The Chen Family Mansion.
Xu Xuejiao finished taking Chen Qiusou's pulse and said with a smile, "Grandpa Chen, you have to listen to me from now on, okay? No more mischief, or I won't talk to you anymore!"
"Xuejiao, don't leave this time. It's so much better with you here," Chen Qiusou said wistfully.
Xu Xuejiao smiled. "I'm not leaving, Grandpa."
Then she glanced at Lu Chengwen. "I've met a certain someone here, so I won't be going anywhere."
"That's good, that's really good. Xuejiao, do you have a boyfriend yet? Let Grandpa introduce you to a nice young man."
Xu Xuejiao was both amused and exasperated. "Grandpa, just focus on taking care of yourself, okay?"
Lu Chengwen nodded, adopting a lecturing tone. "Listen to her and rest well, alright?"
Xu Xuejiao said, "Grandpa Chen, you should rest now. I'll head out first—I have work at the company, and I need to visit the pharmaceutical factory today."
"Mm. Xuejiao, don't wait too long to fall in love. Youth passes by so quickly!"
Lu Chengwen, bored out of his mind, muttered, "Why do you talk so much? Just focus on recovering."
Xu Xuejiao smacked Lu Chengwen and scolded him in a low voice, "Don't be disrespectful to the elderly."
Then she turned back to Chen Qiusou. "Grandpa, I'm leaving now!"
Lu Chengwen said, "Alright, rest well. I'm heading out too."
Xu Xuejiao pushed Lu Chengwen away. "Where do you think you're going? You barely said anything. Grandpa Chen misses you the most—stay and chat with him for a while."
Lu Chengwen made a face. "What am I supposed to talk to him about? He's barely coherent right now."
Xu Xuejiao glared at Lu Chengwen and left on her own.
Lu Chengwen rubbed his chin and walked over to Grandpa Chen.
Chen Qiusou weakly reached out. "My grandson, come here and let Grandpa look at you!"
Lu Chengwen lazily pulled over a chair and sat down unceremoniously, reluctantly extending a hand. "Just for a little while, okay? I don't have much time to spare."
Chen Qiusou took Lu Chengwen's hand, let out a long sigh, and smiled as he looked at him. "My grandson is so handsome."
"Yeah, yeah, I'm super handsome. Do you need anything else?"
Chen Qiusou didn't seem bothered at all. He kept holding Lu Chengwen's hand, gently stroking it.
Lu Chengwen tried to pull away. "Hey, stop rubbing my hand like that. It's weird—you did the same thing last time."
"Grandson, have you made up with Mengyun yet?"
Lu Chengwen froze. "Grandpa, that's ancient history. We broke up over three years ago! It's long over! Listen, from now on, she's her, I'm me, and you're you, got it? No one bothers anyone. And stop telling people you miss me all the time. I'm not your real grandson—you have two grandsons of your own. Why do you keep thinking about me?"
Chen Qiusou sighed. "They're not promising. Chengwen, Grandpa only likes you…"
Lu Chengwen's face was the picture of exasperation.
This old man was so out of it—there was no reasoning with him.
What Lu Chengwen didn't know was that for Chen Qiusou's safety, the room was under full surveillance, with no blind spots.
At that moment, Chen Qingbin and Chen Mengyun were watching the visitors' interactions with the old man on the monitor.
The purpose was twofold: first, to observe how visitors treated the old man, and second, to monitor whether any visitors might suddenly trigger a reaction in him, potentially jogging his memory of important information.
The old man was already showing signs of dementia and often didn't recognize people.
Lu Chengwen's behavior made Chen Qingbin and Chen Mengyun so furious they felt like their skulls were about to explode.
Chen Qiusou had always adored Lu Chengwen, holding him since he was a baby. What kind of bond was that?
Back at Lu Chengwen's one-month celebration, Chen Qiusou had already declared him his honorary grandson.
At that time, Chen Qiusou was in his prime, wielding immense power. If he stomped his foot in Snow City, the entire northern region would tremble.
Back then, Chen Qiusou was celebrated by all, with everyone vying for his favor, like a godfather of his era.
But alas, over twenty years had passed, and the hero had grown old.
Time had ended his glory, leaving behind only a frail, sickly body.
Yet Chen Qiusou still remembered Lu Chengwen.
He remembered that the first word Lu Chengwen ever spoke wasn't "Dad" or "Mom," but "Grandpa"—and it happened in Chen Qiusou's arms on the very day of his one-month celebration.
Everyone had been stunned. Lu Guanghong, laughing heartily, had joked, "Damn it, this little brat hasn't even said 'Dad' yet, and today he goes and calls you 'Grandpa' first! Might as well just leave him with the Chen family to raise."
Chen Qiusou, ever the diplomat, had responded instantly, "Guanghong, this child and I share a bond. I know you're joking, but if I really took him away, you'd beat this old man to death. Hahaha! Let me take him as my honorary grandson. I'll cover all his expenses as he grows up."
And just like that, the two families' relationship reached new heights because of the one-month-old Lu Chengwen.
Time flew, and over twenty years passed in the blink of an eye.
Now, Lu Chengwen was a grown man, the president of the Dasheng Group.
But Chen Qiusou had aged into little more than skin and bones, lying in bed, his former glory long gone.
And the child who had once called him "Grandpa" now treated the old man with impatience.
It was heartbreaking.
Chen Qingbin was livid. "What kind of bastard is this? A heartless ingrate! Everyone in Snow City's business circles knows he was practically raised by the Chen family. And now… now he has the audacity to act like this!"
