Gu Anxi hummed in acknowledgment, just as Grandma Chen returned.
Originally, Old He had expected to meet a kindly elderly woman. However, when he saw her, his expression was as if he had seen a ghost. Indeed, she appeared to be a kind old woman, but...
Old He ground his teeth. So this is where you’ve been hiding!
Grandma Chen was also astonished. That old coot actually managed to find this place!
The two old-timers stared at each other, then both simultaneously adopted expressions of profound benevolence and kindness.
"You must be Anxi’s Grandma Chen!" Old He said, though he was thinking, (Old hag, you’ve hidden yourself so well these past years!
"You must be Old He. Anxi talks about you all the time," Grandma Chen replied, equally affable. (Old scoundrel, so shameless! I remember all your misdeeds!)
"I’ve also heard Anxi mention you frequently," Old He continued, his voice warm. "She says you dote on her, and that Grandma Chen is gentle and capable." (Gentle my ass! Back in the day, Gu Rong, you were a proper little hellion! Fighting, smoking, drinking—was there anything you *couldn’t* do? Now you’ve just put on a turtle shell and are pretending to be harmless!)
"Yes, yes," Grandma Chen said smoothly. "Anxi also says Old He is highly respected and admired by everyone in Beicheng." (Hmph! When I ran things in Beicheng, you wouldn’t have even been qualified to carry my shoes; I’d have found you too slow!)
Masters at their craft, their true feelings passed like water, leaving no trace. No outsider could ever guess that these two were old acquaintances, let alone the nature of their, well, ’heh heh heh’ relationship.
Gu Anxi stepped out for a moment. In her absence, the atmosphere in the hospital room became incredibly charged and chaotic. When Gu Anxi returned, the room was once again serene, filled with warm and harmonious inquiries about each other’s well-being.
Old He stayed for several hours before deciding to leave.
Downstairs from the inpatient building, Old He looked at his young disciple and, for once, set aside his usual joking demeanor. "See you in Beicheng next month. Don’t fool around too much until then; focus and paint a few pictures."
Gu Anxi nodded, then, as if remembering something, said, "At this upcoming auction, the Qin family wants to buy Luo Lin’s paintings. They’ve also paid a hefty sum to get Shen Wanqing included."
Old He’s expression turned disdainful. "The Qin family is truly mistaking fish eyes for pearls. Shen Wanqing, no matter how hard she tries, will only ever be an artisan painter. She lacks the talent to achieve true renown. Especially since Jiaxing is overseeing this auction, there’s no cause for concern."
He suddenly frowned. "However, if you and Xichen are to be together, there’s someone in Beicheng you mustn’t underestimate. She surpasses Shen Wanqing by several levels in every aspect. I’m talking about Gu Mingzhu, from Beicheng’s Gu family."
Old He spoke earnestly, "Xichen is an outstanding young man; many girls in Beicheng admire him. There are too many wolves and not enough meat, so you, my dear girl, need to keep a close watch on your boyfriend. However..."
Old He’s mischievous tone returned. "Your painting is hanging right above Xichen’s bedhead, Anxi. Do you realize what that implies? That spot is usually reserved for wedding photos, you know."
After he finished speaking, a bit of playful chaos ensued, as was typical with Old He around. But all disturbances eventually settle. As Old He got into the car, his expression immediately turned grave, his eyes glinting sharply.
Why would Gu Rong call herself Grandma Chen and stay with the Gu family in Qingcheng for twenty years? Has that old woman truly been cultivating her character and enduring such solitude all these years?
Those two from the Chu Family are also in Qingcheng now. And according to Feng Mian, someone from the Jiang Family is here too, plus Gu Changqing... Old He squinted, a cold smile playing on his lips. Why does it feel like all of this is directed at my precious disciple?
My little treasure has already been in one car accident. This time, I absolutely will not allow anything to go wrong!
Old He took out his phone and navigated to a hidden interface. He typed a few words: "Requesting an Executor for the indefinite protection of Gu Anxi. Reward: 10 million US dollars." After writing, he sent the message to: Infinite!