Chapter 18

Wen Tao almost thought he was seeing things. In his memory, the actress Jiang Yan, who had been retired from acting for three years, had no professional connection with this young master. Why would she suddenly want to collaborate with him?

Wen Tao was completely baffled.

He tried asking: "Do you know Teacher Jiang privately?"

I don't know him.

We don't really know each other; we don't even have each other's contact information. We've only met once.

After replying to He Nianzhu, Wen Tao didn't send any more messages. Seeing this, he stopped asking questions. It was perfectly normal for wealthy young men in Beijing's elite circles to have extensive connections.

As night fell, Beijing was still bustling with traffic and neon lights, but the Xu family villa in the city center was like a tranquil cradle, where little Xu Yirou, a dumpling on a dreamy lace princess bed, slept soundly.

He stayed up all night playing games, and as expected, He Nianzhu slept in the next day.

Knock knock knock.

"My son!" Xu Yirou clenched her little fist and knocked on the door repeatedly.

"It's so noisy, whose child is here?" He Nianzhu irritably hugged her pillow and rolled over.

The cub's voice, like a demonic whisper, pierced his ears. Suddenly, He Nianzhu sat bolt upright; it was his mother.

He hurriedly got out of bed, dressed neatly, and went out. The boy's handsome and delicate face had a resemblance of about 60% to the little dumpling in front of him.

If you look at photos of He Nianzhu when he was four years old, you'll find that the mother and son are practically identical.

He Nianzhu styled Xu Yirou's hair into an adorable Nezha hairstyle, with two colorful star hair clips on each side of her head, making the little girl look round and fair like a small glutinous rice ball.

His skills are becoming more and more refined.

After much persuasion from him, Xu Yirou finally relented last night and agreed to go and check out the extracurricular class.

"Mom, I've already arranged the extracurricular classes. Let's go around and see what we like. Just let me know if there's anything you like." He Nianzhu knelt down to put shoes on Xu Yirou.

The cub's feet were small and soft, and he held them very carefully.

"Okay." Xu Yirou yawned and held up two short little fingers. "Then I'll watch a couple more episodes of Boonie Bears when I get back."

This was something the mother and son had agreed on last night. He Nianzhu nodded with a smile: "Don't worry, you won't be shortchanged."

After putting on his leather shoes, he got up, took Xu Yirou's hand, and started to walk out when Uncle Yun suddenly appeared.

He bowed and said, "Madam, young master, the old lady has arrived and is in the tea room."

He Nianzhu paused, raising a slight brow. Why was she here?

He looked down at the chubby baby mother beside him, squatted down and said, "Mom, we have guests, I have to entertain them first, why don't you go back to your room and play for a while?"

My mother and grandmother have a cold relationship. My mother doesn't like my grandmother, so she simply avoids letting the two of them meet.

Xu Yirou was very obedient: "Okay~ Go ahead and do your work, little goose."

He Nianzhu left with peace of mind.

Many years after the death of the patriarch of the He family from a heart attack, before Xu Qingyan became the heir, the head of the He Group was Madam He, who was also the biological grandmother of the three siblings, Qiao Wen.

Qiao Wen comes from a scholarly family. Before marrying Mr. He, she was a university teacher. After marriage, she joined the He Group and started from the bottom.

Because of his shrewdness and ruthless methods, he gradually became Master He's right-hand man. After Master He passed away, he naturally became the one in power.

Having held a high position for many years, coupled with Qiao Wen's naturally aloof personality, she always appeared cold and serious to everyone, making it impossible for her to get close to anyone, not even her daughter-in-law Xu Yirou.

Pushing open the tea room door, one is greeted by the elegant and fragrant aroma of tea, which clears He Nianzhu's muddled mind.

Behind the square tea table, shrouded in tea steam, sat a lean and capable old man with a full head of silver hair.

"grandmother."

"Um."

He Nianzhu consciously found an empty seat opposite her and sat down: "Grandma, what brings you here today?"

His parents moved out after they got married, while Qiao Wen and her husband lived in the He family's old house, with the two sides visiting each other occasionally.

The grandmother and granddaughter didn't exchange any pleasantries. Qiao Wen went straight to the point and asked, "Come and see if your mother has been transferred to another hospital or gone home?"

He Nianzhu: "My mother has been transferred to another hospital."

Which hospital?

"Grandma, why do you suddenly want to see my mother?" He Nianzhu asked cautiously. "Is there something you want to say or tell her?"

Qiao Wen took a sip of tea and asked in a nonchalant tone, "Can't we meet?"

"Of course not, you're overthinking it."

To put it bluntly, the person He Nianzhu fears most in her life is her grandmother, Qiao Wen. When she was little, she thought of her grandmother as a head teacher and worried that she would be randomly checked on her homework and punished. As she grew up, she felt that her grandmother was like a cold AI without feelings or emotions.

