Chapter 60

By the time they got home it was already one a.m. Nobody was sleepy, in fact everyone was at least a little excited. Among the group, only Chi Shen remained relatively composed.
From the moment Chi Cheng learned Chi Shen’s identity he’d been holding Chi Shen’s hand and wouldn’t let go, even pushing Qiao Zhenzhen to the side. But at a time like this Qiao Zhenzhen secretly wished they would hold on a little longer.
Chi Shen having a real family meant he finally had a genuine connection to this world, and she was happier than anyone.
“Boy, do you really have no memory of me at all? You were three when you got lost, don’t you remember anything?” Chi Cheng held Chi Shen with an eager look.
Chi Shen pressed his lips together and after a moment replied, “I had a high fever when I was little. I don’t remember anything from before that.”
Chi Cheng froze. “When was that?”
“Sometime before he was four.” That was what he’d heard the couple say, though his memories were very vague.
Chi Cheng didn’t know what had come to mind; his eyes began to redden again. Qin Sheng hurriedly said, “All right, all right. Finding your grandson is a joyous thing, don’t go crying at the drop of a hat; aren’t you worried the younger ones will tease you?”
“We’d never dare laugh at Uncle Chi, but for the sake of your health, you really shouldn’t cry,” Qin Zhao teased.
Qiao Zhenzhen chimed in beside him, “Yes, yes, what a wonderful thing; please don’t be upset.”
“I’m not upset, I’m overjoyed,” Chi Cheng said, grabbing Qiao Zhenzhen’s hand. “Good child, Grandpa has to thank you. If it weren’t for you, I might never have found Jingchen in my life.”
“…Don’t say that. I really didn’t do much,” Qiao Zhenzhen said a little bashfully. “If anyone should be thanking someone, it should be me thanking you. You helped my mother and me, we only got back what belonged to us because of you.”
Chi Cheng shook his head. “It’s Grandpa who should be thanking you.”
“I thank you.”
“Grandpa thanks”
“Are you done?!” Qin Sheng finally lost his temper. “All of you, go to bed, this endless thanking is driving me crazy!”
Hearing that, Qiao Zhenzhen secretly made a silly face at Chi Shen.
Qin Sheng continued to blow up and eventually scolded everyone back to their rooms. But before Chi Shen left, Chi Cheng stopped him.
“Jingchen, could you… could you stay with Grandpa tonight?” he asked tentatively.
Chi Shen was silent for a moment, then agreed.
Chi Cheng immediately beamed and led him back to the guest room.
Probably from the excitement of finding his grandson, he couldn’t sleep at all. He chattered on and on about the past, from Chi Shen’s parents all the way to his birth and the years when the two of them relied on each other.
Chi Shen listened with a detached expression, as if hearing someone else’s story.
As he talked, his tone grew awkward. After a dry laugh he said, “Look at me, rambling on. You must be tired, right? You have school tomorrow, so get some sleep. Your Grandpa Qin told me you’re especially good at your studies, aren’t you?”
“Yes.”
“I knew he wasn’t lying,” Chi Cheng smiled. “Our Jingchen is the cleverest.”
Hearing that, Chi Shen pressed his lips together. After a long moment he said in a low voice, “My name is Chi Shen.”
Chi Cheng was taken aback.
“I’m used to it,” Chi Shen said, looking at him.
Chi Cheng was silent for a long moment, then awkwardly nodded. “All right. Then we’ll keep calling you Chi Shen, the name suits you.”
The atmosphere seemed completely stuck. Chi Shen, sensing something, shifted and said, “I’ll go get a glass of water.”
With that he turned and left.
Chi Cheng watched his retreating back and opened his mouth as if to say there was water in the room too, but seeing how decisive he was, he finally said nothing.
Chi Shen didn’t go downstairs right away after leaving the room; he stood at the doorway for a long time before moving. When he reached the living room, he saw Qiao Zhenzhen curled up sound asleep on the sofa.
He paused, then walked over and gently tapped her.
Qiao Zhenzhen woke up drowsily. “Chi Shen…”
“Why are you sleeping here?” he asked.
Qiao Zhenzhen blinked into wakefulness. “Ah… it’s nothing. I just thought you might be uncomfortable sleeping with Grandpa Chi on your first night.”
A flicker of surprise crossed Chi Shen’s eyes. “You were waiting for me?”
“Not exactly, I had no way of knowing you’d come down,” Qiao Zhenzhen said, her eyes narrowing into slits as she gave him a goofy smile. “I was just afraid you’d come down and have no one to keep you company.”
[Affinity +30, now 396]
Chi Shen lowered his head and silently took her hand.
Qiao Zhenzhen watched the top of his head in silence, then after a while asked softly, “Are you a bit at a loss?”
“…Mm.”
“I knew it,” Qiao Zhenzhen said with a slight smile. “If your life gets turned upside down twice in just forty-eight hours, anyone would be at a loss.”
“I don’t know how to get along with him.” Chi Shen looked up at her.
“No rush, we can take it slow,” Qiao Zhenzhen said, ruffling his hair. “Did he know you had come out like this?”
Chi Shen was silent.
Qiao Zhenzhen smiled. “Then don’t stay out too long, he’ll worry about you.”
“Mm.”
