{“I kind of miss living in Ohio.” 2}

Cheng Shuangyi was distressed as she tried to send off her own mother.

However, to her surprise, her daughter hadn’t even had a chance to greet her grandmother before she had already recognized her. Without any reminders from anyone, Shen Qiyue had sprinted over to the woman and greeted her, “Grandma, hello.”

The woman waved her hand, seemingly unwilling to squat down and possibly ruin her sharp suit skirt, so she merely gave a perfunctory greeting while standing.

“Hello, little one.”

Shen Qiyue immediately sensed that her grandmother didn’t regard her with much importance. If she hadn’t called out to her, it seemed like her grandmother wouldn’t have even stopped for her.

“By the way,” her grandmother continued, “I’d prefer you to call me ‘Grandma’ directly. Just like the other kids in the neighborhood.” Her grandmother had the same sharp features as her mother, though time had worn them down, and there wasn’t a trace of warmth in her gaze. Looking at her granddaughter, she said, “This name—well, once your parents officially reconcile and invite me to a banquet, then you can call me that.”

Shen Qiyue’s heart sank.

Not only did her biological grandmother seem distant, but she was also cold from the start and even set a condition: she could only call her “Grandma” after her parents reconciled. Did that mean that as long as her parents didn’t get back together, her identity wouldn’t be acknowledged?

But she was just a child. What could she possibly do to make her parents reconcile overnight?

Her grandmother’s icy gaze flicked to Shen Qinian, who was sitting not far from them. The difference in her attitude was clear. She showed no interest in her granddaughter and seemed to dislike her sharp tongue, but when she looked at her brother, her eyes softened and became more affectionate.

“Are you playing Sudoku?”

“You’re called Nian Nian, right? It seems my little grandson is a genius,” Mrs. Cheng turned to her daughter, “Yi Yi, with such a gifted son, why aren’t you making good use of it? Why haven’t you hired a tutor for him yet?”

Shen Qiyue finally understood the reason for her grandmother’s bad attitude.

Her grandmother’s voice was thin and sharp as she said, “You should know, most of the Shen family’s fortune will be inherited by your son. You’d better seize the opportunity to properly nurture him, or else, like your father, you’ll never be able to take charge of anything, whether in or out of the house.”

Cheng Shuangyi seemed somewhat impatient, but she didn’t seem to be defending Shen Qiyue. Instead, she said, “Mom, I know, I know. Please, just go upstairs.”

But her grandmother lingered, half-squatting down and saying, “Nian Nian, when your parents have their wedding, Grandma will give you a special gift.”

It was the first time Shen Qiyue felt completely ignored.

She had been the one to greet politely, but her grandmother hadn’t cared about her at all after entering the house. Instead, she treated her brother with warmth, as if he were the spring breeze in March.

Children are actually very sensitive and can easily tell when they are disliked.

She ran to her mother’s side, but before she could complain, her mother seemed to finally relax after her grandmother went upstairs. Cheng Shuangyi climbed onto the couch, opened her chat window, and casually said, “Go play by yourself for a while, okay?”

…

“Grandma seems to really like you. You must be really proud, huh?”

“I’m not.”

Shen Qinian wasn’t very interested either. He used to study just for fun, but now he suddenly felt pressure. He muttered to himself, “Actually, I’m a little car-sick. I’m not really used to this place. It doesn’t feel as good as our own home…”

“Why don’t you just say it? You think this place isn’t as good as Ohio.”

The words slipped out, and Shen Qiyue immediately regretted them. From that evening on, her thoughts had been stuck in the past. Her unintentional mention had triggered memories, and now she would have trouble sleeping that night.

“I didn’t mean it like that.”

But Shen Qinian’s gaze, though serious, began to follow his sister around the house, taking in every detail. The steps didn’t have baby safety mats, and the stairs weren’t protected by a soft mesh—things that their mother, Qian Xu, had personally arranged when they were learning to walk and stumbling all over the place.

The labor costs in the U.S. were high, and Qian Xu would never let anyone else do things she could do herself.

“I think I really do miss life in Ohio,” Shen Qinian confessed to his sister.

“But didn’t Qian Xu say she never wanted to have anything to do with us again?” His sister suddenly reminded him.

Shen Qinian paused, his little face becoming serious. “What if she was just saying that?”

“What’s so great about this place? It’s not as high-class or luxurious as where Mom lives, and there aren’t priceless artworks everywhere…” Shen Qiyue kept repeating and emphasizing the good points about staying here, as if trying to convince herself more than her brother.