News from Taiwan

Chapter 72: Doubts Begin

As the plane landed at Terminal 1 of Shanghai Pudong International Airport, dusk was falling. The tarmac outside the window was bathed in a warm yellow light. The vibrations from the plane taxiing gradually subsided. Jiang Guier almost immediately unbuckled her seatbelt. Before the plane had even stopped, she tried to get up to retrieve her luggage from the overhead bins. Shen Huaizhou, who was sitting outside, did not let her have it and instead pressed her back into her seat.

"Be careful, let's talk after the plane has come to a complete stop."

“But…” Jiang Gui’er bit her lip; she was very anxious.

“Everyone’s back, there’s no rush.” Shen Huaizhou’s tone was gentle yet firm.

“Okay.” Jiang Gui’er lowered her head and obediently waited to be let through.

Once outside, Jiang Guier's steps were so hurried she almost stumbled, her eyes filled with barely suppressed urgency.

"Be careful." Suddenly, a cool hand gripped her wrist, the force restrained yet firm, steadily pulling her forward.

"I'm really in a hurry, I need to go to the hospital to see my grandma right now."

Shen Huaizhou followed behind her, his suit jacket casually draped over his arm, the collar slightly open. He had lost some of his previous composure and aloofness, and his tone was somewhat intriguing, "Don't rush to find your grandmother."

Jiang Guier turned around abruptly, the urgency in her eyes still lingering. She asked in confusion, "Why? Only Grandma is most likely to know the truth now. Grandpa returned to China fifteen years ago; it's impossible that he left without a trace. Grandma must have seen him!"

She desperately wanted to know the answer, desperately wanted to understand why her loved ones, though so close, had to be separated for fifteen years.

Looking at the anxiety in her eyes, Shen Huaizhou slowly released his hand, his fingers still warm from her skin. He spoke calmly, "Gui'er, have you ever thought that when your great-grandfather went to Taiwan, there might have been some estrangement or even misunderstanding between him and your grandmother?"

He paused for a moment, then said, “Your mother, Jiang Yun, knew very little about your great-grandfather from a young age. She mostly heard about it from your maternal grandmother. Your maternal grandmother, as one of those who were left behind back then, may have harbored resentment or unspeakable hardships. Compared to your mother, your maternal grandmother’s resentment towards your great-grandfather was probably even greater. What do you think?”

These words were like a bucket of cold water, instantly extinguishing Jiang Guier's eagerness.

She froze. Yes, her great-grandfather had gone to Taiwan, leaving her great-grandmother to support the family alone. Although she hadn't witnessed the hardships her great-grandmother had endured, she knew a little about them from her mother and maternal grandmother's occasional musings.

If there really is a rift between Grandma and Great-Grandpa, her abrupt visit to ask questions will not only fail to elicit the truth, but will also upset Grandma and make things worse.

She thought of some things that had happened before. Her grandmother's attitude was strange. At first, she didn't want her to go, but then she suddenly let her go.

Yes, she can't go to her grandmother's house.

Not at least not now.

She slowly lowered her hand, the urgency on her face fading, replaced by calmness and sudden realization. Her lips curled slightly, and her tone carried a hint of self-deprecation: "I was too hasty; I completely forgot about that."

These days, she has been obsessed with finding her relatives and only thought about finding the truth as soon as possible. However, she has ignored the hidden emotions among her family members and the possible scars in her grandmother's heart.

Seeing the change in her mindset, Shen Huaizhou's eyes flashed with approval, and his tone softened: "Go find your mother first. Ms. Jiang is gentle and doesn't have such a deep obsession with your great-grandfather's matter. If you talk to her as a report, she will be more receptive and more likely to help you analyze the situation. It will be safer to ask her after you have figured out your grandmother's attitude."

Jiang Guier nodded, took a deep breath to suppress the turmoil in her heart, and decided, "Okay, let's find my mother first."

The two drove to the company. She guessed her mother was still in a meeting. She parked the car downstairs at the office building and said, "Thank you for driving me here. You should go back now."

After saying goodbye to Shen Huaizhou, Jiang Guier opened the car door and walked into the hall. She saw a figure in a beige dress walking towards her. Her makeup was exquisite and her demeanor was elegant. It was her cousin, Lin Wan.

Did they find out about her schedule again?
The moment Jiang Guier saw Lin Wan, her eyes remained unmoved; she merely nodded slightly as a greeting.

She had already moved on from the fact that Lin Wan had been secretly reporting her every move to her mother.

In the past, she might have been angry and questioned, but after this trip to Taiwan, experiencing the twists and turns of finding her relatives and the shock of learning the truth about her great-grandfather, those insignificant calculations and tests have long become insignificant.

