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Over the next two days, Grandpa would often mention Jiang Chengyu, saying that Xiao Jiang was good at card games and also mentioning how long it had been since he himself played.
Shen Tang knew that Grandpa wanted to see Jiang Chengyu.
In the evening, after coming out of the attending doctor’s office, Shen Tang called Jiang Chengyu.
He quickly answered. “What’s wrong?”
Shen Tang asked him: “Are you busy?”
Jiang Chengyu: “I’m playing cards.”
Shen Tang looked out the window; it wasn’t dark yet, but he had already started his nightlife and was busy with social engagements.
During their three years together, she had never affected his work. This time, it was unavoidable.
“Jiang Chengyu,” she called his name, “I have an impolite request. If you have time, could you come to Shenzhen to see Grandpa? Just a few hours would be enough. Grandpa has few wishes in life. Now he wants to play cards with you. I want to fulfill each of his few remaining wishes.”
Jiang Chengyu’s voice felt like it brushed past her ear, warm and reassuring, “You’ll see me very soon.”
“Thank you.”
Shen Tang stood by the window for a while, adjusting her mood before returning to the ward.
“Xiao Jiang, you look thinner to me.”
“I don’t feel it myself, probably not. Being a bit thinner is good; Tang Tang says, once you get fat, it ruins everything.”
“You shouldn’t listen to her. If your company is busy, just hire more people.”
Shen Ge smiled as he told Grandpa, “Grandpa, President Jiang’s company isn’t like our guesthouse where hiring a few extra people during busy times can solve the problem.”
Shen Tang heard Jiang Chengyu’s voice outside the door. It turned out when he said he would see her very soon, this was what he meant. She pushed open the door to the ward and walked in, nearly running through the suite’s living room.
Jiang Chengyu was sitting by the bedside playing cards with Grandpa, wearing a black shirt she recognized at a glance. There were a few wrinkles on his back, likely because he rushed to the hospital right after getting off the plane, looking travel-weary.
She stared at his face; it was still as handsome and charming as ever. He seemed to have lost a little weight, or maybe it was the effect of wearing black clothes that made him appear thinner.
“Tang Tang, come over here. What are you standing there for?” Grandpa waved at her.
Shen Tang realized there were several workers in the ward who were debugging the projection equipment.
“You go back to the hotel for your meeting; being here might affect you.”
She thought Jiang Chengyu was preparing for a video conference.
“No meeting. I’ll use my phone to project photos for Grandpa to see.” Jiang Chengyu pulled up a chair beside him and let her sit.
Grandpa was so happy he couldn’t stop smiling. “Xiao Jiang said he would show me pictures of you—ones I haven’t seen before.”
Shen Tang sat next to Jiang Chengyu and glanced at him.
Jiang Chengyu didn’t say anything but showed her the deck of cards in his hand. “Which one should I play?”
Shen Tang pointed randomly, indicating the largest card in his hand.
Unexpectedly, without hesitation, he played it.
The bottom card was gone.
Grandpa: “Xiao Jiang, did you make a mistake?”
“No mistake. Whatever Tang Tang says to play, I play.”
His way of putting her on a pedestal was hard not to find endearing.
Shen Tang whispered to him, “Your clothes are wrinkled. Do you want to change?” He always paid attention to his appearance and wouldn’t appear disheveled in public.
Jiang Chengyu calculated the cards in Grandpa’s hand, trying his best to let Grandpa win. “No need to change.”
He said, “I’ll stay tonight. You sleep well. I’m going to London on business early the day after tomorrow. I’ll spend these two days with you and Grandpa.”
Shen Tang suddenly remembered that GR Capital’s collaborative project with the Xiao family was in London.
After playing more than ten rounds with Grandpa, he basically always won.
Once the projection equipment was debugged, Shen Ge packed away the card table. “Grandpa, I’m going home tonight. Early morning the day after tomorrow, I’ll come back to accompany you.”
“Drive carefully. Rest well at home. Don’t rush to the hospital.” Grandpa gave quite a few reminders.
Shen Ge then left, not disturbing them from looking at photos together.
