Chapter 25

◎ The Grandfather Comes for His Grandson ◎

When Fan Qi woke up, she noticed her bedmate was already up. He slept later than her, but now was already up early again. She stretched her body, yawning and trying to recall how she had slept last night. She thought she had been reading, but when did she fall asleep? Did Chen Zhiqian see the book she was reading?

She reached down to her canvas bag beside the bed and found the book safely inside. Had she put it there last night? How come she couldn’t remember?

She heard the dryer going and pulled open the curtain. Her clothes and his clothes were hanging up, drying! Looking at her underwear hanging on the rack, she was 100% sure she had never taken the clothes out of the washing machine.

Fan Qi opened the door and saw Chen Zhiqian busy. She asked, “Did you help me hang the clothes?”

Chen Zhiqian turned to look at her and said, “Yeah, you were asleep. I just helped you hang them.”

“How did I sleep?”

Chen Zhiqian looked at her in confusion. “What do you mean, how did you sleep? You were lying on your back with your stomach exposed, and I pushed you, but you didn’t respond.”

“I clearly remember reading a book!” Fan Qi was confused.

Chen Zhiqian laughed. “What book? You must have been dreaming about reading.”

No book? Well, that was fine! Fan Qi happily went into the bathroom, squeezed toothpaste, and brushed her teeth. What stomach exposure? Suddenly, she remembered. She hadn’t remembered wearing a bra and had kicked him off the bed? Looking into the mirror, she saw herself with messy hair.

No, no! She truly is only suited for living alone. The sooner she gets divorced, the sooner she can move out and live on her own.

When she heard the doorbell, Chen Zhiqian called out, “Fang Qi, go open the door.”

Fang Qi was brushing her teeth. She walked out to open the door and, as it opened, saw Liu Xiangnian standing there with two bodyguards. The toothpaste in her mouth was overloaded with mint, and it burned her mouth.

She hurried back to the bathroom to rinse, poked her head out, and called, “Chen Zhiqian, Mr. Liu is here.”

“I see.” Chen Zhiqian replied, holding a plate, and stood face to face with Liu Xiangnian, who had stepped inside. He walked over to the table and placed the egg pancake down.

Liu Xiangnian scanned the surroundings and looked over the young man in front of him. In such a small, pitiful room, despite still wearing a ridiculous apron, the man’s brilliance could not be hidden.

Over the years, Liu Xiangnian had met many young people from the mainland. Perhaps due to different living environments, even those with good inherent conditions often carried an unpolished rusticity. But this young man had none of that, instead carrying a composure that was uncommon for someone of his age.

Chen Zhiqian didn’t acknowledge him. He served two bowls of white porridge, one small dish with a block of rose fermented tofu cut in half, and called out, “Fang Qi, breakfast is ready.”

“I’ll be right out.”

Liu Xiangnian had been waiting for Chen Zhiqian to speak first, but this young man was calmer than he had imagined. He was now planning to ignore him and just eat breakfast.

“Zhiqian.” Liu Xiangnian called out.

“Mr. Liu,” Chen Zhiqian replied.

“I imagine you must know the reason I’ve come.” Liu Xiangnian liked this young man at first sight.

Fang Qi came out of the bathroom. Their dining table was against the wall, with two chairs facing each other. With Liu Xiangnian here, there was no extra chair to offer.

Fang Qi understood this basic etiquette and said, “Mr. Liu, would you like to sit down and talk?”

“Please sit and eat first. You have an exam today. Finish eating and then head to the subway,” Chen Zhiqian said to Fang Qi.

That was true. Fang Qi sat down and noticed a pancake in the dish, topped with eggs and scallions. When Chen Zhiqian saw her staring at the pancake, he smiled. “It’s not a Shandong egg pancake, and there’s no coriander. Just make do with it.”

“Oh!” Fang Qi picked up a piece of the pancake with her chopsticks and started eating.

