Chapter 59: Is He Wicked?

Chapter 59: Is He Wicked?

The Chi family's old residence, long uninhabited, had become unusually lively this year.

Knowing that family members were returning, the housekeeper had arranged for a thorough cleaning and decoration in advance, giving the place a festive atmosphere.

Before the car arrived, people were already standing at the entrance, waiting to greet them.

Chi Zhanghua, over seventy years old, was not in the best of health, suffering from cardiovascular issues. Unable to endure the climate of the capital, he had been living abroad for a long time. He was a stern and serious man, his back as straight as a soldier's.

As the car stopped at the entrance, Chi Yanrong stepped out.

The father and son, who hadn't seen each other for years, greeted each other without much warmth or coldness. Chi Yanrong walked over and called out, "Dad." Chi Zhanghua nodded solemnly, patting Chi Yanrong's shoulder twice as a form of communication. Then, Chi Yan also got out of the car and came over to call out, "Grandpa."

Seeing Chi Yan, Chi Zhanghua's face lit up with a smile, and he said, "Good, good."

Since the Chi family had been handed over to Chi Yanrong, Chi Zhanghua had long since stopped meddling in family affairs, focusing instead on traveling with his wife, adopting a completely hands-off attitude. He only exchanged a few words with his son's family during the holidays.

Beside him stood a gentle, smiling old lady with her hair tied up. Her appearance was plain, yet she exuded an elegant and serene aura, her slender figure reminiscent of a figure from an ink painting.

As the car approached, Xiao Man's heart began to race. He lingered for a moment before getting out of the car. Chi Jue held his hand and said, "It’s alright. The last time I saw them was seven or eight years ago. We usually just exchange a few greetings over the phone. I'm even more nervous than you."

After all, these were Xiao Man's biological grandparents. What was his place now? He was the one who should feel awkward and nervous.

Grandparents were different from parents and siblings. They didn't interact much, but the blood ties kept them connected. Now that this natural connection was gone, the relationship reverted to that of complete strangers, without the years of familial affection that parents and siblings shared. How could it not be awkward?

Chi Jue sighed inwardly, feeling a mix of emotions.

He didn't like talking about these things. But seeing Xiao Man so nervous, he spoke up to help him relax.

"If I embarrass myself because I’m too nervous, don’t laugh at me," Chi Jue said with a smile.

Though he said not to laugh, he was actually hinting that Xiao Man could laugh at him.

Seeing Xiao Man's face light up with joy, Chi Jue felt both annoyed and amused.

He stealthily poked Xiao Man’s soft cheek when no one was looking.

"Really waiting to see me embarrass myself, huh? Second Brother has spoiled you for nothing."

Xiao Man, who had just been happy at the thought of seeing Chi Jue embarrass himself, hesitated for a moment. Then, he secretly took out a folded paper rabbit from his pocket and handed it to him, saying cautiously, "Here, take this rabbit. You can’t stop being nice to me because of this."

Though he had taken some schadenfreude, he had given him a compensation, so it canceled out.

Thinking that a mere folded paper could make everything okay was just being unreasonable.

Chi Jue accepted it without a word, settling the account.

He allowed Xiao Man to help him out of the car.

Just as they stepped out of the car, Jiang Xiujun had already approached, "This must be Xiao Man."

Xiao Man hid behind Chi Jue, who greeted her politely, "Grandma."

Qin Fangrui, who was a step behind, also called out, "Mom."

Jiang Xiujun didn't show any different attitude towards her grandson, who was in an awkward position, and smiled kindly, "Xiao Jue is growing more handsome... Let's not stay at the entrance, it's cold outside. Come in quickly."

The group entered the old residence.

Chi Zhanghua and Jiang Xiujun paused briefly at the sight of Ye Man's white cane. Chi Zhanghua's expression darkened momentarily but quickly softened.

Ye Man seemed calm on the outside, but his mind was a whirlwind of thoughts, leaving little room for the system to interject.

"Brother Tong, do they look down on me because I’m blind?"

"I think they definitely do. They’ll probably be the first to push me out of the Chi family someday."

"Chi Jue’s good-looking, but am I not just as good-looking?" Ye Man exclaimed in disbelief. "No way!"

Then he dropped his voice, muttering under his breath, "Brother Tong, Brother Tong, who’s the most gorgeous person alive? It can’t be Chi Jue, right? Is he really that much hotter than me? I don’t believe it. Do strangers hand him candy when he’s out and about? Probably not, right? What’s he got that I don’t?"

The system: "..."

Well, those bedtime stories paid off. He’s even applying what he learned.

"Wah, is he really better-looking and more charming than me?" Ye Man felt like his world was falling apart.

The system: "No, you’re the most gorgeous. You’re the most gorgeous person in the world."

Ye Man sniffled, "Mhm."

...And he actually said "Mhm"!

The family stepped into the old house and settled in the living room.

Ye Man was overthinking everything, nervously turning his head to catch snippets of the conversations around him.

Jiang Xiujun sat next to Ye Man, holding his hand, handing him fruit before pulling out a few beautifully wrapped boxes. "Your big brother told us that Xiao Man likes candies and chocolates. Before coming back, your grandparents went out of their way to visit a few cities. This is handmade chocolate from a famous local craftsman. He mentioned something about some special beans, but I can’t recall. Give it a try, and if you like it, Grandma will get you more."

