CHAPTER 139: IF ONLY GRANDPA HE KNEW THE TRUTH.

As soon as Grandpa He cheerfully greeted Song Chengfeng, Grandpa Song’s face darkened with suspicion. His sharp gaze shifted between the two figures standing before him—one young, one old—his skeptical eyes filled with doubt.

"Why would my grandson visit you, of all people?" Grandpa Song sneered at the uninvited guest.

Not only had Grandpa He shown up unannounced, but he also had the audacity to act as if he were close to Song Chengfeng, treating the young man as if he were his own grandson.

Grandpa He shot his supposed-to-be-ill friend a look of disdain. Why was this old man always so suspicious?

They were both getting on in years, but it seemed that instead of growing wiser, Grandpa Song was becoming more childish by the day.

"Hmph, don’t you know? That brat of yours seduced my granddaughter," Grandpa He grumbled, crossing his arms.

He had long since accepted Song Chengfeng, but he wasn’t yet at the stage where he wanted to boast about their relationship.

There was still a lingering reluctance in his heart, an old habit of protectiveness that refused to fade so easily.

While Grandpa He was grumbling, the man opposite him sat frozen in place. Grandpa Song stared blankly, his expression momentarily vacant, as if his brain had short-circuited. He could barely process what he had just heard.

Had he misheard? Did Grandpa He really just say that his grandson—the one and only heir of the Song family—had a girlfriend?

His usually stoic, expressionless grandson, the boy who had always shunned human interaction, actually had someone in his heart?

Doubt lingered in Grandpa Song’s mind, but before he could dwell on that, something else caught his attention.

"Xiao Feng has a girlfriend? No—wait. Which granddaughter of yours are you talking about?" He turned sharply to Grandpa He, his expression shifting from disbelief to urgency.

Grandpa Song’s question left Grandpa He momentarily speechless. What kind of ridiculous question was that? They had been friends for over three decades—long before they had even met their own wives.

They practically knew each other’s families inside and out. So, hearing such a question felt absurd, though Grandpa He understood the root of Grandpa Song’s confusion.

With an exasperated sigh, he shot his old friend an annoyed look.

"I only have two granddaughters. The youngest is barely a few years old—she could even pass as Chengfeng’s daughter, let alone his lover. So tell me, who else could your grandson be dating?"

But rather than clearing things up, Grandpa He’s cryptic response only deepened Grandpa Song’s bewilderment. His frown deepened as his mind struggled to piece everything together.

And then, like a long-forgotten name resurfacing from the depths of his memory, it finally clicked.

His lips parted slightly as he hesitantly voiced the name that, for years, had always made him shake his head in exasperation.

"Your granddaughter... that kid, Jianyi? She’s Xiao Feng’s girlfriend?"

A sharp gasp broke the tense silence in the ward. It came from Grandma Song, who had been quietly observing the two old men bicker.

Qi Jianyi.

It was a name Grandma Song was very familiar with. The Song and He families had always been close, their bond spanning generations.

They often gathered together, and the children of both families grew up side by side.

Yet, among all of Grandpa He’s grandchildren, Qi Jianyi was the only one who had never once stepped foot into the Song family’s home.

She never attended their gatherings. But then again, that wasn’t unusual—Qi Jianyi rarely showed up at the He family’s gatherings either.

In fact, for many years, the only time the elderly couple of the He family ever saw their eldest granddaughter was during Chinese New Year.

So for their grandson, Song Chengfeng, to have fallen in love with Qi Jianyi—the most elusive member of the He family—was something no one could have predicted.

Not the Song elders. Not even the He elders.

Because the truth was, neither Grandpa nor Grandma Song had ever met Qi Jianyi. No one in the Song family had. But her name? That, they all knew.

And every time it was mentioned, it was always accompanied by the same reaction—a shake of the head.

The Song family was well aware of how cold and distant Qi Jianyi was toward the He family. It was to the point where Grandma He had to constantly plead with her daughter to coax Qi Jianyi into visiting them.

And now, the very child they once called heartless had, at some point, captured the heart of their most treasured grandson, Song Chengfeng.

As he silently observed the reactions of his family, Song Chengfeng slowly realized something—Qi Jianyi was strangely well-known among them.

Although they had never met her, they all seemed to share the same opinion of her.

And unfortunately, it wasn’t a good one.

But that didn’t matter.

Because the Qi Jianyi they spoke of—the one they called cold and indifferent—wasn’t his Qi Jianyi

"You really fell in love with that kid?" Grandma Song couldn’t help but turn to question her grandson, her face filled with disbelief.

On the other side, Grandpa He frowned. "Why are you asking like my granddaughter isn’t worth it?"

Hearing how the question had touched Grandpa He’s soft spot, Grandpa Song quickly responded, "You know that’s not what my wife meant. We’re just... shocked. After all, that granddaughter of yours..." He trailed off, unable to finish his sentence.

