<Zhong Ruanxing> had not returned to the old house to visit <Song Grandpa> and <Granny Song> for a long time. Compared to the frequency with which she used to come back every week to visit the elderly couple, it was really too seldom now.
<Granny Song> had called and asked several times, but she always made excuses about being busy with work to decline.
It was impossible not to feel resentment after knowing the truth.
She didn't know if it was <Song Grandpa> who had orchestrated that incident back then alone, or whether <Granny Song> was also involved. In any case, she was a very protective person, and it was impossible for her to continue being as respectful and attentive as before to elders who had hurt her boyfriend.
But when <Song Grandpa> called her, his tone was imperative, and <Zhong Ruanxing> was very curious to know whether he had called her back so authoritatively because of the fiasco at the banquet with <Cheng Yaowen>, or for some other reason.
When the car stopped at the front door of the old house, <Granny Song>, whose legs and feet were not very good, had actually come out to meet her. It seemed that she really missed her grandson.
In front of the elderly, <Zhong Ruanxing> did not show displeasure on her face. <Granny Song> held her hand and was unwilling to let go. She did not reproach her grandson for not coming back to see her during this period of time, but just chattered on and on about the fish in the pond, the flowers in the yard, and the kunqu opera that she loved to listen to.
<Zhong Ruanxing> listened patiently. When she walked into the inner courtyard, <Song Grandpa> stood under the old tree at the door, gazing at the lush branches and leaves, not knowing what he was thinking.
<Zhong Ruanxing> called out, "Grandpa."
<Song Grandpa> turned his head to look over. His expression was as majestic as ever, but there was something strange in the way he looked at her. He paused for a moment before asking lightly, "Have you eaten?"
<Zhong Ruanxing> said, "I've eaten."
<Song Grandpa> nodded, "Chat with your grandma for a while first, she misses you very much."
Calling her back so imperatively, yet acting so calmly when meeting her face to face.
<Zhong Ruanxing> smiled and said, "Okay."
After <Song Grandpa> had finished speaking, he returned to the room. <Granny Song> took her to see the fish in the pond. Half of the ornamental fish she had brought back last time had died, and the ones still alive had grown fat. The summer lotus flowers were in full bloom, and the fish tails swayed under the lotus leaves, gently rocking the pond full of lotus flowers.
<Granny Song> had a servant pick a lotus pod and peel some fresh lotus seeds and put them in her hand, smiling and asking, "Sweet?"
The sweetness of the lotus seeds spread in her mouth. It was said that lotus seeds were cooling and reduced internal heat. <Zhong Ruanxing> felt that the unknown fire that had arisen in her heart since she entered the old house had indeed diminished considerably. After accompanying the old lady on a stroll, when she entered <Song Grandpa>'s study, she was already very calm.
"Grandpa, what did you ask me to come here for?"
<Song Grandpa> sat calmly in the chair in front of the desk, "How is the company recently?"
<Zhong Ruanxing> smiled, "If you just wanted to know about this, you shouldn't have specifically called me back to ask me, right?"
<Song Grandpa> suddenly looked up sharply. His eyes, as keen as an eagle's, stared steadily at her. <Zhong Ruanxing> also dropped her smile and looked calmly back at him. After a brief eye contact, <Song Grandpa> spoke solemnly, "I don't care how you deal with the Cheng family, as long as you don't damage the Song family's foundation, you can do whatever you want."
<Zhong Ruanxing> looked puzzled, "Grandpa, have I done anything to damage the Song family's foundation?"
<Song Grandpa> stared at her with expressionless face for a long time, then suddenly let out a cold laugh, "Your mouth is much more eloquent than his."
<Zhong Ruanxing> just shrugged noncommittally.
In fact, she had also guessed that the old man must have known about her and <Song JinXing> swapping identities long ago. <Song Deming>, who started from nothing and built up the prestigious Song Group over the past six decades, was extremely shrewd in both strategy and mind. It was impossible that he could not see what even <Bai Yinyue> could see.
It was just that the old man was more composed. Finding that the Song Group was actually developing even better under such circumstances, and his grandson's mental and psychological condition was also improving, he acquiesced to the existence of this matter, and had never exposed it.
Now the two of them were in a somewhat exhaustive stalemate. The old man used to appreciate this daughter-in-law's character very much, but now he felt vexed by her.
After a while, it was still him who softened his tone first, sighing heavily, "I'm already half buried in the soil. Since I've handed Song Group to you, of course everything will be decided by you. But from when I started Song Group from scratch to now, more than 60 years have passed. For it to grow to what it is today has cost countless people's painstaking efforts, including your father's hard work."
When he mentioned her parents, <Zhong Ruanxing>'s eyes turned colder, and she looked at him expressionlessly.
<Song Grandpa> lowered his eyelids, his tone sounded old, "The current Song Group is still far from the century-old enterprise your father once said he wanted to develop it into. Although it looks huge and powerful, it is actually vulnerable to any turmoil in the new era. Not only the fate of the whole Song family rests on it, but also the livelihoods of tens of thousands of employees."
He paused for a while, slowly raised his head to look at her, and said to her in a pleading yet firm tone, "Do not disrupt the existing tranquility and happiness. The past is long gone and settled as dust. Your grandma and I both hope that you get married soon, start a new family, and we hope you can be happy."
<Zhong Ruanxing> felt this was really laughable.
She did find it funny, so she really burst out laughing. The sharp sarcasm in her laughter hurt <Song Grandpa>'s ears. He frowned, watching the person opposite stop laughing, her expression cold and angry. "Existing tranquility and happiness? Whose tranquility? Whose happiness? Yours, or the murderer's?"
<Song Grandpa> finally lost his temper, he slammed the table with his hand, "Insolent!"
<Zhong Ruanxing> looked at him coldly, her voice trembling slightly with anger, but under that immense anger, her tone still contained endless heartache: "Both the hand and the back are made of flesh. Because you have already lost one son, you don't want to lose the other son. Is that right, Grandpa?"
<Song Grandpa>'s pallid lips quivered, his aged eyes wide open, as if the shroud covering the truth for twenty years was suddenly torn open, revealing the bloody truth beneath, which made his whole body tremble in pain.
<Zhong Ruanxing> looked at him puzzledly, "Whether I'm talking nonsense or not, you know better than anyone. You called me over today probably because you knew I was investigating the car accident back then, right? Well, let me make it clear to you, before I find out the truth, I will never stop."
She sneered, "My parents died unjustly, the murderer is still at large, when have they ever found peace? When have I ever found peace, waking restless at night?"
She took two steps forward, closer to the desk, with only the desk separating her and <Song Grandpa>, their eyes met. She put away the surging emotions from earlier, and became calm again, speaking very softly to the old man in front of her, "Grandpa, if you still feel guilty towards my father in your heart, then don't stop me from investigating."
<Song Grandpa>'s eyes instantly turned red, and after a long pause, turbid tears flowed down.
<Zhong Ruanxing> said no more, turned and left. But when she reached the door, she paused, turned back again, and said in a very calm tone, "You have been making the same mistake all your life. You don't have the ability to maintain stability through authority, yet you ostentatiously display your so-called favoritism. Back then, your bias caused the death of your most beloved son. I wonder if it will kill your grandson this time too?"
<Song Grandpa>'s whole body shuddered, his face as pale as gold paper.
<Zhong Ruanxing> said lightly, "I know you have evidence in your hand. Whether to take it out or not, just think about it yourself. But even without this evidence, I will definitely bring the murderer to justice. Goodbye, Grandpa."
