If Chi Yao could be indifferent, that would be even better. As for that guy, surnamed Shen, he wasn’t exactly a good person either. Although he hadn’t shown it outwardly, every time Qu Liang got close to him, he always felt a chill down his neck.

“Sure, an amusement park, let’s build it!” The money for the amusement park was nothing, a small matter.

“I’ll cover the cost for the amusement park. You can handle the rest yourself.”

“Yao-ge knowing you is truly a blessing.” Qu Liang was a few years older than Chi Yao but still called him “Brother Yao.”

Whether Qu Liang was sincere or not didn’t matter to Chi Yao. As long as the amusement park could be built, he didn’t care about the process or the details—only the result. The environment here was quite nice, and the baby would probably like it.

Although Chi Yao had no experience raising children in either of his two lives, it didn’t stop him from giving his child everything he could think of. As for his family, at the moment, the only one he recognized was his grandfather.

When Chi Yao died, everyone kept his death a secret from his grandfather. It wasn’t until his ashes were laid to rest that his grandfather found out, but by then, Chi Yao was already gone. Thinking about his grandfather, Chi Yao realized he should probably go back to his hometown to visit and share the news about the great-grandchild. His grandfather would likely be happy about it.

He wandered along the island’s edge for a while but didn’t go too far since it was all forest. Wherever Chi Yao went now, he had to be extra cautious—he was pregnant and hadn’t told anyone, so he had to look after himself.

Someone had laid out a blanket by the beach, sprayed insect repellent around, and set up a barbecue. Chi Yao sat on the blanket, and food and drinks were immediately brought to him. He quietly enjoyed the scenery, and no one disturbed him.

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A Forceful Kiss

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Before heading back to his hometown, Chi Yao took care of Chang Feng’s matter. It was as simple as a phone call, directly to the head of the street office. The moment the official realized it was Chi Yao calling, he stood up, his expression serious and respectful. After all, if Chi Yao was displeased, the man could lose his position.

Chi Yao casually mentioned that he had a friend who owned a café near the square. Instead of talking about any troubles, he politely asked the official to keep an eye on the place. “Maybe we could all grab a coffee together sometime,” he added.

The official nodded eagerly on the other end of the line, “No problem, no problem! I love coffee. Don’t worry, Mr. Chi, I’ll take good care of it.”

“Thanks, I appreciate it.”

“It’s nothing, really. Mr. Chi, you’re a great friend. Your friends are lucky to have you.”

Chi Yao hung up the phone, placed it on the coffee table, and slowly sipped the porridge, Auntie^[1]A maid, not related Aunt but Auntie is how to address a woman older than you.had made.

Three days later, Chi Yao took a car back to his hometown, hiring a driver while he sat in the back seat.

He didn’t call ahead to let his grandfather know he was coming. Instead, he arrived directly in the evening.

Not many people lived in his old family home anymore—just his grandfather and the housekeeper who took care of him. His grandmother had passed away early, and it seemed like the women in their family always left too soon. They worked hard their whole lives and never got to enjoy it before passing on.

However, compared to Chi Yao’s mother, his grandmother was luckier. His grandfather was a deeply emotional man and always treated his grandmother well. Back in the day, every family wanted to have sons to carry on the family line, but his grandfather didn’t mind. They had only one daughter—Chi Yao’s mother—who was spoiled so much that she mistakenly thought the world outside was as kind as her parents, though that was far from the truth.

And if it hadn’t been for Chi Yao’s second chance at life, his fate would have been the same as his mother’s.

When Chi Yao got out of the car, his grandfather was usually in the backyard tending to his plants. In his later years, he treated those plants as his children.

Chi Yao, as the spoiled grandson, was also a bit difficult. He had been withdrawn since childhood and, as an adult, had come out as gay.

His grandfather had long given up on the idea of having great-grandchildren. He used to think about it, but not anymore.

Whatever Chi Yao did, it didn’t matter—he was always stirring up trouble, just like his deadbeat father.

So, when Chi Yao appeared and walked up behind his grandfather, the old man just glanced at him and didn’t bother to acknowledge him.

Chi Yao didn’t speak either. While his grandfather watered the plants, he assisted, doing whatever was needed. The old man didn’t hold back, using Chi Yao as his helper.

After an hour or so, most of the plants had been watered. The old man sat on a nearby bench, and Chi Yao walked over to him.

“Alright, what is it this time?” his grandfather asked. The last time Chi Yao had visited was six months ago, and he hadn’t even stayed the night. The old man didn’t have any expectations anymore. His plants were better company.

“Grandpa!” Chi Yao smiled.

But the old man’s face grew stern, fearing it might be something serious. “You’re the one who said you wanted to make it on your own, without this old man’s help. Don’t come back here now and eat your words.”

He didn’t hold back, cutting Chi Yao off before he could even start.

Chi Yao sat down on the bench, lightly placing a hand on his belly for a moment before quickly pulling it away so his grandfather wouldn’t notice.

“Grandpa, by next spring, you’ll be a great-grandfather.”

The old man didn’t catch it at first. “What? A what?”

“A great-grandfather,” Chi Yao repeated, emphasizing the words.

“You?” His grandfather laughed coldly. This boy had never liked women. He hadn’t even met any of the many women introduced to him and had been obsessed with men all his life. Now he wanted to settle down, get married, and have kids? His grandfather wasn’t so easily fooled.

“I’m not getting married, but there’s a child. A baby. My biological child. Do you believe me, Grandpa?”

“Next spring, I’ll bring the baby to meet you.”

“You brat, did you hire a surrogate?” His grandfather immediately furrowed his brows.

Bringing a child into the family through a surrogate was unacceptable to the old man. He glared at Chi Yao in disapproval.

“A child like that doesn’t belong in this family.”

Nowadays, people seemed to be regressing, the old man thought. Back in his day, he and his wife had fallen in love freely, and their daughter, Chi Yao’s mother, had been a symbol of their love. How had things come to this with Chi Yao?