Don't underestimate the poor and elderly; I was thrilled to refuse the class beauty's adva

Zhang Yifan stayed at Shen Zhiyi's official residence for four days.

Shen Zhiyi and Lu Wanqing had originally planned to take the high-speed train back to Jinan the day before yesterday, but their grandmother refused to let them go, holding their hands and insisting that they stay for another day.

"You only come back a few times a year, what's wrong with staying one more day?"

Grandma's eyes were red, and her rough hands stroked Shen Zhiyi's hand.

"When Yiyi was little, she would follow me to the yard to water the flowers every day. Back then, we couldn't get her to leave even if we tried."

Just as Lu Wanqing was about to say that the high-speed rail tickets had been bought, Shen Zhiyi preemptively spoke up:

"Mom, why don't we stay another day?"

I'm worried about Yifan driving four hours back by himself; he's still in his probationary period!

I already told him this last time he drove over overnight; it's too dangerous for him to drive alone on the highway.

Lu Wanqing glanced at her daughter, then at Zhang Yifan standing to the side, and nodded after a moment's thought:

"That's true, it's indeed not safe for you to drive long distances alone."

"Okay then, we'll cancel our high-speed rail tickets and stay another day. You can come with us tomorrow, so we can look after each other on the road."

After hearing her mother's pleas for her to stay, Lu Wanqing didn't want to leave just yet. Seeing that her daughter had taken the initiative to find an excuse and offer a way out, she went along with it.

Just as Zhang Yifan was about to say, "I can drive it myself," Shen Zhiyi shot him a sharp glare.

He immediately swallowed his words and quickly changed his tune: "Then I'll listen to Auntie."

Upon hearing this, Grandma's wrinkled face beamed with joy, and she turned and headed towards the kitchen.

"That's right! Xiao Zhang can stay here too, it's not like there aren't enough rooms at home."

I haven't cooked that ribbonfish in my fridge yet, I'll show off my skills tonight.

So Zhang Yifan stayed as well.

This stay lasted another two days.

If it were possible to spend four days with Shen Zhiyi, Zhang Yifan would be more than willing!

But for those four days, Lu Tingzhou guarded Zhang Yifan like a thief.

I sit upright in the living room at six o'clock every morning.

As soon as Zhang Yifan came out of the guest room, his eyes, hidden behind his gold-rimmed glasses, swept over him like searchlights.

He was absolutely forbidden from having any inappropriate contact with his granddaughter.

There must be at least one seat's distance between you and the sofa, you must sit opposite someone at the dining table, and you must be within sight even when taking a walk in the yard.

"Kid, you sit over there." Lu Tingzhou gestured with his chin to the side of the sofa furthest from Shen Zhiyi.

Shen Zhiyi pouted in dissatisfaction: "Grandpa, the sofa is only so big, why did you make him sit so far away?"

"Men and women shouldn't touch each other, don't you understand? You're not even married yet, what kind of talk is this, getting so close?"

"That's an old saying!"

"In my eyes, this is the rule."

Zhang Yifan obediently sat at the far end of the sofa and winked at Shen Zhiyi.

Shen Zhiyi understood and didn't argue further.

Just kidding, if Shen Zhiyi continues to argue with the old man, there will only be one outcome: he will be kicked out of the house.

After spending these past few days with this old man, Zhang Yifan was certain that he was capable of doing something like this!

Zhang Yifan once suspected that the old man might be a retired member of the Military Intelligence Bureau, as his surveillance techniques were too professional.

He and Shen Zhiyi were taking a walk in the courtyard, while Lu Tingzhou sat in the living room pretending to read the newspaper, glancing out the window every few minutes with such precision that it was as if he had calculated it.

"Was your grandfather a reconnaissance soldier when he was young?"

"Hiss... I've never heard of that before..."

But there are policies at the top and countermeasures at the bottom.

Lu Tingzhou always has moments when he dozes off.

His afternoon nap time is from 2:00 to 3:30 every day without fail, so much so that even the barking of dogs outside cannot wake him up.

At this time, Shen Zhiyi would tiptoe to the door of the guest room and gently knock twice with her fingers.

"I'm gone."

She lowered her voice and waved through the crack in the door.

Is your grandfather asleep?

"He's sleeping soundly, hurry up, or he'll wake up!"

The two slipped out silently through the side door and jogged along the path outside the courtyard all the way to the seaside.

Once free from his grandfather's surveillance, Zhang Yifan relaxed completely, took Shen Zhiyi's arm, and swaggered down the old street.

"Aren't you afraid that Grandpa will see us now?" Shen Zhiyi teased him deliberately.

"He's sleeping at this hour, sleeping even more soundly than the dogs outside."

"You're the one sleeping like a dog!"

It's really exciting to be in a relationship right under the old man's nose.

Over the past few days, their feelings for each other have grown stronger. From blushing when they first held hands, to now Shen Zhiyi taking the initiative to link arms with him and stroll through the old streets, her eyes full of undisguised joy.

And finally, the time to leave arrived.

Grandma kept stuffing the prepared items into the trunk of Zhang Yifan's Land Rover.

Dried seafood, homemade pickled vegetables, braised beef made by grandma, and a bag of salted duck eggs that Shen Zhiyi loves most.

"Grandma, that's enough, that's enough, the trunk is overflowing."