He felt a deep sense of dread whenever he was alone with the old lady.

Qiao Wen stopped beating around the bush: "Your mother didn't transfer to another hospital, nor did she go abroad. Where is she?"

She still came; he knew he couldn't hide it from her.

He Nianzhu picked up her teacup, took a couple of tactical sips of water, and said hesitantly, "Grandma, something happened to my mother, it's not easy to say."

Qiao Wen frowned almost imperceptibly, her tone cold and stern: "Has the condition worsened?"

"No, it's really hard to say."

He Nianzhu felt a headache coming on. He didn't really want to tell the old lady about his mother shrinking. On the one hand, the old lady was a highly educated intellectual and would definitely not believe it. On the other hand, the two sides were not close.

He Nianzhu's hesitant and stammering attitude gradually made Qiao Wen's face turn ugly.

Her already expressionless face grew even colder. Seeing this, He Nianzhu's heart skipped a beat; it seemed her grandmother was angry.

"Goose!"

Suddenly, a childish voice called out from afar, followed by the sound of approaching footsteps.

Qiao Wen's eyes sharpened as a small, round figure with a Nezha-like hairstyle and rosy lips and white teeth suddenly entered her field of vision.

Xu Yirou was bored in the living room, so after asking Uncle Yun, she came to the tea room to play with her son.

A pair of small hands hugged He Nianzhu from behind, tugging at his sleeve anxiously, "Son, my stickers are gone, I can't find them, come and help me find them!"

He Nianzhu glanced nervously at Qiao Wen out of the corner of her eye.

Then, with a tremor of fear, she realized that Qiao Wen's entire attention was focused on Xu Yirou. She raised her eyes and asked calmly, "Who is she?"

He Nianzhu stammered, "She, she is..."

Xu Yirou was stunned for a moment, feeling that the voice was somewhat familiar. Curious, she turned her head, and the eyes of the two people, one big and one small, met.

In just a few seconds, Xu Yirou's surprised expression smoothly switched to one of overjoyed delight, and she exclaimed loudly, "Mom!"

After saying that, he rushed over and hugged Qiao Wen tightly.

Everything happened so suddenly that when Qiao Wen looked down again, she found herself holding a soft, cuddly cub.

Qiao Wen was stunned.

He Nianzhu's eyes widened, and she nearly choked on the tea in her mouth.

"Mommy, did you come to see me?" Xu Yirou asked sweetly, her eyes crinkling as she pouted. "Why did it take you so long to come? I've been waiting for you for so long!"

"You..." Qiao Wen slowly found her voice, barely managing to maintain her cold expression, "You've mistaken me for someone else, I'm not your mother."

"You're my mother!" Xu Yirou exclaimed, confused as to why the other woman didn't recognize her. "You even gave me beautiful bracelets and necklaces."

Qiao Wen stared intently at the young girl in front of her. She had neither dementia nor failing eyesight, so she was certain that she had never seen her before, much less given her the bracelet and necklace.

but……

She was somewhat dazed; the little girl looked so much like her grandchildren when they were little, as if they had the same mother.

But her only son passed away five years ago, and her daughter-in-law is also seriously ill and beyond help, so it is impossible for her to have another little girl.

Qiao Wen's mood grew heavy, and a layer of frost appeared in her eyes.

Little Tuanzi Xu Yirou had no idea how complicated the other person's thoughts were; she was only confused as to why the other person said she didn't know her.

She thought and thought, and suddenly it dawned on her that she understood. It must be because she had shrunk that her mother didn't recognize her!

Xu Yirou jumped up: "I'm Rourou, I've shrunk, Erbao is my son, and you're my mom!"

Seeing this, He Nianzhu reluctantly began to explain.

After a vivid and detailed explanation, the materialist Mrs. Qiao silently digested it for a long time.

The little bundle in her arms clung tightly to her, its little face tilted up, smiling brightly like a sunflower.

He Nianzhu was genuinely confused by the scene before him. He remembered that his mother didn't like his grandmother, so why was she being affectionate with her?

Even his mother has never been this affectionate with him...

He Nianzhu felt a pang of jealousy.

Qiao Wen: "Yi Rou, you said you've shrunk, do you still remember everything from before?"

"Mommy calls me Rou Rou, just call me Rou Rou." The little girl said sweetly and affectionately.

Mrs. Qiao, who calls her husband and son by their full names, is not used to it. It always feels a bit strange and awkward to hear her use reduplicated words.

She wanted to refuse, but very few cubs took the initiative to approach her.

As far as I can remember, the last time was before her son was weaned. After he was weaned, he was afraid of her and would rather be with the nanny than spend much time with her.

