Chapter 23: Gossiping Grandfather Zhang

“Hello, Grandpa, I’m almost home, just about fifteen minutes away.”

After a brief conversation, Lin Beixiu hung up and sat back down, waiting by the roadside with Qin Muxue.

Soon, lights appeared in the distance. Recognizing the familiar license plate, Lin Beixiu knew it was the car he had called.

“Are you Mr. Lin?”

“Yes.”

…

A few minutes later, they arrived in an old neighborhood.

After paying the fare, Lin Beixiu led the way into a small alley. Without prior preparation, Qin Muxue might have wondered where he was taking her.

They arrived at a building, pushed open the door, and went inside. Only the upstairs light emitted a weak glow. They climbed to the fifth floor and stopped in front of a door.

Lin Beixiu took out the keys, opened the door, and entered.

The living room they stepped into was filled with various tools. In the middle, an old man sat, apparently kneading dough.

“Grandpa,” Lin Beixiu called out.

Hearing the familiar voice, the elder stopped his work and turned around, smiling warmly.

“Little Bei is back, huh?”

“Yes.”

Zhang Yunwu looked at the woman behind him, “And this is?”

“My classmate. She has some family issues, so she’ll be staying with us during the holiday.”

Zhang Yunwu smiled at Qin Muxue, not expecting Lin Beixiu to bring a female classmate home but was happy his grandson was making friends.

“Alright, welcome. What’s your name?”

“Hello, Grandpa, I’m Qin Muxue.”

“Hehe, nice name. Come in and have a seat.”

Lin Beixiu said, “I’ll settle my classmate first, then I’ll come and talk.”

“Alright.”

Lin Beixiu led Qin Muxue into a room, which served as a study and was quite tidy.

“You’ll stay here, okay?”

“There’s nothing wrong with that. I’m not so delicate,” Qin Muxue replied, rolling her eyes at him.

Lin Beixiu left, and Qin Muxue, having placed her luggage, followed him to the next room.

“This is your room?”

Lin Beixiu’s room was simple, with white walls, a bed, and a desk opposite it. The bookshelf was filled with various books, including exam preparation materials.

Lin Beixiu placed his things down and said, “Look around if you want, I’ll go help out.”

Qin Muxue nodded, went back to her room to tidy up a bit.

Lin Beixiu washed his hands and sat down next to his grandfather, skillfully starting to make buns.

Zhang Yunwu chuckled, “Tell Grandpa, what’s the story with this classmate?”

“Just a classmate.”

Zhang Yunwu smiled but said nothing more, “It’s good you’re bringing classmates home.”

Lin Beixiu remained silent, continuing his work.

Soon, Qin Muxue came out from her room, took a stool, and sat down on the other side.

“I can help too.”

“Hehe, no need. You young folks must be tired from the trip. Just rest, leave this work to this old man.”

“Guests shouldn’t be working.”

Despite their insistence, Qin Muxue also started to help. Initially, her buns weren’t well-made, earning her some teasing from Lin Beixiu.

Qin Muxue pouted, wanting to hit him.

Zhang Yunwu offered, “No worries, I’ll teach you.”

Qin Muxue stealthily stepped on Lin Beixiu’s foot under the table, causing him to widen his eyes in disbelief, feeling the pain.

Qin Muxue ignored him, focusing on learning from the old man. Soon, she got the hang of it, her happiness evident.

“Hehe, I can do it now.”

Lin Beixiu glanced at her creation, which was indeed not bad. While not as skilled as himself, the appearance was passable.

Zhang Yunwu watched their banter, simply laughing to himself.

As they worked and chatted, Qin Muxue answered questions. When asked how they met, she thought for a moment and said they were roommates, which is how they knew each other.

Seeing this, Zhang Yunwu looked at Lin Beixiu differently but didn’t say much, understanding more as an elder, letting the youngsters sort things out themselves.

Lin Beixiu, seeing his grandfather’s expression, knew he had misunderstood but didn’t clarify. Qin Muxue, finding his reaction amusing, chose to remain silent.

Their work pace increased, and soon they had prepared all the buns for the next day.

Zhang Yunwu stored everything in the kitchen, “Alright, you two go wash up and rest. You’ve worked hard coming back and started working right away.”

Lin Beixiu led Qin Muxue back to their rooms, telling her, “If you need anything, let me know, and I’ll go buy it.”

“I’ve brought everything.”

“Then you go shower first.”

Lin Beixiu went back to his room.

While Qin Muxue showered, Zhang Yunwu called Lin Beixiu over, placing a bottle of beer in front of him and pouring himself a glass of liquor.

“Double standards, Grandpa.”

Though he complained, Lin Beixiu still opened the beer and started drinking, Zhang Yunwu drinking his liquor in one gulp.

“Brat, be grateful you have something to drink. This is all I have left.”

Lin Beixiu smiled, knowing his grandfather only drank on special occasions, clearly happy about his return.

After a summer and the start of school, Lin Beixiu hadn’t been home for over three months.

“You look much better than before. Smile more, don’t close yourself off.”

Lin Beixiu quietly said, “Let’s not talk about the past.”

“What about the girl? What’s your situation with her?” Zhang Yunwu changed the subject.

“Just classmates.”

Zhang Yunwu scrutinized him, “I’m not blind. Your relationship doesn’t seem ordinary.”

“You’re finally thinking about finding a girlfriend.”

“Grandpa, don’t talk nonsense. You’ll ruin her reputation.”

Lin Beixiu replied, annoyed at his grandfather’s gossiping nature.

As they talked, Qin Muxue came out from the shower, seeing them drinking again and chided.

“Grandpa, drinking too much isn’t good for your health.”

“Ha, this brat insisted on drinking with me. I’ll stop now.”

Lin Beixiu twitched his mouth, somehow blamed for this too.

Qin Muxue approached, hand outstretched.

“Give it here.”

Lin Beixiu hesitated, “I’ll finish this bottle, and that will be all im drinking.”

“No.”

Lin Beixiu glanced to see his grandfather chuckling secretly, reluctantly handing over the beer, watching as she poured it down the sink and threw away the can.

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