Swordholder

"Come on, let's go upstairs and talk about it in detail."

Chen Qingcang was in a great mood. He turned around first and led Chen Yuan and the others out of the secret room and into a tea room that was simply but elegantly decorated.

He personally brewed the tea, and soon the fragrant aroma filled the air, dispelling the awkwardness in everyone's hearts.

It was late at night, and the tea room was warm and cozy, with soft candlelight that warmed people's hearts and made them feel exceptionally comfortable.

Chen Yuan and Li Wei held their teacups, their fingertips touching the warm porcelain, still feeling like they were dreaming.

One moment they were in dire straits, on the verge of being crushed to pieces and dying completely.

The next moment, he became the grandson of the Chen family patriarch?

This turn of events is truly astonishing.

Nuomi looked around curiously, turning her little head back and forth. Then she quietly leaned close to Chen Yuan's ear and whispered, "Brother Yuan, this house is so big! Sister Ning's family is really rich."

Looking at her innocent appearance, Chen Yuan shook his head helplessly, not knowing how to respond for a moment.

Chen Zhaoning finally couldn't suppress her doubts and asked in a low voice, "Grandpa, you said he'll be my younger brother in the future, what does that mean?"

Upon hearing this, Chen Yuan, Li Wei, and even Chen Guohai all turned to look at Chen Qingcang, waiting for his answer.

Chen Qingcang looked at Chen Yuan, his tone becoming serious: "If we're going to bet on this kid, we should bet big."

"If it were just for a small offering, it would be too suspicious to offend the Lu family, the Wuxiang Sect, and the Tianqing County government. It would only bring trouble upon oneself."

"But what if this kid is my own grandson, Chen Qingcang?"

He paused, his gaze sweeping over the crowd, and slowly said, "Is it reasonable for my Chen family to risk everything and make enemies of all sides for our grandson?"

Upon hearing this, Chen Yuan and Chen Zhaoning were both taken aback. Then, their eyes narrowed, and they instantly understood Chen Qingcang's intention!

This is the "great price" that the old man mentioned earlier, which is to completely bind him to the Chen family, sharing both honor and disgrace.

"what!"

Suddenly, Chen Zhaoning exclaimed, "Ah!" She seemed to have finally remembered!

She once had a younger brother who was a year younger than her. He disappeared when she was a little over four years old and remained missing for twelve years!

And her younger brother's name also happens to be Chen Yuan.

She stared intently at Chen Yuan's face, scrutinizing every detail, but could not glean any further memories.

In a daze, her mind was struck hard, and she felt uncomfortable, with a feeling she couldn't quite describe.

Chen Qingcang, with his keen eye, was well aware of his granddaughter's emotional turmoil. He immediately shook his head slightly, his voice tinged with sadness.

"He doesn't have the blood of my Chen family. As for his name, perhaps it's a coincidence, or just someone with the same name."

Upon hearing this, Chen Zhaoning felt a sudden sense of relief, as if all the pent-up frustration in her heart had vanished.

But soon, she became sullen again.

She hoped that her younger brother was alive and would return safely, but inexplicably, she also didn't want the Chen Yuan in front of her to be her younger brother.

"Eh, what a strange idea!"

Chen Zhaoning patted her head, even she couldn't understand why this was happening.

Chen Yuan immediately understood after hearing the conversation between the grandfather and grandson.

It turns out that I have the same name as Chen Zhaoning's younger brother?

No wonder, there might be another reason why the other party wanted him to be their grandson.

Looking at the silent Chen Yuan, Chen Qingcang asked with a smile, "What's wrong, kid? Don't you want to be this old man's grandson?"

"Well……"

Chen Yuan was slightly taken aback, and his mind raced as he made his calculations.

In chaotic times, being able to cling to a powerful figure like the Chen family is nothing compared to being subservient to them, or even if it means paying a little more.

Moreover, both Chen Zhaoning's loyalty and the old man's sharp insight are enough to protect him for the foreseeable future.

He immediately stood up, knelt down respectfully again, and bowed deeply, saying, "Grandson greets Grandfather!"

This time it was Chen Qingcang's turn to be stunned. He originally thought that Chen Yuan was exceptionally talented and had a calm temperament, so he might be a bit arrogant and might not agree so readily. He didn't expect him to call him that so easily, without the slightest reluctance.

