Chapter 46 No More Barriers Between Them

Arriving at the entrance of the restaurant alongside An Changming, Shen Xuan caught sight of a familiar elderly man among the crowd. His expression shifted dramatically, and he couldn't help but call out,

"Grandfather!"

Old Master Qin, who was on the verge of getting into a full-scale physical brawl with Lu Wenyong, paused mid-motion upon hearing the cry, his raised fist freezing in place.

Turning toward the source of the voice, Old Master Qin spotted Shen Xuan standing not far away with a look of utter bewilderment.

A wave of joy washed over the old man's face. Abandoning Lu Wenyong entirely, he waved his hand enthusiastically and shouted,

"My dear grandson!"

"Grandfather, why did you come here?"

Pushing his way through the crowd, Shen Xuan reached Old Master Qin's side in two or three strides, asking with a face full of confusion.

"Ha! I haven't seen you rascal in a few days, so I figured I'd come and see how you've been getting along," Old Master Qin said with a hearty chuckle, reaching out to grasp Shen Xuan's hand.

"You should have at least had someone send word in advance. Your health hasn't fully recovered for long, how could you travel here all by yourself?" Shen Xuan furrowed his brows, his tone carrying a trace of gentle reproach.

"And whose fault is that, you brat? You said you wanted to move out, so you moved out. And once you left, you didn't even bother to come back and check on this old man for all this time." Old Master Qin pouted, his voice tinged with a hint of grievance.

Shen Xuan's expression froze. Looking at the old man's shock of white hair and the unyielding traces of the years etched upon his face, a wave of guilt washed over him.

"Grandfather, it was my fault. I promise I will come back to see you often from now on."

Grasping the old man's large hand in return, Shen Xuan lowered his head, his tone resolute and unwavering.

"Good!"

Looking at the youth, who had grown far more steady and composed than before, Old Master Qin felt a sudden mist gather in his eyes, his voice turning slightly choked with emotion.

The old man knew that his true grandson had finally returned to him. The invisible barrier that had stood between them was thoroughly shattered in this very moment.

Shen Xuan smiled. Just a moment ago, he had come to a realization within his heart.

Although he bore a deep and irreconcilable blood feud with the Qin family, none of it had anything to do with the old man standing right before him. Whether in the past or the present, Shen Xuan only knew that this elder's care and affection for him were completely genuine, unblemished by any falsehood. Having this was more than enough.

"Ahem! While I certainly don't wish to intrude upon this touching reunion between grandfather and grandson, leaving me standing completely off to the side like this strikes me as rather impolite."

Just as the two were about to speak further, an untimely, light cough broke the tender and heartwarming atmosphere.

Following the sound, Shen Xuan saw a white-haired elder clad in plain hemp robes standing nearby, his face bearing an expression of indescribable helplessness.

"Grandfather, who is this?"

Shen Xuan asked, tilting his head and looking toward Old Master Qin with a questioning gaze.

"Oh, him? Pay no attention to him. He's just an old deadbeat who refuses to pay his debts," Old Master Qin said dismissively, shooting a disgruntled look at the man.

"You old ghost Qin, since there are juniors present, I'll spare you and refuse to stoop to your level," Lu Wenyong let out a cold snort, turning his head away from the stubborn old man to address Shen Xuan directly.

"You must be Shen Xuan, am I right? I am Lu Wenyong. I have a matter of great importance to discuss with you today. Since there are too many eyes and ears about in this place, might we step aside to speak in private?"

"Junior is indeed Shen Xuan. Since the elder has business to discuss with me, please follow me," Shen Xuan nodded politely.

Though he had no idea what this elder wanted with him, since he was a friend of his grandfather's, it surely couldn't be anything bad.

"Hmph! Your grandson has far more manners than an old wretch like you," Lu Wenyong murmured under his breath, inwardly satisfied by Shen Xuan's polished courtesy as he cast a prickly sideways glance at Old Master Qin.

"Old wretch, what is that supposed to mean?"

Hearing this, Old Master Qin's temper flared up once more. Had Shen Xuan not been holding him back, he would have loved nothing more than to march over and plant a kick on the man.

"Hmph! Such a childish old man!"

With that, Lu Wenyong flicked his sleeves, turned on his heel, and strode directly into the restaurant.

"You—!"

Old Master Qin was so incensed that his mustache twitched in rage. Just as he was about to charge forward to argue with Lu Wenyong, Shen Xuan hurriedly stepped in to block his path, soothing him with a gentle voice,

"Forget it, Grandfather. Please calm your anger."

"Hmph! For the sake of my good grandson, I won't lower myself to argue with his kind. Come, come, come—take Grandpa inside and show me around this restaurant of yours!"

Old Master Qin let out a haughty, indignant huff before his expression instantly melted into one of eager anticipation as he tugged at Shen Xuan's sleeve.

Watching his grandfather act just like a stubborn child, Shen Xuan couldn't help but shake his head with an amused smile.

"Old Master Qin, it has been quite a long time."

As the three stepped into the restaurant, An Changming, who had been watching from the side the entire time, walked over with a warm smile and cupped his hands in greeting.

"Imperial Physician An, what are you doing here?"

Old Master Qin asked, looking at the newcomer with genuine surprise.

"Haha, that is a rather long story. We can chat about it later," An Changming replied with a light, dismissive laugh.

"Brother Changming, why are you only greeting this old ghost? Could it be that you no longer recognize me as a friend?"

At that moment, Lu Wenyong feigned a look of deep offense, speaking with a mildly aggrieved tone.

"Hahaha! Brother Wenyong, what kind of talk is that? I simply hadn't gotten around to it yet," An Changming let out a hearty laugh, shaking his head in quiet amusement.

"Hahahaha..."

The three elders looked at one another, and suddenly burst into synchronized laughter, creating a remarkably harmonious scene.

"Grandfather, and both seniors, let's not stand around chatting here at the entrance. If there is anything to discuss, let's head inside," Shen Xuan suggested, sensing it wasn't appropriate to linger by the doorway any longer once the laughter subsided.

"Quite right, quite right. My dear grandson speaks wisely. Let's take our conversation inside," Old Master Qin chimed in first, paying no heed to the others as he gave Lu Wenyong a firm shove forward.

"You old ghost, stop pushing me! I can walk perfectly fine on my own!" Lu Wenyong snapped irritably.

"Stop wasting breath and get moving!"

Old Master Qin ignored him completely, though he spared An Changming and focused both hands entirely on shoving Lu Wenyong deeper into the hall.

Watching the two old men bicker playfully, Shen Xuan smiled and followed closely behind them.

"This Shen Xuan turns out to be Old Master Qin's grandson! Then doesn't that make him the very same..." Nangong Wan whispered under her breath, unable to conceal her shock.

"The notorious wastrel of those years, Qin Xuan!" the Empress said in a flat, tranquil tone.

"But Milady, this is simply too unbelievable! Compared to the Qin Xuan of three years ago, the Shen Xuan of today is practically a completely different person," Nangong Wan exclaimed, her eyes widening in disbelief.

"Perhaps there are things at play here of which we are unaware," the Empress replied indifferently, shaking her head.

"However, compared to Shen Xuan's transformation, what interests me far more is how someone as stubborn and unyielding as Lu Wenyong ended up coming here," the Empress murmured softly, her phoenix-like eyes fixed intently on the retreating backs of the four figures.