Chapter 220

"Yes, Uncle."

"What?"

Li Sanjiang looked at the old man, a bit surprised. What had he just said?

The old man: "Like a character in a storybook."

Li Sanjiang chuckled, "Oh, I see. Of course, just like they say in storytelling."

Li Sanjiang loved listening to traditional storytelling. In those tales, the various martial arts heroes were always first described as handsome, dashing, and elegant. Whenever Li Sanjiang heard these descriptions, he imagined how his little Yuan Hou would look when he grew up.

He felt a strong sense of immersion, picturing his little Yuan Hou roaming the martial arts world, upholding justice, and fighting evil.

A hint of longing appeared in the old man's eyes. Seeing the young boy reminded him of his own youngest son.

Six months ago, his family had received a photo forwarded by his youngest son's workplace. It was a group photo taken by the geological survey team to celebrate the successful completion of a mission.

He and his wife had searched that photo three times before finally identifying their youngest son; he had changed so much.

Li Zhuiyuan saw the old man.

Beijing was so vast, the young man hadn't expected to encounter his Grandpa Bei here, and Grandpa Bei seemed to be chatting quite familiarly with his own Great-Grandpa.

At the same time, the young man heard Grandpa Bei address Li Sanjiang as "Uncle."

Grandpa Bei and Li Weihan were former in-laws, sharing the same generation. Li Sanjiang was one generation above Li Weihan, so it was correct for Grandpa Bei to call Li Sanjiang "Uncle."

However, Grandpa Bei only called him that once, then quickly covered it up and changed his address.

Li Zhuiyuan knew this was because Li Lan had once made an agreement with Grandpa Bei, asking them not to contact or disturb her and her son.

Grandpa Bei was a man of principles; he would never go back on his word or fail to uphold a promise.

This was why the northern family had never formally contacted him for such a long time.

Li Zhuiyuan wasn't particularly disappointed by this.

In fact, for all this time, he had never proactively contacted his northern family either.

After all, at his core, the young man had inherited Li Lan's indifference; he didn't really need "family warmth" in the broader sense, nor did he intend to leverage any "family benefits."

A relationship without need naturally lacks proactive engagement.

Li Zhuiyuan, holding the report, walked up to Li Sanjiang and said with a smile, "Great-Grandpa, the health check results are out. You're perfectly fine, very healthy."

Li Sanjiang took the report, pretended to examine it, and said, "I told you, didn't I? My health is great, there's absolutely no need to waste money here."

As he spoke, Li Sanjiang patted the report and turned to the old man beside him:

"My friend, take a look. Am I right?"

Li Sanjiang's original intention was to hear his friend chime in with a few words like "the child is filial" or "it's the child's good intention," but to his surprise, the old man was lost in thought.

"My friend, my friend?"

"Old brother, let's have a meal together."

"Well..." Li Sanjiang was about to formulate a refusal. He knew this "friend" had an extraordinary identity, and the more so, the less he wanted any involvement beyond a chance encounter.

He understood that in a different setting, he might be too embarrassed to call him "my friend" again.

However, before Li Sanjiang could put his words together, the old man spoke again:

"There's a noodle shop on the street ahead. Let's go there and have a bowl of noodles. You've been at the hospital for check-ups since early morning, so you must be on an empty stomach. Even if you're not hungry, the child must be."

The old man's gaze fell on Li Zhuiyuan.

Li Zhuiyuan stood there, his expression calm, not proactively agreeing that he was hungry to encourage the meal.

Li Sanjiang frowned. Going to a noodle shop for noodles was acceptable to him, but...

"My friend, I really can't get used to your Beijing zhajiangmian."

The old man: "That's a Henan braised noodle shop."

Li Sanjiang's brows relaxed, and he said, "Alright, let's go eat noodles, but it's my treat."

The old man nodded, "Good."

Li Sanjiang turned to Li Zhuiyuan, "Little Yuan Hou, want to go eat noodles?"

Li Zhuiyuan: "Sure."

Li Sanjiang said to the old man, "My friend, why don't you go ahead? We'll walk over slowly."

Li Sanjiang remembered that his friend had arrived in a car.

The old man: "Let's walk together. It's not far."

