So what exactly happened?
To answer this question, we need to rewind the time to a few days ago, when Song Qianqian went to the ancestral home of the Zhao family to visit the old lady.
The old lady was enraged and immediately summoned Zhao Youting back to the ancestral home that day.
The moment Zhao Youting returned and saw Song Qianqian beside the old lady, he knew exactly what had happened.
"Song Qianqian! What nonsense did you tell Grandma again!"
Zhao Youting's gaze was icy cold, and Song Qianqian shrank behind the old lady in fear.
However, the old lady spoke first, her tone equally chilling: "All you know is to yell at Qianqian! Why don't you first reflect on what you've been doing lately!"
Zhao Youting, rarely subdued, fell silent. But he still shot a fierce look at Song Qianqian before lowering his head, making Song Qianqian tremble involuntarily. Yet, she returned a triumphant smile.
"Grandma, don't be angry. It's not Brother Youting's fault. It's that woman named Qin Qiao'er who's been constantly seducing Brother Youting. She even uses her own child to get close to him, taking advantage of Brother Youting's kindness. She's really unscrupulous."
She spoke as if she had witnessed everything, her tone almost obsequious. But the old lady wasn't buying it: "Shut up! Did I give you permission to speak? When the Zhao family is talking, it's not your place to butt in. Get out of here!"
Unlike her coquettish behavior in front of Zhao Youting, Song Qianqian obediently replied after hearing this: "Yes, Grandma is right. I'll leave right away."
She scurried out of the door like a beaten dog.
The old lady had a fiery temper and was not to be trifled with.
Now only Zhao Youting and Grandma Zhao, the grandparent - grandchild pair, remained.
The atmosphere dropped to almost freezing point.
"Youting," Grandma started, her tone much softer than before.
Zhao Youting looked up.
Grandma Zhao waved her hand, and Zhao Youting understood. He walked up to the old lady, and then she took his hand.
"Youting, it's been ages since you last came back."
"The last time was several months ago," Zhao Youting replied in an unusually gentle tone.
At this moment, the grandparent - grandchild pair no longer seemed at odds but rather a harmonious and warm duo.
"Youting, it's stuffy in this room. Help me go out for a walk, to a 'deserted' place," Grandma said.
After that, Zhao Youting picked up the walking stick on one side and handed it to the old lady, looking very proficient.
After all, Zhao Youting was actually raised by his grandma.
The two walked at a leisurely pace, without any servants following. Song Qianqian didn't dare to follow either. Soon, they reached the garden.
"Grandma, just say what you want directly. It's time for us to head back. If we go any further, we'll reach the pond. It's very damp there, and it's not suitable to go there at night," Zhao Youting said gently.
The old lady stopped, slowly turned around, and slowly began to speak: "Youting, you were raised by me. I know that everything that Song Qianqian said was just her wild imagination."
"Grandma, what exactly did she say..."
"You don't need to know what she said. Just listen to me. Some things need to be said, and now is the right time."
Zhao Youting let out a soft "um" without objecting.
"Grandma is old, but she's still clear - headed. Some things are even clearer to me now than when I was young."
"Grandma has experienced a lot, so naturally she knows more than we kids."
"Hey, stop flattering Grandma," Grandma said with a hint of laughter in her tone, looking unusually relaxed.
Zhao Youting also laughed, looking extremely gentle in the moonlight.
"I know that Song Qianqian is not a good person, and you don't like her either. You're just too constrained by those so - called moral principles, which is why you've really named her as your fiancée."
Zhao Youting remained silent.
"So, if you've met someone you like and think is good, there's absolutely no problem in pursuing her. A mere Song Qianqian is nothing, and even the Song family is nothing."
Just as Zhao Youting was about to deny that he had someone he liked, the old lady's sudden seriousness interrupted him.
"But, Youting, that girl has to be a decent one."
Zhao Youting was taken aback.
At this moment, the old lady looked up at Zhao Youting, who was now much taller than her, her eyes full of solemnity: "I heard that you've been neglecting your company's affairs lately and instead like to show off in public. You've also been hanging out with a woman who has two kids?"
Zhao Youting was silent for a while. After some thought, he said: "Grandma, I've indeed been a bit negligent about the company's problems lately. It's my fault, but it's not that woman's fault."
"Oh?" The kind - looking old lady's eyes now showed a glint of sharpness, making people understand a bit why this woman was the legend who had brought the almost - declining Zhao family back to its peak.
Zhao Youting's voice was filled with determination: "The kids that woman is with look a bit like me, and I always feel that there's something familiar about that woman."
The air fell silent for a moment.
The old lady was the first to speak again: "This is no joking matter, Youting."
"So I'm not sure yet, Grandma, I..."
Before Zhao Youting could finish, the old lady started coughing.
So he had to stop: "Grandma, let's go back to the house first. It's cold outside. We shouldn't have come out."
"Hehe, how could we not come out? Although Song Qianqian is stupid, she's bold enough to eavesdrop on our conversation secretly."
Eavesdropping.
Zhao Youting felt a wave of nausea at the thought. He had originally thought that it didn't matter if she just clung on, but now it seemed that he had been too lenient with her.
When the two returned to the room, as expected, Song Qianqian had been waiting at the door for a while.
After sending the old lady back to her room and entrusting her to the servants' care, Zhao Youting came out and slapped Song Qianqian, who was pouncing towards him.
Caught off guard, Song Qianqian was knocked to the ground.
"You! Brother Youting, what are you doing! Does Grandma know you're acting like this! Ah!"
Before she could finish speaking, Zhao Youting waved his hand, and several bodyguards waiting nearby pinned her to the ground.
"Grandma doesn't know yet. You've got a lot of nerve, Song Qianqian. You even dare to eavesdrop on Grandma. Well, since you claim to be the Zhao family's fiancée, it's not too much to punish you according to the Zhao family's rules for what you've done, right?"
Zhao Youting's tone was scarier than ever. Song Qianqian looked up at him, but was immediately so scared that she lowered her head, only daring to stare fixedly at the ground in front of her.
She only hated herself for being too smart for her own good.