News from Taiwan

Chapter 74 He Didn't Leave
As Jiang Guier was lost in thought, the elevator slowly headed towards the underground parking garage. This private elevator did not stop along the way, but Jiang Guier, preoccupied with her thoughts, did not notice this. By the time she came to her senses and reached out to press the button for the first floor, she had just missed it.

She watched helplessly as the number 1 disappeared, replaced by half of B1.

The elevator doors slowly opened and closed, revealing her slender figure through the metal doors. She chuckled softly and lowered her eyes slightly, her long eyelashes covering them.

Just as the gap was about to close, a soft sound came from outside, the elevator button was pressed, and the door slowly opened again.

Jiang Guier subconsciously turned her head, her heart skipped a beat, and her breath hitched for a moment.

Shen Huaizhou stood in front of the elevator, holding a warm paper bag in his hand. "Why aren't you coming out?"

The surprise was like a ray of warm light, instantly dispelling the weariness in Jiang Guier's heart. The corners of her mouth involuntarily turned up slightly, and even her voice trembled slightly, "Shen Huaizhou! You... why didn't you leave?"

She subconsciously took half a step forward, her fingertips slightly curled, her eyes full of surprise.

She thought that Shen Huaizhou would help her this far and then leave. He didn't need to stay with her and help her resolve this old grudge that entangled two generations. She had even said goodbye to him when she went upstairs to find her mother. She never expected this...

But at this moment, he stood at the elevator door, his gentle gaze falling on her, like a ray of light, steadily catching all her vulnerability.

I never expected... he's still here.

Shen Huaizhou handed her the paper bag, his tone gentle: "I guessed you were having such a heavy conversation with your mom upstairs, so you probably didn't eat. I just bought some hot food, all of which you can eat." The paper bag was opened, and a faint fragrance of osmanthus wafted out. It was osmanthus-flavored ice cream, along with a cup of warm lemon tea. This brand should be available at the shopping mall across the street.

Jiang Guier's eyes reddened slightly again. She took the paper bag with her fingertips, and the warm touch spread through the paper bag to her palm, making her nose tingle.

She looked down at the osmanthus cake and said softly, her voice filled with barely suppressed emotion.

"You don't need to be so polite with me. I can't let you go hungry while I'm with you. I ordered takeout. If I went to buy it myself, wouldn't you be moved to tears?" Shen Huaizhou looked at her reddened eyes and teased her, "What did you say to your mother?"

Jiang Guier's emotions, which had just risen, instantly subsided. "My mother... she already knew about my great-grandfather's situation and also knew about my grandmother's inner conflict. She is willing to stay with me, but my grandmother is too stubborn, and we don't know how to bring it up right now."

She paused, her fingertips tracing the edge of the paper bag. "I still can't understand why Grandma, who clearly loved Grandpa, wouldn't back down and give each other a chance."

The two walked out of the elevator side by side. Shen Huaizhou's gaze fell on her face, a hidden emotion flashing in his eyes. His tone was steady and clear: "You only saw Grandma's stubbornness, you saw Great-Grandpa's forbearance, but you didn't try to understand what Great-Grandpa was thinking these past fifteen years." He paused and continued, "Your grandmother's resentment stems from the separation back then; but Great-Grandpa's anonymity may not have been his own choice. He stayed with your great-grandmother for so many years without revealing the truth, so he must have cared about you. Have you ever thought about why he didn't come back sooner? Why did he choose to return here fifteen years ago, yet refuse to acknowledge you? And your mother, I believe that Ms. Jiang, such a capable investor, could handle such matters well, but she didn't. Perhaps... it was a test for you?"

These words struck Jiang Guier like a thunderbolt, instantly waking her up.

She was suddenly startled. She had been troubled by her grandmother's resentment and her great-grandfather's forbearance, but she had never thought about how many stories were hidden in her great-grandfather's trip to Taiwan and his later quiet return.
“You’re right! I’m too easily swayed. I believed everything my mom said after just a couple of words. She’s capable but doesn’t want to solve the problem, and she won’t tell me the truth. In the end, she’s on my grandma’s side. Since she won’t help, I won’t rely on her.”

Jiang Guier's eyes instantly hardened. "I was only thinking about getting them to reconcile. My great-grandmother can't tell me right now. I've been stuck on my maternal grandmother's side, but I forgot to ask my great-grandfather's thoughts, and I forgot to investigate why he didn't come back back then. If I don't know these things, no matter how hard I try, I might not be able to untie the knot in my maternal grandmother's heart, and the problem will still remain unresolved. That's right! I should ask my great-grandfather, ask him what he has experienced all these years, ask him why he didn't come back back then, and ask him if he has truly let go of everything from back then."

Looking at the light in her eyes, Shen Huaizhou smiled faintly and softened his tone, "Okay, we'll go find him after you've rested. You've been tired these past few days, so don't rush. Take your time. Some stories need to be heard slowly, and some knots need to be untied slowly."

The two walked side by side to Shen Huaizhou's car. Once inside, Jiang Guier finally let down her guard. "I'm really tired. It feels like I haven't stopped since I went to Taiwan and came back."

"You can rest in the car for a while."

The car started slowly and drove smoothly through the night. The neon lights outside the window rushed past, reflecting on her face in flashes of light.

She leaned back in the passenger seat, still clutching the paper bag containing osmanthus cakes tightly in her hand. The faint scent of osmanthus lingered around her nose, and she could hear Shen Huaizhou's steady breathing and the soft sounds of the car moving. Her nerves, which had been tense for so long, finally relaxed completely. Weariness washed over her like a tide, and her eyelids grew heavier and heavier. Before she knew it, she slowly closed her eyes and fell asleep.

Shen Huaizhou caught a glimpse of her sleeping face out of the corner of his eye, and his eyes softened instantly. He subconsciously slowed down the car to avoid the bumps on the road.

He raised his hand and gently turned up the car's air conditioning a few degrees. While waiting at a red light, he took a light jacket from the back seat and carefully covered her with it, his movements as gentle as if he were protecting a rare treasure.

His fingertips inadvertently touched her hair, soft and delicate. He paused, a complex emotion flashing in his eyes, a mixture of tenderness and restraint. The car slowly drove into the residential area where Jiang Guier lived. Shen Huaizhou did not wake her, but simply parked the car under the shade of a tree downstairs and turned off the engine.

The night was quiet, and the moonlight shone through the car window, falling softly and warmly on Jiang Guier's face.

He leaned back in the driver's seat, his gaze fixed on her, and took a picture of her with his phone.

In the photo, Jiang Guier is fast asleep, completely unguarded, looking beautiful and at ease.