Shen Tang brought a warm towel from the bathroom to wipe Grandpa’s face and hands, adjusting the bed to a comfortable angle so that when Grandpa lay down, he could see the big screen properly.
Before showing the photos, Jiang Chengyu reassured Grandpa, “Grandpa, actually, Tang Tang and I lied to you. We’re not pursuing her; we’ve been together for a long time. By November 21st this year, we will have been together for four years.”
Grandpa couldn’t believe it, his eyes widening as he looked back and forth between Shen Tang and Jiang Chengyu.
Shen Tang kicked Jiang Chengyu under the bed.
Jiang Chengyu gave her a look, letting her know he understood what to say and what not to.
“Grandpa, we didn’t disclose our relationship earlier because Tang Tang had no plans to marry. She needed to focus on her acting career and was preoccupied with her parents’ affairs. Moreover, she didn’t think much of me. I was the one persistently chasing her.”
Shen Tang: “...”
Is this Xie Yuncheng possessing him?
Grandpa didn’t believe it, but he understood the children’s well-meaning intentions.
Jiang Chengyu further explained, “Now Tang Tang has come to terms and is willing to try moving towards marriage with me. She has also let go of past hurts. The last time I asked you where you’d like us to have our wedding, it wasn’t just talk. I was genuinely asking for your opinion.”
Grandpa smiled, still skeptical but pretending to believe. “Wherever you two like, I like too.”
Jiang Chengyu stopped talking nonsense; saying too much would expose his anxiety.
He opened his phone album and began viewing from three years ago in chronological order.
Shen Tang gazed at the old photos, stunned. She originally thought Jiang Chengyu’s promise to show photos to Grandpa referred to some behind-the-scenes footage collected online.
She glanced at him; hadn’t he said he cleared them all?
Grandpa watched the big screen, where Jiang Chengyu held his granddaughter in his arms. Each held a bag of snacks, and the coffee table in front was full.
Feeling awkward about such intimacy between young people, he distracted himself, “What are you eating?”
Jiang Chengyu: “Spicy gluten, a birthday gift Tang Tang bought me—a whole box.”
“You only eat spicy gluten on birthdays?”
“Not exactly, we also bought a cake.”
“...”
Shen Tang glanced away, refusing to look at the photo of herself sitting in Jiang Chengyu’s lap. Seeing those moments he recorded now, she realized he pampered her even more than she imagined.
Jiang Chengyu continued flipping backward. For every photo, he detailed when it was taken and what they were doing at the time for Grandpa.
Unknowingly, they went from dusk till nine o’clock.
It wasn’t until they reached a short video from late October last year in Haitang Village that Grandpa finally believed Jiang Chengyu and his granddaughter had been together for over three years.
The video was recorded at midnight; the couple was holding hands and playing with seawater on the beach. The image wasn’t clear.
In the video, Shen Tang said, “When it’s our fourth anniversary, come back with me.”
“Sure, even if it’s not our fourth anniversary, we can still come.”
The video lasted only a minute and ended quickly.
Grandpa scolded his granddaughter, “You child, Xiao Jiang is so good, yet you kept him hanging for three years, forcing him to only dare to call himself your bodyguard.”
Though chastising his granddaughter, he was secretly delighted inside.
So they had been together for such a long time; he could finally rest easy.
Jiang Chengyu continued clicking through photos, “Grandpa, this is the late-night snack Tang Tang made for me—it was at our house in Shanghai.”
Grandpa liked seeing photos of them filled with life, “This flower is beautiful.”
Jiang Chengyu: “Mm-hmm, it’s a king protea.”
Shen Tang was also in the photo.
Shen Tang was astonished; she didn’t remember when Jiang Chengyu took this picture.
By the time they finished viewing all the photos, it was almost ten o’clock.
This was the happiest day Grandpa had since being hospitalized. Exhausted, he fell asleep with the projection equipment still on.
Jiang Chengyu turned off the lights, leaving only a wall lamp on in the hallway.
“You go take a bath and sleep. I’ll stay with Grandpa.”
Shen Tang looked at him, “You go to the next room later; I have something to say to you.”
Jiang Chengyu nodded.