The cub was like a soft, sweet marshmallow, so clean and delicious that she couldn't bring herself to refuse.

She swirled her tongue around her lips and teeth for a moment, then said, "Rou Rou."

The syllables she uttered sounded awkward, but Xu Yirou jumped and danced with joy. Qiao Wen noticed that her little Nezha head was in danger of falling apart.

"Don't move." She gently patted Xu Yirou's back and tightened her hair tie with her slender fingers.

Watching the interactions between the mother-in-law and daughter-in-law, He Nianzhu was starting to question her own existence.

Can anyone tell him what happened? Is his memory playing tricks on him?

"Mom, I've hidden all the gifts you gave Rou Rou very well! They're in my room, Mom, do you want to take a look?"

Qiao Wen remembered that the gift her daughter-in-law mentioned was probably the set of priceless emerald jewelry that she, as the mother-in-law, gave her when she got married.

The daughter-in-law never wore it after accepting it, assuming she didn't like it.

"No need to look, I believe you."

Xu Yirou obediently snuggled up to her: "Mommy, are you here to accompany Rourou to her extracurricular class?"

To hide the momentary unease on her face, Qiao Wen turned to look at He Nianzhu.

“Grandma, we were worried that Mom would be bored at home, so we were thinking of enrolling her in an extracurricular class.” He Nianzhu answered readily. “We were just about to leave when you arrived.”

Qiao Wen felt her fingers being enveloped in something warm. She glanced to the side and saw that it was her daughter-in-law's soft, pink little fingers holding hers.

"Mom, would you like to go with Rou Rou?"

After retiring, Qiao Wen rarely leaves her home unless absolutely necessary. She spends her time in her old house enjoying tea, arranging flowers, practicing calligraphy and painting, living a quiet and simple life.

At that moment, her calm heart was quietly stirred by subtle ripples, without her even realizing it.

She offered a reasonable explanation for her behavior: the younger generation was not mature enough, and as an elder, she had an obligation to help them.

"Can."

"Yay! Mom is taking me out to play!"

Xu Yirou looked like a child who had just received candy, her eyes shining brightly and revealing a set of clean little baby teeth.

Originally, she only went to visit her sick daughter-in-law, but unexpectedly, her daughter-in-law turned back into a four-year-old child. Although it was unbelievable and a fantasy, Qiao Wen, who was always strict and old-fashioned, inexplicably believed it and got into the car with her daughter-in-law to go to the extracurricular class as if she were bewitched.

In the spacious back seat, Xu Yirou's little mouth never stopped, chattering away next to Qiao Wen. One moment she was exclaiming in amazement at the ever-changing shapes of the clouds in the sky, and she enthusiastically invited Qiao Wen to look at them together. The next moment she was dancing with joy when she saw a poster of He Nianzhu on a roadside light sign.

Qiao Wen never knew that her timid and cowardly daughter-in-law was actually so lively and active when she was a child.

Today the sun is shining brightly and the sky is clear and blue, making it a perfect day for going out and having fun.

The black Maybach slowly stopped in front of a children's training institution. He Nianzhu got out of the car first and went around to the side to open the car door for Qiao Wen and Xu Yirou.

The weather at the end of April wasn't cold, and people no longer needed to wear heavy coats and down jackets when going out.

Qiao Wen wore an antique-style dark blue cheongsam, her hair was tied up high with a silver hairpin, not a single strand was messy, exuding elegance and poise, and her silver hair shimmered with a beautiful luster in the sunlight.

She pulled her brocade shawl tighter around her, holding a small child's hand beside her.

The person in charge, who had been waiting for a long time, greeted them warmly and led them inside.

This children's training institution is the largest and best in Beijing. The roadside is lined with precious green plants, and the tall and imposing red buildings exude a strong sense of luxury.

"Our swimming pool is to the left. You don't need to worry about the teaching staff at all; they are all teachers who have won international championships and runners-up. The basketball court is to the right. The teaching building in front has a concert hall, art room, calligraphy room, dance room, and so on. Let us take you on a tour first."

Although it's called a training institution, it's not much different from a school.

Xu Yirou looked around with curiosity.

She entered the workforce early, dropping out of high school to work in a factory. The rural schools were dusty and dilapidated, while the training institutions in front of her, which could hardly be called schools, seemed magnificent to her.

She immediately fell in love with the place.

"Mom, this place is so beautiful!"

The little girl was overjoyed, but accidentally slipped up and said something she shouldn't have.

Taking the opportunity, He Nianzhu asked, "Grandma, do you like it here?"

I love it! I love it! I love it!

After saying "I like it" three times in a row, it seemed like it could be settled. He Nianzhu, who was worried that her mother would get tired of studying, couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief.