Lin Wan stopped, her face showing some unease and guilt. She took the initiative to step forward, grabbed Jiang Gui'er's wrist, and said apologetically, "Gui'er, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have told your aunt about your trip to Taiwan. I didn't mean to make things difficult for you. I was just worried about your safety being alone abroad."

Her fingertips trembled slightly, and her eyes darted away. Jiang Guier gently withdrew her wrist, her movements calm, without any deliberate distance or anger, and simply said in a calm tone, "It's alright, it's all in the past."

Her gaze was calm and unwavering, as if she were talking about something trivial that had nothing to do with her. "I don't have time to think about these things right now. I need to go find my mother."

This sudden calm and composure stunned Lin Wan, her guilt froze, and her eyes were filled with unease.

The Jiang Guier she knew was spoiled and intolerant of any wrongdoing. In the past, if she found out that Jiang Guier had tattled on her, she would definitely cry and make a fuss or mock her with cold words. But now, Jiang Guier's eyes no longer held the spoiled nature of the past, but rather a sense of composure and calmness, as if she had grown up overnight.

Lin Wan opened her mouth, wanting to say something, but didn't know what to say. She could only watch Jiang Guier's back as she walked away, a strange unease rising in her heart.

She has changed.

Jiang Guier walked straight into the elevator and pressed the button for the top-floor president's office.

As the elevator slowly ascended, she looked at herself in the mirror. A trace of lingering fatigue remained in her eyes, but even more so, there was determination.

She raised her hand to tidy her curly hair. She wanted to report everything about her trip to Taiwan to her mother in the calmest way possible, and also ask her mother to help her unravel the mystery of her great-grandfather.

The elevator doors on the top floor opened, and in the secretary's office outside the president's office, Secretary Zhang was working on documents with her head down. When she saw Jiang Guier walk in, she showed a hint of surprise on her face, but then she regained her professional smile: "Guier, you're here? The president is in a meeting inside, and it will probably take another half hour to finish."

In the past, when Jiang Guier came to the company to see Jiang Yun, she would either impatiently urge the secretary to call Jiang Yun out, or sit on the sofa complaining about the long wait. She was never this quiet.

But today, Jiang Guier simply nodded gently and said in a mild tone, "It's alright, I'll wait for her inside and won't disturb you."

After saying that, she walked straight to the door of the president's office, gently pushed open the slightly ajar door, went in, and closed the door behind her.

Secretary Zhang watched her retreating figure, his eyes filled with doubt, and the documents in his hand paused.

She had followed Jiang Yun for many years and watched Jiang Guier grow up. She knew this young lady's personality well. She was spoiled and willful and would never be so calm and gentle. She would never sit quietly in the office waiting for Jiang Yun to start a meeting.

Could something have happened? Secretary Zhang frowned, a hint of doubt rising in her heart, but she didn't dare to ask any more questions. She could only lower her head again and continue processing the documents, though her gaze would occasionally drift unconsciously toward the president's office.

The president's office was large. Jiang Guier walked to the sofa and sat down, repeatedly recalling the details of her trip to Taiwan, the photos of her great-grandfather, and the words of Shen Huaizhou. Her doubts deepened.

She pulled out the photo of her great-grandfather, and looking at the old man's gentle face in the photo, she felt a pang of sadness.

After an unknown amount of time, the office door was pushed open, and Jiang Yun walked in, dressed in a smart black suit, looking somewhat tired, clearly having been in a long meeting.

Seeing Jiang Guier sitting on the sofa, the weariness on her face instantly disappeared, replaced by a hint of surprise. "Why are you back?"

Jiang Guier immediately stood up, a warm smile on her face. She quickly walked forward, took Jiang Yun's arm, and said in a light tone, but with a deliberate composure: "Mom, I'm back. The trip to Taiwan went very well. I have a lot to report to you."

Her movements were natural, and the enthusiasm in her tone seemed genuine, but there was a hint of nervousness hidden in her eyes. She didn't know how her mother would react when she learned that her great-grandfather had returned to China.

"I think you're up to no good."

Jiang Yun, with her arm linked with his, smiled with satisfaction and patted her hand: "Tell me, what trouble have you gotten into this time?"

Jiang Guier pulled Jiang Yun to sit on the sofa, her eyes serious and her tone gradually becoming solemn, "Mom, this time when I went to Taiwan, I found out about him."

"Oh?" Jiang Yun's smile froze instantly, her eyes filled with shock. She subconsciously tightened her grip on Jiang Gui'er's hand, her tone urgent, "Did you find your great-grandfather?" Jiang Yun's tone was complicated when she mentioned her great-grandfather.

Jiang Guier took a deep breath, took out the photo from her handbag, and handed it to Jiang Yun. Her tone was calm but somewhat heavy: "Mom, look." She handed over the documents.

Jiang Yun took the photo with a calm expression.

Looking at her mother's expression, Jiang Guier suddenly realized that her mother might really know. "Mom, you've always known, haven't you?"