Chapter 23

- Zheng Tingyan: Ranran, what did Ji Xi give you?
Zheng Tingyan asked in the group chat.

- Shu Shiran: Are you home yet?
- Zheng Tingyan: Not yet, still on the road.
- Zheng Tingyan: We assumed you must have gone upstairs by now.
- Shu Shiran: There was a watch I had my eye on that had already been snatched up. I didn't expect it to be him.
- Zheng Tingyan: He actually knows you collect watches?
- Shu Shiran: I mentioned it once.
- Zheng Tingyan: What does it look like? Send a photo.

Shu Shiran took a photo and sent it to the group.
- Shu Shiran: [Image]
- Zheng Tingyan: Beautiful!
- Zheng Tingyan: It looks like he started preparing your birthday gift well in advance; he didn't just throw something together.

She must have thought he bought the watch, intending to give it to her when the opportunity arose, and since it happened to be her birthday today, he gave it to her.
Shu Shiran then took a photo of the pendant.
- Shu Shiran: [Image]
- Shu Shiran: There's also a pendant.
- Zheng Tingyan: The pendant doesn't look like anything special.

Shu Shiran looked closely at the rose pendant. It was quite delicate, but it did seem rather ordinary. After chatting for a bit longer, Zheng Tingyan arrived home. Shu Shiran reminded Xu Ying in the group to drive carefully.

- Xu Ying: I know.
- Xu Ying: I'll message you all when I get home.

Shu Shiran exited the chat and replied to some birthday wishes she hadn't had time to address yet. Afterward, she put down her phone and thought about picking up the watch to look at it again. Her gaze swept over the pendant, and she paused, reaching for the pendant instead. A lingering doubt had been haunting her; compared to the watch, the pendant seemed a bit common, and it didn't fit Ji Xi's usual style of gift-giving.

After thinking for a moment, Shu Shiran realized she shouldn't be obsessing over a gift from Ji Xi for so long. The pendant was probably just a casual add-on. Staring at it for so long made it seem like she cared a lot. She got up and went to the walk-in closet in her bedroom, placing the watch into her large watch box. Then, she put the rose pendant, along with its box, into the section of the closet where she kept her jewelry. There were many such boxes piled there—most of which she had only opened once upon receiving them and never thought of again.

**

The first snow of the winter in Nancheng turned into rain by the next morning and stopped shortly after. The little snow that had settled on the greenery melted quickly, and there was none left on the ground, so it didn't affect travel. The days following the rain and snow were clear but very cold, with high temperatures of only one or two degrees Celsius.

By the time the temperature rose slightly, it was New Year's Day. This year, the holiday fell on a Monday. On the Friday before the break, no one was in the mood to work; everyone was busy discussing where to go for the New Year countdown that would be fun but not too crowded.

In the afternoon, Shu Shiran received a call from Aunt Hui, saying that the old lady wanted her to come back when she had time. Usually, if the old lady wanted her to return, she would call or text herself; she rarely asked Aunt Hui to do it.

"Is Grandma not feeling well?" Shu Shiran’s heart tightened.
On the phone, Aunt Hui said, "Don't worry, the old lady has been quite well lately."
It seemed she had overthought it. Shu Shiran breathed a sigh of relief but still wanted to speak to her grandmother to confirm.

"Where is Grandma?"
Aunt Hui: "The old lady just went to rest. She just had me call you."
Shu Shiran was about to ask if there was a reason her grandmother wanted her to come back. Now, judging by Aunt Hui’s tone, the old lady hadn't mentioned anything.
Aunt Hui: "Check your schedule for the New Year holiday and see which day you can come back."
Shu Shiran: "Alright, I'll come back tomorrow."

**

After hanging up, Shu Shiran put her phone down, but a strange, indescribable feeling remained in her heart. She thought about it more carefully and felt that Aunt Hui’s tone had also been a bit different from usual. The more she thought about it, the more uneasy she became, so she decided to head back to Lubai that night.

Finally, it was time to get off work. Wu Tianqi, who had been slacking off all afternoon, was prepared and left the moment work ended. While getting ready to leave in the parking lot, he happened to run into Shu Shiran, who had just come down.

He rolled down his window. "See you next year, Sister Ran."
Shu Shiran replied, "See you next year."

Just as she sat in her car, her phone rang. It was her lawyer, Sister Zhou.
"Sister Zhou?"
"Shiran, have you not told your grandmother about your marriage yet?"
Why the sudden question?
Shu Shiran answered, "Not yet, why?"
Sister Zhou paused and said, "I think the old lady might know."
Shu Shiran’s heart skipped a beat. "What makes you say that?"
Sister Zhou: "The old lady called me this afternoon and asked if I had handled the paperwork for your marriage."
"..."
Shu Shiran immediately thought of Aunt Hui saying her grandmother wanted her to come back. As a lawyer, Sister Zhou naturally had to protect her client's confidentiality.
"I didn't say anything."
But the fact that she hadn't said anything was enough to confirm the situation.
Sister Zhou continued, "I feel like the old lady must have learned something through other channels and came to me for confirmation. I’ve been thinking about it, and I felt I should give you a heads-up."
"I understand. Thank you, Sister Zhou."