"Alright then, let's walk. Come on, Little Yuan Hou, hop on!"

"Great-Grandpa, I can walk by myself."

"Didn't the doctor's report say Great-Grandpa is perfectly fine? Besides, you've been running around the hospital for Great-Grandpa, you must be tired. Come on!"

Li Zhuiyuan had no choice but to climb onto his great-grandpa's back.

Li Sanjiang supported the young boy with his hands behind him and chuckled to the old man beside him, "While my bones are still strong, I'll carry him as much as I can. The older he gets, the older I get. Someday, even if I want to carry him, I won't be able to."

The old man looked at the young boy on Li Sanjiang's back, an undisguised look of envy appearing on his face. He agreed, "Yes, that's true."

The three of them walked together towards the hospital entrance.

"Oh, by the way, my friend, you mentioned the other day that you have many children. So you must have many grandchildren too, right?"

"Yes, quite a few."

"Are they noisy?"

"Not noisy. They only find time to gather during holidays and festivals. On weekdays, everyone is busy with their own lives. Didn't I tell you, old brother? My children aren't very close to me."

Li Zhuiyuan knew that Grandpa Bei was speaking the truth.

He was too strict, and the family atmosphere was too oppressive. He would often severely criticize his uncles and aunts for issues in their work and personal conduct, and he would certainly not tolerate many of the juniors' lazy or excessive behaviors.

His uncles and aunts had been working for a long time and were respected figures outside, but every time they returned home, they had to mentally prepare themselves for the old man's reprimands.

The younger generation would become gloomy and anxious a week in advance upon hearing they were going to Grandpa and Grandma's house. Once there, they would sit rigidly, afraid of drawing attention.

Runsheng bought sweet potatoes, and seeing Grandpa Li and Xiao Yuan emerge, he carried the sweet potatoes and proactively walked over.

Along the way, he encountered a young man whose gaze was sharp. He both blocked Runsheng and began to size him up.

Runsheng prepared to push him aside. Seeing this, the young man also stepped back half a pace, as if ready to act.

"Runsheng Hou, come here."

Li Sanjiang's call made the young man drop his stance and clear the way.

Runsheng looked at him with some confusion, then quickly caught up.

"Grandpa Li, the sweet potatoes."

"Why did you only buy one?"

"Grandpa Li, you don't know how expensive sweet potatoes are here."

Runsheng made a gesture to Li Sanjiang.

Li Sanjiang's eyes widened: "That expensive? Are they robbing us? Why did you even bother buying one!"

Runsheng: "..."

Li Sanjiang took out the sweet potato, broke it into three pieces, kept one for himself, and then handed the others to Xiao Yuan and Runsheng, turning to the old man beside him:

"My friend, save room for the noodles, okay?"

The old man nodded with a smile.

Li Sanjiang then said to Xiao Yuan and Runsheng, "Let's try it and see what's so special about such expensive sweet potatoes."

He took a bite, savored it carefully, and then wondered, "It doesn't seem any different from the ones we grow in our fields?"

Runsheng: "It's not even as good as the ones we grow."

Li Sanjiang: "Runsheng, why are you peeling it? It's so expensive, the peel must be worth a lot too."

Runsheng scratched his head: "My grandpa taught me that you have to spit out the peel when eating sweet potatoes, otherwise it looks like your family has no food and can only gnaw on sweet potatoes."

Li Sanjiang licked his fingers, smacked his lips, and said, "You're lucky to be alive, not starving to death following that hillbilly."

They arrived at the noodle shop.

Li Zhuiyuan, Li Sanjiang, and Grandpa Bei sat at one table.

Runsheng proactively went to sit at a table with the young man who had followed them in.

Li Sanjiang waved to the young man he had seen handing a lighter to someone the other day:

"Hey nephew, order whatever noodles you want, don't be shy!"

The young man: "Thank you, Grandpa. I'm not hungry; I ate at home before coming out. I'm truly not just being polite, please enjoy your meal."

"Oh, I see. Runsheng Hou, then quickly order something. Why are you just sitting there blankly? Should I ask the boss to bring you ten bowls of noodles to tide you over?"

