Translator: Larbre Studio
Editor: Larbre Studio
Fu Hengyi rested his forehead on his hand helplessly, “Grandpa, she is only twenty-one.”
“You are thirty-one, but I, your grandpa, am already eighty-eight this year. Poor you…your parents died early, leaving me an old man behind to be a father as well as a mother. To bring you up with great efforts, was it easy? Now I just want to see you get married and have children, and then I can see my great grandchildren before I die. Am I asking too much? Is that too much?”
Grandpa Fu spoke touchingly, his expressions full of emotions. He stroked his chest with both hands for a while and then wept, his face buried in his hands.
He didn’t forget to peek at Fu Hengyi’s look from between his fingers.
Fu Hengyi witnessed his little performance, unphased and helpless.
After a long time, Fu Hengyi said lightly, “I won’t consider her, but I’m willing to accept your arranged blind date.”
Grandpa Fu stopped crying immediately. With hands down, he stared at his grandson.
“What did you say?”
Fu Hengyi was confused by his stare. Hadn’t the old guy been trying to arrange a blind date for him? Now that he had finally agreed, why did he have that kind of look?
“I said I am willing to have a blind date. Whichever graceful lady you like, just arrange it,” Fu Hengyi repeated.
“Bullshit! When did I intend to arrange a blind date for you?” Grandpa Fu immediately burst out in anger, even letting out curse words that he had not said for a long time.
“Aren’t you anxious to have your great-grandchildren?”
“I am anxious to have my great-grandchildren, but they must be Qinglan’s.”
“Grandpa,” Fu Hengyi interrupted him. Rubbing his eyebrows, he said, “I’ve told you that she’s only twenty-one and I only consider her my younger sister.”
Irritated, Grandpa Fu glared at his grandson, as if staring at the enemy, “What brothers and sisters? Don’t fool me with that. I tell you, my granddaughter-in-law must be Qinglan. I will never approve of anyone else until I die.”
Grandpa Fu walked out with big strides—he was really angry.
Fu Hengyi stood there, looking serious. Having been away for only one year, he really couldn’t understand how his grandfather had become so interested in the little girl of the Shen family.
The reason why Grandpa Fu liked Shen Qinglan so much went back to what had happened three years before.
Since Grandpa Fu had retired, he had been concentrating on taking care of himself. His family, however, was not thriving with children. The old Fu had only one son and one daughter, but his son Fu Jingzhi, Fu Hengyi’s father, had died in a mission more than twenty years before. Later, his daughter-in-law had supported the family by running business, but she had got depressed and sick and had passed away early.
His daughter Fu Jingting was a diplomat. After divorcing, she had gone abroad alone and stayed there all year round. His only grandson didn’t come back home, not even once in a year. Therefore, he felt bored being home alone.
Grandpa Fu had also been a playboy in his youth. Although he had been able to control himself because of his job, after his retirement he had once again become what he used to be.
One day three years before Grandpa Fu had left the house with only one bodyguard “to get more experiences,” he had said. In reality, he simply wanted to go out and have fun.
With his special identity, he usually went out with many bodyguards, even if he wanted to keep a low profile.
That time, however, he had accidentally gotten separated from his bodyguard. As he usually did not bring a wallet with him, nor a mobile phone, he was left penniless.
Grandpa Fu had thought about taking a taxi back and then calling someone to bring money over when arriving at the gate. But he cared more about not losing face—if he had done that, those old friends would have known and definitely laughed at him. He couldn’t afford that.
It was almost noon. With an empty stomach, Grandpa Fu had decided to have a meal at a restaurant nearby first and to wait for the bodyguard to come to him.
His expectations had been met: the bodyguard had come back for him right the moment he had walked inside the restaurant. Searching around without seeing Grandpa Fu, the bodyguard was sweating all over with anxiety. If Grandpa Fu had gone lost, he would have been the one to blame.
The bodyguard and Grandpa Fu had missed each other.
Grandpa Fu was not the kind of person to not treat himself. Although he had no money on him, he still ordered a number of the restaurant’s specialties.
He was stuffed, but the bodyguard had not been able to find him yet. The waiters cast several looks at him from time to time, afraid that he would run away, and the old man was kind of embarrassed.
However, as he couldn’t remember the bodyguard’s cell phone number, it was even impossible for him to borrow a phone from others and call him.
Just as Grandpa Fu was getting restless and worried about what to do, Shen Qinglan, who sat at the table next to him, had stood up and gone to the counter to pay the bill, also helping with Grandpa Fu’s bill at the same time.
Old Fu had not been aware, until the waiter had come over and handed him two notes. He had pointed to Shen Qinglan, who had already walked outside, and said, “That miss has just paid the bill. This is your change. Please take it.”
He said it was “change,” but those were two full notes.
Grandpa Fu was stunned, looking in the direction pointed by the waiter, and had simply seen her thin back leave.
Grandpa Fu had gotten up immediately, running after her, without even taking the money the waiter had handed him.
Shen Qinglan didn’t walk fast, so Grandpa Fu soon caught up to her.
“Miss, miss, wait for me—”
Shen Qinglan had heard someone faintly calling her from behind, so had she stopped.
Grandpa Fu had been out of breath after running. He was in his eighties, after all—how could he compare with youngsters?
“Miss, you walk too fast. Old as I am, I can hardly keep up with you.” Grandpa Fu had grumbled.
Shen Qinglan had recognized the old man she had just met in the restaurant. He had sat there, restless and anxious, probably not having the money to pay the bill. Seeing that, Shen Qinglan had paid for him straight away.
“What can I do for you, sir?” Shen Qinglan asked faintly, her voice quite pleasant to ears.
Grandpa Fu had not expected the girl helping him to be so young. She looked only seventeen or eighteen years old, but she appeared calm and composed, which didn’t agree with her age at all. “Miss, thank you for your help just now.”
Grandpa Fu had blushed a little.
“Don’t care much about that. It’s not a big deal.”
“Well, Miss, as the saying goes, send Buddha to the West. Well, could you do me one more favor?” Grandpa Fu had asked, extremely embarrassed.
He was a man who cared greatly about keeping face. It was the first time that he had asked a girl for help—one he was not acquainted with, actually.
“Please, say it.” Shen Qinglan was not one to be interested in others’ business, but she had always respected the elders. Even more so, that old man had reminded her of her own grandfather.
“I got separated from my family and have no money on me. Could you accompany me home?”
Shen Qinglan had thought for a while and nodded in agreement—she had nothing else to do that day anyway. “Okay. Where do you live, grandpa?”
She had blinked slightly upon hearing the address.