"And this..."

The old woman spoke in a gentle, unhurried tone, while Ye Man was overwhelmed, his arms piled high with gifts.

Naturally, there were also meeting gifts.

Ye Man received two red envelopes, each containing a card. He discreetly asked the system to check them, and his hands trembled on the spot.

Jiang Xiujun smiled, "Your grandpa was all about the ceremony, saying we had to wrap it in a red envelope. I don’t know what to say about him."

She studied Ye Man, "Xiao Man favors his mother more."

Chi Zhanghua also marveled, "Your facial features are exactly the same, and your temperament is similar too."

Surrounded by everyone, Ye Man felt at a loss, nervously and shyly smiling.

This smile made Chi Zhanghua widen his eyes, his authoritative voice suddenly becoming rough and loud. "Yes, yes, yes! Xiujun, look! This smile is exactly like yours when you were young! But his eyes resemble his grandmother’s more."

Qin Fangrui, hearing this, also took a closer look, feeling a strange sensation in her heart.

Things were much simpler than Ye Man had imagined.

He was too nervous to act obedient, but the family didn’t give him much room to perform either.

The family began debating who he resembled more, and as they talked, the conversation shifted to Ye Man’s experiences over the years.

Ye Man gradually relaxed, and when asked, his guard lowered slightly, allowing him to briefly mention a few things.

He didn’t elaborate, simplifying and condensing many events into a couple of emotionless statements, as if talking about someone else’s life.

When asked about his relationship with his adoptive parents, he only smiled and said it was okay, not planning to go into it.

But even these few words made everyone’s hearts clench.

Hearing it straight from the person feels completely different than reading it.

After the initial awkwardness faded, a slow, deep pain started to rise in their hearts.

Without love, there was no feeling of owing anything; the words on paper felt cold and distant. Only now did they feel a heavy weight in their chests that was hard to shake.

Chi Zhanghua sighed, a mix of sadness and bitterness, while Jiang Xiujun, more reserved, stroked Ye Man’s hair, her eyes red.

"It’s all behind us, things will get better."

By the time people reach their seventies or eighties, emotions become more distant, and all complex feelings eventually condense into a comforting sentence, choked up.

Qin Fangrui, on the other hand, burst into tears, and Chi Yan quietly passed her a tissue, watching her quietly pull herself together without a sound.

Compared to the complex and turbulent emotions of those around him, the person in question seemed surprisingly calm.

As they talked, someone else showed up.

Jiang Xiujun stood up and called out, "Professor Qiao, you made it." Then she pulled Ye Man up and introduced, "This is your grandmother, a retired geology professor from Peking University. She retired a couple of years ago and loves traveling around the world."

Qiao Jinrong brought Ye Man a rare piece of mineral, explaining its history and uniqueness, leaving Ye Man lost.

In the end, she grabbed his hand and gave it a firm pat, like she’d said a lot without words.

That day, he was swamped with gifts.

Chi Jue’s fears didn’t materialize. Whenever he felt lost, Ye Man would tug at him, lean in close, and whisper anxiously, "Say something, I’m at a loss!"

Then he’d quietly call out, "Second brother, peel me an orange."

Chi Jue, pulled and tugged like this, gradually relaxed.

Smiling, he tapped Ye Man’s forehead and said, "Sure."

…

The family had dinner together, and they were to stay at the old house that night. The staff had their rooms ready.

Back in his room at night, Ye Man lay on the bed and called Xu Huaiting.

In an amazed tone, he said, "Ricardo, my grandfather said our ancestors once had a prime minister!"

"At first, he sounded a bit stern, but then he started boasting, his voice getting louder and louder, saying things like, 'Our Chi family has a century-old heritage, a scholarly family, blah blah blah.' Even though he’s my grandfather, he’s not as good at boasting as I am."

Xu Huaiting laughed on the other end and asked, "That impressive?"

"Of course! You have no idea how smart I am!"

"And also, my grandmother said my grandfather was a soldier when he was young, and he even received a medal I’ve never heard of. He got injured saving a comrade and passed away in his forties. My grandmother said he was really handsome when he was young."

All these were new and fascinating stories Ye Man had never heard before.

As they chatted, the noise gradually quieted down.

Xu Huaiting heard the rustling of fabric on the other end.

Ye Man burrowed under the blanket and whispered, "Ricardo, do you think... I'm mean?"

"Do you want to hear the truth?"

"Yeah..."

Ye Man heard a chuckle on the other end of the phone, low and deep, strangely soothing.

"You're so silly."

Ye Man's face instantly turned red.

He whispered accusingly, "You're mocking me!"

"Am I?"

"Yes!" Ye Man pointed out, bringing up old issues, "And the first time you met me, you were mocking me! You can't make fun of me anymore!"

Xu Huaiting recalled, his smile growing, "Idiot."

That wasn't teasing.

Ye Man whined for a bit, making his displeasure clear.

Finally, he said, "Can you come with me somewhere on New Year's Eve?"