Meanwhile, Chen Zhiqian and Liu Xiangnian were standing facing each other. Chen Zhiqian, calm and polite, said, “I know your intentions, but I don’t understand.”

Liu Xiangnian smiled slightly. “What don’t you understand?”

“A matter that was settled forty years ago—why is it being brought up again? Do you remember that necklace? Have you forgotten the contents of the divorce agreement? It clearly stated, ‘Severed ties, never to have any further dealings.’ These words are written plainly.” Chen Zhiqian walked to the door, extended his hand in a gesture to show Mr. Liu out. “Mr. Liu, please.”

Liu Xiangnian shook his head slightly. “It seems your family has filled your mind with too many old grievances from the previous generation, leading you to misunderstand me. As the saying goes, ‘Listen to both sides and you’ll be enlightened, listen to one side and you’ll be in the dark.’ Zhiqian, would you like to hear my side of the story?”

Chen Zhiqian ignored him and sat down to have breakfast. Seeing Fang Qi enjoying her egg pancake, he asked, “Is it delicious?”

“Very delicious.”

Thinking of her request last night, he asked, “How does it compare to a Shandong pancake?”

“It’s a completely different taste. You can’t replace one with the other. A Shandong pancake has a really thin crust, with crispy filling inside. I always add two eggs, a bit of sweet soy sauce, a touch of spicy sauce, some shredded pickled vegetables, and scallions, plus coriander.” Fang Qi continued eating the egg pancake, still expressing her true thoughts. “Oh no, you shouldn’t have reminded me! Now I’m craving a Shandong pancake. What should I do?”

“Then don’t think about it. Shandong pancakes need special tools to make. Where am I supposed to find a griddle?” Chen Zhiqian replied.

Fang Qi looked up at him seriously. “There’s always a way. Maybe a hotel supply store can help. They probably sell the kind of tool used for making crepes. That’s exactly what’s needed for Shandong pancakes.”

Chen Zhiqian pulled the pancake towards him. “If you don’t like it, don’t force yourself to eat it.”

Fang Qi grabbed it back. “Are you being petty? You asked, and I just told you the truth. I want to eat this too!”

Chen Zhiqian sighed, “Your expectations are too high.”

“People’s longing for a better life is one of the driving forces behind technological progress. I believe in you, go for it!” Fang Qi said enthusiastically.

Chen Zhiqian: …

Fang Qi took the pancake back and continued eating, while Liu Xiangnian stood awkwardly, not sure how to proceed.

Liu Xiangnian watched the young couple eating breakfast, undisturbed and teasing, as though he wasn’t even there. He coughed lightly, “Zhiqian, the grievances of the previous generation… Really, many things you know are only from your grandmother’s one-sided perspective, which has led you to misunderstand me. I won’t argue with my own children. I hope you’ll listen to what I have to say.”

Once Fang Qi finished, she stood up to clear the dishes. Chen Zhiqian said, “Leave them there. I’ll take care of it. You should head to your agency, then flip through a book or two while you’re at it.”

“Okay.” Fang Qi went to change clothes.

Chen Zhiqian stood up, towering half a head taller than Liu Xiangnian. He looked at him and said,“Mr. Liu, my grandmother has already passed away. What you’re saying now is only one side of the story. What I know is this: your wife was pregnant, your father-in-law got into trouble, and as a man, you weren’t willing to risk going back to the mainland to handle the chaos. I can understand that. I also know your daughter is only a year younger than my father. These were all choices you made back then—once the piece is placed, there’s no taking it back. You placed your bet, and the hand is played.”

“Back then, the mainland was so dangerous. Your great-grandfather told your grandmother to stay in Hong Kong and not go back to the mainland. She wouldn’t listen to my advice and insisted on going—I couldn’t stop her. I was here. A man having a woman by his side—what’s the issue with that? That was the 1940s. Taking a second wife in Hong Kong was legal.” Liu Xiangnian explained.

