The car drove for hours before finally reaching South City, which was one of the major cities in the country. Anyone from a small village would've pressed their face against the window, staring wide-eyed at the tall buildings and busy streets. But when Shen Chengwei glanced at Shen Yelan, she was just resting her chin on her palm, staring out the window with a bored expression. It was as if she did not care about anything.
Shen Chengwei watched her for a couple of seconds and then mentally scoffed. What was he expecting? She'd always been strange, even as a child. From that freaky white hair and those gray eyes to her weird personality, there was nothing normal about her. When he had managed to send her away when she was three, he had finally taken a sigh of relief and had already forgotten about her existence. Who would have thought she would come back after all these years?
He cleared his throat. "You should feel lucky we're bringing you back. So behave yourself and don't cause any trouble."
He paused, waiting for her response. Sadly, he didn't get any, as if she hadn't heard a single word.
"Are you listening to me?" he snapped, his voice rising. "You should know that it was Father's decision to bring you back. If it were up to me, you'd still be rotting in that village. So you better be grateful. Father hasn't been feeling well lately, and I don't want you upsetting him. Once everything is settled, I'm sending you right back."
Shen Yelan tilted her head and looked at him. Shen Chengwei stiffened. For a second, he felt as if his heart was held by an invisible force. But the feeling was soon gone, making him think it was just an illusion. There was no way this girl would make him feel fear.
"I have arranged a separate apartment for you. Wanwan has an important competition coming so I don't want you to disturb her. I'll take you there after you visit Father at the hospital."
"Mm," Shen Yelan hummed and turned back to the window, not bothering to spare any words on this man. Shen Chengwei's jaw tightened in irritation, but he said nothing more.
Outside, Shen Yelan stared at a distant towering building that had been newly constructed in the city. It was tall and modern, with a large minimalist clock at the top. The word 'KIAROS' was written in bold, sleek letters beneath it. If anyone paid close attention to the old watch on her wrist, they would've noticed the watch dial had the same design as the clock on that building. Shen Yelan stared at the building for a few seconds and then looked away.
The car soon stopped at South City Hospital. Shen Chengwei got out first and walked ahead without waiting for her. Shen Yelan followed behind, hands tucked into the pockets of her hoodie.
They took the elevator to the fourth floor. Shen Chengwei pushed open the door to one of the private rooms. Inside, there were already people present.
"...taste? I made it for you myself, Grandpa," a young girl was saying sweetly. She sat beside the hospital bed, holding a thermos container.
The girl looked about a year younger than Shen Yelan. She had long black hair that fell in soft curls over her shoulders, and she wore a pale blue dress that complemented her soft features, making her look like a sweet, innocent girl.
On the sofa nearby sat an older woman with similar features. She was Shen Chengwei's second wife, who also happened to be his true love.
His marriage to Shen Yelan's mother was nothing but a scam in Shen Chengwei's view. Back then, he'd been young and stupid and was drugged by that woman, which led to them sleeping together. Later, she had come back to him with positive pregnancy reports. The Shen family was a traditional family and could not let their own blood raised as a bastard, so Shen Chengwei had no choice but to marry that woman. But that had turned out to be his worst nightmare. Perhaps that was the reason why he had hated Shen Yelan. Her appearance was just salt in the wound.
It was only after that woman's death that he could finally marry the woman he loved. He didn't care that she already had a daughter with another man. To him, Shen Wanwan was more his daughter than Shen Yelan ever was.
Both women turned when the door opened.
"Dad, you're back," Shen Wanwan said, standing up with a bright smile. Then her eyes landed on Shen Yelan, and surprise flickered across her face.
Shen Yelan was wearing simple white pants and an oversized peach hoodie. Paired with her white hair, gray eyes, and pale skin, she looked like a little fairy. It was nothing compared to what she had been imagining Shen Yelan would look like since she was from a village.
But soon, that surprise was followed by disdain, which she covered up almost instantly with an innocent look. "Is this... my older sister?"
"Wanwan, how many times do I have to tell you? You don't have a sister. I only gave birth to you." Feng Moqing scoffed, looking at Shen Yelan with undisguised contempt.
"Don't say that, mother. Even if you did not give birth to her, we still share the same father." Shen Wanwan walked toward Shen Yelan with a friendly smile and reached out to touch her arm. "Don't mind mom, Shen Yelan. She's just a little upset right now. She'll come around eventually."