Chen Mengyun lowered her head, watching the Lu Chengwen on the screen sitting there impatiently shaking his leg, and felt equally upset.
Chen Qiusou was still reminiscing about the old days.
That's how old people were—they loved telling young people about their youth.
But young people truly had no interest in listening to their ramblings.
Especially someone like Lu Chengwen, a young and accomplished big shot with endless responsibilities. He had even less patience for old men's tales of bygone eras.
"Alright, alright, Grandpa, that's enough. Just rest well, okay? Mm… don't overthink things. Take it easy, and you'll live to ninety-nine. I've got work to do at the company, so I'm heading out."
Chen Qiusou looked heartbroken, clutching Lu Chengwen's sleeve and refusing to let go. "Chengwen, stay and talk with me a little longer. I've missed you so much these past few days."
"Why do you miss me? If you need something, call your grandsons. It's not like you don't have any. I've got a ton of things to do every day—how can I always have time to visit you?"
"Chengwen!" Chen Qiusou suddenly said sorrowfully, "I don't have much time left. I know it."
Lu Chengwen froze. "What are you talking about?"
"They all lie to me, but I know. Even Xu Xuejiao's skills can only do so much."
Lu Chengwen sighed irritably. "Grandpa, you've lived a glorious life. Can't you just accept this? Don't be afraid. You're a good person—you'll go to heaven."
In the surveillance room, Chen Qingbin exploded. "What kind of nonsense is that?! Huh? The Chen family might as well have raised a dog—it would've been better than this heartless little bastard! Get someone over there and kick Lu Chengwen out now! I want my father to live a few more days, not be angered to death by this jerk!"
Just then, Chen Mengyun sensed something was off. "Dad, wait."
"What?"
Lu Chengwen had reached the door but paused at the sound of Chen Qiusou's weak voice behind him.
"Chengwen, take your time—don't trip! Grandpa's about to leave. If you ever run into trouble in business, go to your uncle. A man must have a broad mind in life and not fret over gains and losses. Business has its ups and downs, and so does life. Grandpa's old and useless now. Oh, and I can tell—Mengyun still has feelings for you. You're the man, so be the bigger person and apologize first…"
"When I was young, I loved beautiful women too. Haha, just fooling around. Men, after all, love money, power, women… but you can only have one family. People like us can enjoy luxuries ordinary people can't, but our families often fall apart. When you're young, you can afford to be reckless, but when you're older, you need someone who'll stand by you through thick and thin… Mengyun, she… *cough*… Mengyun…"
Lu Chengwen stood there like a statue, unmoving.
The old man's coughing grew violent. Lu Chengwen quickly turned back, rushing to his side, his eyes red. "Grandpa, don't get worked up. I'm not leaving. We'll talk slowly, okay? Take your time."
"Huh? You're not leaving?"
Lu Chengwen held back tears, forcing a smile as he shook his head. "Not leaving."
Chen Mengyun's heart ached. She zoomed in on the screen and saw the glimmer of tears in Lu Chengwen's eyes.
Chen Qingbin's anger subsided somewhat, and he grumbled, "At least he's still human!"
Lu Chengwen held Chen Qiusou's hand. "Grandpa, I'm sorry. I might be… I might be a real piece of work, unworthy of your kindness."
Chen Qiusou smiled, a tear slipping from the corner of his eye. "Chengwen, of all the children, you have the kindest heart. Grandpa could never be wrong about that. Remember that year? You were, what, eleven? No, twelve. The dog I gave you died. Oh, how you cried—no one could console you. In the end, you spent over two million of your own pocket money to give that dog a funeral. Haha, the adults didn't know whether to laugh or cry."
Lu Chengwen chuckled too. "I didn't even understand the concept of money back then."
"Your parents raised you well. You were different from other rich kids—your heart was pure. That's why Grandpa always liked you."
Lu Chengwen exhaled deeply. "Grandpa, I'll visit you often from now on, okay?"
"Huh? Really? That's wonderful! Haha!" Chen Qiusou was overjoyed. "Grandpa loves talking to you. Ah, I know you young folks all avoid me. Grandpa's not senile. But when you're old, you just crave the company of young people. I get it—I don't want to trouble you. I know you're all busy…"
Lu Chengwen felt even guiltier.
"Grandpa, let's not talk about that. Oh! I just remembered—the Leng family has been really lively lately. Did you hear about it, Grandpa?"
"Huh? No! What happened?"
Lu Chengwen recounted the events. The moment business was mentioned, Chen Qiusou perked up and began talking animatedly:
"Leng Tianhao has a narrow vision. When his father was alive, he could still steer him straight and correct him. But his father's been gone for years now, right? See? Trouble was bound to happen."
"But that daughter of his is something else. What's her name again?"
"Leng Qingqiu."
"Right! I could tell from a young age that girl had fire in her—unyielding, independent, bowing to no one. If she's honed her skills, she'll be a hundred times better than her father."
"Grandpa, your judgment is spot-on. Leng Qingqiu just acquired a majority stake and is now the controlling chairman."
"Oh? That doesn't add up. She doesn't have the seniority for that. Someone must be backing her behind the scenes."
Lu Chengwen's heart skipped a beat.
This old ginger really was spicier.
Lu Chengwen asked, "Grandpa, do you think I should acquire Qianfeng?"
Chen Qiusou chuckled. "You little rascal, trying to fish for advice, aren't you?"
Lu Chengwen thought, *Are you actually sick or not?*
*Are you just acting with me?*
*You seem perfectly lucid!*
*This guy's sharper than Leng Tianhao in his prime!*
*He's a fossil-level figure—I need to pick his brain!*