“I need to clarify something. My surname is Chen. Chen Jicang was my great-grandfather, not my maternal great-grandfather. It was my grandmother’s own decision to return to the mainland. And yes, you used the Chen family’s money to take a second wife—that didn’t violate Hong Kong law. Sleeping with another woman in my grandmother’s house, in her bed—also not illegal. Please, go on.”
Chen Zhiqian offered this interpretation on his behalf, then began clearing the dishes from the table to wash them.

Fan Qi, now changed into different clothes, let out a laugh:
“So poetic—‘sleeping with another woman in her bed’—does he really deserve such flowery language? Let’s call it what it is: mating like animals. I’m off!”

Chen Zhiqian held back a laugh.“Go on then!”

Liu Xiangnian, suppressing the rising anger in his chest, growled in a low voice,
“Vulgar.”

Fan Qi smiled. “High society, huh? Men steal, women seduce—it’s fine to do, just not to say, is that it? Got it.”

Chen Zhiqian placed the bowls into the sink and urged her,
“Hurry up, hurry up—you’re just looking for a fight.”

He lowered his head to wash the dishes, a smile lingering on his face that just wouldn’t go away.

Liu Xiangnian told himself: The boy has been here for a year and never once came to find me. Clearly, he never intended to acknowledge me as his grandfather. It’s understandable if there are misunderstandings the first time we meet. But if he had immediately accepted me and wanted to come home, would I even respect such a kid?

Human relationships are built on mutual effort. If I give him enough care and love, how could he remain indifferent?

“Zhiqian, you grew up on the mainland, and your father was raised by your grandmother. It’s undeniable—your grandmother was an exceptional woman: strong, beautiful, intelligent, and dignified. But she was also stubborn and rigid in her thinking. Much of the conflict between us was the tragedy of that era.”

Chen Zhiqian placed the cleaned dishes back into the cupboard. “Mr. Liu, people can’t have it both ways. If you wanted a woman who was obedient and admired you, then you shouldn’t have pursued someone like Chen Wanyin—independent and thoughtful. If you were too afraid to risk your life returning to the mainland to retrieve my great-grandfather’s body, I can understand that. But then you should’ve kept yourself in check and waited for my grandmother to come back. Since you liked a beautiful, gentle woman who wasn’t very bright, fine—but at least don’t defile my grandmother’s home. What are you trying to say? That after all she’d been through, after making it back from the mainland only to see you and another woman living happily in her house, she should’ve accepted reality? That she should’ve embraced a harmonious household with wife and concubine?”

Liu Xiangnian closed the door behind him and let out a quiet sigh. “Zhiqian, I’m just a man.”

“I thought being a man meant taking responsibility,” Chen Zhiqian said, wiping down the table. “How come, in your version, being a man is just an excuse for being irresponsible?”

“At that time, your grandmother was causing such a stir, I had no choice but to sign that divorce agreement. It truly wasn’t what I wanted. She was so headstrong, she even wanted to sell Fanyuan. I was the one who bought it back. I’m not saying I wasn’t at fault—I absolutely was. But if only she had been calmer back then, things might not have ended up like this. Fan Qi mentioned that your parents have had a rough time these years. I only want to make amends—I have no other motives.”

“You really think buying back Fanyuan was an act of nostalgia?” Chen Zhiqian asked. “Wasn’t it more like rubbing salt in the wound? Who would want their life’s work to be lived in by an ex-husband and his mistress? You’re talking about making amends. Amends for what, exactly?”

He took off his apron and hung it on the hook behind the door.

Liu Xiangnian was at a loss for words. Clearly, talking about the past with him wasn’t going to work. So, he got straight to the point. “I don’t have an heir. Your uncle died thirteen years ago. He only left behind Xueyi, a girl. You’re my only grandson. And you probably already know—I was diagnosed with kidney cancer earlier this year. The surgery’s done, but whether I can make it through the next five years, it’s hard to say. Do you know how many companies operate under Tianhe Group? As long as you’re capable, Tianhe can be yours.”