Runsheng shook his head: "I'm not hungry either, Grandpa Li."

If the person opposite him didn't eat, he wouldn't eat either. He had to keep an eye on him at all times.

Li Sanjiang scratched his head in wonder: "Not hungry? Did the sun rise from the west today?"

Seeing that neither of them was actually eating, Li Sanjiang ordered three bowls of braised noodles and two plates of cold side dishes.

"My friend, do you drink?"

"I can have a little with you, old brother."

"Alright, then let's have a drink, brothers. Little Yuan Hou, go help Great-Grandpa choose some wine."

Li Zhuiyuan got up from the table and went to the counter to get two bottles of beer.

Upon seeing it was beer, Li Sanjiang looked a bit resentful.

"Great-Grandpa, we have more plans this afternoon."

"This beer doesn't have much flavor..."

"The drinks here are expensive."

"Alright, beer is refreshing."

Li Zhuiyuan opened the caps and poured beer for Great-Grandpa and Grandpa Bei.

"Come on, my friend, let's have one."

"Okay, let's have one."

After clinking glasses, the two old men drained their drinks.

The young man at the next table immediately stood up. Runsheng's eyes narrowed.

The old man waved his hand, and only then did the young man sit back down.

Li Zhuiyuan took a head of garlic from a jar on the table and began peeling it.

When the noodles arrived, the young man divided the peeled garlic into two portions, one for Great-Grandpa and the other for Grandpa Bei.

Li Sanjiang bit into the garlic, immediately ate some noodles, then opened his mouth. The garlic was so spicy it made his cheeks tingle.

The old man chuckled, "Old brother, you don't have the habit of eating noodles with garlic at home, do you?"

Li Sanjiang quickly took a sip of beer to ease the sensation and said, "We don't have that custom where I'm from. Do you eat it?"

"I do."

"Then, do you want all of mine?"

"Yes."

The old man gathered the peeled garlic from in front of Li Sanjiang to his own side and said, "I didn't have this habit when I was young either. Back then, who could even afford white flour?"

Li Zhuiyuan had peeled enough garlic for two people, but the old man ate it all by himself, unwilling to waste any. He literally ate a clove of garlic with every bite of noodles. He was old, and his body wasn't what it used to be. Eating made sweat trickle down his forehead, and his eyes turned slightly red.

"My friend, have another bowl."

"No, no, I can't eat anymore. My appetite isn't what it used to be. Back then, if I could eat my fill, I could easily devour five big bowls like this!"

Li Sanjiang: "Haha, back then, people lacked fats and oils, so their appetites were huge, but no matter how much they ate, they got hungry quickly."

The two old men began the standard mealtime ritual of reminiscing about past hardships and present sweetness.

Li Zhuiyuan felt no particular emotion about this. He had never lacked food or clothing when he was young, and after returning to Nantong, he only ate thin gruel at Li Weihan's house for a few days before Great-Grandpa took him back, ensuring he had meat with every meal.

Runsheng, however, listened with deep emotion, though Runsheng's past hunger... couldn't really be blamed on the era.

The old man said, "Let's go, I'll accompany you to the Military Museum."

Li Sanjiang waved his hand, "No need, no need. You must be busy."

The old man: "You treated me to noodles, and I'll be your guide. That's fair."

Li Sanjiang blinked: "Alright then, let's go together. Little Yuan Hou, go get a taxi."

"Okay."

Li Sanjiang was reluctant to drink hard liquor, but he was even more reluctant for Little Yuan Hou to walk, and the buses in Beijing... were indeed terribly crowded.

His main principle was to save where he should, and spend where his great-grandson should.

After hailing a taxi, Li Sanjiang got into the back seat, and Grandpa Bei also got in. Li Zhuiyuan had no choice but to take the front passenger seat.

Runsheng had wanted to squeeze in too, but he was stopped by the young man. Then a car pulled up, and Runsheng got into the official vehicle.

As the car drove, passing by many scenic spots and famous buildings, Li Sanjiang deliberately showed off, pointing at them and asking questions. Li Zhuiyuan immediately began to explain.

Li Sanjiang listened with great comfort. Seeing the old man beside him also smiling as he listened, he asked:

"How about it? My great-grandson is smart, isn't he?"

