Chapter 41: A Special Trip
The next day, Wen Bairan returned home and got an earful from Wen Qianming.
Even at twenty-seven or twenty-eight years old, in the eyes of parents, she was no different from a seven or eight-year-old.
Lao Wen fretted over her safety and drummed into her that she had to be home by 10 p.m. while staying with them.
Wen Bairan asked, "What if I'm not staying here?"
Lao Wen replied, "When you’re not at home, that's out of my hands!"
Wen Bairan: "......"
Ms. Xie, seeing the father-daughter conversation going nowhere, jumped in to defuse the tension. She urged Wen Qianming to go out and buy breakfast, as they still had things to do later.
Today was Grandma Wen’s birthday.
When Wen Bairan was in junior high, she spent a year living with her grandparents. At that time, Wen Qianming was swamped at work, and Ms. Xie had her own little storefront business. Neither of them had time to look after her. As a young girl entering adolescence, she felt vulnerable and thought she’d been abandoned. When she saw her parents during the New Year after a long separation, she refused to greet them. It broke Ms. Xie’s heart.
Ms. Xie’s approach to raising kids had always been that childhood only comes once, so she gave her daughter everything she wanted. But she forgot that adolescence also only happens once. Especially during such a self-aware period, parents need to be extra careful. So, the next day, she brought Wen Bairan back home. After the New Year, she went ahead and sold off her shop, which had been doing quite well at the time. From then on, Wen Bairan never was apart from her parents again until she left for university in Shenjiang.
Although she had only lived with her grandmother for a year, Wen Bairan was very fond of her.
In her memories, her grandmother was a woman who knew how to live well.
After Grandpa Wen passed away, Grandma Wen felt lonely at home and even signed up for online tour packages. At first, the agencies were reluctant to accept her due to her age and concerns about safety, but the old lady showed up at the travel agency’s doorstep and loudly called for the manager, demanding that he come out and see for himself just how spry she was.
The manager was won over by her upbeat, lively charm and agreed to let her join the tour. After that, whenever there was a premium tour or a short trip, he would think to invite Grandma Wen. Whenever Wen Bairan called to check on her, the old lady would proudly say, "I’ve seen more places these last few years than you have!"
Earlier this year, her cousin was going to study in Hong Kong, and the whole family went along to tag along to get her settled and sightsee. Grandma Wen joined them too. Unfortunately, she took a bad fall in the bathroom while taking a shower at night. She suffered a broken femur and a dislocated pelvis. After reviewing her X-rays, the doctor recommended surgery.
Elderly people’s bodies wear down pretty hard, and even though Grandma Wen had always kept herself in good shape, she still ended up staying in the hospital for a month.
By the time Wen Bairan found out, Grandma Wen was already preparing to return home.
Wen Qianming and Ms. Xie made a special trip to Hong Kong to pick her up. Before they left, Ms. Xie called Wen Bairan.
On the phone, she sighed, saying that as people age, their bodies just can’t keep up with how they were in their youth. The once-ambitious old lady who had vowed to travel across the country now looked weary in the video call, her hair noticeably grayer. It was hard to watch.
Wen Bairan was upset that she’d been kept in the dark about something so big until now. In a panic, she said she wanted to go along to bring Grandma home.
Ms. Xie told her it wasn’t necessary—she and Lao Wen had it covered.
At first, Wen Bairan disagreed. After all, Grandma was the one who had always doted on her the most, and she felt she ought to visit. But then she turned and saw Zhou Lin playing games in the living room, and suddenly she couldn’t bring herself to face her grandmother.
At that time, she was in a bad state: she had lost her job, her emotions were tangled between past and present, and her sense of reason was tearing her and her life apart. Her mental state was always on the brink of falling apart. Grandma was such a wise person—if she saw Wen Bairan like this, she would only worry about her instead.
Although Ms. Xie didn’t know the full story, she could sense that things weren’t going well for her daughter. She comforted her, saying, "Taking care of yourself is the most important thing right now. Grandma is already okay. Once she’s back home, you can visit her whenever you want."
After hanging up, Wen Bairan recalled the time when there was a power outage at home and Grandma sat beside her, fanning her with a palm-leaf fan. She felt a complicated knot of emotions in her chest.
She calmly walked back into the room and still asked Zhou Lin if he could accompany her to Hong Kong.
He said he would once he was done skiing.
It wasn’t exactly a refusal.
Wen Bairan felt let down and hurt, but more than anything, she felt guilty toward Grandma.
What was even more frightening was that from that moment on, she realized she had become numb.
When you have expectations of someone, whatever they say or do falls within those expectations.
There were no more hopes, no more fantasies. It was like being programmed—she was just an empty shell staying by his side.
Grandma Wen was already eighty-five years old.
She was only twenty-seven.
Losing the heart to love at twenty-seven felt like this.
But she refused to be just a shell.
/
Grandma Wen wasn’t turning a big age, but because her fall earlier in the year had frightened the entire family, they decided to make this celebration a grand one for good luck and cheer.
