Chapter 15
Old Master He’s residence was not especially close to White Rose Manor. It took over an hour by car to get there, and it was located in the suburbs of Hai City.
Along the way, Yu Chen tilted his little head and curiously pressed against the car window to admire the scenery outside, while He Zhen remained silent, his attention wandering the entire time.
After all, he was only five and a half years old. Nearly all of He Zhen’s emotions were written plainly across his face, and his behavior had long since exposed the unease and nervousness in his heart.
Li Huan saw everything clearly. If he was not mistaken, it had already been more than a year since He Zhen last saw Old Master He.
Old Master He had originally been in fairly robust health. But the son he had valued most suddenly dropped everything and left, and in the aftermath of that shock and anger, he fell ill. Since then, he had remained bedridden.
A year ago, on He Zhen’s fourth birthday, Old Master He once suggested personally taking care of him. But after being ignored by everyone for half a year, He Zhen had felt deeply disappointed in Old Master He—and badly hurt as well. In front of everyone, He Zhen refused him, and no matter who tried to persuade him, he would not budge.
Old Master He and He Zhen had very similar tempers—both stubborn and strong-willed. After losing face like that, Old Master He directly told He Zhen that if he did not want to stay with him, then he need not ever stay with him again.
Four-year-old He Zhen threw away the longevity lock Old Master He had given him, then ran out into the cold winter without even wearing a coat. From that day on, the grandfather and grandson’s relationship plunged to freezing point.
He Zhen’s second and third uncles were hardly good people either. Taking the chance to stir things up, they brought up He Zhen’s father again, hinting over and over that in the future He Zhen would follow in He Jingyue’s footsteps and become the next ungrateful traitor.
From that day forward, Old Master He never met He Zhen again. Most matters concerning He Zhen were instead reported to him regularly by Li Huan.
Li Huan was one of Old Master He’s confidants. Though he had long seen through the schemes of He Zhen’s two uncles, as an outsider, it was not his place to say too much. Besides, He Jingyue had already left, and Li Huan could no longer read Old Master He’s heart. He Zhen was stubborn to the extreme as well, so there was even less hope of mending the relationship between grandfather and grandson.
But today, Li Huan was truly shocked.
He had no idea what exactly their little treasure had said to He Zhen, but somehow He Zhen had actually agreed to come to Old Master He’s house to pick strawberries.
Looking fondly at Yu Chen’s chubby little legs swinging leisurely, Li Huan asked warmly, “Chenchen, are you thirsty? The cheese milk the young master drank earlier was very tasty.”
Yu Chen turned at the sound of his voice and instantly flashed a big smile. “Unker, I’m not thirsty. You drink it.”
The smile in Li Huan’s eyes deepened. He then glanced at the absent-minded He Zhen and, after a moment’s hesitation, said, “Young Master, we’re almost there.”
He Zhen nodded. Coming back to himself, he poked Yu Chen’s little tummy. “Hey. You’re already this short, and you still don’t drink milk?”
In a babyish voice, Yu Chen asked, “Will drinking milk make me grow taller?”
Li Huan rushed to answer first. “Of course.”
The moment he heard he could grow taller, Yu Chen quickly took the milk, hugged it tightly in his little arms, and gulped it down.
Under normal circumstances, He Zhen would definitely have teased Yu Chen for the way he drank milk. But today he was not in the mood. The light had gone out of his gloomy eyes, and he could not muster any spirit for anything.
Very soon, the car arrived at the strawberry garden.
Old Master He’s residence was built in reference to Su-style garden architecture. Its grounds were no smaller than White Rose Manor, and every courtyard within was exquisitely beautiful, full of hidden charm and equipped with modern facilities.
The strawberry garden was in the western court. The He family specifically grew rare strawberry varieties there for the family’s own use.
These past two weeks happened to be peak strawberry season.
The moment He Zhen and Yu Chen went inside wearing little farm aprons, Yu Chen broke into delighted laughter and immediately dashed forward with his small bamboo basket.
The brightly colored fruit gleamed like red gemstones among the fresh stems and leaves. Yu Chen’s smile was sweeter than the strawberries themselves. Stretching out his little hand, he tugged hard at one berry, then proudly held it up.
Li Huan smiled faintly. “Chenchen is amazing.”
He Zhen had no interest in picking strawberries, but Yu Chen’s energy was simply too infectious. After a while, the two children turned it into a contest, competing to see who could pick the biggest and reddest strawberries.
Yu Chen took competitions extremely seriously. Padding along on his little feet, he wove earnestly through the lush green strawberry patch in search of a giant king-sized berry.
Fifteen minutes later, the two little ones were already sweating from head to toe.
Yu Chen excitedly lifted up a berry. “Boss! Look! I picked the King of Strawberries!”
