Chapter 62: You Were the First to Speak Nonsense

As soon as the words were spoken, the atmosphere at the scene instantly turned somewhat strange. Especially in Lan Weimin’s gaze toward Qin Chuan—a trace of complexity appeared. There was the heartache of seeing the family’s precious jade cabbage trampled by a pig, the surprise at how swiftly someone was clinging to a powerful ally, and the joy of getting exactly what he wished for, expecting soon to hold his grandchild in his arms.

Qin Chuan’s body tensed, but he was the first to regain his composure after a brief moment of confusion, and he immediately protested, “Jin, you can’t just say things like that. Sure, I treated you with acupuncture before, but I didn’t give you a big needle! Is it possible to get pregnant just by looking a few more times?”

“You were the one who started talking nonsense!” Lan Jin retorted, not to be outdone.

Qin Chuan’s face darkened. He truly hadn’t said anything out of line! In the matter of the Qin family massacre, the less one knew, the safer one was.

Lan Weimin looked as if his sweet dream had been rudely interrupted. Pointing at Lan Jin, he said with a trembling voice, “My dear granddaughter, your grandpa’s heart isn’t strong enough for these wild swings between joy and shock!”

“Why is it a shock if I’m not pregnant? Shouldn’t it just be disappointment?” Lan Jin blinked her large, doll-like eyes and asked in all innocence.

Lan Weimin’s mouth twitched. This girl’s focus was indeed odd! Shouldn’t she be more concerned about her grandpa’s frail heart?

Qin Chuan could only laugh and cry. He found Lan Jin utterly adorable—what made her so precious was that her cuteness was completely uncontrived, the natural expression of her character.

That was what made her truly rare.

“Elder Lan, where is A-Wei, the one I asked you to look after?” Qin Chuan, not wanting to dwell any longer on the topic of pregnancy, quickly shifted the subject.

Lan Weimin was momentarily taken aback. The change from being addressed as ‘Xiao Min’ to ‘Elder Lan’ seemed minor, but in truth, it marked a fundamental shift in familiarity and attitude.

“This favor was indeed worth doing,” Lan Weimin mused inwardly, his face nearly overflowing with satisfaction and delight.

“Mr. Qin, please rest assured. I’ve made all the arrangements—he’s currently resting in the guest room,” Lan Weimin replied with a warm smile.

Qin Chuan nodded in approval and, as if correcting him, said, “Elder Lan, there’s no need to call me Mr. Qin from now on. You can just call me Xiao Qin or Xiao Chuan.”

“Is that… really appropriate?” Lan Weimin asked, though his heart was blooming with joy.

Seeing Qin Chuan smile and nod, Lan Weimin felt as if he could float away. It was important that Qin Chuan changed the way he addressed him, but even more crucial was that Qin Chuan had invited him to use a more intimate form of address in return.

It was like a company boss trying to build camaraderie with the employees by calling them brothers—everyone knows it’s just pleasantries. Try calling the boss ‘brother’ in front of business partners and see how long you keep your job.

But if the boss greets an elder with a smile, taking the posture of a junior and insisting the elder address him as if he were his own child, that’s a sign of genuine respect.

With such respect as a foundation, as long as the Lan family didn’t do anything truly outrageous, their position would be unshakable.

Lan Jin, left out of the conversation, pouted but understood the gravity of the situation and didn’t throw a tantrum. This sense of understanding and propriety was also something Qin Chuan found very endearing.

“If not for discovering Lin Wanyu, who is highly suspected to possess the Mysterious Yin Constitution, Lan Jin would really be a great choice,” Qin Chuan thought to himself.

Sensing Qin Chuan’s ‘ill-intentioned’ gaze, Lan Jin said irritably, “You won’t tell me anything and still try to take advantage of me. Are you daydreaming?”

“Ah! How can you talk about such things in broad daylight?” Qin Chuan teased.

Having been the target of Qin Chuan’s wordplay before, Lan Jin immediately caught on to the double meaning, blushing as she countered, “You really have mastered the art of accusing others first. I admit defeat!”

Watching them banter like a pair of lovers, Lan Weimin’s eyes flickered with hope. If his granddaughter could serve as a bridge to draw closer to Qin Chuan, he could die without regret.

What worried him most was this beloved granddaughter of his, who had no interest in managing the family business. Even if the family fortune were forced upon her, she might not be able to keep it.

She might even become prey for the likes of Guo Zikun. Without someone strong to protect her, who knew how she might be bullied?

Whenever he thought of this, Lan Weimin was filled with anguish.

But now, with Qin Chuan here, he sincerely hoped his granddaughter could win her ideal man and live out her days in peace.

“Take me to see her,” Qin Chuan said, feeling it was inappropriate to tease Lan Jin in front of her grandfather. If he revealed too much, how could he maintain his air of mystery?

“All right!” Lan Weimin readily agreed and led Qin Chuan to the room at the far end of the second-floor corridor, where he gently knocked on the door.

A moment later, the door opened slowly, revealing A-Wei’s weary face. His eyes were rimmed with fatigue and bloodshot.

“A-Wei, why do you have so many wrinkles on your forehead?” Lan Jin asked suddenly, as if she’d discovered a new continent, and started to move closer for a better look.

“Jin, let’s step outside…” Lan Weimin began.

“No need!” Qin Chuan interrupted.

There would be many matters in the future that required the Lan family’s cooperation. It was necessary for them to know some of the truth—there’s no point in doubting those you choose to trust.

Lan Weimin was greatly comforted. Qin Chuan’s gesture was as good as bringing him into his inner circle.

Lan Jin, too, was relieved—Qin Chuan was finally going to reveal the truth and she would no longer be kept in the dark.

While the grandfather and granddaughter were each rejoicing, the exhausted “A-Wei” suddenly threw herself into Qin Chuan’s arms.

Though not a word was spoken, tears spilled uncontrollably down her cheeks.

“What… what are you two doing?” Lan Jin gasped. She had suspected this A-Wei was not who she seemed, but never imagined she and Qin Chuan had this sort of relationship.

Do I really have no charm for men?

Watching Qin Chuan gently pat the man’s back with such tenderness in his expression, Lan Jin’s mouth twitched violently. Why did he look so gentle?

So this is the real Qin Chuan!

Argh!

Lan Jin felt a surge of frustration, not understanding why she was so agitated and resentful.

“Um…” Lan Weimin’s expression was also awkward, but as he saw “A-Wei’s” face becoming more and more wrinkled, he seemed to understand.

“All of you, stand guard at the stairway. No one is to approach!” Lan Weimin instructed the bodyguards nearby.

“Xiao Chuan, let’s talk inside,” Lan Weimin reminded.

Qin Chuan patted Qin Youyou lightly and whispered, “So many people are watching. Aren’t you embarrassed?”

“Hugging my brother—what’s there to be embarrassed about?” Qin Youyou murmured softly.

Lan Jin, who was nearest, heard their exchange clearly. Her big, bright eyes were filled with disbelief.

“A woman? She’s actually a woman?”

Her shock quickly turned to relief—at least Qin Chuan’s preferences were normal—but was almost immediately replaced with a sour feeling.

“I lost to another woman again?”

Lan Jin mumbled in discontent.

Lan Weimin locked the door behind them and, glancing at Lan Jin, could only sigh inwardly with mixed emotions.

My dear granddaughter, could you please focus on the main point? Isn’t the real issue here that a woman is calling Qin Chuan ‘brother’?