Chapter Fifteen: The Unreasonable Grandfather

"Yan, I've heard your newly brewed wine is ready to drink." Old Wuli swept into Yan's room like a gust of wind; even with all their strength, Ren Qingyun and the others couldn't stop him.

A piercing scream echoed from inside the room—it came from Old Wuli, clearly startled by the sight of the two people caught together, unable to separate in time. "You, you..." He stammered for a long while, unable to form a sentence. Yet, as someone accustomed to storms and tempests, he regained his composure swiftly.

"Little girl, you've learned some naughty tricks—hiding a man in your room now," he teased, sounding very much like an old rascal.

"You wretched old man! Who told you to barging into someone’s room uninvited?" Yan was furious. This old fellow was utterly speechless—he always barged into her private chambers without a care.

Ignoring her, the old man glanced at Zhongli Yu, his eyes widening like copper bells in surprise. "Brat, it's you?"

"Senior, yes, it's me." Zhongli Yu, unruffled by the awkwardness, greeted the old man with a polite bow.

"Hmph! I tried to make you my grandson-in-law before, but you refused. Now you’ve come knocking on your own," Old Wuli grumbled.

"I have indeed come knocking on my own," Zhongli Yu replied with an air of certainty.

Old Wuli snorted. "You want to marry my granddaughter? Not a chance. Let me tell you, the opportunity’s gone. I asked you once and you said no; now it’s my turn to refuse." He folded his arms, looking smug and self-satisfied.

"Yan, just now you agreed to give me all your wine, didn't you?" Zhongli Yu turned to Yan, speaking slowly.

"Yes," Yan nodded, cooperating readily.

"You little thing, how could you give all the wine away without consulting me?" Old Wuli was indignant.

"It's my own, I can give it to whomever I please. Why should I need your permission?"

"As expected, girls always side with outsiders. Heartless!"

"It's just a few jars of wine. When the next batch of grapes ripens, I can brew more," Yan said indifferently.

"The next batch? That’s ages away! I won’t accept that," the old man wailed.

Yan shrugged, her expression saying, “Do as you like.”

"Boy, what would it take to make you leave the wine here?" Old Wuli, exasperated, turned to Zhongli Yu.

"As long as you become my grandfather, you can have as much fine wine as you want," Zhongli Yu replied with a gentle laugh.

"Become your grandfather? You want to be my grandson? That’s fine, I suppose I’ll accept you," Old Wuli said, feigning reluctance.

"No, I wish to be your grandson-in-law, and Yan’s husband," Zhongli Yu clarified, unwilling to let the old man sidestep the issue.

"Very well. Leave the wine here and I’ll recognize you as my grandson-in-law," Old Wuli declared.

"Agreed, no problem." Both seemed to find the bargain worthwhile, paying no mind to the dark lines sliding down Yan’s face.

"Did you hear that? Grandfather has agreed, so you can’t back out now," Zhongli Yu said to Yan.

"He’s not my grandfather," Yan retorted disdainfully, casting Old Wuli a scornful look. What kind of grandfather would trade his granddaughter for a few jars of wine?

"You brat, how dare you talk nonsense," Old Wuli snapped.

"Hmph," Yan turned her head away, pointedly ignoring him.

"Ha, Young Master Feng, this girl is sulking again. Help me talk some sense into her," Old Wuli said, and with that, grabbed a jar of wine and vanished in an instant.

Zhongli Yu couldn't help but laugh—this old man truly was a character. Yan, meanwhile, was left speechless.

"How did he become your grandfather?" Zhongli Yu asked, curious.

"He’s actually my master, but he likes me to call him grandfather," Yan explained.

"Oh? How did he take you as a disciple?"

"Back then, I nearly emptied the wine cellar at Prince Zhen’s manor trying to get him to accept me, but he remained unmoved. Later, when he discovered I’d brewed grape wine, he finally agreed. But afterwards, I realized he’d already been secretly helping me, clearing my meridians and boosting my abilities even before that," Yan recalled, the corners of her mouth lifting slightly. In truth, Old Wuli was more like a real grandfather to her, teaching her much over the years.

"Are you his only disciple?"

"No, he took in two before me—Senior Brother Gu Qinghan and Second Brother Gu Qingyang. Both were orphans he adopted. Two years ago, he sent them off to travel, saying he feared their horizons were too narrow and wanted them to see the world."

"So you have two senior brothers," Zhongli Yu noted.

"Yes, so you’d better not bully me, or I’ll call them to teach you a lesson," Yan said, swinging her fist with pride.

He chuckled softly.