The night before the college entrance exam results were released, I redeemed my Peking University ad

Ye Lan arrived at her grandfather's house.

Strictly speaking, this place isn't called "Grandpa's House".

It's called "A Certain Retirement Sanatorium".

In the western suburbs of Beijing, nestled against green mountains, there is an inconspicuous path in front of the door, lined with old ginkgo trees that require two people to encircle.

The car was stopped at the first checkpoint.

Armed guards stepped forward, saluted, carefully checked the license plate, pass, and identification of everyone in the vehicle, then walked around the car, even inspecting the undercarriage.

Ye Lan was already used to it.

Xu Jing and the others, however, sat up straight.

The assistant didn't dare to breathe loudly, keeping his hands obediently on his knees, his back straighter than during military training.

Xu Jing glanced out the window out of the corner of her eye, then quickly looked away.

This place looks quiet and peaceful, with swaying tree shadows, but the old men strolling along the roadside and the cleaning ladies might have been once powerful figures.

We went in and passed two more checkpoints.

At each stop, the guards would salute, verify, and then let them pass.

Ye Lan came today without calling in advance.

I just wanted to give my parents a surprise.

Ye Lan was somewhat disappointed, but there was nothing she could do: "Alright, then we'll wait."

"Come in quickly, come in quickly, it's sunny outside."

Several people were led into the living room.

The living room isn't large, and the furnishings are quite simple.

An old-fashioned sofa, an old coffee table, several paintings and calligraphy hanging on the wall, and an old-fashioned gramophone in the corner.

Xu Jing and her assistant sat on the edge of the sofa, their bottoms only half touching the ground. Their posture was so perfect that they could be taken as ID photos.

Ye Lan found it amusing: "What's wrong with you two? Relax, my grandparents aren't going to eat you."

Xu Jing forced a smile and lowered her voice to a whisper: "It's nothing, we're just... sitting for a while."

But in her heart she was thinking: Are you kidding me? How can you relax in a place like this? What did your grandfather do before? Just the signatures on those few calligraphy and paintings on the wall are enough to make you stand up straight.

The assistant was even more extreme; she held the glass of water Ye Lan had poured for her but didn't dare drink a single drop.

Around noon, some movement finally came from the courtyard.

"Old Master Ye was wearing a faded Zhongshan suit, walking ahead with his hands behind his back. His back was still straight, but his brows were furrowed and his complexion was not very good."

Grandma Ye followed beside her, carrying a cloth bag, and sighed all the way.

As soon as the two entered the room, they looked up and saw Ye Lan, and the gloom on their faces instantly dissipated.

"Oh my, what brings my dear granddaughter here?"

Grandma Ye walked over quickly, took Ye Lan's hand, and looked her up and down: "Why didn't you tell me beforehand? Have you eaten yet? I'll have the kitchen make you your favorite food."

"Grandma, I just wanted to give you a surprise." Ye Lan said coquettishly, clinging to her grandmother's arm.

"Great, great, great, what a surprise, a huge surprise!" Old Ye grinned from ear to ear.

But Ye Lan still keenly noticed that although her grandfather was smiling, there was a hint of fatigue hidden in his eyes, as if he had just experienced something that made him feel exhausted.

The old lady also held Ye Lan's hand and looked her over carefully: "You've lost weight, you've lost even more weight. What kind of star are you? You don't even eat properly. Come home and Grandma will cook you something delicious."

"Grandma, I haven't lost weight, I've just been a bit busy with work lately."

"Busy, busy, busy, you young people always use 'busy' as an excuse. No matter how busy you are with work, you still have important life matters to worry about."

Ye Lan's heart skipped a beat.

coming.

Sure enough, as soon as they sat down, the two elders began their usual "concern offensive".

"Lanlan, you're over thirty this year, aren't you?" Grandma spoke first.

"Grandma, why are you bringing this up again..."

"Why can't we mention it? That girl next door, she's a year younger than you, and she already has a boyfriend! And you? You can't even see a trace of her."

Ye Lan: "..."

Old Master Ye sat opposite, holding a teacup, watching his granddaughter's humiliation with a smile.

"Alright, alright, Lanlan is still young, no rush, no rush."

"Still young? When I was her age, Lanlan's dad was already calling people!"

"Hey, can you compare them? Times have changed."

The two elderly people chatted back and forth, their conversation flowing seamlessly together.

Ye Lan blushed at what he was said and could only lower her head and drink her tea.

But the shrewd old lady wouldn't let her get away with it. She squinted and examined her for a moment, then suddenly smiled:

"Old man, look at Lanlan's eyebrows and complexion, isn't something wrong?"

Old Ye also put down his teacup and began to examine it carefully.

"Hmm... rosy cheeks, and bright eyes, this girl has something on her mind."

"No!"

Ye Lan nearly jumped up, her voice rising several decibels: "Grandpa, Grandma, don't talk nonsense! I'm not in any condition!"

"No?" Grandma smiled even more kindly. "If you didn't, why are your ears red?"

Ye Lan subconsciously touched her ear.

Sure enough, it was terribly hot.

The old lady and the old man exchanged a glance and smiled meaningfully.

"Lanlan, your grandparents have been through this before."

Grandma held her hand and said earnestly, "If you really have someone you like, bring them back to meet Grandpa and Grandma. We don't care about social status. As long as they are of good character and treat you well, that's more important than anything else."

"Oh dear, don't talk nonsense! I don't like him at all... No, I don't have anyone I like! I want to spend my whole life with you two!"

Ye Lan gave a perfunctory reply, but inside she felt like a kitten was scratching at her.

She's taken a liking to that brat?

That rascal who's both shrewish and wicked, always spouting nonsense, and always staring at people's legs?

Are you kidding me!

She only saw him as a younger brother.

Yes, younger brother!

"Alright, alright! Stop making wild guesses!"

Ye Lan quickly changed the subject: "I came here today because I wanted to play a song for Grandpa and Grandma!"

The two elderly people exchanged a glance. They both knew that old age made people wise, and these two had both held high positions. How could they not see through their granddaughter's intentions?

However, neither of the two elders said anything!

"Oh? Our Lanlan has released a new song?" Old Master Ye asked, feigning interest.

Even his own granddaughter, at Ye Lao's age, would find it difficult to develop any interest in pop songs.

However, since my beloved granddaughter has come all this way, I must show my support.

"Quickly, let Grandpa and Grandma hear it!"

Ye Lan quickly took out her phone, connected it to the living room speakers, and played the demo of "As You Wish".

"Listen to this song first, and I'll revise it if you have any feedback."

The prelude begins softly.

Mr. Ye and his wife quieted down, leaned back on the sofa, and listened with their eyes closed.

When Ye Lan's voice came from the speakers, the air in the entire living room fell silent.

You are the long road

Lights in the mountain fog

I am a child walking in your eyes…