Ling Xiaoling pinched her fingers. "He's afraid of implicating Yu Xi and won't see me. I'll grant him his wish."
Old Hong sighed and took out his phone to make a call. "Stop trailing behind. I'll have them stop the car for you."
Nan Zhenting hesitated. "No, I don't want to spoil the mood."
Old Hong sneered. "Stop putting on airs! If you didn't want to spoil the mood, why would you be heading to their private airport?"
"..."
Seeing Nan Zhenting fall silent, Old Hong turned to Lan Mushang. "Tell the driver to stop. Yu Xi also wanted me to bring a few words to Old Nan."
Lan Mushang nodded and instructed the driver to stop the car.
Ling Xiaoling tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear and looked out the window.
Lan Zixin knew her grandmother was nervous, so she quickly hugged her arm.
Ling Xiaoling reached up and stroked the top of her head. "You've gotten quite a bit plumper since you left. Your mother and Xi'er must have been feeding you well, right?"
Lan Zixin let out a chuckle. "You're right! Xi'er brings home all sorts of traditional Chinese medicine and tonics every day. My mother watches over my uncle and me, making sure we drink them. If we don't meet our daily quota, we're not allowed to sleep."
Old Hong smiled and patted the briefcase beside him. "Xiao Ling, these are the Chinese medicines Xi'er has prepared for Zi Xin. From now on, you'll be in charge of making sure Zi Xin takes her medicine."
Ling Xiaoling smiled and poked Lan Zixin's forehead. "This child has been increasingly resistant to drinking Chinese medicine lately. But with me here, she won't miss a single dose."
Old Hong smiled and saw Nan Zhenting's car approaching. He opened the car door and got out with Lan Mushang, Lan Xiaowu, and Lan Xiaoqi.
Nan Zhenting, wearing a strange face, walked over nervously.
"Senior Brother. Mushang, Mu..."
Old Hong grabbed his arm. "You don't need to greet all these juniors one by one. Get in the car quickly."
Lan Mushang smiled and gestured. "Uncle Nan, please."
Nan Zhenting nodded and got into the car with Old Hong.
Ling Xiaoling had been feeling a bit uncomfortable, but when she saw Nan Zhenting's disguised face, she couldn't help but laugh.
Seeing her smile, Nan Zhenting relaxed, no longer as tense. He reached up and removed the human skin mask from his face.
Ling Xiaoling looked at his familiar, weathered face, and her eyes immediately welled up.
Nan Zhenting cast a reproachful glance at Old Hong. "I told you I didn't want to spoil the mood, but you insisted I come. Look, Xiao Ling is crying."
Old Hong impatiently pushed him into the seat. "Just don't say anything, and Xiao Ling will be fine."
Ling Xiaoling pursed her lips and looked out the window.
Lan Zixin clutched her grandmother's hand.
Ling Xiaoling wiped the corner of her eye. "Zi Xin, this is your maternal grandfather."
Lan Zixin sensed her grandmother's trembling hand and didn't hesitate. She quickly called out to Nan Zhenting, who was sitting opposite them, "Grandpa."
"Ah!" Hearing the word "Grandpa," Nan Zhenting's hands trembled with emotion. This was his own granddaughter, and it was the first time he had heard her call him that.
Nan Zhenting looked gratefully at Ling Xiaoling. Seeing the tears on her face, he quickly took out a handkerchief and offered it to her.
Ling Xiaoling had been trying hard to control her tears, but as soon as she saw the handkerchief, tears streamed down like a spring.
Seeing her cry even harder, Nan Zhenting looked at her with the anxious expression of a child who had done something wrong.
Old Hong snatched the handkerchief away. "You clueless man, why did you bring out that handkerchief?"
Nan Zhenting quickly took it back and put it in his pocket as if it were a treasure. "I... I don't have anything else."
Lan Mushang saw that the elders were in an awkward situation and offered a tissue. "Grandma, you and Senior Brother haven't seen each other in a long time. Don't get too emotional. You're making Uncle Hong and Uncle Nan so anxious."
Ling Xiaoling took the tissue and wiped her tears. "Your relationship with Zi Xin is already settled. Why are you still calling them 'Uncle'?"
Lan Mushang looked at her happily. "Grandma, you're agreeing to our engagement?"
"You even invited my senior brother over. How could I refuse?"
Lan Mushang smiled and looked at Old Hong. "Thank you, Master Grandfather."
Seeing his junior sister lead the way in changing the subject, Old Hong smiled and said, "Don't call me Master Grandfather. If you do, you'll be the same generation as Zhao Zhao and Mu Mu. Let's keep things as they are. If you call me Uncle, I'll feel young."
"Nan..." Lan Mushang pursed his lips. "Grandpa."
Nan Zhenting smiled. "Good! I accept you as my grandson-in-law."
Ling Xiaoling glanced at him. Thinking that everyone was present, she swallowed the words she was about to say.
The car soon arrived at the Lan family's manor.
Everyone got out of the car.
After getting out, Old Hong said with a smile, "A manor this luxurious is probably unique in the world!"
Lan Mushang smiled. "Since Uncle Hong is so interested in the manor, why don't we show you around?"
"That would be great!" Old Hong turned to Nan Zhenting. "I heard you've been here quite a few times, so you've seen it all. You don't need to come with us. Xiao Ling looks tired, too. Why don't you accompany her inside to rest? We'll be back after a tour."
Nan Zhenting knew his senior brother was creating an opportunity for them to be alone. He nodded gratefully.
Ling Xiaoling hesitated for a moment before leading Nan Zhenting into the living room.
Nan Zhenting pushed the tea served by the servant towards Ling Xiaoling. "Have some tea. Your lips look dry."
Ling Xiaoling hesitated, then picked up the teacup and took a sip.
After a long pause, Ling Xiaoling finally spoke. "I lost my composure earlier. I didn't expect that after all these years, you'd still have that handkerchief?"
Nan Zhenting coughed lightly. "That's the only thing you left me. I've carried it with me all these years but never had the heart to use it."
Ling Xiaoling raised an eyebrow slightly. "You carried it for so many years, and An Lianshu could tolerate it?"
"She wasn't allowed into my courtyard all these years. She couldn't touch any of my belongings."
Ling Xiaoling chuckled and shook her head. "An Lianshu always thought she won against me. She did win, but she won nothing."
Nan Zhenting looked up at her. "Xiao Ling, I'm sorry."
"It's all in the past. Don't keep apologizing. If you had come to see me when you arrived in Norcas, I wouldn't have even mentioned her name. But you've been here for so long and refused to see me. That angered me and brought up old memories."
Nan Zhenting quickly explained, "It's not that I didn't want to see you, but I was afraid you wouldn't want to see me."
"If you don't come, how will you know if I'll see you!"
"I know your temper well! Yun'er is just like you!"
As soon as Ling Xiaoling heard their daughter's name, tears started to fall.
Seeing that he had said the wrong thing again, Nan Zhenting leaned closer and whispered something in her ear.
Ling Xiaoling's mouth dropped open in astonishment. "Is what you're saying true?"