Chen Zhiqian looked at him. “And if I’m not capable? What do you want me to do then? And if I am capable, why would I even need Tianhe?”

Liu Xiangnian was speechless once more.

The phone rang. Chen Zhiqian picked up. “You’ll be here in ten minutes? Okay, I’ll head down now.”

He hung up the phone. His deep eyes carried a faint sorrow. “Mr. Liu, you already destroyed Chen Wanyin’s life. Why are you trying to take away the only grandson she had left—now, even after she’s gone?”

With that, he went into his room, leaving Liu Xiangnian alone in the living room, staring at the now-closed door. Why is this child so much like Wanyin—just as stubborn?

A moment later, the door opened again. Chen Zhiqian emerged, wearing a dress shirt and slacks, tie neatly knotted, a suit jacket folded over one arm. He carried himself with calm elegance.

In Liu Xiangnian’s eyes, not even Feng Xueming—whom he had personally mentored—carried himself with such poised confidence.

Chen Zhiqian picked up the bag by the cabinet and opened the door. “Mr. Liu, I have plans this morning. Please.”

Liu Xiangnian walked out. Chen Zhiqian shut the door behind him and accompanied him to the elevator. The bodyguards had already stopped the elevator, cleared it of other passengers, and were waiting.

It was rush hour. At every floor, when the elevator doors opened to reveal two black-suited, sunglasses-wearing bodyguards, people stepped back, intimidated.

Liu Xiangnian looked at Chen Zhiqian standing beside him. The shape of his brows and eyes resembled hers—only, in a young man, the features appeared stronger, sharper.

“Zhiqian, every man dreams of making something of himself. You might be very capable—but do you know the distance between the foot of the mountain and its peak? You won’t get there just by looking up. I can take you to the top.”

Chen Zhiqian replied calmly, “At the moment, I don’t see the need.”

“You haven’t even had the chance to interact with people from this level. You have no idea how much opportunity knowing them would give you—what heights you could reach,” Liu Xiangnian sighed. “Sometimes, a missed opportunity really is gone forever. I know you’re frustrated that your game consoles aren’t in mass production yet. I could invest in an entire factory for you if I wanted.”

Chen Zhiqian lowered his head and smiled faintly. But there was unmistakable mockery in his eyes—something Liu Xiangnian couldn’t ignore.

For someone as seasoned in business as Liu Xiangnian, he couldn’t quite figure out this boy. Was he really rejecting him? Then why walk him downstairs?

The elevator reached the ground floor. Under the watchful eye of the bodyguards, the two of them exited the building.

Parked out front was Liu Xiangnian’s Rolls-Royce. Surprisingly, a Bentley was parked just behind it. In this era, in this kind of residential complex, two ultra-luxury cars like these showing up together attracted quite a bit of attention.

The Bentley’s door opened, and a handsome young man—about Chen Zhiqian’s age—stepped out and waved. “Zhiqian!”

Liu Xiangnian was stunned for a moment when he saw the young man. It was then that he suddenly realized what Chen Zhiqian had been mocking him about.

That was Rong Yuan—the founder of MFY and Linlong Capital, a force to be reckoned with in the capital market. If Rong Yuan had taken an interest in Chen Zhiqian and was willing to invest in him, then with his influence, countless others would surely follow with their money.

Rong Yuan walked over and stood beside Chen Zhiqian. “Mr. Liu, what a coincidence.”

“You know Zhiqian?”

“I think highly of the game console Zhiqian is developing and have decided to invest in the project. There are still quite a few issues from production to distribution, and I’ve been helping him sort those out these past couple of days,” Rong Yuan extended his hand. “Mr. Liu, my schedule’s tight today—let’s have tea sometime?”

“Sure, let’s have tea,” Liu Xiangnian shook his hand.

He watched as Chen Zhiqian and Rong Yuan got into the car together…