612. Great-Grandmother
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A coin-sized hamburger was placed on the computer desk, resting on a piece of paper. The two sat in chairs, staring at the burger, unable to find the words for quite some time.
“So, Li Ya wants you to return the magic power to Lilith?”
“Nope, at least she didn’t say it outright,” Lin Nan shook her head.
Chen Yao scratched his head, “So, does that mean the magic power might have some side effects that make you give it up? Just a precaution for now?”
“Like an army from another world is forming to hunt down the Demon King? Preparing to storm in and take you down?”
That idea wasn’t too far-fetched.
Previously, the few visitors from that other world had been too scared to even get a good look at Lin Nan before running off in terror. It was mostly because they figured they stood no chance against her—like a muscular guy meeting a tiger; you can’t expect everyone to jump in with a confident backstab.
Thinking it over, Lin Nan felt there might be some truth to it, but since Li Na hadn’t given any warning, the likelihood seemed quite small.
After all, neither Li Na nor Lilith seemed to have plans to k*ll her.
The duo put their heads together to ponder the potential side effects of the magic power.
Unfortunately, after a long deliberation, besides the idea that Lin Nan transforming into a girl would make Chen Yao grin like a Cheshire cat, they couldn’t think of anything else.
Baffled, they decided to just lock that tiny burger away in the drawer for a rainy day, even if Lin Nan thought she’d never actually need it.
After chatting for a while, Lin Nan pulled out the Poké Ball backpack she bought earlier and crammed both Lemon and Cola inside.
She was a bit overly cautious about Cola; this cat had been turned into a total homebody by Lilith. Although it had slimmed down quite a bit, this cat was still the “if I can lie down, why should I stand up?” type. No matter how much Lemon urged it, Cola just didn’t care.
Looking at other people’s Chinese garden cats, catching mice and birds, all spry and agile hunters, and then there was Cola, who was raised to be even more docile than a ragdoll cat.
After packing her clothes into the suitcase along with the pets, Lin Nan and Chen Yao set off together.
They were going to visit Lin Nan’s grandfather.
It had been only half a month since they got back, and her grandpa called every day, insisting that Lin Nan come stay for a few days.
Lin Nan felt a bit helpless. After a few days of contemplation, she decided to go stay with Chen Yao for about a week.
“Wait, let me grab the white liquor my dad has hidden to take to your grandpa,” Chen Yao suddenly dropped his luggage and turned towards his parents’ bedroom as soon as the door opened.
“My grandpa has gout; he can’t drink too much.”
“It’s alright, I’ll just let him enjoy it a bit and then have your grandma hide it,” Chen Yao cheerfully emerged from his parents’ bedroom with a bottle of Maotai.
Lin Nan didn’t know much about alcohol, but Maotai was famous, and since it was Chen Yao’s dad’s collection, it was probably not cheap.
With a teasing smile, she asked, “Aren’t you afraid your dad will k*ll you?”
“No worries, my mom doesn’t let him drink anyway. It’s better off with your grandpa.”
Chen Yao took the liquor and dragged his suitcase outside first.
Life at Grandpa’s was pretty dull most days—playing Mahjong, watching TV, and thinking about other entertainment activities. Usually, they only thought about taking the grandkids out when they visited, hoping to keep them around a few more days.
The two outdated phones that the grandparents had didn’t even need Wi-Fi; they were mainly for the grandkids when they visited.
Lin Nan could understand how the elderly felt; however, the food at grandpa’s place wasn’t exactly to her taste, and there weren’t any same-age friends around, plus no computer. So, all she could do at Grandpa’s was play on her phone.
After a twenty-minute drive, they arrived at Grandpa’s villa on the outskirts of town.
It was just lunchtime; the front door was wide open, and inside, you could see the elderly duo at the round table munching away.
The sound of the car braking caught their attention, and they turned to see Lin Nan emerging from the passenger seat with her backpack.
Grandpa’s face twitched slightly; he instinctively started to get up but quickly composed himself, maintaining his stoic demeanor while continuing to eat.
“You still remember to come back to see this old man.”
As Lin Nan walked in, she heard Grandpa’s melancholic voice that almost sounded like a pout.
“I’ve been busy, you know?” Lin Nan replied with a big smile as she opened the cat backpack, releasing Lemon and Cola.
As soon as Cola was out, it found a cool corner to lie down. Lemon swiftly flew onto Lin Nan’s shoulder, remaining still while spinning its little head 180 degrees to survey its new surroundings.
“Isn’t that Cola?” Grandma exclaimed upon seeing the black cat, surprised. “You haven’t brought it back in ages; why’s it gotten so fat?”
“And what’s with that bird?” Grandma looked at Lemon, then at Cola, bewildered.
“That’s a parrot I got recently; its name is Lemon,” Lin Nan explained as she sat down by the dining table, placing Lemon down from her shoulder.
Grandma and Grandpa scrutinized the beautiful little creature, and after a moment, Grandma asked, “Have you eaten lunch yet?”
“Not yet.”
“I’ll go fry some rice noodles for you. Is Chen Yao here too?”
Lin Nan nodded, but she noticed Grandpa’s attention was still at the doorway. She turned to see Chen Yao parking the car, bottle of Maotai in hand, ready to head inside.
Seeing the Maotai, Grandpa’s face lit up; he was positively gleeful, while Grandma had retreated to the kitchen.
Grandpa’s dark eyes darted around, and he promptly cleared his small bowl of rice before handing it to Chen Yao.
Truly a wine lover.
Chen Yao looked at Lin Nan with a wry smile, unable to withstand Grandpa’s eager gaze, and ended up opening the bottle to pour some for him.
After a drink, Grandpa relaxed, hid the liquor bottle under the TV cabinet, and then resumed his serious façade, launching into a barrage of compliments about how Lin Nan had chosen a good boyfriend—handsome, polite, honest, and sharp, making Chen Yao blush awkwardly.
“Actually, I called you back for a reason,” Grandpa said, transitioning to serious business after the merriment.
“Hmm?”
Lin Nan immediately sensed that the atmosphere had shifted.
“Your Great-Grandmother might be unwell…”
Great-Grandmother?
It hit her then—the family member with the highest seniority, who usually went unnoticed: Great-Grandmother.
If she remembered correctly, Great-Grandmother should be over ninety, right?
Probably something had happened in the past few days, otherwise, Mom wouldn’t be considering setting up a stall, and Grandpa wouldn’t have kept pushing for her to come back recently.
That’s when she understood why her mom had been in a sour mood while setting up.
