she had read, such families weren’t mentioned, but those with red backgrounds were generally safer.
“Grandpa, then just ask. Don’t make things too difficult for them, and don’t let ourselves feel uneasy.
We’ll go with the flow. If this path doesn’t work, we’ll take another.
If nothing else works, we can hide and wait for peace before coming out again.”
Hearing this, Su Tingyun felt the weight in his chest lift. He chuckled.
“You little girl… if we really hid away, no one would find us.
But… I’ll first make some inquiries. If it works, great; if not, no matter.
We’ll follow your plan and let things take their course.
If it really doesn’t work, with your treasures and the property we donated, life shouldn’t be too hard.
If still not enough, we’ll climb a mountain and disappear for a while. When the situation improves, we can return.”
Su Jin nodded, a big smile lighting up her face.
“Yes, Grandpa. Life and safety are most important. We’ll get through this.”
Seeing his granddaughter so happy, Su Tingyun didn’t dampen her mood.
Even though staying in her space wasn’t realistic, if the situation became truly critical, life came first. The rest could wait.
He only hoped his old friend wouldn’t let him down.