Because she grew up with her maternal grandparents from a young age, Xu Mian shared a deeply affectionate bond with the two elders, frequently returning to visit them.
Naturally, Jiang Yuanchuan always accompanied her.
Except when he was away on business trips, he had not missed a single opportunity over the past few years to accompany her back to visit her grandparents, always bringing great joy to the elderly couple during every visit.
Xu Mian readily admitted that Jiang Yuanchuan was filial, devoted to his family, and an exceptionally loving father.
Due to her own unhappy childhood marred by a lack of parental companionship, she had once been reluctant to have children, fearing that neither she nor her partner would prove capable as parents.
However, when their daughter arrived unexpectedly, both she and Jiang Yuanchuan performed their parental roles admirably.
This was especially true of Jiang Yuanchuan.
From her pregnancy to her daughter’s birth, and up until now as the little girl approached four years old, he personally attended to every single detail. During the most exhausting first year of their daughter’s life, he handled nearly all the caregiving duties himself.
He said he could not bear to see her exhausted.
In order to care for their daughter, he worked from home for nearly a full year.
During her pregnancy, Xu Mian had suffered from anxiety, worrying that a man as high and mighty as Jiang Yuanchuan would not care for children at all, let alone a daughter, assuming that a successful businessman like him would inevitably desire a son to inherit the family legacy.
Yet, after their daughter was born, he demonstrated his devotion through every single action, spoiling the little girl immensely without showing the slightest trace of male preference.
Over the weekend, Xu Mian brought her daughter alongside Jiang Yuanchuan to visit her grandparents once again. The elderly couple resided in a small suburban town, where Xu Mian had lived until completing middle school.
Right next door was Ji Yuanhang’s family home.
As far back as Xu Mian could remember, Ji Yuanhang’s father and grandmother had already passed away, leaving him to live with his grandfather. Later, right before Ji Yuanhang went abroad, his grandfather also passed away due to illness.
As for Ji Yuanhang’s mother, Xu Mian had heard neighbors mention during her childhood that his mother had left with a wealthy businessman who came to develop the town shortly after he was born, never to return again.
Seeing workers bustling in and out of Ji Yuanhang’s old house next door, Xu Mian was about to go inside her grandparents’ house to ask her grandmother what was happening when she saw Ji Yuanhang step out of the old residence.
He wore a set of old blue work overalls from who knows where, complete with work gloves on his hands, looking as though he was actively assisting with the work.
Upon spotting her, he raised the corners of his lips and greeted her with a warm smile: “Mianmian, back to visit your grandparents?”
“Yes.” Xu Mian responded before asking in confusion, “What are you doing?”
Ji Yuanhang explained gently: “I am renovating the old house and planning to move back here to live.”
Standing nearby while holding their daughter’s hand, Jiang Yuanchuan let out an unceremonious, icy sneer.
Ji Yuanhang’s subtle intentions could be seen through by anyone with half an eye.
Moving back here to live?
First, he could build rapport with Xu Mian’s grandparents all day long. Second, since Xu Mian frequently returned to visit the two elders, wouldn’t she naturally engage in conversation with him back and forth over time?
Just like at this very moment.
If he ever missed a trip due to a business assignment, wouldn’t that grant Ji Yuanhang a prime opportunity to draw close to Xu Mian?
However, Jiang Yuanchuan had long mentally prepared himself for encountering Ji Yuanhang here. Since Ji Yuanhang had returned with predatory ambitions, he certainly would not let go easily.
Renovating the old house to move back in was merely his very first step.
Xu Mian was completely unable to comprehend Ji Yuanhang’s actions: “Move back here to live? Won’t that be rather inconvenient for work?”
Ji Yuanhang maintained a relaxed expression, offering a reasonable justification: “A highway has been built now, hasn’t it? Driving to the city center takes only forty to fifty minutes, so it won’t affect the daily commute.”
“Besides, our environment here is tranquil and quiet. I was never particularly fond of the hustle and bustle of big cities anyway, so moving back here to live is the most suitable choice.”
“Most importantly, this old house holds many of my most cherished memories, and I simply cannot bear to part with them.”
Ji Yuanhang’s final remark was clearly loaded with underlying meaning. His so-called cherished memories undoubtedly referred to those youthful years spent together with Xu Mian.
Jiang Yuanchuan took a deep breath, suppressing the harsh, biting words that were nearly ready to spill from his tongue.
