The architecture of the estate leaned toward that of a castle. Its exterior was Western style, but the interior layout and decoration were much more traditional Chinese.
At the main entrance, two neat rows of men in black suits and two neat rows of maidservants stood at attention.
At the very front stood a refined-looking middle-aged man.
He was the Gu family’s housekeeper, surnamed He. He was well past fifty years old, though it did not show on his face.
The moment the car came to a stop, someone stepped forward to open the door.
Gu Qingze’s expression remained cold as he lifted his foot and stepped out of the car.
Immediately, a synchronized chorus rang out from that side: “Welcome home, Patriarch!”
Even though he was already accustomed to it, Gu Qingze’s footsteps still involuntarily slowed down a fraction.
Gathering his thoughts, his stride returned to normal as he asked in a cool voice, “Where is the old madame?”
Housekeeper He stepped forward and replied softly, “In the backyard, planting flowers.”
“Mhm.”
Gu Qingze gave a single flat acknowledgment and walked straight inside, expertly navigating through several corridors. After rounding a corner, he caught sight of the scene in the backyard.
Assistant Su and Housekeeper He followed silently behind Gu Qingze.
A wide variety of colorful flowers were planted throughout the backyard, and the walls along the edges were draped with red climbing roses.
In a pavilion not far away, an elderly woman with white hair lay quietly in a rocking chair, with a maidservant busy on either side of her, brewing tea, rocking the chair…
Not far from the pavilion was a patch of freshly turned soil, bare and barren, with no clear indication of whether anything had been planted in it yet.
Watching this, Gu Qingze felt his heart gradually settle as he walked toward the pavilion.
In truth, there used to be a medium-sized pond here, stocked with fish and flowers, but it had been filled in later on, leaving only the octagonal pavilion behind.
Assistant Su and Housekeeper He did not follow any further. After standing in place to watch for a moment, they retreated together with tacit mutual understanding.
Gu Qingze walked up to Old Madame Gu and asked, “How has Grandmother been during this period?”
One of the maidservants bowed and replied, “Over the past half month, with the exception of a single day, her overall nutrient intake has met the standard. However, her memory has declined quite a bit compared to before, and the medication she takes is not very effective anymore.”
“Which day?”
“March eighteenth.”
March eighteenth…
Gu Qingze’s gaze flickered slightly. “Alright, I understand. You may step back first.”
As the two maidservants withdrew, Gu Qingze cast his gaze upon Old Madame Gu, who had already fallen asleep. After watching for a moment, he slowly sat down to the side and continued the task the maidservant had left unfinished.
Brewing tea.
Flower tea.
Old Madame Gu loved flowers very much.
Not long after, the tea was ready. Movement came from the direction of the rocking chair, and Old Madame Gu woke up.
The moment Old Madame Gu woke up and saw Gu Qingze, she looked startled, but a warm, kind smile quickly spread across her face as she said gently, “Child, you look quite handsome. Do you have a sweetheart? Shall I introduce you to my granddaughter?”
Gu Qingze’s gaze flickered, a trace of imperceptible sadness washing over her features. She did not remember him again.
Gu Qingze adjusted his mood, allowing a hint of tenderness to show through his typically icy expression. “Grandmother, I am your grandson, Gu Qingze. You do not have a granddaughter.”
“Is that so?” Doubt surfaced on Old Madame Gu’s face as she looked at Gu Qingze in absolute disapproval. “How could that be? I was just talking to my granddaughter yesterday. You two share such an amazing bond; her name is Gu Qingze as well. It is truly a match made in heaven!”
Hearing this, Gu Qingze did not persist in debating the topic with Old Madame Gu. He tested the temperature of the cup’s outer wall with his hand; it was already warm.
Handing the teacup to Old Madame Gu, he said softly, “Grandmother, this is freshly poured tea. Would you like to have a taste?”
Old Madame Gu did not refuse. Smiling, she took it and took a small sip at her lips.
When the teacup was set down again, however, the smile had vanished from Old Madame Gu’s face.
