42. The so-called dandy

"So?" Old Master Chen asked him, his tone sounding a little serious.

"So," Chen Yunsheng raised his head, his voice calm and restrained, "I found her and proposed a deal. I would help her with all of her mother's medical expenses and follow-up issues, ensuring that her mother received the best treatment. She and I agreed to marry for three years and help me deal with the pressure to get married. Especially-"

He paused and gave a short answer: "People who were recommended by my second uncle and second aunt."

Chen Yunsheng lowered his voice, but his tone was self-deprecating. "I had just experienced an accident at the time, a near-death experience, so my emotions might have been a bit unstable. I thought she looked clean, pleasing to the eye, and a bit warm and lovely. She wasn't as complicated as the people in her circle, so it was natural..."

He didn't finish the rest of his words, but they were intriguing enough.

"Besides, she's in urgent need of money and wouldn't refuse, nor would she dare betray me," Chen Yunsheng said in an unchanging tone. "Coincidentally, I need an obedient wife who won't cause me any trouble. So we hit it off right away."

The study fell into a long silence again.

The aroma of tea rises, creating a misty vapor.

Old Master Chen slowly leaned back in his chair and looked at his grandson without saying a word.

I see.

No wonder he always felt that this marriage was awkward.

The progress was unexpectedly fast, and the in-laws were too silent. Jiang Nan seemed like a good kid, but his family background was far from the circle his grandson usually interacted with. The atmosphere between the two was sometimes close and sometimes distant.

He originally thought that Jiang Nan backed off because his grandson was too cold-tempered and the family relationships were too complicated, but now, he finally knew the root of the problem.

There was no mutual love between them. It was just a transaction that started out of difficulty, and even had a bit of a sense of taking advantage of someone's misfortune.

But no matter what, it explained the doubts in his mind.

While this method wasn't exactly honorable, bordering on despicable, it was certainly something a paranoid Yunsheng might do. The isolation and helplessness of his childhood illness had ultimately become a hidden pain in him, causing him to react with vehemence and make a different decision in similar situations.

"Nonsense." Old Master Chen scolded in a low voice, but his attitude was more of a light-heartedness as if he had suddenly realized something.

Moreover, compared to the fact that his grandson might have been in a serious car accident but it was concealed, the fact that he remained silent in order to seize the property by force made him feel relieved and more acceptable.

At least no one is hurt.

Chen Yunsheng on the opposite side pursed his lips slightly, tacitly accepting the reprimand, and at the right time revealed an expression of stubbornness and unwillingness to talk more.

"So what now?" Old Master Chen stared at him closely. "What are you thinking now? Or do you just treat her as a transaction? A wife you bought with money for a three-year term? When the time is up, you'll pay her and send her away?"

His questions were more pointed than the last.

Upon hearing this, Chen Yunsheng was silent for a moment, then shook his head.

The feelings here are half true and half false.

He really hadn't figured out how to deal with the matter after the agreement expired, but he could feel that he didn't want to end the relationship casually.

"Grandpa," his voice sounded a little hoarse, "I don't know what I'm thinking either."

Old Master Chen snorted, remained silent for a few minutes, and then slowly spoke, "Since this is just a deal, then let's settle the bill. You pay her what you promised, then divorce her and set her free. The bracelet... I'll give it to her. After all, she's been the eldest daughter-in-law of the Chen family, and she's done nothing wrong. Besides that, I'll prepare another gift for her as compensation and apology. That way, you two will be completely even."

"Grandpa," Chen Yunsheng said urgently, "I don't want it to end so soon."

"At least, not now." He said this very slowly, as if every word was squeezed out of his throat with difficulty.

But some things are indeed different.

Although he didn't say "I love you," or "I like you," or even make a clear promise, he simply said he didn't want it to end, his tone filled with a clumsy honesty and hesitant hesitation. However, this hesitation was more real than countless promises.

Old Master Chen stared at his grandson for a long time, his eyes deep, almost seeing through him. Finally, the old man sighed softly, picked up the teapot on the table again, and slowly poured tea.

"Let me ask you one last question," he put down the teapot and looked up at his grandson, "Do her parents know about this?"

Chen Yunsheng lowered his head: "I don't know."

Old Master Chen sighed, "Alright, I get it. I'll take care of this for you." He waved his hand, "Get out. Be nice to that kid... Don't try to imitate all those dandy tricks."

"Yes, grandpa." Chen Yunsheng bowed slightly, then stood up and left the study.

Old Master Chen sat alone in his study, looking out the window at the branches swaying in the wind. He shook his head and sighed, muttering to himself, "I hope there will be a good outcome."

He picked up the already cold tea, took a sip, his expression dark and unpredictable.

Outside, Chen Yunsheng stood quietly for a while with his back to the study door. He knew his grandfather might not believe everything, but at least the next time he and Jiang Nan made a mistake, his grandfather would stand by them.

However, he did not feel relieved. Instead, he felt that he was trapped in a deeper vortex, and the name of this vortex was the future.

How should he and Jiang Nan act out the story in the future, to what extent should they act out the story, and how should it end?

For the first time, he felt a little uncertain about this transaction that he had personally led.

For no reason, at this moment, he suddenly wanted to see Jiang Nan.

Chen Yunsheng thought for a few seconds before heading towards the garden. His steps were a little faster than usual, and he seemed to be in a hurry, anxious and eager.

Not long after, Chen Yunsheng passed through the last archway and entered the back garden.

It was almost noon, and the sunlight became so blindingly bright that even the moist air was thinned out, leaving only the smell of hot dust hanging in the air.

