Her voice was barely audible, but the few people closest to her still caught most of it.
The old lady’s voice suddenly turned stern, "Chen Yuling, what are you saying?"
Chen Yuling quickly shook her head, "Mom, I didn't say anything."
The old lady gave her a sideways glance, a kind smile appearing on her face as she pinched Jian Sheng’s cheek.
"This must be Sheng Sheng? You're so cute, come and say hello to Grandma."
Jian Sheng obediently called out, "Grandma."
Grandma, also known as maternal grandmother, with the term varying by region.
Jian Sheng knew from the original novel that her grandmother wasn't inherently bad, just held more traditional, family-oriented views. Later, influenced by her eldest sister-in-law, she began wanting to find a husband with a matching family background for her mother, gradually being led astray by her eldest sister-in-law.
Her soft, yet slightly crisp and sweet voice melted hearts.
The old lady let out a drawn-out, "A~h," and crouched down, intending to hug Jian Sheng.
However, she was quickly stopped by the people around her.
"Mom, Sheng Sheng is too heavy, don't hurt yourself."
"Yes, Mom, the doctor just told you not to do strenuous exercise, it's not good for your health."
As several people continuously advised her, the old lady stopped with a hint of sadness.
"Alas, if only Ruo Ruo hadn't been taken by those damned bandits after being held for two years, never to be seen again. Now I want to hug my granddaughter, but I'm old and no longer have the strength."
Jian Jun Ruo’s eyes immediately welled up.
The people around her who had been trying to stop her also paused, the scene enveloped in a thick, sorrowful atmosphere that made one feel uneasy.
The old lady shook her head, propping herself on her knees, preparing to stand.
At this moment, Jian Sheng suddenly stepped forward, actively leaning closer to the old lady, laboriously hugging her and patting her back.
"Grandma, don't be sad, Sheng Sheng will hug Grandma."
The old lady’s body stiffened, then she slowly returned the hug, her voice hoarse.
"Good child, Grandma isn't sad, not sad."
After they hugged for a while, Jian Jun Yu helped the old lady up, "Mom, get up, you won't be able to squat for long."
Chen Yuling’s eyes flickered.
She hadn't expected that Jian Sheng, who should have been Jian Jun Ruo’s greatest stain, would immediately gain the favor of Madam Jian.
After Chen Yuling fell silent, the eldest son, Cheng Jun Tan, began chatting with his younger sister, Jian Jun Ruo. In just a few words, the atmosphere became warm and harmonious.
However, who knew what hidden thoughts were brewing in the hearts of many.
Besides Jian老爷子’s lineage, the descendants of his several brothers were also present. In such large families, it was quite normal for them to remain united for several generations without splitting up. After all, no one would feel comfortable entrusting the vast family business to outsiders.
Besides the noticeably obvious eldest sister-in-law, Jian Sheng also, through her uncle’s introduction, matched the Jian family members with their roles in the original novel. She particularly paid attention to a few individuals who had treated her mother poorly in the book.
After spending a night at the Jian residence, Jian Jun Ruo proposed to leave. After much persuasion from everyone, she finally declined, citing that she had found a nearby house for convenient pick-ups and drop-offs for Sheng Sheng at school and for her to attend Hua Wen Art Studio. After all, Jian Jun Ruo had returned to the capital and intended to settle there, and she promised to visit often in the future. Seeing that she couldn't be persuaded to stay, the Jian family members let them leave. Jian Jun Yu and Jian Xiu Huan were still the ones to see them off.
After a moment of silence, Jian Xiu Huan spoke, "Little Aunt, I apologize on behalf of my mother. Please don't take it to heart."
Before Jian Jun Ruo could speak, Jian Sheng, holding his hand, interjected playfully, "Cousin, it's their adult business, let's not interfere." *Only you are a child, I am not.* Jian Xiu Huan thought to himself. However, he cast a deep glance at his younger cousin and finally smiled with understanding. He felt it was okay to apologize on behalf of his mother for her actions. But looking at his little aunt's expression, he knew this was somewhat of a moral coercion. He spoke again, "Sorry." He no longer mentioned apologizing for his mother.
With the topic dropped, Jian Jun Ruo also breathed a sigh of relief.
"Elder Cheng is still arranging the studio relocation, so classes can only start tomorrow. I plan to look for a house near Hongxing Elementary School these two days. Does Sheng Sheng want to stay with Mom, or go out and play with Little Uncle or Cousin?"
Jian Sheng replied without hesitation, "Sheng Sheng definitely wants to be with Mommy!"
At that moment, Jian Xiu Huan’s phone suddenly rang. His agent's flustered voice came from the other end, "Xiu Huan, quickly look at the trending searches! What happened yesterday has been dug up again!"
Jian Xiu Huan's expression changed, and he quickly opened his phone. He saw that the topic #Top Idol’s Collapse Suspected of Having an Illegitimate Child#, which had disappeared from Weibo yesterday, had reappeared at the top. It was followed by a deep red "Explosive" character. Upon clicking, it was still the same video from yesterday, but this time, the accompanying text had been modified from the speculations fabricated by anti-fans yesterday. Jian Xiu Huan frowned tightly.
He exited the topic and noticed that the ranking was rapidly falling, dropping one or two places with each refresh. Then, it quickly returned to first place, repeating this cycle.
At this moment, Jian Jun Ruo also received a call. It was an unfamiliar phone number. As soon as she opened it, a young woman's furious scolding came through, "Jian Jun Ruo, you *********, stay away from my brother! You’ve harmed my brother this much and still want to force him into retirement, are you satisfied now,呜呜呜!" Jian Jun Ruo was completely bewildered and wanted to ask for clarification. However, only the busy tone remained on the phone.
As if a switch had been flipped, after this call, more and more unfamiliar numbers began to ring. Some immediately started scolding, some uttered threats, and some cried, begging Jian Jun Ruo to clarify that she had no relationship with their brother. Besides phone calls, text messages were also flooding in continuously. After a few calls, Jian Jun Ruo casually flipped through hundreds of text messages, getting so angry she clutched her chest and simply turned off her phone.
While she was dealing with the calls, Jian Xiu Huan was looking at the trending searches. After his agent finished speaking, he quietly listened to the developments on her end. As information from various sources aligned, they all understood what had happened. Yesterday's incident was brought up again and resurfaced on the trending searches. Someone had doxxed Jian Jun Ruo's personal information, leading to the countless calls and private messages Jian Jun Ruo received.
The agent's voice was extremely grave, "Xiu Huan, you see it now, right? Someone is clearly trying to set you up."
"Brother Wang, did you find anything on your end?"
The trending search rankings continued to fluctuate. Jian Xiu Huan frowned tightly.
"I don't think this is the work of people within the industry. I know who has always been unhappy with me, and they wouldn't resort to such dirty tactics."
"No clues yet." The agent, annoyed, swore, "Damn it, this person is trying to destroy you!"