Chapter 56: I Was Just Too Eager to Improve!

Upon catching sight of Hong Ruilin, Tang Ye suddenly accelerated his pace, moving like a gust of wind.

"Hurry, hurry, hurry! We're flying..."

Nini shook her little head, her braided pigtails bouncing as she laughed even harder.

Gu Wenqin actually found herself struggling to keep up with them!

As Tang Ye approached, Hong Ruilin immediately showered him with a barrage of scolding.

"Why didn't you give me a heads-up before coming?"

"Isn't this supposed to be a surprise for you?" Tang Ye gently set Nini down on the ground. "Say hello to Great-grandpa."

Nini looked up and down at the old man in front of her, hesitated for a moment, and then timidly called out, "Hello, Great-grandpa..."

Hong Ruilin froze in place, unable to speak for a long while. Suddenly feeling a sting in the corners of his eyes, he quickly forced himself to hold back the tears. "Good precious girl, wait for me for a moment."

With that, Hong Ruilin turned back, squatted down, and smilingly pressed a handful of candies into Nini's palm.

Nini cast a cautious glance at Gu Wenqin.

Gu Wenqin smiled and nodded.

A sweet smile bloomed at the corners of Nini's mouth, and she politely said, "Thank you, Great-grandpa."

She quickly unwrapped one candy and popped it into her mouth.

Then, she unwrapped another and fed it into Hong Ruilin's mouth.

The wrinkles on Hong Ruilin's forehead instantly smoothed out, making him look a dozen years younger as he burst into hearty laughter. "Hey, thank you, Nini. What an understanding little darling."

Tang Ye picked up a hoe and spat twice into his palms.

He began to turn the earth.

"Elder Hong, leave this part to me. You go keep Nini company."

Hong Ruilin hurriedly took off his outer jacket and cloth shoes, waving his hand at Tang Ye.

"Change into these before you start! Don't get your clean clothes dirty."

Tang Ye took the clothes and shoes from Hong Ruilin's hands, put them on as if it were the most natural thing in the world, and bent down to dig the soil.

Old Man Gu shouted with a smile from across the courtyard wall, "Old Hong, you're picking on little Tang again, treating him like free labor!"

Tang Ye laughed at himself, "It has nothing to do with the elder, I'm just too eager to make progress!"

"Hey, you rascal!" Old Man Gu found it uninteresting and turned back inside his house.

Meanwhile, Hong Ruilin was holding Nini and evaluating Tang Ye's performance. "I must say, you actually look the part."

Full of energy, Tang Ye swung the hoe with flying speed, turning over a ridge of earth in no time, and said with proud amusement, "My grandmother lived in the countryside, and every autumn harvest, my dad would bring me to the village to help out. I'm a farmer's grandson."

Gu Wenqin couldn't hold it in anymore and burst out laughing, her initial nervousness quietly dissipating.

No wonder Hong Ruilin treated Tang Ye differently from others; who wouldn't love a young man who was observant, hardworking, and rather humorous?

Gu Wenqin didn't idle about either; she found a watering can and began watering the flowers and plants in the corner.

Her bright, delicate egg-shaped face moved in and out of view amidst the rattan trellis.

She wore a long black dress that made her skin look even fairer and smoother. When she bent to water the plants, viewed from behind, the curve of her waist resembled the graceful arch of a swan's neck, adding a touch of alluring charm.

After finishing the digging, Tang Ye washed his hands and stepped into the kitchen to get busy.

Finding it a bit awkward to be alone with Hong Ruilin, Gu Wenqin simply followed Tang Ye into the kitchen to help out.

As Gu Wenqin neatly arranged the washed vegetables, she suddenly heard a commotion outside, sounding like Nini crying, and hurriedly rushed out of the kitchen.

Tang Ye instinctively turned to look at Gu Wenqin, only to see her step squarely into a pile of rotting vegetable leaves. Before he could warn her to be careful, he lunged forward and grabbed her waist from the side-rear.

Because there was water on the ground, making it extremely slick, Tang Ye lost his balance and fell backward, landing hard on his backside, feeling as though his tailbone had fractured into several pieces.

Gu Wenqin landed right on top of Tang Ye, feeling as if she had fallen onto a thick cushion without any pain at all. However, she could feel her heart beating at an accelerated rate, as if it were about to leap out of her chest.

Realizing that his hand was resting in an inappropriate spot, Tang Ye quickly pulled it back.

As Gu Wenqin lay flat, the height profile of her body didn't change drastically, but the tight fabric of her base layer clung closely to her skin, outlining a contour like a smooth moonlight bridge.

In that moment, she lost her strength and felt lightheaded, as if she had drunk too much alcohol.

Tang Ye's vision was temporarily blocked by Gu Wenqin's thick, dark hair, and he couldn't help but lose his focus for a moment.

