Chapter 57: Going to See Them Together With You

The next morning, Shen Jia Yan still couldn’t get out of bed when the alarm rang, because the night before, they had chatted late into the night on the phone…

However, she did get up when Jiang Jing came to knock on her room door.

Standing at the doorway, Jiang Jing teased her, “I don’t know who it was yesterday swearing up and down, ‘I’ll be the most punctual when going to Grandma’s house.'”

Shen Jia Yan rubbed her bleary eyes and mumbled in a daze, “It was me~~ It was me~~, I’ll get up right away.”

After the three of them finished breakfast and packed up, they set off for Shen Jia Yan’s Grandma’s house.

Forty minutes later, just as the car pulled to a steady stop, Shen Yan received a work call.

The matter was a bit tricky and required his personal guidance, so there was no choice—he had to head back. Jiang Jing worked in the same field as him and felt uneasy, so she decided to go back with him.

But today was one of the few days they had managed to carve out to spend time with the elderly…

Seeing their dilemma, Shen Jia Yan comforted them, “Mom, Dad, you two go take care of things. I’ll stay and keep Grandma company. You can always come back another time since you’re local, but it’s not easy for me to come back from out of town studying. I should spend more time with her.”

“Mm.” Jiang Jing looked at Shen Yan. “Yan Yan makes a good point. We’ll come back next week when we have time. Let’s handle work first.”

Shen Yan thought for a moment. “Alright.” He turned and ruffled Shen Jia Yan’s hair. “Yan Yan’s really grown up. You go ahead then. If Dad and Mom finish work in time, we’ll rush back. If not, Uncle Li will come pick you up.”

“Okay, drive safely then.” Shen Jia Yan got out of the car.

She then jogged into the small courtyard.

It had been a while since she’d seen Grandma, and she truly missed her.

Not long after Shen Jia Yan was born, Jiang Jing had to stop breastfeeding early due to health issues and went to the hospital for treatment. With her paternal grandparents having passed away long ago, Shen Jia Yan was entrusted to Grandma’s care. Though they hired a nanny, Grandma still took care of her the most.

Later, when Jiang Jing recovered, Shen Jia Yan returned to her parents’ side. But their jobs left no time for childcare, so from kindergarten through middle school, Shen Jia Yan spent her winter and summer vacations at Grandma’s, passing the time together.

A few years ago, Grandpa passed away, leaving just Grandma and a live-in nanny at home.

Shen Jia Yan pushed open the door and went straight in. “Grandma, I’m back.”

“Oh my, my Yan Yan’s back!” Grandma’s voice came from the living room, carrying that familiar warmth and joy.

As soon as Shen Jia Yan entered, she saw Grandma sitting in a rattan chair knitting a sweater, an old floral blanket draped over her lap. Sunlight streamed through the window onto her silver-white hair, casting a soft glow.

“Grandma!” She ran over with a smile, squatting down to hug the elderly woman. “I missed you so much.”

Grandma set down her knitting needles and laughed, “How come you’re here alone? Where are your mom and dad?”

Shen Jia Yan explained, “We were all coming to see you, but they got a work call right at the gate and had to go handle it first.”

Grandma sighed. “Work comes first. I’m used to it.” Then, with her wrinkled hand, she gently patted Shen Jia Yan’s back. “You’ve gotten thinner. Are you not eating properly again?”

“No way.” Shen Jia Yan lifted her head and grinned. “I eat on time every day, and I eat a lot.”

Grandma scrutinized her face closely, her eyes full of affection. “Your eyes are a bit red. Did you stay up late?”

Shen Jia Yan was momentarily at a loss for words, a sudden sourness welling up in her heart. She had indeed slept late the night before—after hanging up with Wen Wan Ning, she’d tossed and turned half the night, her mind filled with Wen Wan Ning’s face and smile, too excited to sleep.

She lowered her head with a smile, not explaining. “Maybe the wind on the road irritated them.”

Grandma didn’t press further. Instead, she took Shen Jia Yan’s hand and said, “Then rest well today. Grandma will make your favorite braised pork ribs later.”

“Really?” Shen Jia Yan’s eyes lit up. “Grandma, you’re the best!”

The grandmother and granddaughter sat together in the rattan chairs by the window, sunlight filtering through in mottled patterns across them.

Shen Jia Yan leaned against Grandma, her head resting lightly on her shoulder, a smile never leaving her lips.

“You loved my braised pork ribs the most as a kid. I’d make a whole pot, and you could eat half of it.” Grandma smiled, her eye crinkles brimming with indulgence. “Still as greedy as ever?”

Shen Jia Yan nodded with a cheeky grin. “Of course! You raised me yourself—how could my tastes change?”

Grandma patted the back of her hand gently, her tone tinged with heartache. “Your parents are so busy with work, and I don’t live that close. It’s not easy for you to come back.”