After the call, Shu Shiran’s mind was in a mess. At this point, the number of people who knew she and Ji Xi were married could be counted on one hand; she had no idea how her grandmother had found out. She had asked Aunt Hui to call her back, so she was likely very angry. Shu Shiran also worried about her grandmother’s health. Her health was already fragile; she didn't want the old lady to be angered into illness. She had originally planned to lay some groundwork before finding an opportunity to tell her.

Her phone chimed, which was very noticeable in the quiet car. Shu Shiran picked it up; it was a message from Ji Xi.
- Ji Xi: Do you want me to drive you to Lubai these next few days?
Shu Shiran had just finished reading this when he sent another one.
- Ji Xi: Less than a month until we go public.
He was reminding her to hurry up with the preparation.

Shu Shiran typed a message in the input field: My grandmother might know.
The message was sent, and Ji Xi immediately called. Shu Shiran answered and heard his voice.
"How did she find out?"
Shu Shiran: "I’m not sure. I got a call from Aunt Hui this afternoon, and then the lawyer called to say Grandma asked her about my marriage."
Ji Xi pondered for a few seconds after listening. "When are you planning to go back?"
His voice was calm and steady.
Shu Shiran: "I just got off work, and I'm heading over now."
Ji Xi: "I'll go with you."
Strangely, Shu Shiran heard a hint of tenderness in his tone. She tightened her grip on the phone.
Ji Xi added, "After all, it was me who used conditions to make you marry me." He paused and chuckled softly. "Are you cursing me in your heart?"
Shu Shiran retorted crossly, "...No."
Even though he had taken advantage of the situation, she had been willing.
Shu Shiran: "I’ll go back and see how things are first."
If the old lady saw him, she might be even angrier.
Ji Xi didn't insist. "Okay," he said.
Shu Shiran: "I'm heading out now."
She had to face it eventually.
On the phone, Ji Xi called her name: "Shu Shiran."
"Call me if you need anything."

**

On the evening of the holiday, the expressways and tunnels were extremely congested. The navigation map was a sea of red. Shu Shiran was stuck in traffic for over half an hour and didn't reach Lubai until nearly eight o'clock.

After parking, Shu Shiran took a deep breath and got out of the car. Aunt Hui was a bit surprised to see her. "I thought you said you were coming back tomorrow."
Shu Shiran: "I was free tonight, so I came back. Where’s Grandma?"
"Upstairs, about to check her blood pressure," Aunt Hui said, holding the monitor. "Her blood pressure was a bit high this afternoon."
Shu Shiran: "I'll go up with you."
Aunt Hui looked at her.

To make things easier for the old lady, an elevator had been installed in the villa long ago. Inside the elevator, Shu Shiran tentatively asked Aunt Hui, "Does Grandma know?"
Aunt Hui had originally hoped it wasn't true, but hearing Shu Shiran ask, she knew it was. She had practically watched Shu Shiran grow up and never imagined she would do something like getting a marriage certificate in secret. Aunt Hui hesitated, then nodded and said, "Her blood pressure is up."
The last shred of hope vanished for Shu Shiran.

The elevator reached the floor, and the doors opened. Shu Shiran paused before following Aunt Hui.
The old lady saw her and asked, "Why are you back tonight?"
Shu Shiran: "I was free, so I came back."
The old lady: "Are you off until Monday?"
Shu Shiran nodded.
The old lady’s tone and expression seemed normal. The more this was the case, the more uneasy Shu Shiran felt. It reminded her of when she did something wrong as a child.

"Let's check your blood pressure first," Aunt Hui said.
The old lady reached out and put on the cuff. Checking blood pressure was a process, and Shu Shiran stood by, watching. Soon, the mechanical female voice of the monitor announced the systolic and diastolic values.
Aunt Hui: "Still a bit high."
Just as she finished speaking, the mechanical voice added, "According to World Health Organization standards, your blood pressure is on the high side."
The old lady took off the cuff unhurriedly and said, "It doesn't matter."
She then looked at Shu Shiran, who was standing to the side, and asked, "Shu Shiran, do you have anything to tell me?"
"..."
Hearing her full name made Shu Shiran’s scalp tingle.
"I do."
Shu Shiran didn't know how to start and searched for the right words in her mind. The old lady didn't rush her, looking calm and composed, with no discernible expression on her face. Since she already knew, Shu Shiran decided not to beat around the bush.
"I registered my marriage with Ji Xi."

The old lady’s breathing quickened. Shu Shiran reached out to soothe her, but the old lady brushed her hand away, indicating she was fine.
"When did this happen?" she asked.
The date was on the marriage certificate; there was no hiding it.
Shu Shiran answered truthfully, "November 27th."
The old lady was shocked it had been that long ago, and her face turned pale.
She looked at Aunt Hui. "Look at this. It's been over a month, and she didn't tell us. Unbelievable. She’s really all grown up now."
Shu Shiran felt guilty, her palms sweating.
"...I was planning to tell you soon. I was afraid you wouldn't take it well and it would affect your health, so I wanted to prepare you first."
The old lady let out an "Oh" and said, "So, the times you had him pick you up and drop you off, parading him right under my nose—that was the preparation?"
Shu Shiran was stunned.
The old lady scoffed, "You were raised by me. Do you think I can't tell when you're hiding something?"
Because of the previous incident with Yan Yi, after meeting Ji Xi that day, the old lady had intended to investigate him first.