Chapter 24

Qiao Zhenzhen was speechless; the air grew even more silent.
After a long moment, Qiao Zhenzhen finally managed to say, “We haven't been dating, he... he's not my boyfriend.” At least, not now.
There wasn't a flicker of emotion in Chi Shen's eyes, as if that were the most natural thing in the world.
But Qin Sheng didn't believe her. “If he's not your boyfriend, why did you bring him here?”
“...Am I not allowed to have close friends of the opposite sex?” Qiao Zhenzhen snapped, bristling.
Qin Sheng rolled his eyes and ignored her.
Qiao Zhenzhen pressed her dry lips together, then noticed the table piled with snacks. She grabbed a croissant, broke it in two, and gave half to Chi Shen.
Just as Chi Shen took it, Qin Sheng snapped, “Is it for you, so you just eat it?”
“Isn't it?” Qiao Zhenzhen looked innocent. The date on it showed it had just been bought. He and her uncle don't eat sweets, wasn't it bought for her?
Qin Sheng frowned, about to scold her, but when he turned he saw Chi Shen silently watching him with the croissant. He felt a twinge of annoyance. “Fine, eat it.”
Chi Shen began to eat quietly.
They'd left without having lunch. From the rented place to Zhao Lianqiao's residential complex, and then from that complex to the upscale villa, they spent almost two hours just on the road, and after waiting so long at the door they were starving.
Qin Sheng watched the two youngsters eat in silence, unusually saying nothing. Only when they were nearly finished did he impatiently call for two glasses of juice: “Are you going to starve to death or what?”
After a few sips of juice, Qiao Zhenzhen breathed out, “I'm a bit hungry. Grandpa, do you have any food?”
“If you want a proper meal, go home to eat.” Qin Sheng said coldly.
Qiao Zhenzhen thought for a moment. “Then I'd rather not eat. I want to stay with Grandpa.”
“Don't say such nauseating things. If you really missed me, why didn't you come for years on end? You Qiao family are a bunch of ingrates.” Qin Sheng said with a dark face, clearly furious.
Qiao Zhenzhen felt instantly guilty and lowered her head, awkwardly putting the juice down. In her past life she, like Qin Jing, had been completely deceived by Qiao Jian's usual demeanor, so when her father clashed with her grandfather she unhesitatingly sided with her father. Though she never argued with her grandfather, she cut off contact with the Qin family.
Her grandpa was right, she had been an ingrate.
Chi Shen noticed her downcast mood and, after a moment's silence, also put his cup down and furrowed his brow as he stared at Qin Sheng.
Qin Sheng had felt a twinge of guilt for upsetting his granddaughter, but when he saw Chi Shen's cold expression he couldn't help scolding again. “What? What are you staring at?”
Qiao Zhenzhen snapped back and hurriedly tugged Chi Shen's sleeve; he obediently lowered his head.
Qin Sheng glared. “So he's so obedient to you, and you still say he's not your boyfriend?”
“...He's really not,” Qiao Zhenzhen said helplessly, then with a slightly more serious tone, “Grandpa, I know I haven't come to see you these past few years, and you're angry with me. I won't make excuses, back then I was too foolish and only did what my father said. If he didn't like you, I didn't dare come. Now I know I was wrong. Could you give me a chance to make it up to you and be dutiful from now on?”
Even if she never needed his help again in the future, she had to say those words. In her last life she had been so blind about people that she only realized who truly cared for her when it was almost too late. Given a second chance, she couldn't be so foolish again.
Hearing this, Qin Sheng's expression grew serious. After a moment's pause he asked, “Has something happened to your mother?”
Qiao Zhenzhen was startled. “N-no, nothing's wrong.”
“Tell me the truth.” Qin Sheng said, his brow knitted tightly.
“Nothing's wrong, don't overthink it.” With his violent temper, if he found out about Qiao Jian's affair he'd surely rush over. Then her mother might be shocked and possibly fall into depression like last time; Qiao Jian would grow wary, and if the divorce were delayed by even a few months, he'd have plenty of time to shift assets.
Qiao Jian had always controlled the family's finances; she and her mother only received allowances and had no idea how much the assets actually amounted to. If they tore things open recklessly, they might end up, like in her previous life, with not a single cent.
Qiao Zhenzhen considered herself not greedy, but she couldn't accept that the good would get nothing while the bad got away with everything. Besides, after thinking it over she believed the reason her mother broke down in the last life was most likely because she lost both her husband and all their money.
If I’m doomed never to be loved, at least I can get the money, the more, the better.
Thinking that, Qiao Zhenzhen let out a soft breath and met Qin Sheng’s questioning gaze. “Grandpa, please ask the kitchen to make us something to eat. We’re really hungry.”
Qin Sheng: “……” All she can think about is food; it seems there really isn’t anything wrong at home.
After a moment of speechless silence, he finally sent someone to cook two bowls of noodles.