Shen Jia Yan tilted her head up, her gaze earnest and tender. “No matter how far, I’ll come back. If you miss me, just say so, and I’ll come see you right away.”

Grandma looked at her, a sheen of moisture in her eyes. She said nothing, just gently stroked her hair, like she used to when lulling her to sleep as a child.

A breeze blew in from the courtyard, carrying faint floral scents and the quiet serenity of accumulated years.

Leaning on Grandma’s shoulder, Shen Jia Yan said softly, “Grandma, you know what? I’ve been… really happy lately.”

Grandma looked down at her. “Oh? What good thing happened?”

Shen Jia Yan pursed her lips, a sudden impulse surging within her. She wanted to tell Grandma everything about Wen Wan Ning—how she’d finally held the hand of the person she liked, how that person was willing to give them some time…

But she didn’t say it.

Not because she was afraid, but because some words were most meaningful at the right time.

In the end, she just smiled, tucking those words away in the softest corner of her heart. “I just feel like life has become warmer than before.”

Grandma nodded, her eyes full of understanding. “That’s good. As long as you’re happy, Grandma’s at ease.”

As they chatted, Grandma’s breathing gradually grew long and even. Her silver hair gleamed softly in the afternoon sun. Shen Jia Yan gazed at the wrinkles around her eyes, those deep and shallow furrows holding all the memories of her childhood.

She got up quietly and carefully draped the blanket over Grandma.

Then, she went out to the small courtyard, filled with flowers and plants Grandma had tended. Though Grandma had little formal education, she had a natural knack for plants—flowers that struggled elsewhere thrived in her hands within months.

Up close, a cluster of tulips was blooming beautifully.

She bent down to examine the blooming tulips closely. The petals were plump, the colors soft, shimmering faintly in the sunlight. Grandma always said flowers had souls—if you treated them with care, they’d reward you with splendor.

Just like people.

She couldn’t help but smile, her lips curving unconsciously, her gaze tender and soft.

Wen Wan Ning would surely love these flowers.

Imagining it, she pictured Wen Wan Ning standing before them, leaning down to sniff, a few strands of hair lifted by the wind, a faint smile on her lips, gentle warmth in her eyes.

She took out her phone, snapped a photo of the tulips, and opened her chat with Wen Wan Ning.

She selected the photo and sent it.

[I just got to Grandma’s. The flowers in the courtyard are blooming great, especially the tulips—they’re so pretty. Wanted you to see them too.]

After sending, she didn’t leave right away. Instead, she sat on a stone bench in the courtyard, quietly waiting for a reply.

The wind rustled the leaves, sunlight falling on her profile. She gazed at the distant sky, her heart light and soft.

For so many years, she’d thought she could only like Wen Wan Ning in secret, hiding those feelings deep inside, never daring to hope she could one day share them openly.

But now, she could.

She could tell Wen Wan Ning she was thinking of her, that everything she saw reminded her of her, even hiding a night and a heartbeat of tenderness in a simple social media post…

While waiting, she scrolled through their recent chat history, reliving their slow journey closer step by step.

Suddenly, her phone vibrated.

It was Wen Wan Ning’s reply: [You got to Grandma’s? The tulips look amazing.]

She could almost see Wen Wan Ning viewing the photo—lips curving slightly, long hair casually over her shoulders, eyes gentle and focused.

She glanced down at the tulip still in her hand, its petals glowing softly in the sun, like a layer of tender halo.

After a moment’s thought, her fingers flew: [Yeah, the sunlight’s just right, and so’s the breeze. Standing by the flowers, I was thinking it’d be great if you were here too.]

She sent it and leaned back on the stone bench, her heartbeat inexplicably quickening.

Not nerves, but anticipation—the irrepressible kind that came with liking someone.

Seconds later, her phone vibrated.

Wan Ning: [Next time, if there’s a chance, let’s go see them together.]

Shen Jia Yan stared at the screen for several seconds, as if etching that “together with you” deep into her heart.

She murmured softly, “Together with you…”

Then she quickly replied: [You better keep your word then. I’ll be waiting seriously. (Serious puppy.jpg)]

Soon, Wen Wan Ning sent a voice message.

Shen Jia Yan played it, hearing her soft, smiling voice from the speaker: “Then I’ll wait for your invitation.”

Listening, warmth flooded Shen Jia Yan’s chest, like something soft spreading slowly through her.

She didn’t reply right away, just held the phone gently to her heart, closed her eyes, and let the joy seep into her.

In that moment, so many memories surfaced.

Her high school days, when a stolen glance at Wen Wan Ning sent her heart racing; after college separation, the longing hidden behind social media posts and voice messages; and recently, when she’d asked her to return to school together, her “Okay, let’s go back together.”

They’d walked such a long road to finally reach the day they could openly say “together with you.”

She opened her eyes, looking up at the clear blue sky, smile still on her lips.

A bit later, she sent a voice reply: “I will definitely invite you. More than once.”