"Yes, very."

"That's right. I originally thought about pulling some strings to get him into a better elementary school in town, but he just went straight to senior year of high school on his own.

I thought he'd run into some swindler. Later, I took him and his southern grandparents to the high school, and the principal personally received us and explained everything.

That's when I truly believed that our old Li family's ancestral grave had caught fire again!"

The last time it "caught fire" was when Li Lan got into a university in Beijing.

The old man asked, "'Southern Grandpa and Grandma,' are those his maternal grandparents?"

"Yes, where we're from, we don't call them 'maternal grandpa and grandma.' We all call them 'grandpa and grandma' so the children don't feel estranged."

"Oh, then why didn't his southern grandparents come to Beijing this time?"

"We don't live together."

"Don't live together?"

"Yes, our little Yuan Hou lives with me."

"Then you've really had it tough."

"Tough? The child had it tough living with his southern Grandpa, drinking thin gruel every day."

"Conditions were that bad?"

"There was no other way. They had four sons and then a large group of grandchildren to raise. My goodness, back then, when it was mealtime, it was like calling piglets back to the sty. With so many people, how could they afford solid food?

And the money his daughter—Little Yuan Hou's biological mother—sent, those two were stubbornly insistent on not using it, saying it was for their daughter to save for the future. Their life was truly tight.

As for me, I originally only had myself to feed, so bringing along a child still meant the child could have good meals with me."

Grandpa Bei nodded. He understood that the old man beside him was not his former in-laws' biological parent, but likely an elder of the same surname.

Therefore, to have done so much, the old man was truly remarkable.

"Then the child truly found fortune living with you."

Li Sanjiang: "What fortune? My friend, we're from the old generation. Nowadays, anyone with healthy hands and feet won't starve. But I also know that if this child wants a good path and a good life in the future, just having enough to eat isn't enough."

"Yes, the competitive pressure on young people will only increase."

"It's just that the child is ambitious himself, so I don't have to worry about his studies or anything. But if he weren't so smart, I might really have held him back by raising him.

And his northern grandparents really have some nerve. The child's surname was just changed by his mother, but isn't the bloodline still the same bloodline?

Hey, I can understand distancing yourselves because of that, but how could they be so heartless and just completely ignore him?"

"They probably have their own difficulties too."

"Difficulties my foot! They just value their pride more than anything, putting on airs.

I'm a country bumpkin, I don't have that ability, but if there's any path that would benefit the child, I'd get down on my knees for him."

The old man adjusted his sitting posture, his gaze fixed on the young man in the front seat.

Li Sanjiang continued: "The child's mother also isn't very sensible. She clearly knew the man's family was well-off, so even for the child's sake, she should have flattered and charmed her in-laws.

Then, when the in-laws passed away, wouldn't everything left in the family belong to her and the child?"

"She also had her difficulties, I suppose."

Thinking of his former daughter-in-law, the old man also felt a headache coming on.

His family had no tradition of arranged marriages, nor did he allow such things. The families of his children's spouses were quite ordinary, and Li Lan's rural background held no prejudice for him at all.

But later he discovered that his former daughter-in-law held prejudices against *them*.

When they first married, they maintained normal contact, but later, communication became less and less frequent, and their relationship gradually estranged. For a long time, even his youngest son rarely came home, afraid of upsetting his wife.

This situation had led his own wife to constantly self-reflect, believing she had been an unkind mother-in-law.

The old man felt that if his former daughter-in-law had truly been willing to be proactive and close, as Li Sanjiang suggested, even if it was just to deceive or coax them, he and his wife wouldn't have had to wait until their dying breath; they would have given her whatever they could before then.

He greatly admired his former daughter-in-law's abilities. She conducted her work independently, never leveraging her family connections, unlike his other children and their partners. Although he had never sought or arranged anything for them, their relationship with him inevitably led to them receiving special treatment at work, which was unavoidable.

Moreover, their youngest son was their most favored child. Previously, they were busy with work and didn't have the energy to care for children when they were born. However, by the time their youngest son was born, they had completely settled down, and thus poured more of their affection into him.

Not to mention... this grandson who had entered a gifted youth program very early on.