He Zhen scoffed, but he had to admit the berry Yu Chen picked really was enormous. So he unwillingly put his hands on his hips and said, “Fine. You win.”
Yu Chen was very happy. Cradling the big strawberry like a treasure, he handed it to He Zhen. “Boss, this is for you.”
A flicker of surprise crossed He Zhen’s face. Pressing his lips together, he asked, “For me?”
“Mm!” Yu Chen placed it into the little basket hanging from He Zhen’s shoulder, then wiped the sweat from his forehead with his chubby hand. “The Strawberry King is for you!”
A smile surfaced at the corner of He Zhen’s mouth. “Yu Chenchen, you’re really childish.”
Seeing the two children had more or less finished playing, Li Huan asked He Zhen for his opinion. “Young Master He, would you like to go see your grandfather? Old Master He hasn’t been feeling very well recently. He would probably be very happy to see you.”
Holding the basket, He Zhen immediately lowered his eyes. “I—”
“Grandpa He is sick?” Yu Chen pouted in concern, then took hold of He Zhen’s hand. “Boss, let’s go see him! Grandpa will be happy when he sees you.”
He Zhen frowned slightly. “Really?”
Yu Chen shuffled closer beside him with tiny steps. “Yup!”
He Zhen hid his nervousness. “Fine, then.”
Li Huan smiled with relief, and fifteen minutes later, he led the two children to the door of Old Master He’s bedroom.
Originally, he had not planned to let Yu Chen go in. After all, a sick person needed rest, and it would have been enough for He Zhen and Old Master He to talk alone. But before entering, He Zhen reached for Yu Chen’s hand, so Li Huan did not stop them.
Inside the spotless room, the sound of two sets of footsteps was especially clear.
Old Master He, reclining against the bed, slowly opened his deeply wrinkled eyes. The first thing he saw was two children in little farm aprons, both of them looking filthy from head to toe.
A year had passed. He Zhen had grown taller, and by his side was an unfamiliar chubby child.
Old Master He coughed twice, and his assistant immediately brought over medicinal soup and helped him sit up straighter. Though the old man was ill, his steady bearing and the stern dignity between his brows still carried a formidable pressure.
“So, you’ve come.” Drinking his soup, Old Master He spoke in a deep voice.
Just now, when he heard that He Zhen wanted to see him, he had been both surprised and puzzled. That child was exactly like him in his younger days—a stubborn little mule twisted up with pride. How could he possibly come to visit of his own accord?
Besides, so much time had passed. Several times he had asked Li Huan to bring He Zhen over, and every single time He Zhen refused. Which made today all the more unexpected.
If someone had not pushed things behind the scenes, he simply would not believe it.
He Zhen stood there holding the strawberry basket, silent for a very long time. They had not seen each other in a year, and he had not expected his grandfather to be this seriously ill.
Though grandfather and grandson had parted on terrible terms last time, blood was blood after all. Within the country, his grandfather was He Zhen’s closest blood relative.
Yu Chen was extremely well-behaved in such a setting. His bright, lovely eyes moved back and forth between the two. Seeing that He Zhen still would not speak, and that Grandpa on the bed was staring at them with a stern but curious expression, he pressed his plump lips together and gave the old man a sincere smile.
“Grandpa, Boss wants to give you the King of Strawberries!”
Yu Chen’s childish voice was crisp and pleasant. It had been a very long time since Old Master He heard such a soft young voice near his ear.
“Boss?”
“King of Strawberries?”
Old Master He stared at He Zhen in puzzlement.
At last, He Zhen spoke. “He’s the little underling I took in. We found the King of Strawberries in the strawberry garden, and brought it for you to try.”
There was still a trace of disbelief in Old Master He’s gaze. After a long silence, he raised a hand and beckoned to He Zhen. “Come here. Let me have a look at you.”
He Zhen did not move immediately. It was only after a pair of little hands gently pushed at him that he awkwardly walked over to Old Master He’s side.
Watching how earnestly Yu Chen was helping, Old Master He let out a hoarse chuckle. “This little underling you took in has very high emotional intelligence.”
He Zhen pressed his lips together and sneaked a glance at Yu Chen, but said nothing.
Old Master He looked over the dirty little face of He Zhen, then took out a handkerchief and wiped him down. “Are this year’s strawberries sweet?”
“I don’t know.” Lowering his eyes, He Zhen handed over the Strawberry King. “You can try it.”
Old Master He looked at the fresh dirt still clinging to the berry and teased him, “Shouldn’t it be washed first?”
He Zhen gave an “oh,” then put it back into the basket.
Old Master He said to him, “We’ll eat it with dinner. The two of you should go wash your faces first.”
He Zhen nodded and led Yu Chen toward the door. Yu Chen’s little farm apron was slightly too long, swishing as he walked. First he politely said goodbye to Old Master He, then, like a little tail, he hurried after He Zhen. “Boss, are we eating dinner here?”
