"Speaking of that, I have a book, I'll go get it for you to read."
As they discussed the broader definition of romance, Grandmother suddenly spoke up, then got up and went into the inner room.
Less than a minute later, she emerged with a copy of Carl Sagan's "Cosmos."
"The most romantic object in the world is the stars and the universe, and the most romantic subject is the love that connects hearts."
She placed the book in Su Yue's hands, smiling as she spoke.
This statement instantly surprised her.
As expected of a seasoned elder, her casual remark was a piece of text that could serve as a rebuttal.
Grandfather also chimed in:
"Yes, from the macrocosm, one can appreciate the vastness of romance, and from the microcosm, one can appreciate its moving aspects."
Su Yue's heart stirred. She opened the book, which contained exquisite illustrations.
"We are made of stardust, yet we gaze at the stars."
This was a line from the book.
But just a few pages after that line, as she flipped through the pages, a photograph suddenly caught her eye.
It was a family photo. The boy in the picture was about ten years old, recognizable as Chen Ziming in his childhood.
At such a young age, his handsome features were already evident.
The woman was clearly Meng Hualan. Her appearance had not changed much over the past decade, making her easily identifiable.
But when Su Yue noticed the man...
She felt her heart skip a beat.
She had seen him before. That day in the auditorium, this man had been sitting on the stage. When Baili Qing asked a question, he had looked at her for two seconds.
Even though Su Yue was not familiar with such matters, she still knew the name of Secretary Chen.
She often saw him on television and at various official events.
Secretary Chen Kang'an...
Her eyes widened instantly. Her previously stopped heart began to race, like being drunk in a noisy bar, disoriented, causing a near-death pain.
Chen Ziming was Secretary Chen's son!
No wonder he had never told her.
If the identities of his mother, cousin, and grandmother had an impact of ten on Su Yue, then the impact of his father's identity was thousands of times greater.
"Oh, why is this photo here?" Wang Mengning noticed the girl beside her had frozen, leaned over to look, and frowned.
"Ah, it's Kang'an's family photo. I used it as a bookmark a long time ago. I must have put it in."
Grandfather also leaned over for a look and replied calmly.
"Yueyue... you don't know who Ziming's father is, do you?"
Wang Mengning, realizing something, slowly asked.
Su Yue was already a little scared, so scared that she shook her head in panic.
No wonder Su Minghua was afraid.
She had always thought Su Minghua had considerable power, but now, in the face of Chen Ziming's family background, it was utterly insignificant.
She had inadvertently provoked Secretary Chen's son.
"You don't know?" Grandpa Chen asked with a hint of confusion, then smiled and said, "Well, now you know. It's perfect timing. Let's have Yueyue over for dinner before the Mid-Autumn Festival. You can meet your Uncle Chen in person."
"Don't just order people around," Wang Mengning chided him softly, then put the book away, took Su Yue's hand, and said in a gentle voice,
"It's a bit surprising, isn't it? Your Uncle Chen has known you for a long time and likes you very much. Besides, no matter how high his status, he's still my son, you don't have to be afraid of him."
Su Yue could only vaguely hear a few words. She felt her hand trembling slightly in Wang Mengning's, her palms covered in sweat.
But her ingrained politeness still compelled her to answer, "It's okay, Grandma, I'm fine."
Despite saying she was fine, it was unconvincing.
The subsequent conversation clearly did not progress smoothly. She was constantly distracted, and even during dinner, she was restless and had no appetite.
This time, she was truly afraid.
If before, she had seen him as the moonlight guiding her through the night, then after learning of his father's identity, she felt he had become the sun.
Scorching and bright, even looking directly at him was painful to her eyes.
Let alone getting close.
In an instant, she would be burned to ashes.