Wen Bairan’s family arrived late, and her uncle came out to greet them.
Wen Houliang complained that they were too slow, arriving just as the banquet was about to begin—like they were just here for the food. Then he noticed Wen Bairan and did a double take: "Ran Ran? Is this Ran Ran?! You’ve grown so much! So beautiful! Ah, we haven’t seen each other since you left for university. How many years has it been? Do you still remember your uncle?"
Wen Houliang had married late. When they were young, Wen Bairan was the only child in the family; the whole family doted on her. He would often sneak her ice cream.
Next thing you knew, the little girl had grown into a young woman.
Wen Bairan said with a grin, "I remember Uncle, but I don’t remember Uncle having a belly."
When he was younger, Wen Houliang wasn’t like Wen Qianming—top of the class and steady—he had become a civil servant early on. It was only ten years ago that he got serious, co-founding an e-commerce company with friends. By chance, they caught the wave right as the industry took off. Ten years later, he had made a fortune, and his figure had grown fuller too.
He and Wen Qianming truly lived up to their names—one "Qianming" (bright earlier), the other "Houliang" (bright later).
Wen Houliang cracked up laughing at her teasing. "You little rascal!"
The State Guest House was pretty fancy locally. Wen Houliang had booked a mid-sized hall there. The guest list had been revised again and again, and in the end, ten tables were filled. Not only were relatives present, but also neighbors—it was even livelier than New Year’s.
Not spotting Grandma Wen at first glance, Wen Bairan was about to look for her when Wen Houliang pulled her aside and pointed toward the stage. He whispered, "The old lady is stubborn and refuses to use a cane. Later, you should lead her up on stage."
After her fracture, Grandma Wen had undergone artificial joint replacement surgery and hadn’t fully recovered yet. She couldn’t sit or stand for too long. Having socialized for most of the morning, she was now resting alone in a wheelchair.
By the bright red stage, the old lady sat supporting her face with her hand. Her eyes, once full of life, now showed the weariness of age. She watched the lively scene before her, lost in thought.
She had truly aged.
Her hair was almost entirely white.
Seeing her from afar, Wen Bairan felt her eyes well up.
"Okay!" she acknowledged her uncle’s request and ran over, calling out, "Grandma!"
The old lady, her eyes slowly focusing, stared at her for a moment. Her initially blank expression shifted from loneliness to delight. She grabbed Wen Bairan’s hand, exclaiming over and over, "Ran Ran! Ah, my Ran Ran is back!"
Wen Bairan held back her tears, smiling brightly at her. "Happy birthday, Grandma!"
With her arrival, Grandma’s mood visibly lifted.
She even agreed to go on stage—not just with a cane, but even in her wheelchair, as long as her beloved granddaughter was pushing her. She was willing to do anything.
Once the banquet began, the birthday girl, accompanied by her son and granddaughter, went from table to table to toast. Everywhere she went, she proudly pulled Wen Bairan forward to praise her, beaming with pride.
Wen Bairan would do anything to make the old lady happy—
She greeted everyone she knew or didn’t know as uncles, aunts, grandpas, and grandmas. When asked about her job or whether she was married, she always smiled and replied: "It’s going well"; "It’s still early, my heart hasn’t settled down yet."
Her smile was sweet and well-behaved, and she charmed everyone into praising her endlessly.
After the toasts, she could finally sit down and rest for a while.
The old lady was in exceptionally high spirits today and chattered nonstop during the meal.
Wen Bairan sat next to her, occasionally refilling her water and serving her dishes. Whenever her cooperation was needed, she made sure to satisfy the old lady.
Today was a rare opportunity, so Ms. Xie suggested taking a photo to commemorate the occasion.
The old lady taught Wen Bairan to place her hands on her face to make it look smaller, but then she touched Wen Bairan’s sharp chin and said with concern, "Never mind, there’s not even two ounces of flesh left on your face."
Wen Bairan held her hand and said, "Then you touch me, and I’ll touch you."
The grandmother and granddaughter hugged each other affectionately, and when Ms. Xie said, "One, two, three!" they both shouted, "Happy!"
After taking the photo, Ms. Xie returned Wen Bairan’s phone and said, "You have a message."
It was from Song Xu.
Almost an entire day had passed, and she had completely forgotten he was still at the hotel. She hadn’t even sent him a message to check in.
She wondered if he had grown impatient waiting.
Before she could clearly see what he had sent, her aunt came over from behind. Wen Bairan reflexively flipped her phone over on the table, her thumb swiping across the screen. The photo displayed in the input box was accidentally sent.
The neighbors’ table wanted the old lady to come over and chat. Wen Bairan wanted to go with her, but the old lady told her to sit down and eat. She had been so busy earlier that she hadn’t even finished her bowl of soup.
Ms. Xie went with her instead.
Once they left, the table emptied, and Wen Bairan picked up her phone to look.
The first thing she saw in the chat history was the photo of her and her grandmother. The atmosphere was great, but her smile looked a bit silly, not as natural as the old lady’s. She didn’t know how it had been sent, so she quickly tapped "undo send."