There was a small suite in the VIP ward where her things were.
Shen Tang took her clothes to shower. The torment of many days released a little during these few hours tonight.
After a quick shower and drying her hair, she turned off the bathroom light.
Seeing her come out, Jiang Chengyu went over to her.
The suite was small, with her own sheets and quilt on the bed.
Shen Tang handed him a chair and leaned against the edge of the bed, “Thank you. Grandpa has no more burdens in his heart. He can finally leave without regrets.”
Jiang Chengyu disliked her being so formal, “Why do you seem to keep a distance from me?”
“It’s not distance, it’s gratitude.” Shen Tang looked down at her sandals, “You wouldn’t understand this feeling.”
Given the special circumstances, Jiang Chengyu didn’t dwell on it. “If you specifically called to thank me, there’s no need to say more.” He stood up, “You’ve had a tiring day; go to sleep.”
With that, he unfolded the quilt for her.
Shen Tang curled her legs onto the bed and kept looking at him.
Jiang Chengyu held the quilt in his hand, “Sleep. Don’t think too much. Regarding our relationship, we’ll discuss it after this period. You don’t owe me anything. This is what I did for Grandpa.”
“Thank you.” Shen Tang lay down, “Sorry to trouble you tonight.”
She hadn’t slept for several nights. Even though she laid out her own sheets, this was the first time she’d lain on them tonight.
Shen Tang pulled the quilt over her head, leaving her feet sticking out.
A tiny voice came from under the quilt, “Could you turn off the light?”
Jiang Chengyu looked at her two feet, “Why do you always stick your feet out of the quilt?”
“For ventilation.”
“...”
Jiang Chengyu turned off the light, leaving the door half-closed, allowing the hallway light to filter in.
He didn’t leave but sat by the door watching her.
Within five minutes, Shen Tang was sound asleep.
Jiang Chengyu pulled the quilt down to cover her feet and hugged her tightly.
That night, Shen Tang slept very soundly.
Jiang Chengyu didn’t sleep; he took care of Grandpa.
He poured a glass of water and leaned by the window, looking outside.
Outside, tall buildings stood densely, no longer the seaside and beautiful coastline lights of Haitang Village.
Grandpa’s sleep was restless. Even after injections and medication, his pain couldn’t be alleviated.
This pain made the night seem so long.
________________________________________
On Friday afternoon, the attending doctor informed Shen Tang again to mentally prepare herself.
Grandpa himself was aware; living one more day was a bonus.
“Xiao Jiang should be arriving in London by now. Call him and check.”
Shen Tang calculated the time, “Still a few more hours.”
Mentioning Jiang Chengyu inevitably led Grandpa to nag a bit, advising her to be more considerate in the future.
Shen Tang agreed, “Grandpa, I’ll call Sister Li and ask when she’ll send over the script.” She teased, “Grandpa, you must rehearse lines with me then.”
Grandpa nodded, “Alright.”
With Shen Ge taking care of Grandpa, Shen Tang went out to the corridor.
She wasn’t calling Sister Li but Chen Nanjin, wanting him to visit Grandpa. At this moment, the people Grandpa wanted to see besides her were Chen Nanjin.
Every time she dialed his number, those digits tore her apart.
Just as the call was about to end, it connected.
“If I say you have thick skin, you won’t be happy, truly thinking Chen Nanjin posting your videos means he intends to acknowledge you?”
Fan Yu’s voice hit her straight on.
Shen Tang, in no mood to argue, “Let Chen Nanjin answer the call!”
Fan Yu stood by the floor-to-ceiling window of the sea-view room, gazing at the boundless blue sea, “He’s busy and can’t take your call now. We’re on vacation abroad; he’s diving with Yino.”
“You tell him Grandpa is dying!” Shen Tang hung up directly.
Fan Yu stared at the darkened phone screen for five whole minutes, her mind battling internally.
If she told Chen Nanjin, he would definitely rush back to Shenzhen regardless of consequences. With so many people at the hospital, his identity would be impossible to hide, and the exposure would lead to unthinkable outcomes.
But Grandpa’s illness couldn’t be concealed; Shen Tang would call again.
