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Qinglan had just arrived at the doorstep when she heard a clear and melodious female voice from the living room, accompanied by her mother Chu Yunrong's joyous laughter. She paused slightly in her steps, her cool face expressionless.
"What are you doing standing at the door?" A gentle male voice came from behind her.
Qinglan turned around to see her brother Shen Junyu looking at her with a smile. He approached and reached out to ruffle Qinglan's hair. "Were you waiting here specially because you knew your brother was coming home?"
The corners of Qinglan's lips curled up slightly, a trace of warmth appearing in her eyes.
Shen Junyu put an arm around his sister's shoulders and walked inside.
"Mom, we're back."
Inside the living room, the mother and daughter who had been chatting stopped.
"Jun Yu and Qinglan are back. You wouldn't believe how funny Tongtong's joke was just now, I laughed until my stomach hurt," Chu Yunrong said with a smile on her face.
Qinglan looked at the woman smiling at them, with slightly curled chestnut hair, an oval face, exquisite makeup, wearing a green long dress, elegant and beautiful—all of it describing Shen Xitong, the adopted daughter of the Shen Family.
Shen Junyu smiled. "What's the joke that's so funny? Tell me so I can hear it too."
Shen Xitong gave a faint smile. "It's not that funny, Mom was just being supportive. Brother, Qinglan, I brought gifts back for you from abroad, I'll give them to you after dinner."
Shen Junyu nodded indifferently, while Qinglan simply said, "Thank you."
The siblings' cold attitude left Shen Xitong feeling a bit embarrassed, a touch of grievance appearing in her eyes, but she said nothing more. Chu Yunrong, however, couldn't hold back.
"Jun Yu, Qinglan, what's with you two? Tongtong came all the way back and even remembered to bring gifts for you, and this is how you behave?"
"Mom." Shen Xitong tugged at Chu Yunrong's sleeve, gently shaking her head.
Shen Junyu glanced at Qinglan beside him, observing her emotionless demeanor, and patted her shoulder in a comforting gesture.
Qinglan felt a bit exasperated. Did she really look that fragile?
"I'll go up and see Grandpa first." Qinglan ignored Chu Yunrong's words, and after speaking, she went straight upstairs.
Chu Yunrong watched her daughter's cool back, opened her mouth as if to speak, but ultimately said nothing.
Qinglan went directly to the study and indeed found Old Sir Shen in the middle of practicing calligraphy.
"Grandpa, practicing calligraphy again?"
Old Sir Shen, seeing who had come in, smiled broadly, put down his brush, and beckoned, "Come, come, take a look at what Grandpa has written."
Qinglan walked over to see a piece of calligraphy on the desk, just finished by Old Sir Shen, "Tranquility leads to transcendence," the strokes vigorous and forceful.
"Grandpa's calligraphy is getting better and better," Qinglan praised.
The Shen family was a century-old family, since the Qing Dynasty, its sons had been hardened on the battlefield. Though not every generation went to war, the lineage had never broken.
Old Sir Shen took up the family mantle at a young age, spent his life in the military, and only retired as he grew older. Now, he enjoyed a leisurely life at home, his favorite pastimes being calligraphy and gardening, which he described as nurturing the body and mind.
"Such sweet talk." Old Sir Shen laughed. Every time he saw this beautiful yet cool granddaughter, he felt particularly happy.
"Did you visit your grandma at the hospital today?"
"Yes, I chatted with Grandma for a while."
"Grandpa, Mom says dinner is ready." As the grandfather and granddaughter were talking, Shen Xitong's voice came from outside the door.
"Understood," Old Sir Shen responded. The footsteps outside gradually receded.
Qinglan stepped forward to support Old Sir Shen's hand. Old Sir Shen laughed, "Grandpa isn't so old that he can't walk, no need to help."
Though he said this, his eyes carried a smile, unwilling to refuse his granddaughter's kindness, even if he did not need it.
Downstairs, Shen Xitong was helping Chu Yunrong serve dishes, occasionally saying something that amused Chu Yunrong to the point of a beaming smile, appearing like a deeply affectionate mother and daughter pair.
"Grandpa, have a seat." Shen Xitong quickly pulled out a chair for Old Sir Shen as he came downstairs, inviting him to sit.
As the family took their seats, Chu Yunrong served a bowl of soup to Shen Xitong, "Tongtong, have some soup first, this is specially cooked for you by Mom, it simmered for hours."
Shen Xitong accepted the soup. "Thank you, Mom, you always care for me the most." Her words made Chu Yunrong overjoyed, and she picked up chopsticks to give Shen Xitong a heap of her favorite foods.
"You probably haven't been eating well abroad, have you? You look thinner, you should eat more today, it's all your favorite."
"Alright, Xitong isn't unable to use her hands, she can help herself to whatever she wants," Old Sir Shen remarked with a slight frown.
Chu Yunrong's hand with the chopsticks froze, and she laughed awkwardly, "Your grandpa is right, help yourself to whatever you like."
Shen Xitong looked at her plate piled high with food, then at Qinglan's empty bowl, feeling a bit awkward herself.
Chu Yunrong clearly noticed it too and gave Qinglan a slice of eggplant with the chopsticks. "Qinglan, this eggplant tastes good, try some."
"Thank you, Mom," Qinglan said her thanks but didn't touch it. She wasn't picky with food, but eggplant was among the few things she disliked, something everyone in the family knew, except for Chu Yunrong.
Shen Junyu reached over and took the eggplant from Qinglan's plate, eating it in one bite. "Mom, you're playing favorites, giving food to the two sisters but not to me."
Chu Yunrong gave her son a mock glare with a smile, "If you want to eat, just say so, instead of snatching from your sister's plate. Is that how a brother behaves?"
Despite her words, she still served a helping of his favorite dish.
"Grandpa, the ribs Sister-in-law Song cooked tonight are quite tender, you should try some," Qinglan said softly, noticing Old Sir Shen's gaze on her as she offered him a piece of rib.
Old Sir Shen's face wore a smile, but his eyes were filled with tenderness.
"Tongtong, did you get permission from school for this trip back?" Shen Xitong was studying piano on a scholarship at the prestigious Vienna Music College.
Mentioning this, Shen Xitong smiled, her voice soft yet uncontainably proud: "Our orchestra is participating in a world tour, and the next stop is Beijing, I'm the pianist this time."
Shen Xitong had a natural talent for piano, and Chu Yunrong taught her personally. To ensure Shen Xitong got the best education, Chu Yunrong also hired many renowned teachers for her.
"Really? That's wonderful! My daughter is amazing!" Chu Yunrong was clearly elated. She had invested so much in this daughter, and Shen Xitong's achievements were her greatest pride.
"Who wouldn't be with such an outstanding mom?" Shen Xitong replied sweetly.
Chu Yunrong herself was a renowned pianist, and thus she adored Shen Xitong, her protégé in spirit.
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