Chapter 192: Chapter 190: Telling Grandpa Mu the Truth

Lu Xiao looked down at Su Tang, gripping her hand tightly. The family of three huddled close together, the bedroom filled with a warm and tender atmosphere.​

The next morning, Lu Xiao couldn’t wait to tell the family elders the good news that Cheng’an could now say "dada."

​Upon hearing this, Mrs. Lu was so happy she couldn’t stop smiling. She rushed over to Cheng’an and said with a grin, "Cheng’an, come on, say ’dada’ for Grandma again. Let Grandma be happy too!"

​Cheng’an seemed amused by his grandma’s enthusiasm. He grinned widely but stubbornly refused to say it again, instead reaching out with his little hand to grab Mrs. Lu’s hair.

​Mr. Lu, watching from the side, couldn’t help but tease, "Little rascal, already knows how to keep us in suspense! But our grandson is amazing. His first word was ’dada,’ just like me back in the day!"

Mrs. Su also said with a smile, "This is wonderful news! I’ll go to the market and buy some extra groceries later. We’ll have a proper celebration at lunch—to celebrate Lu Xiao’s return and Cheng’an saying ’dada’!"

Lu Xiao held Cheng’an, an unstoppable smile on his face, and nodded. "Yes, this is truly the best gift I’ve ever received."

He looked down at Cheng’an in his arms, his gaze so tender it could melt.

"From now on, Daddy will be by your side every day, watching you grow up and hearing you call me ’dada,’ okay?"​

As if he understood, Cheng’an gripped Lu Xiao’s collar tightly with his small hands, buried his little head in his father’s chest, and let out a comfortable coo.​

At lunchtime, the table was once again laden with a sumptuous spread of dishes.

Mr. Lu specially opened a good bottle of liquor. He clinked glasses with Lu Xiao and rambled on about all the little things that had happened at home over the past few months, recounting every detail with great relish.

​Lu Xiao listened intently, nodding from time to time, his heart filled with guilt.

’I’ve missed so much of what’s happened at home. I have to make up for it from now on. I can’t be separated from my family for this long ever again.’​

Halfway through the meal, Cheng’an suddenly spoke up again. This time, not only did he say "dada," but he also clearly called out "mama."​

Su Tang responded with a delighted gasp. She quickly picked up a small, tender piece of fish and fed it to Cheng’an. "Good boy, Cheng’an. Mama’s right here!"

​The whole family watched Cheng’an, their faces beaming with happy smiles. The atmosphere in the dining room grew even warmer and more lively.​

The days passed, and Lu Xiao returned to his military post.

He was busier than before, but he always managed to make time to spend with Su Tang and Cheng’an.

On weekends, he would take Su Tang, Cheng’an, and the family elders to the park for walks and picnics. Just as Su Tang had expected, it wasn’t long before there was a new development from Zhou Rui’s side.

He sent a message to Lu Xiao through an intermediary, saying he wanted to talk about what happened before.

He also hinted that if Lu Xiao refused to yield, he would go after the Lu Family.

​Lu Xiao was completely unconcerned by this; he was already prepared.

When Su Tang heard the news about Zhou Rui, she thought for a moment and decided to visit Grandpa Mu.

Grandpa Mu was still in the dark, unaware of how much his beloved grandson had changed.

Su Tang stood before the vermilion-lacquered door of Grandpa Mu’s house and knocked lightly three times.

The sound of familiar footsteps soon came from inside.

Grandpa Mu, dressed in a navy blue cross-collared shirt and still clutching a half-eaten osmanthus cake, immediately brightened when he saw it was Su Tang. He quickly stepped aside to let her in.

"It’s Miss Tang! Hurry and come in, it’s windy outside."

In the courtyard, the old rattan chair was still in its usual spot, and the tree beside it was laden with unripe green fruit.

Grandpa Mu led her to the rattan chair, then turned and went inside to bring out a cup of warm chrysanthemum tea. The celadon cup had a faint, light ring of tea stains around the rim—an old thing Grandpa Mu had used for decades.