Seeing this, Li Wei's eyes darted around quickly, and he also stood up and knelt down to pay his respects.

"Ah Yuan and I are childhood friends, brothers who would die for each other. His grandfather is also my grandfather! Grandson pays respects to Grandpa!"

Nuomi followed suit, lying down on the ground with her little body, tilting her head back, and shouting loudly, "Little Nuomi also greets Grandpa!"

After shouting, she blinked her big, round eyes, trying to make herself look even cuter, secretly thinking... This is a rich and powerful grandfather, I must stick close to this big guy with Brother Yuan!

As Chen Qingcang watched the three people kneeling and bowing, calling him "Grandpa" in unison, a strange sense of bewilderment flashed in his eyes.

It was as if a layer of hazy icy mist was condensing before my eyes, and those memories that had been sealed away for many years quietly surged into my heart.

Chen Guohai looked at the dazed Chen Qingcang, sighed softly, and stepped forward to whisper a reminder:

"Father, you're probably thinking of your eldest brother's son."

Upon hearing this, Chen Zhaoning stiffened, and suddenly remembered those long-forgotten events, feeling a surge of emotion within her.

Her father was Chen Guoshan, the eldest son of Chen Qingcang. She also had a younger brother who was a year younger than her, who was the eldest grandson!

He disappeared by accident many years ago and has not been heard from since.

"Father, your eldest grandson Chen Yuan is back. You should be happy."

Chen Guohai gently reminded him again, pulling Chen Qingcang's thoughts back from his memories.

"Good! Good! Good!"

Chen Qingcang came to his senses and said three words of "good" with a sigh.

Immediately, he looked at the three people in front of him, quickly got up, first helped Chen Yuan up, then gently picked up Nuomi and helped Li Wei up, his face full of excitement.

He held Chen Yuan's hand, his tone earnest: "From this day forward, you are my eldest grandson, Chen Qingcang's eldest grandson, haha!"

"grandfather!"

Chen Yuan called out respectfully again.

"Haha, great, really great!"

Upon hearing this, Chen Qingcang's face lit up with a smile.

Chen Zhaoning, standing to the side, also smiled broadly, clearly in a good mood.

She hadn't seen her grandfather so happy in a long time, and she couldn't help but look at Chen Yuan with gratitude.

Chen Yuan winked at Chen Zhaoning.

"Hmph, call me 'sister'!"

Chen Zhaoning looked smug, raising her smooth chin and long neck.

Chen Yuan smiled but didn't call out to her. At the same time, he knew in his heart that the Chen family's actions were not a gamble at all.

It's clear that they want to share life and death, honor and disgrace with him!

This courage earned his admiration.

"Haha, great! Great! My grandson is back!"

Chen Qingcang acted as if his own grandson had returned, without any pretense whatsoever.

He took Chen Yuan's hand and made him sit next to him, then made Nuomi sit on his other side and affectionately patted her little head.

"Father, I'll go tell the kitchen to prepare dinner so we can have a proper celebration."

Seeing that Chen Qingcang was in a good mood, Chen Guohai also breathed a sigh of relief.

Chen Zhaoning has been found, and her father finally showed a long-lost smile.

As for his third brother Chen Guodao's matter, he kept it to himself for the time being, not wanting to spoil the mood. After saying that, he turned around and quickly left the tea room.

The atmosphere in the tea room instantly became warm and cozy. Chen Zhaoning looked at Chen Qingcang, her eyes slightly red.

She immediately knelt down with a thud, confessing with a guilty tone, "Grandpa, I was willful and refused to listen to advice, which led to my third uncle's death. Please punish me, Grandpa."

Chen Qingcang looked at her, a look of surprise on his face.

After going through this experience, I was surprised to find myself admitting my mistakes and taking responsibility upon returning.

"It seems that you've grown a lot after going through all these hardships, Xiao Ning."

He looked helpless, but his tone remained gentle: "I'm punishing you by putting you in solitary confinement for seven days. Reflect on your actions, remember this lesson, and don't be so willful again."

"good!"

Chen Zhaoning respectfully agreed, and before getting up, she gave Chen Yuan a meaningful look before turning and walking outside.

···