The dinner prepared at the Zhong estate was quite lavish. After all, the elder and the young master had not come to this residence for quite a while. Unfortunately, most of the diners at the table were not in a good mood. Only Elder Zhong ate his favourite dishes with relish.Once the dinner was over, the old man invited Hu Lei to stretch her legs along with him. Since there was nothing strange about the request, she did not hesitate. It was a chance to escape the ever-present awkwardness that seemed to be floating around the mansion.
Elder Zhong started walking towards the lake in a carefree manner. For an old man, he had a lot of energy in his steps. He did not seem like he was burdened by the troubles of the world. However, Hu Lei could not help wondering why he had asked her to walk with him. When she thought about it a little more, she a.s.sumed that he wanted to evaluate her.
The grandpa stopped before they reached the lake and looked at her with anxious eyes.
"Little girl, where did you get the tea?" He asked with surprising intensity.
Hu Lei felt speechless as she looked at the bright eyes filled with antic.i.p.ation. She could not believe that this respectable elder had gone through the trouble just to find out the source of the tea. Was that eccentric old man right? Could it be that she really did not understand the value of his tea?
"I got it from a shop. Is there something special about it?" She did not conceal the truth from him. After all, she knew nothing of value. But she was curious about the agitation in Elder Zhong"s eyes. It seemed that he knew more than she did.
"What shop?" The elder did not seem to hear her question.
"It was a medicine shop on Cauldron Street. It is known as Apothecary."
The elder"s eyes shone strangely. "So, he really is back." He muttered to himself. There was an almost wave of energy flowing from his body. He looked different as if he was suddenly filled with excitement. Hu Lei felt puzzled.
"Who was in the shop?" The elder broke out of his thoughts.
Hu Lei suddenly remembered that she did not know the old man"s name. She had wanted to inquire at some point during her visit, but it had seemed inappropriate at the time.
"I don"t know his name. He was an old man with an eccentric personality, wearing a lab coat." She responded with all the details she had. This matter seemed important to this grandpa. Since it did not concern her in any way and there were no feelings of animosity from Elder Zhong, there was no harm in sharing what she knew.
Elder Zhong looked with disbelieving eyes.
"You do not know his name, and he sold you his tea?" He asked.
Hu Lei felt like this elder was a little slow and unnecessarily dramatic. Was it not just a medicine shop? Was it not just tea?
"Well, that grandpa actually gave me the tea for free." She explained honestly.
"That old miser gave you tea for free?" Elder Zhong felt like he was going crazy and could not help wondering whether he was mistaken. His old friend was stingy when it came to his tea. However, the symbol and the packaging had not changed, and no one would be willing to offend that man by impersonating his products.
Hu Lei felt that she would get a headache. Elder Zhong kept repeating her words in form of the question, making it difficult to move forward.
"Grandfather, do you know that shop owner?" She took initiative to inquire about this matter.
Elder Zhong seemed to lose his original energy when she asked the question, and he had a distant look in his eyes. He turned from Hu Lei and resumed the walk towards the lake. He seemed lost in his memories, so she did not disturb him. At least, he was no longer shouting in shock.
"If I am not wrong, that old man is Huo. He is an old rival from my youth and a friend. We had different paths, but we became comrades along the way." After this, he seemed lost in his thoughts.
Hu Lei did not ask more because she did not feel that it was appropriate. There seemed to be more to this simple summary. Perhaps she could learn more from the medicine shop grandpa when she found time to drop in. He might be more forthcoming.
In the Zhong Mansion
Zhong Feng faced his parents with a serious look in his eyes. Song Lili was also in the living room, drinking tea with them. Actually, she had been hoping to get some alone time with him with Hu Lei gone. However, he had sat down with his parents, so she had to remain and find her chance to get a little closer.
After a few moments of tense silence, it became clear that it was not a good time. It seemed that Zhong Feng wanted to speak with his parents. She was a woman with high EQ, so it was not difficult for her to deduce the situation. Her heart was a little resentful, but she still excused herself from the living room gracefully.
As soon as she stepped, Zhong Feng did not waste time.
"Mother, father, I know that I was wrong not to speak clearly to you about Hu Lei in the past. As a result, you have developed some bias against her based on rumours." He paused.
"It is not rumour. Mian"er told us everything." Chu Ling spoke with a pained expression.
"Mother, please allow me to finish. Hu Lei has never, in any way, harmed me. On the contrary, she made me feel like a real person. I did not know the meaning of happiness until I met her. I understand that you have always been overprotective because of the matters that happened in the past."
"However, you should realise that I have long grown up. I am no longer a sickly child, and I have a mind of my own. I have chosen Hu Lei to be my companion for life. She is everything to me, and I will not let anyone jeopardise her happiness, including my parents."
"Are you threatening us?" Zhong Tian asked loudly and with anger.
"No, I am stating the facts. As I"ve said, she is everything to me. I hope, as my parents, you will accommodate her because I will not allow her to suffer grievances." He finished in a resolute tone.
"Feng"er, we are just worried about you. You know that we don"t care about things like family and status. But if someone wants to hurt you, how can we stand aside and watch? You are a smart man in so many ways. But you have been sheltered since you were a child. A lot of women will scheme against you." Chu Ling responded.
Zhong Ling became tense at the words. They were partially true. When he was younger, he was sheltered and had a very narrow view of life. After all, he had been home-schooled. However, he had changed.
"If you believe that I am a smart man, then you should trust my decision. I will only have and love Hu Lei. This will not change even to my death." Zhong Feng vowed solemnly.
Chu Ling and Zhong Tian could not control the changes on their faces. Their counter arguments had been on the tip of their tongues. However, this declaration felt final. It almost seemed like the universe had witnessed this promise.