"Long time no see, grandpa. ”

After Ai Qing went to London to study, she had not seen her grandfather for seven years, but after seven years of absence, her words did not have the warmth and affection that others expected, but were almost as indifferent as hatred.

Yin Liangji listened to her words calmly, looking around nonchalantly, and finally, his gaze fell on her desk.

The card embedded in a crystal frame.

Even with his back to the frame, he could still imagine what it was like.

"This is probably your most proud masterpiece, isn't it?" he nodded approvingly, "Your vision is much better than mine...... After so many years away from home, Xiaoqing, you have really achieved something. ”

Ai Qing looked down at the glowing face on the screen and couldn't help but smile.

"What's the matter? Grandpa, do you regret it?"

"Ah, yes. ”

The old man bowed his head seriously: "If I had expected such an achievement from him, this child should have been raised by me in the first place, but unfortunately, after I met his parents, I was already disappointed in their family...... This is my biggest omission, and I should think twice.

If I want to say it, I shouldn't have cared too much about the so-called face before, and directly cut the grass and eradicated the roots...... It's a pity that I'm not as smart as you, and I didn't understand this until now. ”

He sighed softly.

"It's a pity that there's no chance anymore—"

Ai Qing turned her pen indifferently, admiring the undisguised frustration and chagrin on the old man's face, as if looking at the tears of a crocodile: "From the time he became the third runner-up in the rookie, no, before he stepped into the rookie game, when he became a sublimator, you should have thought of this day."

By the time Qi Wen's death alerted you, it was already too late.

He is already a full member of the Astronomical Society, a newcomer favored by the four legions, and a latecomer who has already been arranged by both the Command Bureau and the Survival Academy. Even after leaving the Astronomical Society, the Eastern Xia lineage will not hesitate to become his backing.

After he progresses from the 'Ivory Tower', one day, he will climb the ladder of the Astronomical Society, becoming an indispensable backbone of the national lineage as it is today, and becoming a shadow that will forever hang over the Yin family. ”

"You know what, Xiaoqing...... I really miss the way you worked with him. ”

Yin Liangji seemed to be distracted, like countless old people, reminiscing about the past years: "When Huaiguang was still there, we also used to cooperate like you, Huai and Yin, inseparable and inseparable, with him to implement, formulated by me, we both joined hands to lay out, never disadvantaged...... It's a pity that Huaiguang died early, too early.

If he hadn't died, wouldn't all of this be like this now, wouldn't it be like this? I don't need to wait for your generation, the Yin clan can complete the Zhongxing from my hands, and Huaiguang, that idiot, will definitely be able to realize his dream and become one of the most famous hell explorers, which will be printed on the Wanshi card. ”

“......”

"The so-called life is such a fragile thing, but what is more fragile than life is everything in this world. ”

Yin Liangji raised his fingers with old age spots and tapped his crutches: "The good things in the world are not strong, and the colorful clouds are easy to scatter and the glass is brittle...... The world is too easy to change, and it only takes a few years to erase everything that once was.

In the end, he became the interlude, and I, got it. ”

Ai Qing was indifferent and didn't speak, but Yin Liangji raised his eyes.

The cloudy pupils were full of solemnity and indifference, obviously an old man who was so stiff that he had to worry about falling when he walked, but now he seemed to be looking down on Ai Qing.

Looking at his ignorant great-granddaughter.

"You're laughing at my hypocrisy, aren't you, Xiaoqing?"

Yin Liangji said: "You are always entangled in appearances, but you can't see the big picture.

I know what you're trying to say, it's nothing more than the inconsequential moral condemnation that I have embezzled the Huai family's assets - to be honest, it should be the best decision I've ever made since Huai Guang's death.

After all, isn't what I'm doing normal business competition? Even if it's dozens of times dirtier than this, there are competitions in the world, right? What do you think I should do?

When the two parties, which have been closely bound together, suddenly have a fatal omission, should they give up their lofty goals and sink together, or sacrifice the last inheritance of one person to give the other a chance to succeed?

Shouldn't I buy his property just because he was a friend?

If I let someone else do it, I will only be more ruthless and cruel than me! Compared with such a huge asset, what kind of elegance and etiquette is insignificant, they will only be more vicious, uglier, and will not even leave Huai Shi's life.

That's right, I watched his parents do it to themselves, and in the end, they ate the consequences. But you have to be clear, Xiaoqing - whose mercy has allowed him to live until now. ”

Ai Qing couldn't help but sneer, "You can try to reason with him, if you think he will spare your life then." ”

"I will, even if he won't listen. ”

The old man said calmly: "For the family, compared with an old man who is in the waning mountains and a rookie with a promising future, is it necessary to say which is more important?"

