IOLYF Chapter 23

Han Changzong was annoyed by Han Shao Zhou’s tone, which clearly indicated he didn’t want to be disturbed by a visit. Without even asking which building Han Shao Zhou lived in, he hung up the phone.

This neighborhood was developed by Shengda, and Han Shao Zhou knew that if his grandfather wanted to figure out where he lived, all it would take was one call to the property management.

Frowning slightly, Han Shao Zhou looked at the variety of dishes he had already prepared and laid out, waiting to be cooked. Grandpa didn’t eat much, so there was no need to worry about running out of food. But Han Shao Zhou had planned for tonight to be a romantic evening alone with Mo Ming, just the two of them.

Besides, he wasn’t ready to introduce Mo Ming to his grandfather yet.

His grandfather never paid attention to entertainment gossip online, so he probably didn’t know about him and Mo Ming. How was Han Shao Zhou supposed to introduce Mo Ming to his grandfather? Should he just tell the truth, that Mo Ming was his little darling, someone he had kept for three years?

With Grandpa’s old-fashioned and conservative mindset, not only would he scold Han Shao Zhou, but he would also probably think Mo Ming wasn’t a decent person.

That wouldn’t do. No one could look down on his little darling, not even Grandpa.

Han Shao Zhou quickly walked out of the kitchen.

“Go change into something nice, as presentable as possible.” Han Shao Zhou said while untying his apron, addressing Mo Ming, who was lying on the sofa nibbling on orange slices.

Mo Ming slowly sat up. “What’s going on, Shao Zhou? Are we going out to eat?”

“My grandpa is coming over. He’ll be here soon.”

Mo Ming was so shocked that his mouth hung open, and the orange slice he had just put in his mouth fell onto the sofa. “Your grandfather? Han Laoyezi? Now?”

“Yes, he should be here in a few minutes.”

Mo Ming jumped off the sofa, hurriedly put on his shoes, and swept all the snack bags and fruit peels off the coffee table into the trash can. Panicking, he said, “Where should I hide? Maybe I should leave for a while.”

Han Shao Zhou couldn’t help but laugh. “Why are you so nervous? He’s just stopping by to see me and have a meal.”

“It’s just that… the way we are…”

“Stop overthinking it. Go change your clothes. Don’t worry. My grandpa likes kids who seem well-behaved. He’ll definitely like you.” Han Shao Zhou said as he stepped forward to gently wipe a bit of orange pulp from Mo Ming’s lips.

Mo Ming shook his head frantically like a rattle drum. “I wasn’t prepared for this. I didn’t expect there would be… this kind of situation.”

Han Shao Zhou frowned. Something about that sounded off.

“I’ll hide in the hallway outside. I’ll come back after you and your grandpa finish dinner…” Mo Ming said, trying to run past Han Shao Zhou toward the door, but Han Shao Zhou grabbed him back.

“Why are you so scared?” Han Shao Zhou chuckled, both amused and exasperated. “Don’t believe all those rumors that he’s strict and difficult. He’s actually a very easygoing old man. You’ll see when you meet him. And besides, I’m here. Do you think I’d let you get hurt?”

Mo Ming bit his lip. “I don’t even know what to say.”

“Okay, here’s the plan. Go change your clothes first and stay in the room. I’ll talk to my grandpa and set the mood. Once everything’s good, I’ll call you out, so both of you will be prepared.”

“But we…”

“No buts. He was already mad at me on the phone. I’d better go downstairs to greet him. Otherwise, he’ll start lecturing me.” Han Shao Zhou said, pressing Mo Ming’s shoulders from behind and guiding him toward the bedroom. “Be good. Go change your clothes, and wait for me to call you out.”

Mo Ming didn’t want to move, but Han Shao Zhou practically slid him into the bedroom.

Han Shao Zhou quickly went downstairs. Not long after, a sleek black bulletproof car pulled up. A little further behind, the property manager and three staff members were jogging over. They likely hadn’t expected such an important figure to arrive so suddenly.

A bespectacled assistant got out of the car and stopped the approaching property staff, explaining that this was just a private visit.

The driver, Ah De, opened the car door for Han Changzong.

Ah De had been with Han Changzong for over ten years, serving as his bodyguard, driver, and one of his personal assistants. He always wore a black suit and had a cold, silent demeanor, but he was skilled in many areas—from flying private planes to cooking and fixing cars. Han Shao Zhou had never seen anything Ah De couldn’t do.

As usual, Han Changzong wore a somber Zhongshan suit. Given the recent drop in temperature, he also had on a warm gray beret and held a round-headed ebony cane. Although his legs were still strong, he usually carried the cane for balance.

“Bring everything in the car upstairs.” Han Changzong instructed Ah De.

“Yes, sir.” Ah De replied, retrieving a few gift boxes from the car and following Han Changzong into the apartment building. Han Shao Zhou glanced at the boxes in Ah De’s hands, surprised.

“Isn’t this a bit much? What’s in there that’s worth bringing to me?” After all, whenever he visited home, all he had to do was open his mouth, and the food was served.

“Children’s Foundation gifts from home, plus some health supplements your Uncle Zhao gave me this afternoon. I can’t remember what exactly, but take them. Uncle Zhao never gives subpar things.” Han Changzong said as they entered the elevator. He glanced at his grandson, who was a head taller than him, and frowned. “You seem much thinner since the last time I saw you. Have you been busy?”

“Not too busy.” Han Shao Zhou replied.