At that moment, Nini wandered over from outside, showing no signs of having cried at all. Seeing Tang Ye and Gu Wenqin sprawled on the floor, she clapped her hands cluelessly. "Great-grandpa, come quick! Mommy and Uncle Tang both fell down. Clumsy, clumsy, clumsy!"

Gu Wenqin hurriedly scrambled up from the floor, rubbed her lower back, and glared at Nini. "You ungrateful little bad egg, Mommy fell down and you're still enjoying the spectacle."

Thinking that Gu Wenqin was angry, Nini quickly and obediently scooped up Gu Wenqin's palm to her lips, blowing on it repeatedly. "Mommy doesn't hurt, baby will blow it better for you."

Tang Ye quickly got to his feet and tested his waist by twisting it slightly; there was no major issue.

*Thank goodness Nini showed up just in time,* he thought to himself.

Otherwise, he wouldn't have known how to defuse that awkward moment.

Hong Ruilin also hurried over from outside.

"Are the two of you alright?"

"Hearing Nini cry, I rushed out and took a tumble," Gu Wenqin hastily explained.

Hong Ruilin took hold of Nini's soft little hand and said with a smile, "The kitchen floor is too slippery, and there's a stove, it's not safe. Come on, let's go back to playing chess with Great-grandpa. This time Great-grandpa will let you win, so I won't make you cry again."

Tang Ye washed his hands clean and caught sight of a water stain and some dirt on the lower back of Gu Wenqin's dress.

After a brief hesitation, fearing it would be awkward, he decided not to mention it.

However, Gu Wenqin subsequently paid a visit to the restroom, and when she returned, the stain and dirt had completely vanished, looking fresh and immaculate once more.

Tang Ye was secretly amazed.

That spot was in her blind spot of vision—how on earth had she noticed it? And how had she cleaned it?

Quite magical...

Half an hour later, Tang Ye had prepared several home-style dishes: braised green beans, tomato and egg soup, oil-baked cucumbers, and radish and pork rib soup.

Gu Wenqin took a bite and praised, "I didn't expect your cooking skills to be quite so good."

Nini ate with great relish and polished off another bowl of rice.

Hong Ruilin took a sip of clear liquor, feeling the fiery, spicy sensation slide down his throat.

He had never expected to experience the joys of domestic family life in his old age.

Yet outwardly, he scoffed, "Stop praising him; this rascal can't handle praise."

After the meal.

Tang Ye and Hong Ruilin set up the chessboard.

Hong Ruilin knew that Tang Ye had a favor to ask, but even until Tang Ye bid his farewells and left, the young man never brought it up.

After seeing Tang Ye, Gu Wenqin, and Nini off, Hong Ruilin was tidying up the chessboard when he discovered a document folder left on the chair.

Hong Ruilin couldn't help but laugh and scold, "This cheeky brat, usually he's thick-skinned enough to say whatever is on his mind, but today he's changed his tune and managed to show some real restraint!"

Hong Ruilin retreated into his study and put on his reading glasses.

He skimmed the project summary and was instantly drawn in by the materials.

An hour later, he finished reading the documents and sat in deep contemplation for a long while.

Then, he flipped open the first page of his address book from the drawer, found a number, and dialed it.

"Old Zhao, it's been a long time since we last kept in touch. You know I wouldn't call for nothing. I'll get straight to the point. Secretary Chen is your student, right? Help me pass along a document! You owe me a favor from back in the day, and it's time to pay it back. Once it's done, I'll treat you to a bottle of twenty-year-old Moutai."

"Old Hong, you rarely ever ask for anything!"

"I'm not as stubborn as you think. When I encounter the right cause and the right person, I know how to be flexible when flexibility is needed."

"Alright, I'll help you pass along the materials," Old Zhao cautioned. "Whether it succeeds or not depends entirely on how solid the proposal is."

Hong Ruilin laughed with absolute confidence. "Don't you know me by now? I only fight battles I'm sure of winning!"

...

Inside the taxi.

Having played all day, Nini finally succumbed to exhaustion. Resting on Gu Wenqin's lap, she was fast asleep and breathing softly.

Tang Ye sat in the front passenger seat, occasionally turning his head to glance back at Gu Wenqin and Nini.

Tang Ye indeed had selfish motives in bringing Gu Wenqin to visit Elder Hong.

And Gu Wenqin was surely aware of it!

Even though Gu Wenqin kept her eyes closed, she was actually wide awake.

Every time Tang Ye looked back at her and Nini, her emotions would ripple like a calm lake surface upon which a pebble had been dropped.

The waves weren't large, but layer upon layer of ripples spread outward.

She knew that Tang Ye must have had a purpose in bringing her to meet Hong Ruilin.

Yet she held not a single shred of resentment toward Tang Ye.

He had helped her far too much already.

If she could do something to help him in return, it was hardly worth mentioning at all!