CH 145

Chapter 145 – The Chen Family’s Invitation

In the sound of firecrackers an old year is gone,

Spring wind brings us warmth as we drink wine.

New Year’s Eve had passed, ushering in a new year and signaling the approach of spring.

On the first day of the Lunar New Year, perhaps due to the energy spent staying up on New Year’s Eve, it was already nine o’clock in the morning, and the Wei household remained enveloped in a peaceful atmosphere.

However, at this point in time, the servants of the Wei household had already begun their work. Breakfast had been set on the table, awaiting the awakening of the masters.

By now, the Wei family members who had traveled from different corners of the world had also dispersed. Early in the morning, some had already left the Wei residence carrying their luggage. They had traveled for several days just to be part of the Wei family’s reunion dinner.

The hardships they endured were known only to each of them. But if you were to ask them whether they regretted it, these Wei family members would shake their heads and tell you that they didn’t. The opportunity to appear in the main household only came two or three times a year. The chance for possible advancement through their efforts was the greatest hope for them in the past year.

One by one, the distant relatives of the Wei family left, and the Wei residence gradually quietened down. Tranquility was the true essence of the Wei family’s main residence; the festivities of the past few days were merely superficial and easily pierced upon closer examination.

Of course, this had nothing to do with Wei Chen and Chen Li. They had returned home in the early hours of the morning and, after freshening up, had quickly succumbed to restful slumber.

At this moment, the two of them were still embraced in bed, immune to the disturbances of the outside world, lost in the sweetness of their dreams.

After nearly half an hour, Wei Chen finally woke up. The next second, Chen Li also groggily opened his eyes.

“Still not awake?” Unable to resist, Wei Chen reached out and tousled Chen Li’s disheveled hair, smiling. Chen Li shook his head and, still in a sitting position, fell back to sleep.

Seeing how deeply Chen Li was sleeping, Wei Chen didn’t have the heart to wake him. He got up quietly, went to the bathroom to freshen up, and after that, pulled the curtains slightly before leaving the room. He didn’t go far, just standing in the corridor.

At that moment, Old Master Wei was about to return to his study. Spotting Wei Chen in the corridor, he said, “Tomorrow is the second day of the new year. According to tradition, you should take Chen Li to the Chen family.”

In the city, there was a custom that every year on the second day of the Lunar New Year, daughters-in-law would return to their maternal homes. Although Chen Li wasn’t a daughter-in-law, in essence, he had joined the Wei family, so what Old Master Wei had said was true. According to tradition, Wei Chen was supposed to take Chen Li to the Chen family.

“I know,” Wei Chen nodded. Knowing was one thing, but actually following through was another matter altogether. In his private thoughts, Wei Chen didn’t want to take Chen Li back to the house that held dark memories for him.

Old Master Wei had no intention of speculating on Wei Chen’s thoughts. After mentioning what needed to be said, he turned and walked towards the other side of the corridor. His study was located in a corner there.

Wei Chen stood in the corridor for a while and then heard movement from the room. He guessed that Chen Li must have woken up by now. He opened the door and entered the room, and indeed, he saw Chen Li already wearing slippers, ready to go to the bathroom for freshening up.

Because Wei Chen wasn’t in the room, when Chen Li heard the sound of the door opening, he instinctively became guarded. It wasn’t until he saw that it was Wei Chen entering that he relaxed and greeted him with a “Good morning.”

“Good morning, Li Li,” Wei Chen replied.

Chen Li, still a bit groggy, walked into the bathroom. By the time he emerged after freshening up, he was fully awake. At this point, Wei Chen had already set up an easel for him, a skill he was proficient in from countless times doing it before.

“Achen, I’m hungry.” Chen Li’s gaze lingered on the easel for a moment and then he touched his now empty stomach, looking at Wei Chen as he spoke.

“Then let’s go downstairs for breakfast first.” Wei Chen naturally didn’t want Chen Li to go hungry. He reached out and held his hand, leading him downstairs.

Downstairs, Wei Zhenxiong, Fang Yun, and Wei Wei were also having breakfast.

When Fang Yun saw Wei Chen come down, a hint of unease flashed in her eyes. Wei Wei, who was already afraid of Wei Chen, had become even more fearful after yesterday’s incident. He took a step back in Fang Yun’s direction, clutching the hem of her clothes, his face showing a sense of grievance.

Wei Zhenxiong, however, didn’t notice Wei Chen’s arrival. He was engrossed in reading a newspaper, not caring about the world around him.

Wei Chen paid no attention to their reactions. He led Chen Li to his seat, prepared a bowl of porridge for him, and took care of his needs with meticulous attention.

During the breakfast, lasting just over ten minutes, the people at the table seemed like strangers to each other. There was no exchange of words. When Wei Chen and Chen Li got up from the table, the air between them remained thoroughly ignored.

The dining room fell into a silent state, and nobody felt anything amiss. Only the passing servants moved quietly, afraid to make a sound.

It wasn’t until Wei Chen’s phone rang that the eerie tranquility was broken, the call was from Chen Qing. When Wei Chen answered the phone, he heard Chen Qing’sclear voice.

“Achen, Happy New Year.”

“Happy New Year,” Wei Chen replied lightly.

Chen Qing had long grown accustomed to Wei Chen’s reticence, so he continued, “Tomorrow, take Chen Li back to the Chen family. My grandfather wants to see him.”

