"What?" Chen Linyun propped himself, too, with an elbow and faced the wife's inquisitive gaze. He felt nervous all of a sudden. 'What is she talking about? Which in particular?'

"Grampa's approval. I feel so left out. What happened when I was sleeping?" She attacked fearlessly as if it was a fault. Truth was, it was the improvement they had been waiting for. Among the family members, only Grampa Xue refused to acknowledge their marriage and give his blessings to the young couple.

What the h.e.l.l happened?

Chen Linyun sat up straight and scratched his head. He was trying to find the correct words.

"Well, truthfully, Jinxu, it turns out that your Grampa loves you too much." He caressed her cheeks with her thumb. While at it, he tucked a loose strand of her hair behind her ear.

Xue Jinxu sat on her legs and nodded, signaling Chen Linyun that she was listening attentively. "Go on, go on. I'm all ears. And then? What happened?"

"He explained his side of the story."

"I couldn't help feeling guilty, Jinxu…"

"I've really wronged your family by taking you as my wife that casually. Although I didn't force you, and you agreed to it, too… Well, it was too sudden..."

"Remember how you were when you learned that Guangxi had a girlfriend for the first time? You were hysterical, and you even gave your brother a cold shoulder. But you still love him, and your love for him didn't diminish at the least."

"I think that's the best a.n.a.logy there can ever be of what happened to your Grampa, to put it simply."

"I guess up to now you still harbor ill feelings towards the girl Su Jingjing."

The lady scoffed and stood up. She put her hands on her hips. "Chen Linyun!"

The husband had gooseb.u.mps on his back. He sat properly.

"It's different with that girl! That girl led Guangxi to his doom! She's an accomplice of a greater evil which is still on the loose up to now! How can you compare our situation to their situation?!"

In defense, Chen Linyun raised his arms in the air. "Hey, hey! Calm down."

He grabbed her wrist and led her to sit on his lap. "Before you get worked up, try to clear your mind first, and see things without prejudice. Concentrate on the timeline before the picnic, okay? Recall the time when you learned about Guangxi having a girlfriend for the first time."

"Your intense disapproval at first – was it because of the girl, or because you were taken by surprise?"

The lady was speechless. She could see where Chen Linyun was coming from.

"I'm getting you now."

"So you mean…"

"I think your grandfather suffered severe shock too. To think he was trying to matchmake you with his best chosen, hand-picked chess pieces – knights and kings-to-be – those who were brought up with silver spoons in their mouth. Yet, you turned them all down! And when he learned that you somehow favor me, me who did not have a job at the time, in spite of your engagement that had already been in place, just imagine his shock, Jinxu. I bet he was hurt, too, and in the process, he doubted your decisions. I cannot blame him if we try to put ourselves in his shoes."

"He just loves you so much, Jinxu. We should be thankful for that."