"How can that be enough? I won't be able to eat Grandma's cooking when I go back to Jicheng." She shoved a bag of braised beef into the gap in the trunk, then patted Zhang Yifan on the shoulder, "Little Zhang, come again next time, Grandma will make braised ribbonfish for you again."

"I'll definitely come again!"

Lu Tingzhou stood at the door without saying anything, but the reluctance in his eyes was already impossible to hide.

The eyes that had scrutinized Zhang Yifan for four whole days now held only tenderness.

Lu Wanqing cried first, hugging her grandmother and saying she would come back to see them soon.

Shen Zhiyi, who had been holding back, felt a lump in her throat when she saw her mother crying, and tears streamed down her face as well. She hugged her grandmother tightly.

Just before getting on the bus, Lu Tingzhou called out to Zhang Yifan and pulled him aside.

Zhang Yifan thought the old man was about to say something harsh again, but Lu Tingzhou remained silent for a while before slowly speaking:

"Treat my granddaughter well. I spoiled her since she was little. She can be a bit stubborn at times, but she has a good heart."

"If you make her suffer any injustice, I don't care if you're a top scorer in the college entrance exam, I'll still deal with you."

"Don't worry, sir, I promise I won't let her suffer any injustice."

Zhang Yifan paused, then added,

"But sir, I have to tell you the truth, playing chess with you is too mentally taxing."

"I've lost countless brain cells these past four days; I need to make up for it when I get back."

Lu Tingzhou was stunned for a moment, then laughed out loud, raised his hand and slapped him on the shoulder: "You brat, get lost, I hate seeing you."

Zhang Yifan turned and walked towards the car. Just as he opened the car door, Lu Tingzhou's voice came from behind him again: "Be careful on the road!"

He turned around and waved to the old man.

The Land Rover slowly drove away from the residential area, and in the rearview mirror, two elderly people stood at the gate watching them go.

Grandma waved her arms incessantly, while Lu Tingzhou stood beside her, his back still ramrod straight. He raised his right hand slightly, then quickly lowered it again.

Lu Tingzhou stood there for a long time, staring at the empty street, until the Land Rover's taillights disappeared around the corner.

"Old woman, why don't we settle down in Jicheng?"

Grandma turned her head and looked at him.

She had been waiting for this suggestion for many years.

Ever since her daughter married into the city of Jicheng, she had wanted to go there, but Lu Tingzhou stubbornly insisted on staying in their hometown of Lian City, and no amount of persuasion could change his mind.

"How did you suddenly come to this realization?"

Lu Tingzhou did not answer, but turned and walked into the courtyard.

"Stubborn old man." Grandma shook her head with a smile and followed him as she closed the courtyard gate.

……

Although Zhang Yifan is still in his internship, he drives very steadily.

Shen Zhiyi sat in the passenger seat, while Lu Wanqing sat in the back, scrolling through the weather forecast on her phone and muttering to herself:

"The weather looks a bit off. Look at those clouds, they're so dark and heavy. It might rain heavily soon."

"Mom, can you please stop jinxing me?"

"I call this being safety conscious! Yifan, slow down, don't rush."

With Lu Wanqing, an experienced driver, in the car, Zhang Yifan's trip onto the highway was finally completely "legal."

But because his future mother-in-law was sitting in the back seat, Zhang Yifan drove even more carefully, his hands gripping the steering wheel, his eyes fixed on the road ahead, not daring to be distracted, and not even daring to play music.

But accidents always happen suddenly.

Summer is rainy, and a heavy rain came quietly.

The rain came suddenly and fiercely, with large raindrops pounding against the windshield. Even with the wipers on their fastest setting, they couldn't keep up, and visibility instantly dropped to less than a few dozen meters.

A film of water quickly formed on the highway, and the tires could feel a noticeable slippage when they drove over it.

All the cars slowed down, and the vehicles in front and behind turned on their hazard lights. The dense yellow lights flickered in and out of the rain, like fireflies dancing in the air.

Zhang Yifan also slowed down, turned on his hazard lights, moved to the slow lane, gripped the steering wheel tightly with both hands, and kept scanning back and forth between the rearview mirror and the road conditions ahead.

Under these road conditions, it suddenly appeared from the overtaking lane on Zhang Yifan's left.

A black SUV with its smart driving indicator light on sped past him.

The splashing water hit the side window of the Land Rover with a loud whoosh, and the view was instantly turned white.

The car's taillights shrank rapidly in the rain, leaving two red streaks trailing behind it like two shooting stars streaking across the rainy night.

Lu Wanqing frowned, watching the black SUV disappear into the rain, and said, "Is that car crazy? Driving so fast in this kind of road condition, aren't they afraid of causing an accident..."

Before the words were even finished, the three people in the car saw the black SUV suddenly skid to the side.

The entire car body seemed to be suddenly pushed by an invisible hand, and began to sway violently from side to side.

Immediately afterwards, the right front wheel snapped off with a crack, and the tire flew off, bouncing twice on the puddle.

The entire vehicle spun at an extremely high speed, swinging from the overtaking lane all the way to the emergency lane.

It left several crooked skid marks on the slippery road surface, and finally crashed into the guardrail with a bang. The car shook and came to a stop.

Shen Zhiyi turned to look at her mother, her expression complex: "Mom, you... you're just jinxing me..."