She couldn’t let Shen Tang ruin Chen Yino.
Desperate measures must be taken. She threw down her phone and ran upstairs to her daughter’s room.
This sea-view house was purchased five years ago, and every summer their family would come here for vacation.
She found their passports and went to the study to turn on the shredder.
She couldn’t stop Chen Nanjin from knowing about his father’s condition, but she could prevent him from returning.
Only after the passports became shredded paper did Fan Yu feel relieved. Changing clothes, she hurried downstairs, picked up Chen Nanjin’s phone, and ran to the beach.
Father and daughter hadn’t returned from diving yet.
Fan Yu waited for half an hour. Chen Nanjin and Chen Yino emerged from the water.
“Chen Nanjin, hurry up!” She pretended to be anxious.
Chen Nanjin thought it was a company matter, probably another stock plunge, which he was used to. He calmly went to change his gear.
He wasn’t in a hurry, and neither was Fan Yu.
The sunset’s afterglow covered the beach and sea; another day was about to pass.
“What’s the matter?” Chen Nanjin spoke indifferently.
Fan Yu handed him his phone, “Shen Tang just called, saying your father is about to pass. Call her back.”
Chen Nanjin’s feet felt like they were weighed down by lead, each step difficult. He called Shen Tang back.
“Hello, Tang Tang, how’s Grandpa?”
“You come back.”
“I’ll book the earliest flight back.”
The whole family didn’t even have time to pack. Chen Nanjin arranged for his secretary to book tickets.
Fan Yu only took essential items, “Yino, don’t panic. Make sure to bring your passport so we don’t forget it at the airport.”
Chen Yino panicked, “Mom, isn’t the passport with you?”
“No, isn’t the whole family’s passport managed by you?”
“But it’s not in the bag.”
Chen Yino’s hands trembled with urgency, dumping everything out of her bag.
Fan Yu also helped look but found nothing.
“You child, think carefully where you put it.”
Chen Yino was on the verge of tears. If it was really lost, it was Friday, and offices were closed. How could she possibly get it reissued in time?
An hour later, finding the passport proved fruitless.
Chen Nanjin had no choice but to call Shen Tang. He initially didn’t dare to say the passport was lost, “Tang Tang, I want to video chat with Grandpa.”
Shen Tang could say nothing else. At this point, she was willing to do anything to make Grandpa happy.
“Hold on.”
She hung up and told Grandpa, “Dad wants to video chat with you.”
“He’s not abroad? Not busy?”
“Not busy. He has time to chat with you.”
Seeing her granddaughter speak so lightly, Grandpa felt immensely comforted. She and Chen Nanjin had reconciled; although it would be a long process he wouldn’t see, he could imagine that day vividly.
After connecting the video call between Chen Nanjin and Grandpa, Shen Tang left the ward. She didn’t want to hear his voice.
Not long after, Shen Ge called her in, saying Chen Nanjin was looking for her.
As Shen Tang took the phone from Grandpa’s hand, she turned off the screen, avoiding sight to avoid distress. Lying there, Grandpa couldn’t see her actions.
She took the phone into the suite to answer, “What is it?”
Chen Nanjin saw a stuttering screen, “Is your signal bad?”
“Don’t want to see you.” She was impatient, “What do you want? Speak quickly.”
“Tang Tang, Dad can’t return temporarily. The whole family’s passports are lost.”
“Heh.”
Shen Tang sneered, “How coincidental, right after I called. Is that so?”
“Uncertain when it was lost. I’ll expedite the replacement and return as soon as possible.”
“You tell Fan Yu, I’ll make her regret it deeply.”
Shen Tang cut the video call and blocked Chen Nanjin.
Three days later, Grandpa fell into a coma, no longer recognizing even her.
The night before, she had told Grandpa that in the next life, she would still be his granddaughter and asked him not to forget her.
Grandpa said, “I won’t forget, how could I? Grandpa still owes you so much. Next life, I’ll have a good son who will cherish you every day.”
This was their final conversation.
Sitting by the bedside, Shen Tang gripped Grandpa’s hand with all her strength, wishing to keep him in this world a little longer. The pain of being forgotten by Grandpa tore her apart.