When his grandson entered the gifted youth class, he was among the youngest in that class.

Li Sanjiang shook his head: "I don't understand, some things I truly don't understand. Why give up a perfectly good life right in front of you and insist on creating trouble for no reason?

Look, my little Yuan Hou's original Beijing hukou suddenly became a rural Nantong hukou, just like mine."

The old man: "He's a university student now, so the hukou issue shouldn't be difficult to resolve."

Li Sanjiang's face lit up with surprise: "My friend, you have a way to fix it?"

The old man: "He should be able to follow the eligible procedures."

Li Sanjiang immediately called out to Li Zhuiyuan, who was sitting in front: "Little Yuan Hou, quick, come ask how to do it."

Li Zhuiyuan: "A Nantong hukou is quite good."

Li Sanjiang slapped his thigh and said, "Are you stupid? How can that be the same?"

Li Zhuiyuan: "Great-Grandpa, for me, it really makes no difference."

Even if he didn't enter the "gate" or walk the "river," living like a normal person, the hidden benefits of the hukou wouldn't affect him.

When Li Lan moved his hukou back, it was primarily to sever their mother-son relationship, not to suppress him by that means. That would be too childish; there was still some mutual trust in their abilities between mother and son.

Li Sanjiang sighed and said to the old man beside him, "See? My great-grandson is stubborn too."

The old man: "That's confidence. If you have ability, you truly don't need these things."

Li Sanjiang: "But if someone has ability, and their family gives them a push or a boost, can't they fly even higher?"

The old man: "That's true."

Li Sanjiang: "So, it's still his northern Grandpa's fault for playing dead."

The old man: "..."

As the taxi driver drove, he occasionally glanced in the rearview mirror at the car that kept following him. Even a Beijing taxi driver, who had seen a lot, couldn't help but feel a chill when he saw the license plate number of the car behind.

Several times he deliberately moved aside to let the other car pass, but it refused to overtake, only continuing to follow him.

Seeing this, the driver could only glance at the two old men in the back seat through the rearview mirror, focusing on the one with the extraordinary demeanor.

Upon reaching their destination, the old man reached for his pocket, only to find nothing there, an awkward moment.

Li Zhuiyuan paid the fare.

Li Sanjiang stood by the roadside, looking at the museum, and exclaimed, "My goodness, this is the real deal!"

"Old brother, we've gone through security..."

Before the old man could finish speaking, he saw his "old brother" run to a pillar on the other side of the entrance, stretch out his hands, and embrace the plaque.

This sight looked rather comical.

Then, he saw his grandson, after his "old brother" had finished embracing it, go and embrace it too.

"Little Yuan Hou, hug this for a bit longer. It's more effective than the police station!"

"Alright, Great-Grandpa."

Li Zhuiyuan recalled a time when he had tried to emulate Great-Grandpa's move. Once, before going out, he didn't have time to go hug the police station, so he and Runsheng simply hugged Tan Wenbin instead.

The old man walked over, wanting to join in, but in the end felt too embarrassed to open his arms and embrace it. He just reached out and touched it.

When he withdrew his hand, he saw the tall young man who had bought the sweet potatoes step forward, hug the plaque tightly, and even deliberately rub the dust from it onto himself.

Security personnel noticed the situation and walked over to inquire.

Li Sanjiang chuckled, "This is a custom from where we're from, hehe, a custom."

Seeing that the person was only hugging the plaque and doing nothing else, the security personnel pointed out, "Comrade, security check is over there."

After entering the museum, the old man truly became a guide.

Other guides spoke of historical events, but he spoke of personal experiences.

Yes, Li Sanjiang was also a witness to history, and he served to enrich the historical perspective.

Runsheng leaned over and whispered, "Grandpa, are any of the pieces of equipment you left behind here?"

Li Sanjiang raised his leg and kicked Runsheng: "Did the conscript from your family know how to drive a tank?"

Upon reaching the Korean War exhibition area, Li Sanjiang's interest immediately soared. While listening to the explanations, he looked around and touched things.

Starting from the previous exhibition area, visitors had been approaching to listen to the explanation. By the time they reached the next section, even more people had gathered around, and staff even came to maintain order.