Then she noticed Song Xu had already seen it.
[Song Xu]: Then I’ll head out first
Leave?
He was only here for one night, and he was already leaving?
Wen Bairan looked further up and saw he had asked if she would return to Shenjiang with him tonight.
There were matters waiting for him at P&T after the weekend.
‘I came here for you.’
…
Remembering what he said last night, she was stunned, finally believing that "specifically" was part of it.
He really had come for her.
Wen Bairan’s gaze flickered, and she asked him in the message if he had eaten.
She didn’t know why she asked that; she just felt she should at least treat him to a meal, and... she was not used to him being this easygoing.
In her heart, she felt she owed him something.
Song Xu didn’t reply; she didn’t know if he had already left.
When Ms. Xie returned from the neighboring table and saw her absent-minded, she asked if something was wrong. If there was, she could leave first, as things were pretty much wrapping up here.
Wen Bairan snapped out of it, hesitated for a moment, and before she could speak, Grandma Wen called out to gather everyone at the table for a meeting.
She hadn’t originally wanted to hold this birthday banquet, but it turned out so well that she was truly happy. On the spot, she declared that since Lunar New Year was only a few months away, they should celebrate just as lively then. But not with so many people—just the family gathered together for a meal. She made a point that Wen Houliang’s daughter must be there.
Then she looked at Wen Bairan and asked, "Ran Ran, can you come back then?"
Wen Bairan said she could, definitely.
The old lady beamed with joy again and told them they could settle the bill and go home.
Wen Houliang was handling the bill. Grandma Wen was temporarily staying with him. After leaving the hotel, her aunt helped her walk slowly outside, while Wen Qianming was loading the old lady’s wheelchair into the car.
Wen Bairan wanted to help, but Ms. Xie pulled her aside and whispered, "Grandma already knows about your situation."
She was stunned.
The old lady had known about Zhou Lin before—after all, they had been together for so long. Even though they had never met, even her aunt knew her boyfriend’s surname was Zhou.
With so many people around today, she hadn’t had time to explain that they had broken up, but Grandma Wen had figured it out.
Ms. Xie said, "The old lady is sharp and perceptive. She understood immediately from the way you dodged the marriage questions today. I told her you had broken up some time ago, and she even asked me to reassure you."
After all, they were still a traditional family. She had thought this matter might make her family view her differently, but she hadn’t expected even Grandma to be so open-minded.
Looking at the old lady walking unsteadily ahead, Wen Bairan was so touched she felt warmth in her chest.
The autumn sky was clear and refreshing, and the afternoon weather was so nice it made one want to squint.
Grandma Wen wanted to stroll in the park, but her aunt persuaded her to go back and rest. She had been through so much today and her legs would probably ache again tonight.
She could only say regretfully, "Next time, then."
As the two chatted, just as they reached the car, her aunt suddenly spotted a luxury car parked by the roadside.
A black Aston Martin, with its sleek, sporty design that balanced understated and classy, complemented the man in the trench coat standing beside it.
She remarked, a little impressed, "Someone in our area drives such a nice car?"
They weren’t far away, and the man seemed to have heard her. He glanced over, then started walking toward them.
Her aunt bit her tongue and quickly averted her eyes. "Oops, he heard us…"
"……" Behind her, Wen Bairan stared, stunned, at Song Xu approaching, momentarily too shocked to speak.
How did he know this location?
No, wait—what was he doing here?
Hadn’t he already left?
Song Xu’s gaze was too focused, and even Ms. Xie could tell. She asked quietly beside her, "Is this the colleague you mentioned yesterday…?"
"......"
Only then did Wen Bairan snap out of it, quickly stepping forward to block him at the hood of the car.
She lowered her voice and asked, "What are you doing here?"
As the two drew closer, Wen Bairan distinctly felt three piercing stares from behind.
The sensation of eyes boring into her back made her scalp prickle, and she didn’t dare look back.
She was uncommonly nervous.
Like a high school student caught in a young romance, she tried guiltily to act calm, yet her flustered demeanor was impossible to miss.
Then again, feeling guilty wasn’t entirely a bad thing.
Song Xu flicked a glance at her family behind her, the ghost of a smirk on his lips. "Just here to say hello."
"......"
His face was as detached and unreadable as ever at the office. The faint glimmer of amusement in his eyes would have gone unnoticed if Wen Bairan hadn’t been standing so close. "...No, thank you. I know you mean well, but really, it’s not necessary!"
Afraid that his cold demeanor might freak out her grandmother, she grabbed his sleeve, trying to push him back toward his car.
"Hey, who is this?"
Auntie, seeing the two of them tussling, called out to them.
She gave him a quick once-over and noted that although his ultra-composed aura didn’t quite match what Wen Qianming had described, the expensive car parked on the roadside fit the image of a wealthy young man perfectly.
With newfound confidence, she exclaimed, "Oh, you must be Xiao Zhou!"