Chi Shen sat down beside her. Qiao Zhenzhen leaned against him; the warmth of her body through her soft skin settled him, and he finally felt much calmer.
After a long while, he walked Qiao Zhenzhen back to the bedroom and returned to the guest room himself.
Chi Cheng was already lying down, turned on his side with his back to him. It wasn’t clear if he was asleep, but the light in the room remained on, clearly left for him.
Chi Shen hesitated, then after turning off the light he lay down silently behind Chi Cheng.
After a while he said softly, “I’m not very good with elders.”
Chi Cheng’s fingertips trembled.
“I’m sorry, Grandpa,” he said.
Chi Cheng covered his mouth as tears fell silently. Even in the dark, Chi Shen could see his trembling shoulders clearly. After a long silence, Chi Shen patted his arm.
The night before, everyone had gone to bed with their own worries and had overslept to varying degrees; Qiao Zhenzhen was the one who slept the latest.
When she woke up, her phone read twelve noon. For a moment she thought she had misread it, until Qin Jing suddenly opened the door. Seeing her still sitting there in a daze, she snapped, “Still not getting up? It’s lunchtime, you big lazybones.”
Qiao Zhenzhen blinked. “…It’s really noon already.”
She hurried to wash and dress, and when she rushed into the living room everyone was already seated, apparently waiting for her.
“Sorry about that.” Qiao Zhenzhen gave an embarrassed laugh and sat down next to Chi Shen.
Chi Cheng’s gaze flicked between them, and in good spirits he said to Qin Sheng, “We were so busy celebrating last night we didn’t notice, so my grandson and your granddaughter are seeing each other?”
Qiao Zhenzhen nearly choked on the milk she was drinking, but Chi Shen quickly handed her a tissue and she avoided making a scene.
“Yes, Chi Shen is going to come live with us as my grandson-in-law.” Qin Sheng snorted coldly.
Chi Cheng immediately protested, “Why should we be the ones taking in a grandson-in-law? Isn't your granddaughter supposed to move in?”
“This was decided long ago, blame yourself for coming late.” Though he was happy for his old friend, some things still needed to be made clear.
Chi Cheng didn’t bother arguing and looked straight at the two kids opposite: “What do you two want to do?”
“Grandpa Chi…” Qiao Zhenzhen said, half laughing, half exasperated.
“Either way is fine.”
Chi Shen spoke, and the whole room fell silent.
After that odd silence, Qin Zhao couldn’t help bursting into laughter. Qiao Zhenzhen’s face flushed; under the table she pinched Chi Shen and hissed in a low voice, “Why do you blurt everything out!”
Chi Shen looked at her calmly, as if he couldn’t understand why she was upset.
“Living both places works too,” Chi Cheng said with a laugh, “but every year you’ll have to stay at my place an extra month. I’m a lonely old man, can’t compete with the bustle at the Qin household.”
One month or two, Qin Sheng couldn’t be bothered to argue, so he readily agreed.
Qiao Zhenzhen felt too tired to complain about these people and simply ignored them, concentrating on her meal.
When the meal ended, Qin Jing glanced at the time. “Your homeroom teacher just called, says you’ve been skipping too many classes lately and you must go this afternoon.”
“We’ll go, we’ll go, finals are coming up, I need to study.” Qiao Zhenzhen instantly put on a cooperative front.
Chi Cheng beside them opened his mouth but then fell silent.
Qiao Zhenzhen and Chi Shen grabbed their backpacks and headed straight for school.
Just as they neared the classroom, Qiao Zhenzhen remembered she’d lost her pen, so Chi Shen went to the supermarket while she went upstairs alone. The moment she stepped into the classroom it felt as if every eye turned to her.
She sighed, this was not her first time. Sitting down, she tugged the hood of the student in front of her. “Hey, what happened this time?”
“…Nothing.” The student gave an awkward laugh.
Qiao Zhenzhen raised an eyebrow.
The student promptly surrendered. “Okay, alright, something did happen.”
“Tell me.”
“Qiao Zhenzhen…” he swallowed, “did your parents get divorced?”
Qiao Zhenzhen paused. “How did you find out?”
“I heard it from Zhao Lianqiao, my deskmate.” He sounded embarrassed.
Qiao Zhenzhen considered for a moment. “Did she say anything else?”
“Some messy stuff, not worth listening to,” he hurried to add.
Qiao Zhenzhen sighed. “Just tell me straight, better than me having to ask everyone.”
Seeing she wasn’t angry, he went all in. “Yesterday, you left suddenly, right? In the afternoon Zhao Lianqiao got a text and started crying in class. People swarmed around her asking what was wrong, and she said her mom had finally come out on top.”
In short, she’d spun a melodramatic tale: the male lead finally freed himself from a wicked woman and reunited with the heroine. Just as everyone was getting sentimental, she dropped a bomb, revealing the true identities of three people.
Qiao Zhenzhen snorted with derision. The boy wiped his forehead. “Lots of people were happy for her; some even cursed your mom. But I don’t think it was many. Your parents only divorced yesterday, but from what she implied, your dad had already been involved with her mom, isn’t that cheating…?”
As he spoke, Zhao Lianqiao walked in. Qiao Zhenzhen looked up calmly and their eyes met.