"Why haven’t you brought Cheng’an lately? That little guy was pulling my beard and demanding candy last time he was here."

Grandpa Mu said with a smile, his words full of affection for the child.

Su Tang held the warm teacup, her fingertips tightening slightly. The words she had so carefully prepared in her mind suddenly felt difficult to say.

She looked at the new white hairs at Grandpa Mu’s temples and couldn’t bear to say it.

"Grandpa Mu."

Su Tang took a deep breath, her voice soft and gentle.

"I came today because I wanted to talk to you about something concerning Zhou Rui."

"Ah Rui?"

Grandpa Mu paused for a moment, then chuckled. "Has that boy been busy lately? It’s been a while since he came to see me. He called a few days ago and said he was going to bring me some new tea."

When he mentioned Zhou Rui, his tone was full of trust, completely missing the gravity in Su Tang’s words.

Su Tang lowered her gaze, avoiding Grandpa Mu’s expectant look, and spoke word by word.

"Zhou Rui sent a message to Lu Xiao. He said he wants to talk about what happened before, and he hinted... that if Lu Xiao doesn’t yield, he’ll go after the Lu Family."

Her words were like a stone dropped into calm water. The smile on Grandpa Mu’s face instantly froze.

The osmanthus cake in his hand fell with a soft thud, but he didn’t even notice. He just stared blankly at Su Tang. "Miss Tang... what did you say? How could Ah Rui say something like that? He was always so well-behaved as a child. How could he threaten people?"

"I also wish it were a misunderstanding."

"Impossible..."

He muttered to himself, "Just last year, Ah Rui took me to the hospital for a check-up. He said he would take good care of me in the future. How could he become like this?"

Su Tang watched the light in Grandpa Mu’s eyes dim little by little, and she felt a knot in her stomach.

She reached out and gently patted the back of Grandpa Mu’s hand, her tone softening.

"Grandpa Mu, I know this is hard for you to accept. To be honest, I hesitated for a long time before coming here. But the way Zhou Rui is now... he’s no longer the boy you remember."

"We didn’t want you to be kept in the dark, and we were even more afraid that he might do something more outrageous in the future and implicate you."

Grandpa Mu was silent for a long time, so long that Su Tang thought he wouldn’t speak again. Then, he slowly raised his head.

His eyes were terribly red, but he fought back the tears.

"Miss Tang, thank you for telling me this. I... I need to find him and ask him about this, to see if there’s some hidden reason, if someone is forcing him..."

By the end, his voice was choked with sobs.

Su Tang didn’t try to persuade him further. She knew that Grandpa Mu was still clinging to a sliver of hope, and only by verifying it himself could he truly see the truth.

When she left Grandpa Mu’s house, the setting sun had already sunk behind the courtyard wall, stretching the tree’s shadow long across the ground.

Grandpa Mu stood at the door watching her leave, his once-straight back now seeming to have stooped in an instant.

When she returned home, Lu Xiao was in the living room playing with blocks with Cheng’an. Cheng’an was clutching a yellow block, insisting on placing it on top of Lu Xiao’s head.

Hearing the door open, the father and son looked over at the same time. When Lu Xiao saw the somber expression on Su Tang’s face, the tenderness in his eyes instantly gave way to concern. "How did it go? With Grandpa Mu..."

Su Tang changed her shoes and walked over. Cheng’an immediately reached out his little hands, wanting her to hold him.

She took the child and buried her face in the soft crook of his neck for a moment before slowly looking up.

"Grandpa Mu didn’t believe it at first. Then he just... deflated. He said he’s going to find Zhou Rui and ask him about it."

Lu Xiao came over and gently ruffled her hair, his tone reassuring.

"Don’t worry. Grandpa Mu is a reasonable man. He’ll see Zhou Rui’s true colors sooner or later.

As for Zhou Rui, I’ve already had my men keep an eye on him. If he dares to get any funny ideas, I won’t give him the chance to hurt our family."