The Sweetest Marriage Ch.385

Chapter 385 – It’s good that you’re back

Downstairs, Little Biscuit and Qiuqiu had a great time playing. Upstairs, Wei Chen knocked on the study door.

“Grandfather, were you looking for me?” Wei Chen walked into the study and asked.

“Yes.” Grandfather Qu sat reading a book. When he saw Wei Chen come in, he said, “Sit, there are some things I want to discuss with you.”

Wei Chen sat down, and Grandfather Qu handed over a gilded invitation. “Next month is Old Zheng’s big birthday celebration. I want you to attend on my behalf.”

Wei Chen took the invitation without any surprise. “Okay, Grandfather.”

Seeing Wei Chen’s immediate acceptance of the invitation, Old Qu knew that Wei Chen understood his intention. “Normally, it should be Xiaoli who attends for me, but I don’t want him to get involved in too many things. My current wish is for Xiaoli to lead a peaceful and ordinary life.”

The first twenty years of Xiao Li’s life were too painful, so Grandfather Qu hoped that in the future, Xiao Li could live in an ivory tower, away from the complications brought by his status or any other matters. Grandfather Qu didn’t want Xiao Li to be involved too deeply.

But some things were inevitable, unavoidable. So, Grandfather Qu hoped that Wei Chen would step up to help Xiao Li bear these burdens.

“Grandfather, your wish is also mine,” Wei Chen said solemnly. He, too, wished for Li Li’s future days to be calm and happy. He was willing to take on some of the responsibilities Li Li carried.

At the same time, Wei Chen understood that this was Grandfather Qu paving the way for him. Old Zheng’s birthday banquet was where the most esteemed people in the country would gather. If he had interactions with these people, his future path would be much smoother.

“Okay.” Grandfather Qu finally showed a faint smile. However, in the next instant, his gaze became incredibly sharp, like a sharp blade, not dulled by his age.

“Now, let’s talk about Xie Chunsheng,” Grandfather Qu said. “If I hadn’t asked, were you planning to keep it a secret until I passed away?”

Wei Chen’s pupils contracted slightly, showing a hint of surprise. “Grandfather, you already knew?”

Grandfather Qu smiled, “You still underestimate me. What haven’t I experienced in my life? Nothing is too surprising for me.”

Wei Chen thought about it. Grandfather Qu had experienced things in his life that surpassed generations of experiences for others. Some things that seemed shocking or outrageous to them might be insignificant in front of Grandfather Qu.

“Wei Chen, go and tell him, if he still wants to see me, he better hurry up and come over.”

Grandfather Qu’s voice was calm, and if Wei Chen hadn’t seen Grandfather Qu’s trembling hands resting on the chair’s back, he would have genuinely believed Grandfather Qu was calm.

But then again, for Grandfather Qu, his son hadn’t died. How could that possibly be a calm matter for him? Perhaps in places unseen by others, Grandfather Qu had undergone turbulent psychological struggles before accepting this situation?

The concept of rebirth—how many people could accept it all at once without experiencing it firsthand?

“Alright, I’ll go tell Uncle Xie now,” Wei Chen stood up. “Grandfather, I’ll take my leave.” Wei Chen thought it best to give Grandfather Qu some time to settle his emotions.

“Yes, go ahead,” Grandfather Qu nodded.

Wei Chen left the study and went downstairs. Chen Li welcomed him, asking, “Grandpa didn’t have any major matters for you, right?”

Wei Chen held Chen Li’s hand, shaking his head. “Nothing.” Yet he leaned in and whispered softly in Chen Li’s ear, “But Grandfather knows about Uncle Xie’s situation.”

“How’s that possible?” Chen Li found it hard to believe. How did Grandpa find out? After all, this matter was so perplexing.

“It’s really strange,” Wei Chen also found it inexplicable. After all, there weren’t many interactions between Xie Chunsheng and Grandfather Qu. How Grandfather Qu deduced Xie Chunsheng was actually Qu Ran from such limited contact, Wei Chen had no idea.

If forced to give a reason, Wei Chen could only explain it as a father-son connection.