Han Changzong hesitated, then abandoned his usual lectures in favor of a more gentle tone. “Don’t push yourself too hard. Take it slow. You’re only in your twenties—you still have at least ten years of training ahead of you. This is a long game. Don’t wear yourself out too soon.”

Han Shao Zhou placed a hand on his grandfather’s shoulder and smiled. “Don’t worry. I value my life.”

When they entered the apartment, Han Changzong surveyed the place and nodded in approval. It was a bit small, but it had a cozy, homey feel. The decor was tasteful, and the lighting during the day must be nice with the open layout.

“It’s small, but it has a lived-in feel. Still, living alone with no one to take care of you isn’t ideal. Have you hired any help? You’re busy with work, and if you don’t want to eat out all the time, you’ll have to cook for yourself. Isn’t that tiring?”

“I’m not here all the time. I spend most nights in hotels. I haven’t cooked that many meals.” Han Shao Zhou replied.

His grandfather didn’t go exploring the other rooms, instead heading straight for the sofa in the living room. “You should stay at the Champagne Hills estate more often. The servants are always keeping it in order, and it was meant for you anyway. Living there would be more comfortable.”

Five years ago, Han Changzong had purchased a mansion in the famous Champagne Hills area of Chuanhai for 323 million yuan. It was meant as a future wedding gift for Han Shao Zhou. The mansion was designed and decorated by top international designers, looking more like a grand European castle. But within six months, Han Shao Zhou sold it to Wen Ci’s parents at a fraction of the price—23 million yuan. At the time, Han Changzong didn’t mind because he saw Wen Ci as a future granddaughter-in-law. After all, as long as the house was with the Wen family, it was fine.

Later on… Well, it wasn’t the money he regretted losing, but he had loved that mansion’s architectural style and location. He had envisioned it as the perfect place for his grandson’s wedding, and he had even imagined moving in with them to help raise future great-grandchildren.

So when Wen Ci’s family left Chuanhai and sold the mansion, Han Changzong bought it back for 450 million yuan. But this time, he didn’t put it in Han Shao Zhou’s name. He was waiting for the day when Han Shao Zhou found someone special and they were ready to settle down. Then he’d hand the house over to the newlyweds.

He had even stuck a big gold “double happiness” character on the master bedroom wall, hoping someone would eventually take the hint.

“Is dinner ready?” Han Changzong asked.

“I was just cutting vegetables when you arrived.”

“Ah De, you take over” the old man directed.

“Yes, sir.” Ah De replied, heading to the kitchen.

“Since we have some time, I need to talk to you about something serious.” Grandpa said in a stern, no-nonsense tone. “It’s about Wen…”

“Hold on. I have something to say first.” Han Shao Zhou interrupted. “It’s a bit of a unique situation, so let me go first.”

“Alright, you go ahead.” his grandfather agreed.

“I’d like to introduce someone to you.” Han Shao Zhou said, standing up from the sofa and backing toward the master bedroom. He smiled at his grandfather. “But you need to stay calm. This person has been with me for a while. They’re sweet and well-behaved, just a bit shy, so please speak gently and don’t scare them.”

Han Changzong froze in disbelief. He shakily stood up from the sofa. “You… you have someone?”

Han Shao Zhou smiled mysteriously without answering. He turned around and opened the bedroom door.

“Alright, Mo Ming, you can come out…”

Halfway through his sentence, Han Shao Zhou’s words were abruptly cut off. He stared blankly at the empty bedroom.

There was no sign of Mo Ming.

“Mo Ming, Mo Ming?” Han Shao Zhou called out tentatively. He walked into the room, checked behind the door, and even crouched down to look under the bed.

Damn it.

Where did he go?

His grandfather hurried over to the bedroom door, his face lit up with the expectation of meeting a future grandchild-in-law. But when he arrived, all he saw was Han Shao Zhou standing beside the bed, scratching his head in confusion. Aside from him, the room was empty.

“…”

This wasn’t the first time Han Changzong had been tricked by his grandson. Han Shao Zhou knew how eager he was for him to settle down and had played similar pranks on him before.

The old man raised his cane and pointed it at Han Shao Zhou. “You, get out here and listen to me.”

“…”

Han Shao Zhou walked out of the bedroom, still bewildered. Then a thought hit him—could that fool have actually hidden in the hallway outside? He hadn’t fully recovered from his illness yet, and if he caught a chill out there, was he trying to get himself killed?

“Grandpa, wait a second. I need to go check something.”

With that, Han Shao Zhou quickly ran out of the apartment. His grandfather angrily jabbed his cane against the floor.

“Mo Ming!” Han Shao Zhou shouted as he peeked down the stairwell. The motion-activated lights flickered on one by one, but there was no sign of anyone, nor any response to his calls.

It seemed that Mo Ming was still hiding in the apartment.

Returning inside, Han Shao Zhou glanced toward the balcony and bathroom, his face darkening. Frustration began to rise within him.

Was he really that scared, or was he hiding on purpose?

Not coming out, huh? Fine, let’s see how he deals with me later!

“What’s gotten into you?” Han Changzong grumbled. “You’re talking nonsense about ‘someone’ this and ‘someone’ that. Just get back here and listen to me.”

With a grim expression, Han Shao Zhou walked over to the sofa and sat down. Casually, he said, “I got a cat recently and wanted to show it to you. It’s probably just scared of strangers and hiding somewhere.”

“You’re so busy you barely touch the ground, and you got a cat?” His grandfather scolded him. “What for?”

“To eat.” Han Shao Zhou replied.

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