Chapter 130 - 129: Put down your cane.

Words : 1380 Updated : Sep 21st, 2025

Chapter 130: 129: Put down your cane. "Not wasting anything—it’s just my duty." Yu Zhi hurriedly supported him, worrying that standing too long might hurt his feet, and helped him back into the chair. She glanced at the lidded tea set on the table and softly pointed toward the gift box, asking, "Would you like to open it now and have a look? If it’s not to your taste, I can go exchange it." "Alright, alright!" Xu Zhen leaned his cane by the table and began unwrapping the gift box himself. The attention of this old man and young girl was entirely fixed on the tea leaves, as if they could never run out of things to discuss. They completely forgot the presence of the three grown men standing behind them. Shi Wei didn’t mind being overlooked; he calmly found a seat and, without blinking, gazed at the side profile of the young woman, tracing the contours of her face with his eyes. Not seeing anything of interest for himself, Xu Fan followed Shi Wei’s lead and sat beside him, unlocking his phone to tackle some work-related matters. Xu Linchuan, however, remained rooted in place, staring daggers at the old man whose mood could switch faster than flipping through the pages of a book. He pouted exaggeratedly, deliberately letting out a loud scoff: "Ah, the flesh-and-blood grandson is starving to death, but the heartless one acts like they don’t notice at all!" The dissatisfied tone successfully brought the playful chatter in the room to a halt, leaving the space so quiet you could hear a pin drop. Yu Zhi turned her head to glance at him and was about to ask a question when she saw the old man gripping his cane and standing up with a fierce aura. Xu Zhen raised his cane high, threatening to strike him hard: "Haven’t I fed you enough normally? Starve you for just a bit and you’re all melodramatic about it?" Xu Linchuan instinctively bolted, darting quickly behind the back of the sofa. He pressed one finger against his palm in a "pause" gesture. "Grandpa, let’s talk this out calmly. Talk it out calmly!" His eyes betrayed a hint of fear as he glanced at the cane, but given the crowd present today, he had no choice but to straighten his spine. Opting for the soft approach, he began negotiating: "Do you know how hard I work, how much I suffer every day? Do you realize—" Xu Zhen rapped the sofa with his cane, cutting him off, his face flushed with anger: "Get over here! Let’s see if I can’t put you in your place today!" "Put the cane down first! Gentlemen don’t resolve things with violence!" "Like hell I’ll put it down!" Xu Zhen took two steps forward, deciding to skip the argument and directly chase after him to deliver a lesson. But his stamina couldn’t match that of a young person; after just a few steps, he was already panting heavily. "Grandpa Xu, don’t get worked up." Yu Zhi quickly stepped in front of him, worried he might hurt himself in anger. She gently patted his back to help him catch his breath. "That fool!" Xu Zhen steadied himself using the cane, cast a sharp glance toward the far-off figure subdued by Xu Fan, and a trace of smugness flickered in his eyes. Run all you want, but so what? He may not be able to catch him, but didn’t he have his eldest grandson? Xu Fan smacked Xu Linchuan on the head, expressing his disapproval: "Why do you get into arguments with Grandpa? Just listen to whatever he says, wouldn’t that be easier?" Grandpa was already up in years, and here he was, chasing him like kids playing at a park—wasn’t this all a big farce? "It’s his fault for not letting me eat!" Xu Linchuan glanced sideways at the old man, guilt flickering in his eyes—it was clear he knew he’d gone too far. "Can’t you see the snacks on the table? Might as well let you starve." Xu Fan tossed out his comment and lost interest in dealing with him after that. At his age, playing childish pranks was bad enough, but the worst was that he seemed to thoroughly enjoy it. After that little episode, the atmosphere in the living room became serene and harmonious once again. Xu Zhen sipped his tea, casting a glance at that same foolish grandson, who now seemed a bit remorseful, and clicked his tongue lightly. He turned to the young woman who had been by his side all along and smiled faintly: "Young lady, you must be hungry too. How about we go eat?" "Alright." Yu Zhi supported him carefully as they slowly made their way to the dining room, calling out to Xu Linchuan along the way. She saw it clearly—Grandpa wasn’t just worried about her going hungry; he also felt deeply for his grandson. A faint curve curved on Yu Zhi’s lips. She found the familial dynamic here quite amusing. The dining table was piled high with an array of mouthwatering dishes: besides steamed fish head with chopped chili, stir-fried lobster, and steamed abalone, there were also items like corn ribs and shredded pork with sauce. Grandpa Xu had asked Shi Wei about Yu Zhi’s favorites earlier, so several of today’s dishes were tailored to her preferences. Seeing a spark of delight flash in her eyes, he immediately picked up his chopsticks and announced to everyone: "Start eating already! Stop sitting there like fools." Sitting to his left, Xu Linchuan picked up a piece of abalone, intending to put it in his mouth, but paused halfway and awkwardly placed it into Grandpa’s bowl instead. Speaking softly, he said, "You like this, have more." Xu Zhen let out a huff, quickly ate the abalone in a few bites, and reciprocated by putting a piece of steamed pork into Linchuan’s bowl. Amid the back-and-forth gestures, the earlier conflict was entirely forgotten. "Zhizhi, do you know what you look like right now?" A man’s cool, low voice sounded by her ear, prompting her to turn her head. Yu Zhi, still munching on corn, replied with a slight mumble: "What?" "A little hamster." Shi Wei let out a quiet chuckle, the sound seeming to resonate straight from his throat, pulling people into the moment. "How do I look like one?" His gaze moved to her hands gripping the corn, then lingered on the row of neat teeth marks she’d left on the plump kernels. The curve of his lips deepened. He poked her puffy cheek: "Every bit like one." "Well, I’m not a hamster." Yu Zhi leaned back slightly, dodging his finger, and went back to munching on her corn, no longer paying attention to him. Shi Wei rubbed the pad of his finger where it had touched her cheek, paused for a few seconds, and then picked up a few larger pieces of corn to place into her bowl. The way the young girl beside him kept on munching delighted him immensely—he couldn’t seem to get enough of watching. After finishing three pieces of corn, Yu Zhi shifted her attention to the ribs and was about to pick one up with her chopsticks when a hand reached over from beside her. She watched the long, pale hand come into view, a trace of amusement sparkling in her eyes. She had no clue the man was enjoying the act of feeding her, nor that he was savoring the sight of her eating. "Young lady, is Little Wei good to you?" Xu Zhen took in all the subtle movements of the two youngsters across the table, his expression showing some satisfaction. He originally planned for this young girl to pair up with Xu Linchuan or Xu Fan, but somehow, the idea never felt quite right to him. Watching her interaction with Shi Wei now, he finally realized what was off—that these two seemed naturally suited to each other, not out of place in the slightest. In contrast, any attempt to match her with Xu Linchuan or Xu Fan felt oddly artificial. "He’s very good to me." Yu Zhi wiped her mouth, her face radiating happiness—it was clear the words weren’t just for show.

Chapter 130 - 129: Put down your cane.

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