He Zhen: “Mm.”
Yu Chen asked again, “Is Grandpa’s food tasty?”
He Zhen: “Tasty.”
Yu Chen clapped his hands happily and immediately began looking forward to Grandpa’s meat dishes.
Watching Yu Chen’s carefree little back, Old Master He asked the assistant beside him, “Whose child is that?”
The assistant replied, “A child temporarily entrusted to Housekeeper Li’s care.”
Old Master He nodded. “Call Li Huan in. I want to talk to him about the matter he reported to me that day.”
The assistant answered, “Yes.”
Inside the dining room, a bright wall lamp was set into the white wall. Around it, mountain wood trim added a touch of elegance and poetic beauty to the supper hour.
Since Old Master He had fallen ill, there were seldom any guests at the residence. But for the sake of dining with the two little children, he had specially gotten out of bed and come to the dining room.
Old Master He’s assistant was extremely thoughtful. He not only prepared a baby chair for Yu Chen, but also a pretty little bib for him.
Yu Chen had always been a quick and efficient child. Stretching out his chubby little hands, he fastened the bib around himself in no time at all, then picked up his spoon and began digging eagerly into the fragrant rice.
Recently, he had been learning to use chopsticks, and his progress had been very fast. But Teacher Lin took good care of him, and at kindergarten he was still given a spoon.
Holding his rice bowl, Yu Chen ate like a little tiger. Seeing that He Zhen had still not started eating, he called out, “Boss, hurry and eat.”
He Zhen gave a little scoff and deliberately teased him. “Yu Chenchen, eat a little less. I can’t even carry you anymore.”
Yu Chen looked down blankly and did indeed notice that his little belly was getting rounder by the day. So he obediently declared, “Tomorrow, I’ll go on a diet!”
Hearing that, Old Master He laughed. “Even a four-year-old needs to diet now?”
Grinning at him, Yu Chen enthusiastically pointed to the curry beef in front of him. “Grandpa, this one is good. You eat.”
Old Master He smiled toward Li Huan. “The child from your friend’s family has a very good personality.”
Li Huan’s expression was warm. “Yes.”
The food at Old Master He’s house was delicious and leaned toward Chinese flavors, unlike the chef at He Zhen’s home, who cooked Western food more often. Yu Chen ate happily, but noticed that He Zhen was unusually quiet.
So he wiped his oily little mouth, held up his juice, tilted his head, and asked, “Boss, why aren’t you talking?”
He Zhen rested his chin in his hand, looking bored. “What am I supposed to say?”
In his soft baby voice, Yu Chen replied, “Say that you really miss Grandpa.”
Those words made He Zhen’s ears instantly turn red. He immediately turned to look at Old Master He, only to find that just like Yu Chen, the old man was now looking at him curiously.
He Zhen’s face burned with embarrassment, and he refuted in a tiny voice, “I! Did! Not!”
Yu Chen innocently argued back, “You did! That’s exactly what you mean.”
He Zhen’s little chest rose and fell in agitation, and even his neck was tinged with a faint pink blush. He kept trying to read Old Master He’s expression, until at last the old man let out a hoarse chuckle. Only then did He Zhen fold his little arms and give a cold, lofty huff.
After staring at He Zhen for a long time in thought, Old Master He invited him, “Tomorrow is Sunday. Why don’t the two of you stay the night here?”
He Zhen froze in surprise, then lightly nodded. “…Mm.”
Yu Chen happily gripped his spoon and was clearly even more delighted with dinner than before.
That night, Li Huan led the two little ones to a room that had just been freshly cleaned. Every bedroom here had its own separate little courtyard. Afraid that He Zhen and Yu Chen might be scared sleeping alone, he arranged for them to stay together.
Recently, Yu Chen’s ability to take care of himself had improved by leaps and bounds. Before getting ready to bathe, he quickly stripped off his padded jacket and pants all by himself. There was a small hot spring bath in the bathroom, and soaking in it during winter was good for the body.
Li Huan had originally wanted He Zhen to bathe first, but to his surprise, by the time he stepped out of the bathroom, Yu Chen was already completely bare except for a pair of cartoon underpants.
He could not help laughing. He quickly draped a small bath towel around Yu Chen, then looked up at He Zhen, who was sitting on a chair playing with a puzzle. “Young Master, you should go bathe first.”
Resting his chin in his hand, He Zhen glanced at Yu Chen, who had been wrapped up like a silkworm cocoon, and laughed at him. “Let him go first.”
Li Huan nodded. Just as he was about to help Yu Chen remove the little underpants, the silkworm cocoon beside him suddenly started wriggling his little legs like a squirmy sponge, and in a soft, sweet voice said:
“Boss~ let’s bathe together!”