Qiao Wen glanced at the smug person in charge without showing any emotion, tightened her grip on the cub's hand, and said in a tense voice, "No rush, let's see if there are any extracurricular classes you like first."

Okay.

Families with daughters usually enroll them in dance and music classes, so the person in charge had a sudden idea and first took them to visit a ballet class.

Before they even reached the classroom door, everyone could clearly hear the cheerful "Swan Lake" melody.

A few people stood at the back door, which was filled with cubs dressed in pink ballet tutus, their short legs all showing, hopping around.

From a distance, it looks like a little swan's nest.

Xu Yirou was incredibly envious: "Wow, it looks so good!"

She had never been exposed to dance, but that didn't diminish her love for ballet tutus—they were fluffy and pink, like big flowers, and she adored them.

Qiao Wen asked, "Do you like it?"

Xu Yirou nodded repeatedly, grabbed her mother's wrist and shook it: "Mom, I want to learn this."

"Yes, I will learn."

The person in charge quickly wrote it down and led them to the next classroom.

This time, we visited the piano classroom. The children inside looked to be around the same age, about five or six years old.

A tiny, bean-sized figure sat before a massive grand piano, their short hands moving so fast they seemed to fly in afterimages, playing a cheerful Canon.

Xu Yirou, who was also a little girl, was so shocked that she couldn't react, while the others seemed to take it all in stride.

In today's highly competitive educational environment, families in China with even a little economic means will spend money to have their children learn one or two musical instruments, resulting in many child prodigies who achieve fame at a young age.

Seeing Xu Yirou's mouth agape and her silence, He Nianzhu asked gently, "Grandma, do you like the piano? Would you like to sign up for one?"

Xu Yirou shook her head in surprise, timidly hiding behind Qiao Wen, her dark and bright almond-shaped eyes filled with fear: "No, I won't learn this."

This scene made Qiao Wen feel the familiar aura of her daughter-in-law.

"Why don't you learn?" He was so enthusiastic about ballet just now.

Xu Yirou's arms hung naturally at her sides, her round head shrank back, and she whispered in a voice barely above a whisper: "I... I'm afraid I won't do well in school... Mom, I'm a little slow."

Tsk, He Nianzhu frowned unhappily. Who doesn't want to get ahead? Who dares to say his mother is stupid?

Just as he was about to ask more questions, he heard his grandmother's voice, cold as ice, say, "I'll teach you."

He Nianzhu looked surprised. The old lady could play the piano?

That's strange, I've never heard of that before.

Xu Yirou raised her head with a whoosh: "Okay, okay, then I want to learn, I'll learn right now!"

"Yes, let's go home."

Before they could finish the remaining extracurricular classes, Qiao Wen took Xu Yirou straight to the music store to buy a piano.

Once again, He Nianzhu was completely bewildered, and without thinking, she raised her phone and took a picture of her grandmother and mother holding hands from behind.

I posted it in the group chat for the three siblings, with the caption: 【A magical day.】

y: [Grandma and Mom?]

Orange: [Uh, Grandma knows about Mom shrinking?]

He Nianzhu replied irrelevantly with a string of questions: "Grandma said she'd teach Mom to play the piano. Has anyone here ever heard Grandma play the piano? *shrugs* I certainly haven't."

Orange: [Oh, so Grandma already knew about Mom shrinking. She's even taking Mom to pick out a piano herself. What a wonderful mother-in-law! PS: I knew Grandma was cold on the outside but warm on the inside. She's such a lovely old lady.]

Xu Qingyan didn't speak, but stared thoughtfully for a while before continuing with her work.

Qiao Wen immediately presented a two-million-dollar grand piano. When this enormous instrument was delivered to the Xu family villa, Uncle Yun mistakenly thought that the second young master was preparing to cross over into music.

Until the old lady slowly returned, leading a little dumpling, the little dumpling ran over to him in a flurry: "Uncle Yun, where's my piano? I'll let you in on a secret, my mom is going to teach me to play the piano, hehe."

The lady wants to learn to play the piano...

Who is the lady's mother?

Xu Yirou turned her head and took Qiao Wen's arm: "Mom, let's go in quickly!"

"!!!" Uncle Yun was dumbfounded and shocked. The lady actually called the old lady "Mom". Isn't the old lady the lady the one the lady is most afraid of?

"Um."

After giving a curt reply, Qiao Wen calmly led Xu Yirou away.

Uncle Yun, a long-time employee who had served the Xu family for over twenty years, nearly had his eyes pop out. The old lady wasn't unhappy at all, nor did she seem offended as she led the lady away...

Ah, but doesn't the old lady look down on women from poor backgrounds the most?