After Mrs. Qin left, Qin He grabbed the remote and switched to another drama.
Some of the dramas she had watched two years ago, and she had forgotten the endings. Watching them again now felt fresh.
Qin He was engrossed until her phone rang.
She glanced at it; it was Gu Qichen.
Qin He tutted. Last time, this scumbag had said Gu Grandma was sick and would call her that evening to discuss matters, but there had been no news since.
It had been over ten days.
She picked up the phone, Qin He asked lazily, "Is there something, President Gu?"
From the other end, Gu Qichen's voice was cold, "Qin He, is Grandma at your place?"
Qin He's initially relaxed nerves instantly tensed, and she sat up straight, "How could she be at my place? Did Grandma get lost?!"
Gu Qichen's voice was chilling, "Mm."
He added, "Grandma always said she wanted to see you. I thought, after her illness, she might go looking for you."
"Come to find me?"
Qin He hurriedly stood up, "I'll go look for her now, and you should have people search too!"
Where would Grandma go if she got lost?
Qin He, still in her home clothes, got into her car and started it. She realized her memory was completely blank.
Yet, the strong sense of connection and anxiety drove her towards Gu Qichen's Sen Garden.
When she had attended a banquet before, she had overheard some girls mention the general direction of Sen Garden.
Grandma believed she and Gu Qichen were not divorced yet and would definitely go to where she lived to find her.
As her car approached Sen Garden, Qin He saw an old woman walking by the roadside in the distance.
Worried about the elderly lady, Qin He hurriedly got out of the car and chased after her.
"Grandma!"
"Oh, it's He'er, Grandma was just about to visit you." Old Mrs. Gu smiled kindly and amiably.
"Grandma, how could you wander off like this!" Qin He's lifted heart finally settled, and she spoke with a hint of chiding and grievance.
Old Mrs. Gu took Qin He's hand and placed something cool into it, "He'er, Grandma intended to give this to you, I'd just forgotten."
"What?" Qin He took her hand back. Lying in her palm was a jeweled thumb ring, its intricate patterns clearly indicating it was an antique.
"This is a treasure of the Gu family, passed down to daughters-in-law. I didn't pass it to your mother-in-law, but to you," the old lady said softly, holding Qin He's hand, "Don't tell your mother-in-law."
Qin He's eyes welled up, and her nose felt a little sore, "I understand, Grandma. I'll take you home."
"Where would I go home? I want to go to He'er's home."
Old Mrs. Gu pulled Qin He towards the main gate of Sen Garden.
Qin He hesitated. She and Gu Qichen were divorced; that was not her home!
When she got out of the car earlier, she had been too focused on chasing Grandma to grab her phone, so she couldn't contact Gu Qichen.
After walking half a street, Old Mrs. Gu led Qin He to the gate and looked at her with a smile.
"He'er."
The gatekeeper of Sen Garden looked surprised to see Qin He, but upon seeing Old Mrs. Gu bringing her, he immediately opened the gate.
This was Qin He's "first" time entering Sen Garden.
The garden had excellent landscaping, with the trees lining the path obscuring half the sky.
The air was filled with the scent of trees. Old Mrs. Gu held Qin He's hand, talking as they walked further in.
They passed through a tree-lined path, then crossed a small flower garden plaza, before reaching the front of the villa.
The villa had only two stories but occupied a very large area.
Qin He surveyed the villa, remembering her brother saying she had lived here for two years.
As they stopped, the sound of a vehicle approached from behind.
Qin He turned her head and saw Gu Qichen's car driving closer. He got out in a hurry and paused for a moment upon seeing Qin He, then nodded in acknowledgment.
Qin He silently nodded back.
Old Mrs. Gu also saw him, "Qichen, you're back. Why aren't you at the company at this hour?"
Gu Qichen quickly stepped forward and helped support the old lady, "Grandma, next time you go out, please inform the housekeeper so they can escort you, okay?"
Old Mrs. Gu seemed a little more lucid now, and she frowned, "Didn't I tell them? I just wanted to find He'er. How did I end up here?"
Upon entering the living room, Qin He sat on the sofa with Old Mrs. Gu. Gu Qichen went aside to make a phone call.
She could vaguely hear words like "found."
Shortly after, Gu Qichen returned.
Old Mrs. Gu had come out primarily to see Qin He and occasionally chatted with Gu Qichen.
"Qichen, I brought Qin He a gift. Take a look. It was given to me by your great-grandmother. I was supposed to give it to your mother, but I thought it would eventually be passed to He'er anyway, so I gave it to her."
Qin He had been holding the thumb ring all along. She immediately opened her palm and showed it to Gu Qichen.
"Grandma said this is your family's heirloom. Here."
Qin He didn't finish speaking when Grandma Gu frowned and pulled her hand back.
"This is for daughters-in-law and granddaughters-in-law. Why are you giving it to Qichen? Don't pay attention to him. Does this brat dare to take your things?"
Qin He felt a bit awkward and helpless.
Gu Qichen's dark eyes were deep as he looked at Qin He, "Since Grandma gave it to you, you should keep it."
After all, she had once been the Gu family's granddaughter-in-law. If Grandma wanted to give it to her, it was because Grandma thought she deserved it.
Qin He felt the thumb ring had become hot to the touch.
She frowned and chatted with Grandma for a while.
"He'er, why do you look like you've gained a little weight?" Grandma Gu smiled and looked at Qin He's waist, "Are you perhaps pregnant?"
As soon as she said this, Qin He's heart skipped a beat.
Was Grandma's eyesight that sharp?
Gu Qichen, opposite her, glanced at her lower abdomen, his gaze making Qin He panic.
She gave a forced smile, "Grandma, no, I've just been living well recently and gained weight from eating."
"That's good, gaining weight is good," Grandma Gu smiled, "Get your body in shape, and give me a great-grandson or great-granddaughter. Grandma can help you look after the baby."
Gu Qichen's gaze swept over Qin He discreetly.
How could she be pregnant? When he was with Qin He, it was only a few times, and Qin He had taken medicine afterward.
He vaguely remembered her waist being very slender. Now it seemed a bit rounder.
Perhaps, since leaving the Gu family, she had truly been living more comfortably.
Gu Qichen pursed his lips tightly, his stern face holding an unreadable emotion in his dark eyes.
Seeing Qin He chatting happily with Grandma, it wasn't long before she managed to persuade Grandma to return to the old residence.
A car had been sent from the old residence and was already waiting at the gate.
Qin He reluctantly saw Grandma Gu into the car and watched it drive away.
At the villa's gate, only Gu Qichen and she stood side by side.
Qin He felt a bit awkward and turned to him, "Mr. Gu, I'll be going then. Your..."
It was the thumb ring again.
The thumb ring representing the identity of a Gu family daughter-in-law.
Gu Qichen's throat moved slightly. Suddenly, he didn't want to take it back.
His expression turned serious, and his words were sharp, "The Gu family never takes back what it gives."
Qin He's smiling face stiffened. She scoffed inwardly.
She had originally thought the thumb ring was very important. Since Gu Qichen had this attitude, she would keep it. It looked like an antique anyway.
"Alright, I'm leaving then." Qin He took a couple of steps, then still felt uneasy. She turned back and retorted, "Is the security at your old residence that poor? How did Grandma Gu just walk out like that?"
"Since Grandma now has Alzheimer's, you should hire someone to accompany and guard her."