“Look at the time,” Wei Chen didn’t provide a specific answer. If he could, he didn’t want Chen Li to go back to the Chen family, even if it wasn’t the same Chen family he had lived with before; the main residence of the Chen family would be the same.

Chen Qing detected Wei Chen’s resistance and said angrily, “Wei Chen, Chen Li is part of the Chen family. It’s only right for my grandfather to want to meet him. Don’t interfere with that.”

Wei Chen hung up the phone without saying anything more.

Listening to the beeping sound from his phone, Chen Qing’s face turned pale.

“Brother, what’s wrong? You don’t look very happy,” Chen Qing’s sister, Chen Yu, immediately noticed his unusual demeanor and came over to ask in concern.

“It’s nothing,” Chen Qing shook his head.

Chen Yu understood her brother’s temperament. If he didn’t want to talk about something, even if you held a knife to his throat, he wouldn’t say it. So, she didn’t press him further and shifted to asking about Chen Li, “Will that fool be coming tomorrow?”

“I don’t know,” Chen Qing’s anger flared up whenever Chen Li was mentioned. He really couldn’t understand how that fool had managed to garner so much support.

He had thought that with Lu Xiuran’s influence, he could lead Chen Li to a dead end in his artistic pursuits. But what was the result? Lu Xiuran not only failed in his attempt but also harmed his own prospects. Lu Xiuran’s mother cried to his mother about this every day, and it took a lot of effort for Du Liqian to get Lu Xiuran out of the mess. Although Lu Xiuran went abroad at the beginning of the year, his career in art had come to an end.

The more Chen Qing thought about it, the more infuriated he became. He couldn’t understand why everyone was treating that fool so well, one after another. Wei Chen had originally liked him, but because of that fool, he had distanced himself. Even Wu Zikang, he was no longer close to Wei Chen. As Chen Qing’s face grew darker and darker, Chen Yu, who was standing nearby, didn’t approach him in her usual naive manner. As for the matter that hadn’t received an answer, she didn’t care.

It would be best if that fool didn’t come back. If he did come back, he would just be a nuisance to her.

Chen Yu didn’t know why their grandfather wanted to see that fool for some reason. During every Chinese New Year, hadn’t that fool come to the main residence before? Grandfather had never mentioned it. But now, he directly wanted to meet that fool.

Chen Yu pouted, not wanting to think about that fool anymore. The more she thought about it, the more frustrated she felt.

*

Wei Chen had no intention of taking Chen Li to the Chen family on the second day. Even if it was the main residence of the Chen family, it would be the same. After all, there were people there whom Chen Li didn’t want to see. His presence at the Chen family would be distressing for him. So, the next day at noon, when Old Master Wei saw Wei Chen and Chen Li at home, he was a bit surprised. “Why didn’t you go to the Chen family?”

Wei Chen shook his head, holding Chen Li’s hand as they left. He remembered what Wu Zailin had said: on the second day of the New Year, the shop would open around noon. Instead of staying home with Chen Li, he thought it would be better to take him out.

As soon as Wei Chen left with Chen Li, the Chen family called the Wei family, and the question was naturally why Chen Li didn’t return to the Chen family.

The call came directly from Chen Shihuai, the patriarch of the Chen family in Shanghai. At first, his attitude was courteous, as if he was asking about something routine. However, once Old Master Wei mentioned that Chen Li and Wei Chen had already left, Chen Shihuai’s tone became somewhat demanding.

“My Chen family’s grandson married into your Wei family, and you still won’t allow him to visit his family? Is that it?” Chen Shihuai’s voice was coarse as he questioned, filled with accusation.

Naturally, Old Master Wei wasn’t someone to be trifled with. He and Chen Shihuai had never gotten along very well. If it hadn’t been for that particular project, he would have never considered joining the Chen family through marriage.

“That’s something you should ask yourself. What did your Chen family do to Chen Li that made him unwilling to return even to his own family?”

Chen Shihuai clearly felt guilty. Faced with Old Master Wei’s question, he couldn’t find the words to respond. What treatment Chen Li received in the Chen family was well known to this patriarch of the Chen family. However, at that time, Chen Li was inconsequential—a mere existence. As long as he was alive, that was enough; other matters were not his concern.

But now, things were different. The Chen family needed Chen Li to contribute to their cause, and so he had to return. Chen Li belonged to the Chen family, an undeniable fact.

“Old Wei, I won’t argue with you. Just make your grandson bring my grandson back quickly,” Chen Shihuai urged without wanting to engage in further conversation.

Old Master Wei chuckled, “I can’t manage that. If you can’t find your grandson, don’t come looking for me.” With that, he promptly ended the call, unwilling to speak any further with Chen Shihuai.

As soon as the call ended, Old Master Wei began to reflect. Chen Shihuai had always been an early riser when there was something to gain. Chen Li had been practically insignificant in the Chen family before—like a useless entity. Chen Shihuai had likely forgotten about him in some corner. So why was Chen Shihuai suddenly so fond of this grandson?

Soon, Old Master Wei caught onto the key point.

His eyes slightly narrowed. It seemed that Chen Li now held a value that even the Chen family coveted. Otherwise, given Chen Shihuai’s character, why would he care whether Chen Li lived or died?

Yet, what was this newfound value of Chen Li?

Old Master Wei felt like there were claws scratching at his heart, making him desperately want to know the answer. What value could an autistic person possibly possess that would make the patriarch of the Chen family pay attention?