Mommy, don't be afraid, I'll bring you blind boxes and scam you out of a wealthy family to

Qin Zhiyuan whispered into the phone, "I'll call you back in a bit."

She put down her phone, looked at Duan Yuanzhou, and calmly explained, "My flight tonight was canceled, and I have to catch the one three hours later. The meeting tomorrow morning is very important, and I must attend."

"So..." She patted Wenli's head, "I'm sorry, Grandma will take pictures with you again next time she comes home, okay?"

Wen Li had been looking forward to a family photo for a long time, and she would certainly be disappointed if it couldn't be taken.

However, what worries her more right now than her disappointment is that something seems off between her grandmother and grandfather.

Duan Yuanzhou's expression was indifferent: "No time to take pictures, but plenty of time to chat."

Qin Zhiyuan had sensed that Duan Yuanzhou was in a bad mood before, but she didn't expect him to take it to heart so much.

"The news was just delivered; I have no ability to foresee the future. If I had known beforehand, I would have made changes."

"Reschedule?" Duan Yuanzhou repeated calmly, his tone unreadable. "When haven't you said this over the years?"

Qin Zhiyuan remained silent.

"Family should always come after your work," Duan Yuanzhou sneered. "Even promises made to your children can be broken at any time—after all, no one and nothing is more important than your work."

The "children" he mentioned were not limited to Wen Li.

Over the years that Duan Hetong and his sister have grown up, they have experienced countless cycles of hope and despair.

The three siblings held their breath, afraid of being drawn into the battlefield.

Little Wenli stood between the two elderly people, looking up at her grandfather and then at her grandmother, looking a little lost.

Everything was fine just now, how... how did it suddenly turn into this?

The old man's words were already quite sharp.

The old lady frowned, stopping him from saying anything more embarrassing: "Yuanzhou."

"What, is there a problem with what I said?"

"It's not that work is important, it's that this happened so suddenly, and I didn't have any contingency plans."

The old man gave a low, self-deprecating laugh: "...You always have a reason."

As the nearby guests gradually left, Wu Qiming, having already sensed the subtle atmosphere, left with Wu Shuo and the servants.

At this moment, the small area where the Duan family members were located seemed to be isolated from others.

Milk Dumpling could tell that Grandpa was very angry, and it was also clear that Grandma was a little sad.

She carefully reached for Duan Yuanzhou's hand and softly called out, "Grandpa..."

Seeing the little girl's uneasy gaze, Duan Yuanzhou's expression softened a bit. He didn't say anything, but raised his hand to pat her little head.

But when he looked up at Qin Zhiyuan again, that slight relief vanished.

Qin Zhiyuan gazed at him silently for a long while before softly speaking, "Are you blaming today..."

She paused.

"Or are you still blaming them after all these years?"

Duan Yuanzhou's face was no longer angry; instead, it was filled with a sense of dejection and self-deprecation.

He waved his hand dejectedly, as if saying those words had taken a lot of effort: "...Never mind, whatever."

After saying that, he turned to leave.

Wen Li was extremely anxious: she had spent so much effort and finally managed to ease the tension between her grandparents, making them willing to talk to each other again and even laugh together—how could things suddenly turn sour again?

That won't do!

Grandma is going to a very, very far country. If we don't make up now, we'll never have another chance!

She tugged at Qin Zhiyuan's sleeve and pleaded, "Grandma, let's not fight..."

Qin Zhiyuan's heart softened, and she patted her back gently, saying, "You didn't quarrel."

Grandma was smiling. But Wen Li could tell she wasn't happy at all.

Wenli caught up with her grandfather, who said something very similar to her grandmother's: "Don't overthink it, it's okay."

but……

If there's nothing wrong, why don't they look at each other?

The little one was so anxious he was running around in circles.

She hesitated for a moment, then reached out one little hand to hold her grandfather's hand, and the other little hand to hold her grandmother's hand, pushing their hands together.

"Grandpa, Grandma, can you speak to me?"

The old people looked down at her.

When we looked up again, our eyes met unintentionally.

Then, in the next second, they both looked away.

Wen Li was stunned.

In kindergarten, when children have conflicts, Teacher Zhang always handles it this way: holding hands, giving a hug, and they make up quickly.

Why is today different?

She didn't give up, and pulled her grandfather a little step toward her grandmother: "Grandpa, here, here."

Then she pulled her grandmother, saying, "Grandma, come over here too."

However, neither of the two elderly people, who usually went along with her, made a move.

Milk Dumpling slowly loosened her grip, wondering hesitantly if it was because Pear Baby insisted on taking pictures that Grandpa and Grandma were arguing.

Well, that...

"No, no more pictures..." The little one timidly looked up, her eyes already brimming with tears. "Pear Baby, don't take pictures anymore, Grandma, Grandpa, don't be angry..."

The elderly people were taken aback: Why would this child blame them?

They both reached out, trying to comfort the little one.

But Duan Shimi had already rushed ahead of them, tenderly picking up Wen Li and saying, "Mom, Dad, let's go inside first, lest Xiao Bao catches a cold. You two should also calm down."

Wu Qiming had already had a room cleared out for them.

Duan Yuanzhou and Qin Zhiyuan each sat on a chaise lounge, neither looking at the other.

After a while, Duan Shimi came out from the inner room.

The old man and woman asked in unison, "How's the little girl?"

Duan Shimi said, "She calmed down after eating the cake. My brother went to find Old Wu's grandson to play with her."

The old man and the old woman exchanged a glance, their unspoken understanding striking; they both instinctively wanted to blame each other.

But at the same time, I realized that this was meaningless.

Qin Zhiyuan suddenly remembered: "Where's Chenchen?"

Duan Shimi touched her neck: "I didn't mind..."

Duan Yuanzhou gave a heavy snort.

Qin Zhiyuan's choice hurts more than just one person.

Duan Shimi was in a dilemma. Usually, it was her younger brother who handled things at home, but today the heavy responsibility fell on her own shoulders, and she realized how difficult it was.

Little Pear Baby, you can't go on strike, this family will fall apart without you!

Inside the inner room, Little Pear, who was being prayed for, was also making a prayer.

Unaware that she had cream on her lips, she knelt on the small stool, clasped her hands together, and closed her eyes devoutly: "Please help Pear Baby!"

[Chirp! Little Pear, want to open a blind box? Or try the family buff?]

"Bap...?"

[This is the reward for completing your daily tasks! You can choose who to bind the Family Affection buff to, and it will double the effect when applied to blind boxes!]

Wen Li was completely confused.

[As a bonus for first-time users, you can choose any blind box you've drawn before. Little Pear, which one should you choose?]

A melody suddenly echoed in her mind:

The most romantic thing I can think of

It's about growing old with you.

"—The rocking chair!" Wen Li immediately had an idea and said firmly, "Bafu, Grandpa and Grandma want to go together!"