Watching Grandpa’s ECG become increasingly flat, the happiness in her hands turned into thin air.
The person who loved her most in the world had left her.
No one would ever wait at the door for her return. No one would ever tell her, “Our Tang Tang is the best.”
________________________________________
The day after sending Grandpa off, Shen Tang sat on the balcony facing the sea on the third floor of the guesthouse all day, from sunrise to sunset, always gazing at the sea, trying to recall what it was like going out to sea with Grandpa when she was a child.
Jiang Chengyu was still in London and called her, “I’m sorry I couldn’t make it back.”
“It’s alright. Don’t feel guilty. I don’t care about things after someone leaves. What matters is the companionship during life. You don’t know how happy he was those two days you spent with him.”
Jiang Chengyu’s voice couldn’t conceal his sorrow, “Once I finish handling matters here, I’ll come back to be with you. Very soon.”
“You don’t need to come back. I don’t want to see people or talk for now. Don’t worry; I won’t do anything reckless. I still have so much to do. My heart feels empty, needs some time to recover.”
Her voice was calm, like the current sea level.
“Tang Tang, I have an appointment to discuss something. I’ve arrived. Once it’s settled, I’ll return. If you don’t want to stay in Haitang Village, come back to our home in Shanghai.”
The car stopped at the estate.
“Not going to Shanghai, I want to stay with Grandpa a little longer.” Before hanging up, Shen Tang reassured him again, “Shen Ge’s family is with me; don’t worry.”
Not wanting to say more, she hung up.
Jiang Chengyu got out of the car. Chairman Xiao was playing golf, his physique robust and energetic, not appearing like someone in his eighties.
The caddy handed over the golf club, but Jiang Chengyu waved it off.
Chairman Xiao chuckled.
This smile was intriguing.
He swung, not caring whether the ball reached the green.
The caddy noticed Chairman Xiao’s poor mood and took his golf club.
Chairman Xiao removed his gloves and walked to the rest area, “Today the estate feels honored.”
Jiang Chengyu: “Chairman Xiao flatters me.”
Chairman Xiao took out a treasured red wine to entertain Jiang Chengyu. Last time, he specially went to Shenzhen to invite several shareholders of GR, but Jiang Chengyu refused.
This time, he came knocking.
Even knocking on the door, he still refused, not even glancing at the golf clubs prepared especially for him.
Jiang Chengyu remained uninterested in the wine; this visit wasn’t about business. “Chairman Xiao, let’s not beat around the bush. Name your condition to let Director Xiao publicly acknowledge Tang Tang’s identity.”
Chairman Xiao laughed, amused.
He slowly swallowed the wine in his mouth.
“Young man, why don’t you name your condition? Ask for whatever you want. As long as Tang Tang withdraws from the entertainment circle and doesn’t stir the waters.”
Jiang Chengyu leaned back in his chair, fiddling with the wine opener, “I lack nothing. What you have, I have; what you don’t have, I still have.”
Young Master Jiang’s arrogance was well-known. Today, he witnessed it firsthand.
Chairman Xiao maintained his composure, always smiling, “Lacking or not is one thing. Wealth is naturally better the more you have.”
“My money is far more than you imagine. A little more or less doesn’t matter to me, nor am I particularly interested.” Jiang Chengyu set down the opener, “Your time is precious too; let’s not beat around the bush.”
“Having Zhen Zhen actively admit it is impossible.”
Chairman Xiao knew Jiang Chengyu’s plan: once Xiao Zhen publicly acknowledged Shen Tang online, Shen Tang would gain the upper hand. She could retaliate against Xiao Zhen, extricate herself cleanly, and continue acting in the entertainment circle.
Such a good deal didn’t exist.
Now that Shen Tang no longer had Grandpa tying her down, if she stubbornly pursued revenge against her parents, she would have to expose herself, leading to a scandalous storm.
Such destructive retaliation would also ruin her own acting career.
Jiang Chengyu: “After mutual destruction, have you considered what Director Xiao and the Xiao family will face?”
Chairman Xiao wasn’t intimidated, “We’ll meet force with force.”