Chen Yunsheng glanced at the rockery, the pond, the waterside pavilion, and a bamboo path, but saw no one. He suppressed the anxiety that lingered in his heart, took out his cell phone, and wanted to call her.

But he felt that this was too abrupt.

Just as he was hesitating, he suddenly heard faint voices coming from the other end of the bamboo forest.

It sounds like Su Wanrong's voice.

But he was too far away to hear clearly what was being said. After a while, he heard Jiang Nan's voice again. It was very soft and carried her usual reserved tone.

After confirming that it was Jiang Nan, he immediately followed the sound.

Passing through the sparse, verdant bamboo forest, he immediately spotted Jiang Nan and Su Wanrong. They were sitting at a round table on the lawn at the edge of the bamboo forest, half in the shade and half in the sun. The atmosphere seemed quite peaceful and tranquil.

Su Wanrong remained graceful and dignified, her face tilted to the side, seemingly admiring a nearby potted podocarpus tree. Jiang Nan, on the other hand, lowered her head slightly, her hands resting on her knees. Sitting there, she looked small, as if enveloped in a gentle aura, yet she exuded a tenacity, like a blade of grass swaying in the wind yet never breaking.

Chen Yunsheng looked at her profile, and the anxiety in his heart gradually subsided.

Then he walked over with light steps.

Hearing footsteps, both of them turned their heads.

Su Wanrong saw him, her face expressionless, and asked calmly, "Are you done talking?"

"Yeah." Chen Yunsheng responded, but his eyes fell on Jiang Nan's.

When she saw him, a hint of relief flashed in her eyes, but she immediately pretended to be serious, like a scholar.

"Grandpa didn't say anything, right?" Jiang Nan asked in a low voice.

"Nothing, just asking about the company." Chen Yunsheng naturally put his hand lightly on the back of the chair behind Jiang Nan.

This was a protective gesture, not done deliberately, but enough for Su Wanrong to see.

As he approached, Jiang Nan could smell the faint scent of cedar. But she pretended nothing had happened and looked intently at Su Wanrong across from her, as if she was very interested in whatever she said.

Su Wanrong's gaze shifted back and forth between them several times. Finally, she looked away and slowly stood up. "You guys can chat. I'm a little tired. I'll go back and rest for a while."

"Take care, Auntie." Jiang Nan quickly stood up.

Su Wanrong nodded slightly, said nothing more, turned around and walked away slowly along the way she came.

Jiang Nan turned her head to look at Chen Yunsheng. She wanted him to say something to Su Wanrong, but his attitude was very calm, almost nonchalant, as if he was not interested in Su Wanrong's stay or departure.

She blinked at Chen Yunsheng and opened her mouth, but in the end she said nothing.

From Chen Yunsheng's perspective, she hated Su Wanrong for being such a heartless mother, but as a woman, she could understand Su Wanrong—a woman has the ability to be a mother, but she doesn't have to be one. In other words, she suspected that Su Wanrong didn't give birth to Chen Yunsheng voluntarily.

But these were just her random guesses and she couldn't tell anyone about them.

After Su Wanrong disappeared into the bamboo forest, Jiang Nan turned to Chen Yunsheng and asked, "Did Grandpa really only talk about the company?"

Chen Yunsheng neither denied nor admitted it. He asked Jiang Nan in a friendly manner, "What did she tell you?"

Jiang Nan wasn't sure about Chen Yunsheng's attitude, so she didn't tell the truth and just answered casually, "Just chatting about the flowers in the garden."

Chen Yunsheng saw that she was obviously unwilling to talk more, so he didn't ask any more questions. After a moment's silence, he finally said, "As for Grandpa... I explained it to him."

Jiang Nan immediately became uneasy: "Explain? Explain what? What did he say? Is he very angry?"

She was worried that the falsification of her background would completely anger the old man.

Seeing her instantly tense, Chen Yunsheng's gloom suddenly dissipated. He took a step forward, closer to her, and lowered his voice, "I said, when I was abroad, I was actually recuperating in Jichuan. I had a minor car accident at the time, and I didn't want to worry my family, so I kept it a secret."

Jiang Nan was stunned. He hadn't expected this direction at all. "Car accident? Is it serious?"

She looked him up and down as she spoke, a hint of anxious concern in her eyes.

"It's all over," Chen Yunsheng said casually. He then stared at Jiang Nan intently, paying attention to her every reaction. "Then I told you that I met you while I was in the hospital. Your mother was in a bad condition and urgently needed money. I... proposed a deal, and you were so eager to save your mother that you agreed."

He spoke succinctly, and in just a few words he portrayed an image of someone who took advantage of others and was strong and overbearing.

While this was true, the order of the story was changed, and the truth was completely different. Jiang Nan felt a wave of embarrassment and pain, for herself at the time, who was desperate, and for the man who calmly recounted his "misdeeds."

She looked down at the tips of her black shoes and said, "Grandpa...are you very angry? Do you think I..."

Jiang Nan found it difficult to say what came next.

"No," Chen Yunsheng said in a gentler tone, "Grandpa just thinks my way... is a bit like that of a dandy."

Jiang Nan was stunned for a moment, then couldn't help laughing: "According to what you said, there is a little bit."

Chen Yunsheng looked at her smile and moved closer. The distance between them was so close that he could clearly see the almost transparent hair on her face. Then, he said in a tentative tone: "I also told Grandpa -"

Jiang Nan couldn't help but look up at him, and then she was caught off guard by his eyes, which were like deep pools. She instinctively looked away, wanting to escape this menacing atmosphere. But as soon as she moved, she heard him say, "I said, now, I don't want it to end so soon."

His voice was hoarse and calm, like a dark cloud filled with rain.