"By the way, mom, I have reserved tickets for all of you, VIP seats actually. Do come."
"Well, I will, for sure," Chu Yunrong agreed without hesitation.
Shen Xitong turned to look at the others on the table, full of expectation.
"I'm a rude old man who spent a long time in the army. I am used to the sound of guns, so I can't enjoy the highbrow music like that of Cello and Pipa. I might as well not waste time there." Grandpa Shen refused by saying so.
Although Shen Xitong was disappointed, she knew that the old man was not interested in those things at all.
"I'm going on a business trip to Europe that day, so I won't be able to either. But I'll bring you a gift," Shen Junyu spoke gently.
There was only one person left. All the eyes were then fixed on Shen Qinglan.
Shen Qinglan put down her chopsticks, "The end of term is around the corner. I have a lot to review, so I won't go."
Just as she said so, Chu Yunrong got upset and chastised her in a low voice, "How can you miss your big sister's first concert? It's just a final exam! How can it be more important than your sister?"
"Yunrong," Grandpa Shen intervened in a low and deep voice.
Meeting her father-in-law's eyes, Chu Yunrong shut up timidly.
Shen Qinglan looked calm, with no visible emotions, "Grandpa, I'm going back to school first thing."
Grandpa Shen said with reluctance, "It's so late, why don't you stay at home tonight?"
His granddaughter seldom went home, even so on weekends—he didn't know why.
"Since I have class in the early morning tomorrow, I'd better stay at school. The day after tomorrow is the weekend, I'll come back to see you."
Shen Qinglan stood up. Seeing that, Shen Xitong stood up, too, "Qinglan, I'll see you off."
Seeing his granddaughter leave, Grandpa Shen glared at Chu Yunrong, "Come with me."
Only Shen Junyu was left at the table, his eyes going from brightness to gloom. No one knew what he was thinking.
----
"Qinglan, don't misunderstand mom. She didn't mean it. She just…" Shen Xitong followed Shen Qinglan while apologizing profusely, just like a sensible older sister persuading her unruly younger sibling.
Shen Qinglan stopped and looked straight at Shen Xitong without any emotion in her eyes, "Shen Xitong, there is no one else around now. Why do you pretend? Aren't you tired?"
Shen Xitong froze, but composed herself almost immediately. She kept the generous smile on her face, "Qinglan, I know you're not happy to see mom being nice to me, but you also need to understand her. After all, I am the one who kept her company for so many years when you were not around. Besides, you are quiet and don't spend much time with her, so it is understandable that mom is not used to it."
Shen Xitong's words could have been seen as an act of persuasion; in reality, she seemed to be showing off in some sort of way.
Even if Qinglan was mom's daughter, mom still loved her the most—even if they were not biologically related. Shen Qinglan recognized what Shen Xitong had implied.
However, she was no longer a child. If she still held some fantasy about Chu Yunrong when she had first returned to the Shen family, it had actually faded away over the previous six years.
"Shen Xitong, I hope you can take the role as the eldest Miss. Shen for a lifetime." Shen Qinglan's tone was light, but her words were like a knife, digging into Xitong's heart and causing the deepest pain.
Shen Xitong suddenly looked defeated. She stared at Shen Qinglan as she stepped back, her eyes full of coldness.
"Lan Lan, get in the car."
Shen Junyu's car stopped in front of Shen Qinglan, and his handsome face appeared through the rolled-down window.
Shen Qinglan slid into the passenger seat.
They didn't talk at all. About a street away from her school, Shen Junyu stopped the car. Just as Shen Qinglan was about to get off, Shen Junyu held her hand. Shen Qinglan turned to look at him doubtfully.
Shen Junyu licked his lips. His throat was a little dry. "Lan Lan, you are always my younger sister, my beloved sister."
Shen Qinglan was sure of it. She raised the corner of her lips slightly and said, "Brother, I actually do not mind."
He looked at his sister's calm face, and light bitterness flashing through his eyes. It was because she didn't care, so she didn't mind?
"Do take good care of yourself as you live alone at the school. Wait for me on Friday, and I'll take you home," Shen Junyu's said.
Shen Qinglan was not blind to the bitterness deep in Shen Junyu's eyes. Since she was particularly sensitive to emotions, she could almost guess what Shen Junyu was thinking about. It was not that she did not care about the Shen family, but...
"Okay," Shen Qinglan agreed. If that could make her brother feel better, then be it.
----
In the study of the Shen family, Grandpa Shen sat in his chair without saying a word. Chu Yunrong sat on the side and held her hands uneasily.
"Dad, what did you want to say?" Chu Yunrong first broke the silence.
"Yunrong, you have been in our family for more than twenty years since you got married, haven't you? Shen Qian is a soldier and he's not at home all year round. It's because of your effort that this family has been able to be happy and harmonious for so many years."
"Dad, don't say that, I should do all this. Although Qian doesn't come back often, he is very kind to me and I have never regretted marrying him," Chu said softly.
Grandpa Shen sighed, "Shen Qian is too busy with his work. Even when you gave birth to Junyu and Lan Lan, he was not there in your company. He owes you, indeed."
Chu Yunrong also seemed to be reminded of those difficult days. Although her parents-in-law had been very nice and had taken good care of her, yet it was true that her husband had not been around, which no one could make up for. Her eyes turned slightly red.
"I remember when Lan Lan got lost, you nearly became mad. You were then looking for her everywhere and you used to talk about her every day. You even got depression because of it. In the end, Shen Qian couldn't bear to see it anymore and adopted Xitong from the orphanage. From then on, you gradually recovered."
"Tong Tong is a good girl, very sensible and clever."
When it came to Shen Xitong, Chu Yunrong's face brightened.
Grandpa Shen nodded, "She is indeed nice. But Yunrong, Lan Lan is back now. Don't forget that she is your biological daughter. If it wasn't for the accident that year, she would not have been away from us for so many years. She would have grown up with our care and love like Xitong did."
"Dad, I know that Qinglan is my daughter, and I have been compensating her all these years. I know that sometimes I may give more love to Tong Tong, but Qinglan is also my heart and soul," Chu Yunrong choked a little.
"Whether that is true or not, only you know it. I just hope that you, as a mother, can be fair to your daughters. That's what your mother hopes as well. Lan Lan is your mother's favorite child. There is not much time left for her now and the one whom she worries about the most is precisely Lan Lan. Don't let her live uneasy even during the few days she has left."
"I see, Dad."
At the door of the study, the hem of a green skirt flashed by.