At this moment, Ji Yuanhang was acting far more delicate and manipulative than any textbook white lotus.
He was actively staging a nostalgic guilt trip right in front of Xu Mian!
Pressing his tongue firmly against his back molars, Jiang Yuanchuan stood holding his daughter’s hand without uttering a single word, staring intently at the two of them.
He wanted to see just how long Xu Mian intended to chat with Ji Yuanhang, and whether she still remembered that her husband and daughter were standing right behind her!
Fortunately, Xu Mian did not prolong the conversation. She offered a subtle smile and took her leave: “In that case, I will let you get back to work.”
With that, she turned around and walked back toward him and their daughter.
Jiang Yuanchuan’s gaze crossed over Xu Mian and met Ji Yuanhang’s eyes, filling them with utter disdain and stark warning.
Xu Mian was currently a married woman. By rushing over to fight and compete like this, where did Ji Yuanhang intend to place Xu Mian’s reputation?
Back when he himself approached Xu Mian using her father’s accident as an opportunity, Xu Mian had not been anyone’s girlfriend.
Xu Mian walked over, took her daughter’s hand, and said gently: “Let us go, Tangtang, we are going inside to see Great-Grandpa.”
She did not look at Jiang Yuanchuan. Even without looking, she could sense his displeasure, yet she was genuinely unable to bring herself to ignore Ji Yuanhang completely without even exchanging a greeting.
Xu Mian’s grandfather had experienced deteriorating health in recent years, becoming reliant on a wheelchair after suffering a stroke.
Her grandmother possessed decent physical health, but she was advanced in age after all. Both Xu Mian and her parents wanted to bring the elderly couple to the city center to live together for better care, but the old couple refused to move.
Jiang Yuanchuan had also proposed arranging for them to move into a high-end rehabilitation center managed by Xu Jizhou’s family enterprise, where professional medical staff could offer care far more beneficial to their health.
The elderly couple rejected the offer once again, stating that they only wished to remain in their familiar surroundings.
Left with no alternative, they hired a nanny for the two of them to handle their daily three meals and household chores, allowing the family to feel somewhat more at ease.
When Xu Mian pushed the door open to enter, her grandmother was inside the kitchen. She quickly went into the kitchen to help her grandmother out, gently scolding her: “Grandmother, how many times have I told you that you are not allowed into the kitchen anymore?”
Aunt Fang, the nanny, expressed her helplessness from the side: “I could not persuade her at all. The elderly lady always wants to personally prepare delicious food for all of you.”
On the other side of the room, the little girl had already darted like a lark right into the elderly man’s arms on the wheelchair: “Great-Grandpa, I came to see you!”
The little girl’s voice sounded crisp and clear, and her smile was as bright and sweet as her name. The smile on Xu Mian’s grandfather’s face instantly expanded, and his entire demeanor brightened considerably.
To the elderly couple, the little girl’s healing presence surpassed any potent medicine.
After greeting Xu Mian’s grandparents, Jiang Yuanchuan took the initiative to step forward and push the wheelchair, bringing Xu Mian’s grandfather out into the courtyard to enjoy the sunshine while keeping the elderly man company in conversation.
Unexpectedly, after only a few sentences of conversation, someone knocked on the courtyard gate. Jiang Yuanchuan stepped forward to open it.
The visitor was Ji Yuanhang, holding a cardboard box that appeared quite old in his hands.
Jiang Yuanchuan asked expressionlessly: “Is something the matter?”
Ji Yuanhang, however, displayed a smile as warm as a spring breeze: “While tidying up my things, I discovered some of Mianmian’s old belongings. Since she happens to be back, I came to return them to her.”
Jiang Yuanchuan narrowed his eyes slightly, a stormy rage abruptly surging beneath them.
Xu Mian’s old belongings?
Since they were in Ji Yuanhang’s possession, they were inevitably old items that carried shared memories between the two of them.
He had to admit that this move by Ji Yuanhang struck directly at his most vulnerable spot!
He was already consumed by immense jealousy!
Yet, in front of Xu Mian’s grandfather, he could not afford to lose his composure excessively. Maintaining his last shred of rationality, he extended his hand, intending to take the cardboard box.
Ji Yuanhang, however, spoke up: “These items are Mianmian’s personal belongings, so it would be better to hand them over to her in person.”