Chapter 113 is finished.
Zhao Zonglan has been very busy these past few days, running between the company and his old house.
He knew that Shen Jingni had returned home, but he did not stop her, giving her ample space and time.
When it comes to matters of the heart, she needs to figure them out herself; no one can teach her.
Of course, it's okay if you don't understand it in the end.
He couldn't possibly let her go.
As soon as the news of the old lady's illness came out, all the younger members of the Zhao family returned home.
Even Zhao Siyuan, who was assigned to the Shanghai branch, was "pardoned" by Zhao Zonglan, who allowed him to travel freely between Beijing and Shanghai.
Birth, aging, sickness, and death—when the time comes, they will all go their separate ways.
The old lady herself is very open-minded, after all, she is already over ninety years old.
She was at her wit's end, and medicine was useless, so she didn't want to go to the hospital anymore.
Today, after the snow cleared, the pine and cypress trees in the old house courtyard were covered in silver, and the whole house seemed exceptionally quiet, with only the occasional rustling sound of servants sweeping the snow.
Sunlight streamed into the room through the half-open window, with tiny dust particles floating in the beams of light, making the room warm.
Grandma Zhao was leaning against the bed, covered with a thick quilt, looking even thinner and more haggard than before.
Zhao Zonglan sat on a chair by the bed.
He'll come over whenever he has some free time these days, after all, she's his grandmother, and she's always treated him very well.
The old lady slowly turned her head, her gaze lingering on his face for a moment, and said in a soft voice, "Why didn't you bring that girl from the Shen family?"
Although she did something foolish recently, she still wanted to see Shen Jingni.
Zhao Zonglan's eyes were calm, and his tone was not as cold as before, "Wait a few more days, and I will bring her to see you."
The old lady took a breath, smiled weakly, and said with a hint of regret, "I probably won't be able to see you get married."
"Zong Lan, I won't force you at this time."
"But you must remember that no matter what, your grandfather and I always hope that your life will be fulfilling and happy."
"I also hope that our Zhao family will flourish and become a distinguished family."
The first sentence is a blessing, the second sentence is a responsibility.
Zhao Zonglan lowered his eyes, his emotions unreadable, and said in a flat voice, "Yes, I've remembered."
——
Shen Qingyan returned to the capital the following afternoon.
Under Shen Zhuoyuan's relentless calls and threats, he dared not refuse to return to China.
Of course, he also opposed Shen Jingni and Zhao Zonglan's marriage.
In the evening, while the family was having dinner, he kept nagging Shen Jingni incessantly.
"You've only just graduated from university, getting married is definitely too early. And stop thinking about romance all the time, you should focus on your career."
"Isn't it better to focus on your career? By then, you'll be good-looking and rich, and you can have any kind of man you want."
Why keep thinking about that Zhao Zonglan?
"Let me tell you, men are the most unreliable creatures in the world, and men's affections are even more unreliable."
At first, Shen Zhuoyuan was agreeing with him, but he became unhappy when he heard these words.
He put down his wine glass and coughed heavily, feigning an apology.
Shen Qingyan immediately added, "Well, apart from Lao Shen and me, we're the only reliable ones."
Shen Jingni had absolutely no desire to acknowledge or engage with these two.
It's so annoying that they're always echoing each other.
She sullenly picked up a piece of fish and put it in her bowl, but the fish had small bones, which was a real hassle to pick out.
Shen Jingni couldn't help but recall the time she had eaten with Zhao Zonglan before.
When she acts coquettishly, he will help her remove the fish bones.
I even coax her to eat.
If only Zhao Zonglan were here.
This is a good opportunity to get rid of that chatterbox Shen Qingyan.
Xu Ningwan noticed that Shen Jingni didn't seem to have much of an appetite.
She expressionlessly stretched out her foot and kicked Shen Qingyan under the table, signaling him to stop.
"Ms. Xu, you can't keep spoiling her like this."
"People are being deceived by that old beast, and you're still siding with outsiders."
Shen Qingyan is not only talkative, but also has a sharp tongue.
He dares to criticize anyone.
Including Ms. Xu Ningwan.
Shen Jingni, unable to bear it any longer, slammed her chopsticks on the table.
She sulked and turned her head to glare at him: "Aren't you annoying? I never said I wanted to marry him. What an old beast! You and Lao Shen are the same. You are both biased and bad people."
These words ignited Shen Qingyan's fighting spirit.
Wow, this little girl has not only grown up, but she's also helping outsiders scold him now. How interesting!
Just as he was about to retort, he heard Xu Ningwan say in a low voice, "If you make her cry, you'll have to comfort her yourself."
"Your dad spent a long time comforting you yesterday."
Shen Qingyan remained silent.
That old Shen, he was just using him as a pawn.
He won't fall for it.
"I'm done eating."
Shen Jingni puffed out her cheeks, got up, and went upstairs without looking back.
Xu Ningwan looked worried and pointed at the father and son, warning them, "If you ever say these things at the dinner table again, get out of here."
The two quickly lowered their heads and admitted their mistake.
"oh."
"Okay, okay."
...
After taking a shower, Shen Jingni chatted with Wen Shuyi for a while. The two agreed to go to Macau on Saturday, and they had already booked their plane tickets and hotel.
She tossed and turned, unable to fall asleep after turning off the lights.
That's very strange.
This is clearly her home, the home she has lived in for over twenty years, so why does she suddenly feel so uncomfortable?
It seems like something is missing.
It was the absence of Zhao Zonglan's embrace and his presence that was missing.
Shen Jingni has been suffering from insomnia for two nights in a row.
She got out of bed, put on her slippers, and went to the living room.
Shen Qingyan was still adjusting to the time difference. Although it was the early hours of the morning in China, it was around eight or nine in the morning in Los Angeles.
He stayed there for several years, and it took him a while to adjust to the time difference.
After taking a shower, he came out wearing a gray bathrobe, with a few slightly damp strands of hair sticking to his forehead, making him look somewhat lazy.
He had extremely fair skin, deep-set eyes with sword-like eyebrows, a high nose bridge, and slightly pursed, pale pink lips, making him both handsome and refined.
Shen Qingyan originally wanted to get a bottle of wine from the wine cabinet, but when he turned on the light, he saw Shen Jingni sitting on the sofa, staring at him blankly.
"Oh my god, you're going to scare your own brother to death by taking all of Lao Shen's inheritance!"
"Why are you here so late instead of sleeping?"
Shen Jingni said listlessly, "I can't sleep."
Shen Qingyan walked over, tapped her forehead, and teased her with a smile, "Are you jet-lagged too?"
Shen Jingni shook her head, looking at him pitifully: "I want to hear a bedtime story."
"No, I remember you stopped listening to bedtime stories after you started elementary school, how come you're getting more and more like a child?"
Shen Qingyan's talkative nature kicked in again, "Shen Miaomiao, you're twenty-two already, you're an adult. You need to learn to sleep well on your own, and learn to regulate your emotions, otherwise..."
It turns out that even family members wouldn't pamper or spoil her like Zhao Zonglan did.
Let her do whatever she wants, let her act recklessly.
Shen Jingni lowered her eyelashes, her eyes stinging with tears, and said in a choked voice, "But every time I can't sleep..."
"Zhao Zonglan would tell me little stories."
Shen Qingyan's words came to an abrupt end.
At that moment, only two words were in his mind.
That is—
It's over.
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