Mr. He, better off remaining silent, only worsened the situation when he spoke.
The elder Mr. He could not stand the appearance of his grandson, He Yanci, pretending to be something he was not—so false, so insincere!
The old man, leaning on his cane, descended from the stairs and shot He Yanci a disdainful glare. "You've learned all the wrong things from outside influences, haven't you? Is this how you carry yourself?"
"Yes, it's all my fault, Grandpa," He Yanci readily admitted, handing the tea pet he was holding to the housekeeper beside the old man, and taking on the responsibility of assisting him to his seat.
The elder Mr. He was seething, swatting away He Yanci's hand before walking briskly to the sofa, still turning back to glare at him. "If it weren't for your grandfather stepping in and shielding me, where would you all be? Marrying the girl from the Wen family, and you say I've wronged you?"
He Yanci's father coughed awkwardly, though the 'you all' clearly included him and the rest of the family.
The old man's temper flared as he coughed several more times, the first few genuine, the last ones exaggerated for effect, clearly directed at someone in particular.
He Yanci, perfectly aware of his grandfather's subtlety, smiled casually. "Grandpa, please, calm down. Your health is more important. As I've said, I've come to meet you, and I'm doing everything I can to cooperate."
Mentioning the meeting only seemed to stoke the old man's fury further. "How dare you bring up that meeting? He Yanci, explain yourself. What happened tonight with that girl from the Wen family? What did I tell you on the phone? And what did you actually do?"
He Yanci, with a composed smile, responded, "What did I do?"
He had spent over an hour looking after the young lady, personally seeing her into the car before she left. He truly could not fathom what he might have done wrong.
"Ha! You still have the nerve to ask!" The elder Mr. He scoffed. "The Wen girl came home with red eyes. If I hadn't called the Wen family myself, would you have quietly swept this under the rug?"
She cried?
He Yanci furrowed his brow. He wondered if she had cried like when she was little, her little nose and face flushed, tears streaming down her face as she sobbed uncontrollably.
He could almost picture her, looking up at him with those pitiful eyes, calling him 'Brother Yanci' with that familiar, sulky pout when he ignored her. She'd need to be coaxed back into a smile before asking for a hug.
The elder Mr. He glared at He Yanci, "Well? What did you say to her, then?"
What had he said? The young lady had always been a little spoiled. If she had been upset, what did it have to do with him?
The old man continued scolding for nearly an hour, mostly accusing He Yanci of being impolite, harboring ill intentions, and lacking virtue.
It wasn't until the housekeeper intervened, coaxing the old man gently, that he finally quieted down.
Before heading upstairs, the elder Mr. He turned to He Yanci's parents, reminding them to have a good talk with their son. "If a child is misbehaving, it's the fault of the parents," he added, as if that would resolve everything.
What could his parents say? All they did was inquire after his well-being. His father then asked about his recent work progress, clearly proud of how well he was doing without relying on family connections.
He Yanci's parents, always protective of their son, couldn't help but feel a little sorry for him after the old man's scolding. They told him to rest early, as the hour was late.
Watching him ascend the stairs, Song Yanhua sighed. "The old man is really something—forcing two people who clearly aren't interested in each other together. How will they live like this? The Wen girl's health isn't great, and if they start fighting, it'll be a disaster."
She couldn't shake the feeling that the whole arrangement was unfair to both of them.
"He Yanci is just a single child, and he's already doing well in his career. As for the Wen girl, though her health was weak as a premature baby, she's been well taken care of these past few years," her husband reassured her.
Song Yanhua sighed again. "It's not that I dislike Wen Ruan, but I just think it's all too forced. They'll both feel wronged. Plus, if she's unable to have children in the future, it'll be a problem for our family. We only have He Yanci, after all. I can't ignore that."
"Don't worry so much. He knows how to handle it. He's not the type to force things."
Song Yanhua calmed a little, but then remarked, "I'll find a way to get his thoughts on the matter. If he's really against it, and the old man keeps pushing, I won't care about the family connections."