After the explanation, a staff member brought tea. She didn't know the identity of the old man in front of her, and the surrounding visitors who had listened in also applauded.

If one simply walked through, it would be easy to just skim the surface. What was displayed here were exhibits, but what was truly on display was the history behind them.

As they walked out, Li Sanjiang saw that the old man was truly tired and advised, "Let's sit down and rest for a bit. My friend, you just had surgery, your body is still weak."

The old man shook his head, insisting on walking out of the museum. He then stubbornly turned a corner, found a spot, sat down, and bent over.

The young man who had been walking alongside Runsheng stepped forward, took out some medicine, and gave it to the old man.

The old man exhaled, glanced back at the distant museum, then turned to Li Zhuiyuan and said:

"What's displayed inside is history, but the future is too vast to contain. What they have, we will also have in the future, and ours will be even better."

Li Zhuiyuan nodded, "Mhm."

The old man then looked up at Li Sanjiang and said, "Old brother, would you honor me by having dinner together again?"

Li Sanjiang: "Didn't we already settle up?"

The old man: "I haven't been this happy or talked this much in a long time. I owe you a lot, and it's not easy to repay."

Li Sanjiang: "Hey, are all people in Beijing this warm and hospitable?"

The old man: "This proves we have a connection. Old brother, you said earlier that you're going back tomorrow, right?"

"Mhm."

"At our age, every meeting could be the last."

As the old man said this, he looked at Li Zhuiyuan.

Li Sanjiang reached out and patted Little Yuan Hou's head, saying, "Alright then, let's have another meal together. It's fate, after all. But it's still our treat. By the way, Little Yuan Hou, what did you originally say you wanted to eat tonight?"

They entered Fengzeyuan, took a private room, and after Li Zhuiyuan finished ordering, he asked Li Sanjiang if he wanted to add anything else.

Li Sanjiang took the menu, flipped through it, and uncharacteristically didn't comment on the prices.

Midway through, Runsheng went to page Lin Shuyou, who was attending a conference.

Lin Shuyou arrived by taxi before the meal started.

Today's report session was very successful. Everyone was particularly interested in the "mysterious and enigmatic" matters that went beyond what was in books.

It was originally only planned for half a day in the morning, but due to the overwhelming positive response, Lin Shuyou was asked to speak in the afternoon as well.

In the morning, Lin Shuyou was still a bit nervous and stammered, but by the afternoon, he had completely loosened up. After finishing the content on his manuscript, he simply started telling stories he had heard since childhood in the temple.

As soon as he entered the private room, Lin Shuyou excitedly shared his day's experiences with Xiao Yuan.

Only when he sat down did he realize there were two other people, one of them an old man. When Lin Shuyou looked at him, he felt his eyeballs begin to swell, and he had a feeling he dared not look directly at him.

Now, his connection with the Boy was even closer, which meant that even the Boy dared not manifest himself or even reveal his presence in front of this old man.

During lunch, the old man primarily spoke with Li Sanjiang. For dinner, the old man spoke more with Li Zhuiyuan.

Li Sanjiang, on the other hand, focused on eating. He ate a lot of the braised sea cucumber with scallions and the Nine-Turned Intestines, especially liking the intestines.

The old man asked many questions, from studies to daily life, and Li Zhuiyuan answered them all. The atmosphere was very harmonious.

Li Sanjiang served Lin Shuyou some food and asked, "What's wrong with you? Why are you acting like a timid girl tonight?"

Lin Shuyou didn't know how to explain. Ever since he became aware of the old man's presence, he had felt as if he were sitting on pins and needles, and his breathing felt a bit constricted.

Runsheng lit an incense stick and chewed on it while eating.

Li Sanjiang chuckled and explained, "This child has had this habit since he was little, don't mind him."

The old man chuckled, "Extraordinary people and unique individuals are normal. He must be remarkable."

Li Sanjiang: "He really is remarkable. He's a great worker. As long as you feed him well, he could carry you all the way from beyond the Great Wall to Xuzhou in one go."

At this moment, the young man leaned close to the old man and whispered something. The old man's face showed contemplation, and he said, "Tell her to wait."

The young man left the private room.