Shen Yelan stepped to the side, avoiding her hand, and walked past her without a word.
Shen Wanwan froze, her hand still hanging in the air. She stared at her empty palm, then at Shen Yelan's back. Her eyes narrowed slightly.
Ignoring the mother and daughter completely, Shen Yelan walked straight to the old man lying in the hospital bed. He'd been watching her the entire time with interest. When their eyes met, Shen Yelan felt a vein twitch in her forehead.
"Grandpa," she greeted.
"Mm. Come, sit here." Shen Weiqi patted the chair beside his bed, the one Shen Wanwan had been sitting in earlier. "Let Grandpa get a better look at you."
Shen Yelan sat down. The old man reached out and took her hand in both of his, holding it gently. His expression softened. "Good. You're finally back. Now our family is together again."
Shen Yelan looked him straight in the eyes, saying nothing. Then, slowly, her grip on his hand tightened. A small smile appeared on her face, revealing a set of dimples on her cheeks.
[Old man, I thought you were dying?]
Shen Weiqi responded by tightening his grip in return. He patted their joined hands with his free one, his smile widening.
[You gave me no choice, brat.]
Shen Yelan's smile stayed in place, but her grip increased even more, though the old man didn't react at all.
[I underestimated you, old man.]
Shen Weiqi chuckled softly. They hadn't said a single word out loud, but they both understood each other perfectly.
"You look so thin. Have you not been eating properly?" Shen Weiqi asked her.
"I am perfectly fine, Grandpa. You should be worried about yourself."
Shen Weiqi scoffed,"What could happen to me? It's just a little high blood pressure. I'll be fine after some rest."
The family of three watched them. Shen Wanwan clenched her fist, digging her nails into her palm.
"Grandpa, you should finish the soup before it gets cold," she suddenly said, getting his attention.
It was the same soup she had told him she had made herself. In reality, she had picked it up from a restaurant and put it in the lunch box. She was the daughter of the Shen family. There was no way she'd ever step into a kitchen to boil water, let alone make soup. But Old Master Shen didn't need to know that.
Shen Weiqi, who had already seen through her little trick, snorted. "I don't feel like eating anymore. Didn't you say you have a competition coming up? You should go home and practice. Don't waste your time here."
The smile on Shen Wanwan's face froze. It was obvious that he was kicking her out. Her eyes slid toward Shen Yelan, narrowing with barely hidden resentment. Then she forced the smile back and looked at her grandfather again.
"Of course, Grandpa. I'll come visit you tomorrow then."
Feng Moqing, who clearly didn't want to stay any longer either, stood up immediately. "Yes, we should go. Rest well, Father." She walked toward the door without even glancing at Shen Yelan, as if she didn't exist at all.
Shen Wanwan followed, but not before shooting one last look at Shen Yelan's back.
Once they were gone, Shen Chengwei spoke up. "I'll take my leave as well. I need to get to the company." He turned to Shen Yelan. "Let's go. I'll drop you off."
"No need," Shen Weiqi said coldly, his tone sharp. "I already had Butler Cang arrange a place for her. You don't need to worry about her anymore."
"Father..." Shen Chengwei's face darkened.
"I have told you. I will say it again. I'll look after her once she's back. Now that she is here, you don't need to involve yourself."
"But your health is not good, Father. I don't want your health to decline because of..." he paused and looked in Shen Yelan's direction, who was currently leaning back in the chair and peeling an apple. She had her head down, and he could not see her expression.
"...someone," he finished.
"I am not dying anytime soon, so you do not need to worry about me. Worry about your company instead. I heard you've been having trouble with one of your projects because of the investors."
Shen Chengwei went pale. "Who told you that? Are you spying on me? Father, do you still not trust me after everything I've done for the company?"
"Enough. Stop wasting time arguing here. You are causing me a headache by staying here." Shen Weiqi waved him off. "Go back and figure out how to fix your mess."
Shen Chengwei's face turned red with anger. He glared at his father, then at Shen Yelan, who was now eating the apple she'd just peeled. He scoffed, turned on his heel, and stormed out of the room.
The door slammed shut behind him.
Shen Yelan raised her eyes toward the door for a moment, then looked back at the old man. He had a sad expression on his face. A few seconds later, that look disappeared completely, replaced by a gentle smile as he turned to her.