Qi Jianyi’s cold attitude had hurt the He family elders time and time again. Yet, no matter how distant she was, she remained their eldest granddaughter—their first sweetheart. No amount of indifference could change that.

No matter how heartless she seemed, they would always forgive her.

And Grandpa Song knew it wasn’t his place to openly judge Qi Jianyi, especially when it was clear just how much Grandpa He adored her.

"I know what you mean. That kid, Jianyi..." Grandpa He’s voice lowered, his usual firmness giving way to something softer. "She’s changed a lot now."

He paused, as if gathering his thoughts, before continuing.

"She used to be so cold toward us. There was a time when I couldn’t even remember the last time she called me grandpa." He let out a chuckle, but the subtle crack in his voice did not go unnoticed by the others in the room.

"Before, my wife and I used to wish for our granddaughter to visit us. But no matter how much we hoped, God never seemed to listen. The only time I got to see my Xiao Yi was during Chinese New Year. And every time she came, she was a year older. Yet, I never had the chance to watch her grow up in front of me."

His voice, tinged with melancholy, drifted softly through the ward.

Grandpa He locked eyes with his old friend. With a sad smile, he continued, "You knew it too, Weiguo. From the moment she was born, that child was my favorite. She was like a little star, and I wanted to give her everything."

"Do you remember? Xiao Yi was so cute and cheerful when she was little. I think she was four when she mistook you for me." Grandpa He let out a small, wistful laugh. "You even wanted to steal her away from me."

Grandpa Song, who had been silently listening, finally chuckled, the memory of a time long past surfacing in his mind.

"Yes, but she changed after that," Grandpa He murmured. "And Weiguo... that change was something I could do nothing about. It was her parents’ fault, but it was also mine. I promised her the world the moment she was born, yet I didn’t even notice when she started slipping away." He closed his eyes in distress, regret etching deep lines into his face.

Back then, when he and his wife realized that their daughter had left their granddaughter in the care of a butler and a nanny—barely returning home themselves—they were furious. Grandma He had been so upset that she fell ill afterward.

It wasn’t until the nanny passed away, and the butler personally came to their house to tell them about Qi Jianyi’s daily life in that empty mansion, that they finally understood just how much they had failed her.

A child who woke up every morning, hoping to have breakfast with her parents, yet never had the chance.

A child who had to stare at a framed picture every day just to remember what her parents looked like—because they were never home.

Listening to the butler recount every heartbreaking detail, Grandpa He had felt something inside him break.

That day was the first time Grandma He had ever raised a hand against her own daughter. She slapped her, then turned to her son-in-law and did the same. She scolded them—furious that they had been such terrible parents.

But in the end, she blamed herself just as much.

Because while they had been so focused on raising He Zeqing, who lived with them, they had completely overlooked the granddaughter who lived far away.

They had let her slip through their fingers.

"You knew it too... by the time we realized how much we had failed her, it was already too late." Grandpa He rubbed his face, as if trying to hide the weight of his regrets.

"She doesn’t even want to acknowledge her siblings—and we can’t blame her." He let out a slow, weary sigh. "For a long time now, my wife and I have accepted the possibility that one day, our granddaughter might cut us out of her life completely. We’ve come to terms with the fact that, no matter how much we love her, we may lose her for good."

"Because no matter how many times we tried to mend what was broken... it was always a futile attempt."

"Because we didn’t just break her heart." His voice wavered slightly. "We broke her trust."

"But Weiguo... just when we had accepted our fate with her, she suddenly changed," Grandpa He said, his voice tinged with emotion. "It was as if my cheerful, spoiled granddaughter had come back to life."

He took a deep breath before continuing, his gaze steady. "She’s different now, and this time, I want to give her everything I once promised. Since she likes your grandson, I hope you won’t stand in their way. Let them figure things out on their own—there’s no need for us to interfere."

His voice softened, but his words carried a quiet determination. "That brat of yours makes her smile. And that’s all I ever wanted for her—to be happy, endlessly happy, in this world."

Though Grandpa He spoke with sincerity, Grandpa Song could hear the underlying warning in his words.

It was clear—he wouldn’t allow anyone to stand in Qi Jianyi’s way.

If Qi Jianyi wanted Song Chengfeng, then Grandpa He would ensure that no one dared to stop them from being together.

Because this time, he wanted to do right by her.

This time, he would give her everything.

His declaration moved everyone in the room—even Song Chengfeng. But as he listened, he couldn’t help but feel a deep, unspoken sorrow.

If only Grandpa He knew the truth.

The granddaughter he so desperately wanted to spoil—the one he believed had finally returned to him—had long drifted to another world.

And the woman standing in her place was someone else entirely.