Qiao Zhenzhen and Chi Shen ate their belated lunch sitting close together, while Qin Sheng sat beside them with a stern face. After staring at Qiao Zhenzhen for a long time, his gaze couldn’t help drifting to Chi Shen’s face.
After he’d stared for ages, Qiao Zhenzhen couldn’t hold back and asked, “Grandpa, does Chi Shen have spots on his face?”
Faced with her teasing, Qin Sheng, unusually, didn’t get angry; instead he blinked in surprise. “What did you say his name was?”
“Chi Shen. Why?” Qiao Zhenzhen asked curiously, looking at him.
Qin Sheng’s lips twitched; he looked back at Chi Shen’s face, then after a long while shook his head. “Nothing…”
“…But you look like something’s up,” Qiao Zhenzhen said earnestly.
Qin Sheng shot her a glare. “I said it’s nothing, so it’s nothing!”
Qiao Zhenzhen pursed her lips and transferred the meat from her bowl into Chi Shen’s. “Eat a little more.”
Chi Shen paused for a moment, then handed her back a braised egg.
Qin Sheng’s mood was still complicated; he didn’t comment on how intimate their way of eating was.
After a meal’s worth of explanation, their uncle Qin Zhao returned. He froze when he saw Qiao Zhenzhen, and before he could speak to her he noticed Chi Shen behind her, his brow immediately tightening. “Qiao Zhenzhen, how come you, ”
“We’re not dating; he’s my deskmate!” Qiao Zhenzhen replied at once.
Qin Zhao glared. “Do you think I’d believe that?”
“Grandpa already believed it. If you don’t, you’re just not obeying him,” Qiao Zhenzhen shot back, taking the upper hand.
Maybe children of short-tempered people turn out more mellow. Her mother was reasonably easygoing, and her uncle Qin Zhao was the very picture of patience. Even when Qiao Jian had the fiercest fights with Grandpa, he never lost his temper with Qiao Jian. Now, even knowing she hadn’t come back for years and had every reason to be upset, he still spoke to her kindly.
“Grandpa believed you,” Qiao Zhenzhen said, and Qin Sheng, still on the sofa studying Chi Shen, immediately denied it: “I didn’t believe it. You just have designs on him, but Chi Shen’s a straight‑laced kid, he definitely wouldn’t be dating.”
In all her life, it was the first time Qiao Zhenzhen had heard anyone describe Chi Shen as “honest”, she almost laughed out loud.
Qin Sheng had already asked about Chi Shen’s background. When he learned the boy was born in a rural village near City A, he felt very disappointed, and was secretly glad he hadn’t blurted his suspicions to his old buddy in City S. With that friend’s temperament, he would have already flown here on a private jet.
Good thing he hadn’t said anything, imagine how devastated his friend would be to arrive and find out he’d been mistaken.
Still, despite his disappointment, when Qin Sheng heard that Chi Shen had been top of his class for years and had earned many scholarships on his own, his admiration for the boy rose considerably.
The Qin family had once been a scholarly household, but from Qin Sheng’s generation onward there’d been no high achievers. Though the business grew, the younger generations produced no serious scholars. Qin Zhao was even an avowed bachelor. With no hope of a top student emerging from his own line, he couldn’t help wanting to bring bright kids into the family.
Especially since this bright kid had almost been forced out of school by Qiao Jian, which made him all the more sympathetic.
“Qiao Jian’s a scoundrel, your father’s an idiot, all short‑sighted fools. Who do they think they are to force you to quit school?” Qin Sheng spat angrily.
Qiao Zhenzhen chimed in obediently from the side: “Exactly, exactly.”
The grandfather and granddaughter exchanged a look, and for once a quiet understanding passed between them.
Suppressing a smile, Qiao Zhenzhen secretly gave Chi Shen a thumbs‑up. He lowered his head and the corner of his mouth lifted. He’d simply answered each question as it came, and once he’d told that story, Qin Sheng warmed to him and treated Qiao Zhenzhen much more kindly too, a lucky accident.
Qin Zhao, who hadn’t known what had happened at the house all afternoon, leaned in curiously and asked, “What on earth happened?”
Qiao Zhenzhen immediately repeated the story about Chi Shen being pressured to drop out, and Qin Zhao frowned. “Your brother‑in‑law is utterly impossible.”
“Who are you calling brother‑in‑law? You don’t even have a sister, so where would you get a brother‑in‑law?” Qin Sheng glared.
Qin Zhao froze for a moment and immediately dared not say another word.
The mood sank a little after that “brother‑in‑law” remark, but Qiao Zhenzhen quickly smoothed things over, and Qin Sheng’s expression gradually improved.
She and Chi Shen stayed until late at night. When Qin Jing messaged asking when she’d be back, she secretly snapped a photo of Qin Sheng.
Qin Jing was silent for a long time before replying with a text: How did you end up at Grandpa’s?
Qiao Zhenzhen lowered her head and replied: I missed him, so I came to see him.
This time Qin Jing was quiet even longer, then sent five words: I miss him too.