Negotiations collapsed.
Chairman Xiao reclined in the lounge chair, surveying the estate, “This place was originally bought intending to give it to Tang Tang. Pity, she’s ungrateful, just as stubborn as her mother, not turning back until hitting the wall.”
Jiang Chengyu followed up, “It’s not her ingratitude; it’s your excessive bullying.”
Chairman Xiao smiled. His strong defense of Shen Tang was also his bet.
He was gambling, betting that Shen Tang wouldn’t disregard Jiang’s family and Jiang Chengyu, exposing her background to public ridicule.
________________________________________
The next morning, while netizens were still asleep, several hot searches quietly climbed the charts, all related to Shen Tang’s background. Old scandals resurfaced with renewed vigor.
One post claimed she lacked upbringing and was dug up again after several years.
“Tang Tang, what are you thinking!” Xie Yuncheng knocked on Shen Tang’s door and entered, throwing his phone in front of her, “For those two people, it’s not worth it!”
He came to Haitang Village this time to take Shen Tang out to relax and applied for an afternoon flight back.
Shen Tang was packing her luggage, not even glancing at the phone. “I think it’s worth it, then it’s worth it.” “Can’t you listen to me just once?”
“If I listened five years ago, I would have.”
Without Grandpa, she was free of attachments.
Xie Yuncheng had a headache, “If you self-expose and they don’t acknowledge it, you’ll be in a passive position. You’ve seen the Xiao family’s behavior; you might end up being devoured by public opinion.”
“I’ve prepared; I won’t foolishly sacrifice myself.” Shen Tang took a few more dresses from the wardrobe and placed them in the suitcase, “This is just a warm-up. Once I adjust and return, I’ll settle accounts with them one by one.”
Xie Yuncheng slightly sighed in relief; at least he had time to think of a strategy.
Shen Tang’s phone vibrated; it was Sister Li’s call.
“Tang Tang, the world is crazy. Chen Nanjin admitted on his Weibo that you are his daughter.”
“What?!”
“Maybe after seeing today’s scandals, he had a change of heart. He posted on his own, saying you are his daughter.”
Shen Tang pressed the call to end and searched Chen Nanjin’s Weibo. Sure enough, his post was already nearing the tail end of the trending topics.
[ I know what will happen after this tweet goes live. Countless rumors and gossip will soon flood me and my family.
But as a father, I cannot watch my daughter be discussed and ridiculed repeatedly.
@Shen Tang is my daughter from my ex-wife. We divorced when Tang Tang was one year old, and each of us moved on with our lives.
I hope all revelations about Tang Tang’s background stop today.
...]
Shen Tang had no interest in reading the sentimental words below.
Xie Yuncheng read it too. Chen Nanjin probably posted it privately without Fan Yu’s knowledge. He couldn’t imagine the storm currently raging within Chen Nanjin’s family.
“Tang Tang, what are you planning to do?”
Shen Tang didn’t respond, calling Jiang Chengyu, but couldn’t get through.
She didn’t have much time to wait for him to call back and immediately called Zhao Chiyi afterward.
“I saw it.” This was Zhao Chiyi’s first sentence. The development of events was unexpected.
He calculated thousands of scenarios but didn’t expect Chen Nanjin to disclose it himself.
It wouldn’t be long before the news that Xiao Zhen was Chen Nanjin’s ex-wife would also be uncovered.
Shen Tang: “Do me a favor. Don’t let Xiao Zhen remove these posts. Also, in three hours, I’ll post a Weibo.”
Zhao Chiyi readily agreed, “No problem.”
“What do you plan to do?” Xie Yuncheng could no longer gauge Shen Tang’s current emotions.
“You’ll know then.”
Three hours later, Shen Tang and Xie Yuncheng were already at the airport.
Before boarding the plane, Shen Tang sent the pre-edited Weibo post.
Jiang Chengyu had just come out of the airport and saw Shen Tang’s update. The post contained no text, only a picture she drew herself.
In the parents’ section, she drew a slash.
Directly slapping Chen Nanjin’s face, she didn’t recognize him as her father.
Jiang Chengyu called Shen Tang; the line was already powered off.
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