As the meal was nearing its end, the old man raised his wine glass: "Old brother, come, I'll toast you."

"Come, come," Li Sanjiang stood up, and the two clinked glasses.

In the afternoon, they'd had beer as a rinse; in the evening, they drank hard liquor. Both old men appeared slightly tipsy.

"Old brother, raising a child alone isn't easy."

"Ha, others envy me too much to find it difficult. Don't be afraid to laugh, but I originally thought I'd live this life happily by myself, then lie in a coffin, get buried in the earth, and at least feel like I hadn't lived in vain.

But when I met my little Yuan Hou, I realized how good it feels to have a child by my side.

Sometimes I even feel like it's not me taking care of the child, but the child taking care of me."

"Xiao Yuan is indeed a good child."

"Exactly! We should also thank them for giving birth but not raising him; it was a huge bargain for me, haha!"

The old man's face showed a wry smile.

Li Sanjiang seemed genuinely drunk. He swayed twice and mumbled:

"Such a good child, yet they were so heartless, just abandoning him without a second thought, without even a glance. I'm truly curious what kind of family they are, if everyone in their family is born from dragon or phoenix eggs, exalted to the heavens.

Although the child is in university now, he's already interning. In a few more years, when he makes his own way, he won't need anyone's flattery, and then they won't be special even if they try to get close.

My friend, isn't that true?"

"Old brother, you're absolutely right."

The two old men toasted each other again. Li Sanjiang seemed to have had too much to drink and slumped onto his chair.

The old man twirled his empty wine glass, his gaze fixed on the young man for a long time.

Finally, he closed his eyes, stood up, and said, "Old brother, I'll arrange for someone to take you back to the hotel."

Li Sanjiang waved his hand, "No need to trouble yourselves, we'll go back on our own. I still want to walk around outside for a bit and enjoy the breeze, it's comfortable. My friend, you should go back first and take care of your health. We're both not young anymore, so you should drink and smoke less."

After saying this, Li Sanjiang pulled out a cigarette pack from his pocket, offered one to the other man, and the two old men leaned together to light their cigarettes.

Li Sanjiang put the lighter into the old man's pocket: "Your lighter, returned to you."

"Old brother, keep it as a memento."

"What do I need it for? A memento, I already have one, hehe, *burp*!"

The old man left the private room.

Li Zhuiyuan remained in his seat, helping Runsheng with food and clearing the table.

Lin Shuyou rested his head on the table, panting continuously. The pressure he felt had finally dissipated.

If Grandpa Li hadn't been there, A-You would have really wanted to ask Xiao Yuan who that person was, what kind of deity could suppress the White Crane Boy like that.

Furthermore, Lin Shuyou could sense that the other person wasn't deliberately doing anything; most of their attention was on Xiao Yuan.

Li Sanjiang, leaning back in his chair, took money from his pocket and pointed outside: "Little Yuan Hou, go pay the bill."

Li Zhuiyuan: "The bill should already be paid."

Li Sanjiang put the money on the table in front of him, turned his head, and looked at the young man with drunken eyes, saying:

"Then go see your Grandpa Bei off."

Li Zhuiyuan walked out of the restaurant and a short distance away. Under the shade of the trees near the overpass, he saw a figure.

Beside Grandpa Bei was an old woman with white hair, her eyes red-rimmed, complaining about something to him.

Grandpa Bei stood there, offering no explanation, simply allowing his wife to vent her frustrations.

The young man nearby, seeing this, could only remind the "chief" that he had just had surgery.

"He just had surgery, yet he's smoking and drinking. He saw the person, but wouldn't let me see him..."

At this moment, Li Zhuiyuan appeared, stopping a few meters away from the two old people.

The old woman first paused, then her face lit up with surprise. Just as she was about to rush forward, Grandpa Bei coughed.

The old woman closed her eyes, gritted her teeth, took a deep breath, walked forward, and embraced the young man:

"This child, I've missed him so much, missed him so much!"

The old woman shed tears, then caressed the young man's face, examining him carefully.

In truth, Li Zhuiyuan hadn't spent much time with Grandma Bei. Even when Li Lan's condition wasn't so severe, their small family maintained only minimal contact and interaction with Grandpa Bei's family.