She simply stared blankly at Gu Qingze’s face, remaining motionless for a long while.
Gu Qingze locked gazes with Old Madame Gu just like that.
Suddenly, Old Madame Gu raised her hand, her fingers trembling slightly.
Guessing what Old Madame Gu wanted to do, Gu Qingze leaned his face closer.
Old Madame Gu gently stroked Gu Qingze’s cheek with her hand, moisture quietly welling up in the corners of her eyes.
“Why is it that when I look at you, my heart aches so intensely? Child, can you tell me the reason?”
She had forgotten Gu Qingze once again.
Gu Qingze blinked, reaching up to cover Old Madame Gu’s somewhat withered hand, and put a smile on his face. “Perhaps it is because the wind is strong today. Shall we go inside and rest?”
At these words, Old Madame Gu raised her eyes to look at the red roses on the wall.
The rose branches swayed; there was indeed a breeze.
Thinking this, Old Madame Gu’s mood slowly calmed back down.
When she looked at Gu Qingze again, a smile returned to her face. Rising to her feet while supported by Gu Qingze, she walked out of the pavilion.
As they passed a flowerbed, Old Madame Gu came to a halt.
They were hyacinths, pink ones.
Releasing Gu Qingze’s hand, Old Madame Gu bent down to snap off a blossom, turned, and placed it into Gu Qingze’s hand. “This flower grows quite prettily. Take it with you, and it will surely make my granddaughter happy. She is the sort of person who loves pretty things most of all, even if she does not show it on the surface.”
At the mention of this, Old Madame Gu chuckled once more.
Watching this scene, Gu Qingze pressed his lips into a thin line. “Grandmother, I am Gu Qingze, and I like this flower very much.”
With that, he supported Old Madame Gu once again and continued, “You only have a grandson, not a granddaughter. Have you not been taking your medicine properly these past few days? You have forgotten me again…”
Old Madame Gu suffered from Alzheimer’s disease, which had struck without warning when he was nine years old.
In the beginning, if he said a few things about the past in front of her, she could remember them quite quickly.
Later on, as Gu Qingze grew busy and lacked the time, he frequently recorded videos. Using his own image, he would record everything like telling a story and play it for Old Madame Gu to watch.
This approach, which seemed to work wonderfully, was maintained for seven years before it stopped working as well.
Old Madame Gu’s condition began to relapse. By the time he was twenty-two years old, she had forgotten everyone, including Gu Qingze.
Despite the Gu family’s immense wealth, with only Old Madame Gu remaining as his truly living relative in the world, Gu Qingze could buy any medicine available, but he could not buy a cure for Old Madame Gu.
Only palliative relief…
“Oh, look! There are two flower fairies dancing over there!”
Old Madame Gu stopped abruptly once more, pointing toward a certain spot.
Gu Qingze looked over. It was completely empty, with nothing there at all. He did not offer any rebuttal, simply going along with what Old Madame Gu said. “Mhm, I see them. They are very pretty.”
The petals of the pink hyacinth in his hand fluttered in the gentle breeze, swaying as if they were dancing.
However, not long after Gu Qingze finished speaking, Old Madame Gu suddenly let go of him and walked purposefully toward that spot.
Gu Qingze said nothing and followed close behind.
Yet after walking only a short distance, Old Madame Gu stopped again and began violently tearing at the flowers on the ground in total silence, her movements quite rough.
Moving with quick reflexes, Gu Qingze stepped forward to stop her, but Old Madame Gu gave him a forceful shove to the side.
Gu Qingze stumbled a fraction, his voice turning slightly hoarse as he called out, “Grandmother!”
Without halting her actions, Old Madame Gu continued pulling at the flowers, stomping directly on the ones she could not pull loose.
Losing her footing and looking as though she was about to topple sideways, Gu Qingze reacted swiftly to catch her in his arms.
Taking a deep breath, he asked in a gentle voice, “Grandmother, why are you tearing up the flowers? If you do not like them, your grandson can take care of them for you. The stems have thorns, so it will not be good if you hurt yourself.”