“Should we tell Dad and the others?” Chen Li asked, hoping Xie Chunsheng would know and come to acknowledge Grandpa.

That way, they’d truly be a reunited family without any regrets.

Wei Chen nodded, “Grandfather asked me to notify Uncle Xie to come over now. I guess Grandfather can’t wait any longer.”

Chen Li immediately beamed, “Then I’ll call Uncle Xie right now.”

Before Wei Chen could respond, Chen Li hurriedly searched for the phone. Grandpa not denying Dad was truly wonderful.

When Xie Chunsheng received Chen Li’s call, he happened to be at Q University picking up Chen Yunlan.

Chen Yunlan had classes today, and they were relatively late. When the call came, Xie Chunsheng had just met Chen Yunlan and hadn’t gotten into the car yet.

Seeing it was Chen Li’s call, Xie Chunsheng promptly answered, a smile spreading across his face. “Xiao Li, what’s up?”

“Dad, Grandpa wants you to come and see him right now,” Chen Li didn’t beat around the bush, saying it directly, and Xie Chunsheng could sense the excitement in his voice.

Initially, Xie Chunsheng hadn’t grasped who Chen Li referred to as “Grandpa.” He even repeated, “Grandpa?”

“It’s Grandpa, yes,” Chen Li became a bit urgent.

“Are you saying…” Xie Chunsheng finally realized who Chen Li meant by ‘Grandpa’ and mechanically asked, “Xiao Li, are you talking about Mr. Qu?”

Chen Li vigorously nodded, “Yes, yes, in any case, Dad, please come over quickly.”

“Okay, okay, okay.” Xie Chunsheng repeated ‘okay’ three times heavily, then oddly forgot what he wanted to say next. Meanwhile, Chen Li had already hung up.

Xie Chunsheng sat dumbfounded in the driver’s seat, and Chen Yunlan, watching him, grew concerned. “Xiao Ran, what’s going on?”

It took a while for Xie Chunsheng to snap out of his daze, speaking with difficulty, “Mr. Qu asked me to come to him.”

There was a slight tremble in his strained voice, mixed with an unrestrained sense of joy.

“Really?” Chen Yunlan widened his eyes in disbelief.

The significance behind Mr. Qu summoning Xie Chunsheng was understood by both him and Xie Chunsheng. Otherwise, Mr. Qu wouldn’t have called someone seemingly unrelated like Xie Chunsheng.

Mr. Qu knew that Xie Chunsheng was actually Qu Ran.

Both Chen Yunlan and Xie Chunsheng understood the gravity of this situation, leaving them both excited, unsure of what to do momentarily.

Finally, Chen Yunlan regained composure first and asked, “Did Xiao Li say where Mr. Qu is? Let’s go there now.”

“Okay.” Xie Chunsheng still seemed dazed as he responded, only remembering afterward, “I think I forgot to ask Xiao Li for the address.”

“You…” Chen Yunlan chuckled, a mix of crying and laughing, then took out his phone to call Chen Li again and got the address.

“Alright, you sit there, I’ll drive,” Chen Yunlan didn’t dare to let Xie Chunsheng drive in this state, unsure what might happen with him behind the wheel.

“Okay.”

Xie Chunsheng had lost his ability to think, and whatever Chen Yunlan said, he complied with it obediently.

After swapping seats, Chen Yunlan started the car and headed towards the address Chen Li had provided over the phone.

By the time they arrived at the Sheng residence, Xie Chunsheng had finally settled his excessively excited emotions, looking much more composed.

Chen Yunlan squeezed Xie Chunsheng’s hand, teasingly saying, “Are you okay now?” There was a playful tone in his voice.

Xie Chunsheng smiled, “I’m fine now, really fine.”

Despite what he said, when he knocked on the door, Xie Chunsheng’s palms were already soaked with sweat.

It was Chen Li who opened the door. “Dad, you’ve finally come. Grandpa is upstairs waiting for you.”

“Hmm,” Xie Chunsheng nodded in an attempt to appear composed and walked inside with Chen Yunlan.

