ank!I struggled to move upward in the water, lifting my head and looking at the sky. I realized that the sky wasn't simply tinted red; above it, there was a faint black void. The surrounding crimson c...It's all Dad's fault for rushing off without giving me a clear message.

Should I be polite and courteous, or maintain some distance

My dad has been single for so many years. If he really found someone he liked, my brother and I wouldn't stop him. Why did he run away so dejectedly

When I was agonizing, Old Chen had already brewed the tea and retreated behind the counter, standing there with his ears pricked to eavesdrop.

“My last name is Yan, you probably haven't heard of me.” The aunt smiled kindly and nodded politely at me.

"Um... excuse me, what did you want with my dad" I awkwardly smiled.

"Is he not here" Mrs. Yen looked past the counter of my house towards the backyard.

"He... just happened to be out, if you have any trouble, just tell me, it's the same. But if you came to chat and reminisce with Dad, then that wouldn't work..."

Mrs. Yan was taken aback for a moment, then gave a self-deprecating smile: "Oh well, catching up I don't even know if he'd want to catch up with me... Is he still living his life of carefree wandering"

“Well, my dad is still single, but he’s not a wild bachelor. He actually really wants to help look after his grandkids; he’s quite family-oriented.” I said delicately.

Ms. Yan looked at Lanxi in my arms, her envy was unconcealable: "Oh my, such a cute baby... so beautiful... I'm really envious of him, to have three generations living together at such a young age..."

"My family has five generations living together, and my great-grandfather is still around." I reminded her to stop making awkward small talk.

"Well, I'm sorry... It's been years since I've seen him. I only recently thought of looking for him, so I'm not really sure what he's up to now." Mrs. Yan apologized awkwardly.

"It's nothing, just say what's up. Most things at home are handled by me and my brother now." I stretched my lips into a business smile.

For so many years, I still haven't been good at negotiating business, and I don't know how to handle it smoothly.

Mrs. Yen hesitated for a moment and then said in a low voice, "Then, I'll tell you the story first, and you can tell your father when he gets back."

It turns out Ms. Yan and my father were old acquaintances. She was the daughter of his teacher when he was young! So, are we childhood sweethearts

However, the two took very different paths later on. As the eldest son and grandson, the father naturally had to inherit the family business, living a world completely different from his classmates.

When I was studying, I was always a bit odd and different, which naturally attracted the attention of some female classmates during their blossoming years. However, my dad's personality probably wouldn't allow him to pick up on those subtle hints from the girls at all.

"Back then, he was so eye-catching at school. Sometimes after class, a big car would come to pick him up, and all the students thought he was the child of some big leader." Mrs. Yan said with a smile.

I awkwardly smiled, a big car I'm afraid it's probably that Santana from the junkyard in my hometown

Back then, this car was a real symbol of status. The roads were empty, and having a Pusan meant you were truly wealthy.

"But he didn't get along well with his classmates. Besides a few close male friends, he hardly spoke to anyone else, especially girls." Mrs. Yan reminisced about the past, a hint of shyness in her eyes.

She is in her early forties, the prime of her life.

If she were a woman worn down by time, her eyes would have lost their sparkle. But there was still a glimmer in them, a sign that she wasn't consumed by desire.

A clear heart leads to clear vision.

"The more guys like that, the more they attract girls' attention, you know" she said with a smile.

I nodded, not daring to speak, and continued listening to my father's gossip.

"Back then, the college entrance exam had just been expanded, and going to university became a trend. But he had no interest in studying at all. There were rumors among his classmates that he would study abroad after graduation, which was so enviable."

I raised an eyebrow slightly. You can't just throw around the words "dead person" casually.

But outsiders usually chat about everyday things and don't pay much attention to these words, and I'm too lazy to remind them.

"I really didn't know, I never knew he had been living in this city all along, so close yet we haven't heard from him for so many years... Alas, he didn't come to our class reunion after college either. All I heard was that he got married early... We all thought he was very aloof..." Mrs. Yan sighed with regret.

"Maybe I regret being shy back then and not going after my dad"

"This… my grandfather’s things when he was young, I haven't heard much about it… But my dad is truly not close to women — besides my mom, he hardly ever dated any woman. He rarely even interacted with them in a normal way." I tilted my head and thought for a moment, it was indeed rare.

Even when she went for walks with Guiyou Nan and Lan Xi, she rarely chatted with the old ladies.

"If it weren't for the thing happening at my house, I wouldn't have thought to look him up… I never knew he understood these things…" Ms. Yan sighed softly.

"How did you find out I was here It's been so many years since we last contacted." I asked tentatively.

Mrs. Yan sighed: "My father passed away a while ago, and some of his former students came to the funeral. I also ran into several classmates, including one male classmate who works for the Hou family's group and is considered high-level management. Now their company's performance isn't good either. They say that a few years ago, the old man in charge of the Hou family had a stroke or something and hasn't been the same since..."

He chatted with me while keeping vigil, bringing up the Hou family. He mentioned the Mu family and wondered if it could be our old classmate Mu Chengtao's family, since that surname is rare...

Afterward, he went to inquire and found out about your family from the young master of the Hou family. He said that your family had helped a lot...

"Only now do I realize that Cheng Tao's family is in this business. If I had known earlier, I would have asked him for help!"

I silently thought to myself — who else could it be but the young master of the Hou family

It must be Hou Shaowen, who's always driving around in his flashy sports car and bragging!

The Hou family is now struggling, with the country in decline and business difficult. Several projects have been taken over by Lin Yanhuan at low prices, leaving them fighting to turn things around.

“Well… Little Qiao, is your father really able to handle these mystical things” Mrs. Yan looked at me eagerly.

"Well... this is a family tradition, I suppose. But what's the problem with your house Tell me about it. If it's not too serious, I'll just take a look."

If you're just here to see my dad about business, there's not much tea to be spilled.

"You You can do it" Mrs. Yan looked at me in surprise.

Before I could even speak, Old Chen from behind the counter shouted, "It looks like you're here for the first time. Don't you know Our business matters are handled by the Young Master, and these mysterious affairs are all taken care of by our young mistress. Many people have tried to invite our young mistress, but they couldn't even get a meeting!"

... you just blow it, this quiet business at the door, who else would visit three times to seek you out.

Mrs. Yan looked at me with suspicion, hesitatingly saying, "I... I suspect, my dad... he didn't... die..."ed, people with trypophobia would probably faint at just one glance."Don't be afraid, there are no other creatures here, not even the descendants of heavyweights dare to stay in this underground palac...