I could have knelt before him, begged for his forgiveness, laid down my dignity and my backbone, laughed like a dog, endured shame, and spit on myself, and if he was still not angry, I could stretch my neck and let him cut it, even if it was a broken bone.

But so what?"

Looking at Ai Qing's stiff expression for a moment, he shook his head in disappointment: "It's just a dead person, do you need to make a fuss?" Xiaoqing, in addition to age, do you really have to grow a little bit over the years?"

If the perspective cannot be raised and the overall situation cannot be overlooked, no matter how clever you are, you are just 'smart', not wisdom.

And you're too smart to be too smart...... You always make the best choice, but sometimes the best is not the best.

Let's say you've lost your best chance to retaliate. ”

Looking at Shao **'s expression, the old man smiled regretfully: "Today's Yin family, even if there is no me, will it really collapse?"

Don't you also see that the child in the Yin Cliff, although he does not have the vision and wisdom like you, but as the head of the family who supports the family, he is naturally magnificent. When the Yin family has now gotten rid of the bloody period of capital accumulation, a virtuous and open-minded young man is a more suitable choice for the head of the house than me, a disgusting old man.

In other words, from the moment he advanced, the pleasure of revenge you expected was meaningless—because from that moment on, my life and death had become a trivial matter. ”

The old man told him sincerely: "This is the meaning of the family, Xiaoqing, each of us is an insignificant dust, but when the dust gathers together, we can make a difference and have meaning."

We use blood ties with each other to trust and authority, hoping to make up for our own shortcomings and reach new heights. For the sake of this goal, all members are sacrificial."

He said, "Including your parents, and including me." ”

Snap!

An angry shattering sound burst from Ai Qing's hand, and the pen broke, ink flowing from her fingertips, with a hint of red.

Words from great-grandfather, with mockery bordering on humiliation.

A temptation, no, it should be said, a torture that leaves no room for the slightest.

If the person standing in your path of revenge was not me, but the only brother who ever took care of you, the Cliff, what choice would you make?

If one day, Yin Cliff becomes the enemy of Huai Shi, how can you shamefully obey the enemy's will and convince your 'tool of revenge' to only punish the evil?

When the time comes, will this old thing be killed again as he said?

No, there will only be more arrangements and more conspiracies waiting for you, right?

"You see, I already told you. ”

The old man stared at her helplessly: "This world is too easy to change, and your relationship is something that is so easily broken, just like the friendship between me and Huaiguang - because in the final analysis, we are all the same people, and there is never any difference." ”

"In the past, I valued you so much, and even wanted you to replace Yin Cliff and continue to pass on this family, otherwise how could I send you to study in London? But even so, it shouldn't be a reason for you to act recklessly. ”

"It's time for the rebellious period to pass, Xiaoqing. ”

In the dead silence, he said to Ai Qing kindly: "You should do your duty. ”

Ai Qing didn't speak, just looked at him indifferently.

Only hurried footsteps sounded from outside the door.

"What's going on?"

Chai Fei pushed the door in and asked in shock: "Why did the branch chief suddenly give you a suspension...... Uh, sorry for the interruption. ”

Looking at the indifferent grandparents and grandchildren in the office, she reacted, put the notice on Ai Qing's desk, and fled in a hurry.

Before leaving, she glanced at Ai Qing through the crack in the door, anxiously waiting for an answer.

But Ai Qing didn't look at her, as if she hadn't noticed her coming. He just stared at his great-grandfather in silence, expressionless.

She sighed, and the door shut.

"You really have your style, grandpa, can even the daughter of the victim be used as a pawn?"

In the silence, Ai Qing let go of her fingers, threw the broken pen into the basket, took out a tissue, wiped the ink in her hand, and suddenly asked, "Do you really have to think about the consequences?"

"Don't worry. Yin Liangji replied unquestioned, "Since you are allowed to go home, you will definitely not have any worries." ”

"Can't wait to put me to use?"

"After all, the day after tomorrow is my 100th birthday, so I have to celebrate. Yin Liangji replied calmly: "Don't worry, I've already seen people." Maxima of the Cui clan in Bingzhou, although he was born with a squint, he is not wronged by you. ”

"A blind man with a lame man sounds like a good match. ”

"Who's to say it isn't?"

The old man stared quietly out the window at the fading sunlight.

At dusk, the crisp sound of bells echoed in the sky of the school in the distance, and the noise gradually rose from the road.

It's time for the kids to go home.