“Dad, you’re matching hands and feet,” Chen Li bluntly pointed out, making Xie Chunsheng feel a bit embarrassed. He quickly corrected himself.

This distraction from Chen Li made Xie Chunsheng feel a bit better.

Chen Li led both dads upstairs and knocked on the study door. “Grandpa, they’re here.”

“Come in,” came the calm voice from the study.

Chen Li opened the door, gesturing for the two dads to go in, “Dad, you’ve got this!”

Chen Yunlan and Xie Chunsheng smiled at Chen Li before entering the study. Chen Li closed the door behind them. However, instead of leaving, he stayed close to the door, curious to hear what was happening inside.

At this moment, Qiuqiu, panting, crawled up from downstairs. Seeing Chen Li’s action, thinking there was something interesting, he imitated Chen Li, pressing his ears against the door and staring with his big eyes.

Just then, he heard Chen Yunlan’s voice from inside. Qiuqiu recognized Chen Yunlan’s voice and got excited, tapping the door with his little paws while chanting, “Grandpa, Grandpa!” in an enthusiastic manner.

Feeling guilty about eavesdropping, Chen Li was afraid of getting caught. He quickly picked up Qiuqiu and ran away, complaining as he ran, “You listened enough, why are you making noise? Dad can’t even hear now.”

Qiuqiu still wanted Grandpa but was also afraid of falling, so it held onto Chen Li’s neck, insisting, “I want Grandpa, I want Grandpa.”

With a gentle tap on Qiuqiu’s backside, Chen Li swiftly headed downstairs. When Chen Yunlan opened the study door, he saw Chen Li hurrying downstairs with Qiuqiu in his arms, smiled helplessly, closed the door, turned around, and prepared to face the deeply serious Mr. Qu in the room.

Inside the study, it was very quiet, so quiet that even the sound of a pin dropping could be heard.

Grandfather Qu remained engrossed in his book, his expression grave. He seemed not to notice Chen Yunlan and Xie Chunsheng entering the room. Xie Chunsheng, the clandestine boss behind the largest Chinese gang in the United States, stood there as if he were a schoolboy caught in the act, standing awkwardly, eyes fixed on the floor, afraid to meet the gaze of the old man.

Chen Yunlan stood by, feeling helpless.

Time seemed to freeze. It wasn’t clear how long it had passed until Grandfather Qu finally set down his book, slowly raised his head, and looked towards Xie Chunsheng.

“You’re here,” Grandfather Qu said, his voice still calm.

“Yes,” Xie Chunsheng nodded, cautiously lifting his head to meet Grandfather Qu’s gaze. “I’ve returned.” The word ‘father’ lingered in Xie Chunsheng’s throat. He couldn’t bring himself to say it, feeling unworthy to utter it until Grandfather Qu explicitly forgave his son.

Seeing Xie Chunsheng’s tense and anxious demeanor, Old Qu couldn’t control a tear that slid down his cheek. His voice no longer remained calm, but trembled, as if all the emotions within him were about to erupt.

“It’s good that you’re back, it’s good that you’re back.”

There were no accusations, no scolding. Just a simple phrase, “It’s good that you’re back,” signified forgiveness and encapsulated decades of longing and missing each other.

“Father,” Xie Chunsheng couldn’t hold back any longer. He rushed forward, tightly embracing Grandfather Qu, realizing how frail and feeble Grandfather Qu’s body had become.

For this father and son, more than two decades had been an excessively extravagant waste of time.

It was precisely due to this waste of time that they couldn’t afford to waste any more. Grandfather Qu chose forgiveness; he didn’t question Qu Ran. If he wasn’t dead, why not come back?

Whatever the reason was, Qu Ran returned while Grandfather Qu was still alive, and for Grandfather Qu, that was the best outcome.

Chen Yunlan wiped away the tears in his eyes as he watched the tightly embraced father and son.

‘It’s good that you’re back.’

A thousand words, myriad emotions, all distilled into this simplest of sentences.

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**TN

Btw, guys, the author took a long break in the middle of writing this story, like around late chap200. That’s why there are some added twists to it. Probably due to brainstorming. XD