In comparison, his cousins were much closer to Grandma Bei and had more frequent opportunities to see and accompany her.

But the longing in that moment was not fake.

After all, his poor father, heartbroken by love, had completely exiled himself into his work.

The two old people had transferred their longing for their son onto him, compounded by the classic "absence makes the heart grow fonder" principle, where the less attainable something is, the more it is desired.

Li Zhuiyuan allowed her to hug and gaze at him, his face calm, bearing a subtle, faint smile.

Indeed, there was no ripple in his heart.

In the past, he would have felt negative and helpless about the lack of emotional fluctuation within him, experiencing a sense of frustration from being unable to express positive, genuine emotions.

Now, he no longer felt that way.

Since there were no deep emotional ties, there was no need to deliberately force himself.

The old woman turned to the old man: "Can't you take the child back to stay for one night? I'll personally cook him something..."

The old man: "You need to get her permission first."

The old woman bit her lip hard, a fierce look appearing in her eyes.

Grandma Bei truly hated Li Lan.

Li Zhuiyuan believed Grandma Bei's hatred was justified and reasonable.

His poor father, wounded by love, had been impeccable in both his roles as husband and father. But such a person was not merely toyed with emotionally... his emotions were devastated.

One could say that from Grandma Bei's perspective, her most beloved youngest son had been personally ruined by Li Lan.

The old woman secretly slipped a piece of paper into Li Zhuiyuan's pocket, pressed her face against the young man's, and deliberately lowered her voice into his ear:

"My grandson, whatever you want or wish to do, remember to call or write to Grandma. Grandma will help you. We'll keep it from that stubborn old man, and from your vicious mother!"

"Mhm."

"Hehe, good child!"

The old woman's tears turned into a smile. This simple response gave her immense comfort, and in some sense, it was even a form of salvation.

In fact, Li Zhuiyuan could see that Grandpa Bei had noticed Grandma Bei's small gesture, but this time, he deliberately turned his head away, pretending not to notice.

Grandpa Bei: "Let's go. The child has to catch a flight back tomorrow morning."

The old woman reluctantly released his hand, leaving with a longing look, turning back three times with every step.

Li Zhuiyuan stood rooted to the spot, watching them slowly depart.

On the road nearby, that car slowly followed alongside them.

Only after Grandma Bei turned back and could no longer see him did Li Zhuiyuan turn around, ready to leave.

His heart remained unperturbed from beginning to end, but remarkably, he didn't feel any aversion because of it.

This was also a huge step forward, moving from a negative state to zero.

Ever since he had transformed himself into a 'heart devil' and suppressed his original self, the danger level had increased, but the illness's impact on him had decreased.

Li Zhuiyuan quite enjoyed this feeling.

He had only walked a few steps when the young man stopped.

On the overpass, a woman's figure stood.

"Xiao Yuan?"

The person was Aunt Xu, Li Lan's secretary.

Li Zhuiyuan had always believed that Li Lan chose Aunt Xu as her assistant because she valued Aunt Xu's origin as also being from Nantong.

With Aunt Xu as an intermediary, Li Lan could sever contact with her hometown and family.

Aunt Xu was likely responsible for the monthly living allowance for his grandparents and holiday gifts, as well as answering calls from their hometown.

Li Weihan and Cui Guiying could no longer distinguish their daughter's voice.

Aunt Xu walked down from the overpass and approached Li Zhuiyuan, asking:

"Xiao Yuan, who were those two just now?"

"You know them, but you didn't dare to come out just now."

Aunt Xu's expression froze.

Li Zhuiyuan: "Li Lan isn't in Beijing right now, is she?"

"Your mother went to participate in a new project, but she knew you were coming to Beijing, so she asked me to..."

"Disgust me?"

Aunt Xu pursed her lips. At that moment, she confirmed that from this young man, she felt the exact same pressure as from her superior.

"Xiao Yuan, I won't..."

"You can't hide it from her. You don't have the confidence to lie to her."

"I..."

"Tell her exactly what happened. It's okay. She'll be happy to hear about it."

"Then..."

Just then, Aunt Xu's pager at her waist buzzed.