The old man's voice had barely faded when I saw Pei Shi Yu walk into the room generously, smiling as she said, "Grandpa, it's me!"

He clearly froze for a moment, looking from me to Pei Shi Yu, as if searching for an answer between us. I didn't hide anything from him, and openly told him, "Pei Shi Yu is my girlfriend now, we're getting married soon..."

Before I could finish speaking, I heard a "smack" and felt the old man's hand strike my face. At the same time, he began to scold me, "You're stealing Lin Yang's girlfriend? Do you have no moral compass?"

I covered my face, a bit dazed, because Lin Yang and Pei Shi Yu had broken up more than three years ago. There was no question of me interfering in their relationship. Besides, Lin Yang was dead...

Thinking of this, I suddenly realized that Pei Shi Yu's arrival had been a bit careless. We could never tell him about Lin Yang's death. This slap was a bit unfair; I couldn't explain, and I didn't know how to tell him.

Just then, Pei Shi Yu tugged at my sleeve, gesturing for me to come outside and talk. I looked at the still-angry old man and immediately followed her out.

Pei Shi Yu stopped at a corner a little further from the room, looking a bit guilty as she said, "It seems like we came too abruptly. We didn't think things through. He doesn't know Lin Yang is dead. He'll definitely tell your dad later."

Pei Shi Yu, like me, had thought of this. I quickly urged her, "Go downstairs and wait for me. I'll handle things here."

"Don't be stubborn. Just let him scold you a few times."

"I know. If his health is okay, I'll come down right away."

I kept my eyes on Pei Shi Yu's retreating figure. I thought she had come with good intentions, to see him, but things had turned out quite awkwardly. I rubbed my slapped left cheek and walked back into the room.

Before I even entered, I heard him on the phone, his voice filled with anger...

"Where's Lin Yang? Tell him to come over. This beast, Lin Che, is with the Pei family's daughter, and says they're getting married! Aren't you worried at all?"

I didn't know what Lin Hai was saying on the other end of the phone, but the old man's anger didn't diminish at all. Hearing my footsteps, he immediately turned to me and shifted the blame...

"What are you doing back here?"

I had originally come to say goodbye. Seeing his completely different attitude toward Lin Yang and me, I figured that what people call family affection probably didn't exist in his heart. Thinking of it made me feel a bit disheartened. I grabbed the phone from the old man's hand and spoke directly to Lin Hai: "Come and deal with this. Pei Shi Yu originally just wanted to come and say hello..."

Before I could finish explaining, Lin Hai's roaring voice came through: "Who told you to go together? How are we supposed to hide anything now? You're more trouble than you're worth!"

Even though we had been a bit reckless, we didn't deserve to be scolded like dogs. I threw the phone heavily on the bed and walked straight out of the room without looking back.

Now I wondered if I had done something wrong. In my opinion, this family affection had been unequal since the day Lin Yang was born, and even after his death, he was still not treated equally.

I wasn't exactly angry; I just felt unlucky. I didn't want to have any contact with them in the first place, and I only went back today out of consideration for past kindness. But especially the old man – I still remembered the affection from when I was a child, but after his behavior today, I could completely disregard it.

I quickly jumped into the car. Pei Shi Yu sat silently in the passenger seat, and asked as I got in, "How did it go?"

"When I went in, he was complaining to Lin Hai, and Lin Hai scolded me on the phone too."

"Don't take it to heart. Just have less contact in the future," Pei Shi Yu said, trying to comfort me.

"It's not just a matter of contact. What you saw today was the atmosphere of my family in the past. Do you think I could grow up psychologically healthy in that kind of environment?"

"Have you analyzed it carefully to see where the problem lies?"

"Maybe all remarried families are like this? I'm just the one who got caught in the crossfire."

"Why is your grandfather so biased too?"

"Who knows? He lives in Lin Hai's house, so his thinking will definitely follow theirs. He still thinks I'm not his real grandson."

"Whether you're blood-related or not doesn't really matter. What matters is whether a family has love."

"Clearly, they don't, or things wouldn't have turned out this way. I can understand how Lin Hai's wife treats me, but I can't accept them."

"Ultimately, it's because your grandparents doted on your dad too much. They believed everything he said and lacked their own judgment. That's not surprising for old people from that era."

I sighed softly and replied, "Special family. I hope you'll be more understanding of me in the future. I admit that many of my values are too different from yours. Even though I'm slowly improving, sometimes I still find what you say quite novel."

"As long as you don't get hung up on things. Barely acceptable."

"Thank you," I replied sincerely.

On the way back, I dropped Pei Shi Yu off at her company's entrance. She had a meeting with a client that afternoon, so I wouldn't be involved.

I turned the car around, intending to go to a restaurant. Just then, Lin Hai called again. I didn't want to answer; it would be the same old thing. I didn't have the ability to handle their family matters well. I only went back today out of consideration for the kindness they had shown me in the past.

I ignored the first call, and the second one rang. I looked at the phone screen. I hadn't saved his number; I only remembered the last few digits. I turned off my phone directly.

I thought about how the family you grow up in shapes you. A family like Lin Hai's was rare, and I was glad that I had left them when I was young.

In this season, the flowerbeds on both sides of the road were full of flowers, which was pleasing to the eye. The sprinkler truck in front of me was slowly watering the plants, and I followed it mindlessly until the cars behind me honked, and I moved over to the adjacent lane.

To avoid being affected by my mood, I turned on the stereo. A beautiful song immediately filled my ears. It was Pei Shi Yu's favorite song, and she had downloaded it. When two people are together for a long time, they will have some things in common, whether naturally or deliberately. I would consciously lean toward what she liked. I think that's what it means to love someone.

What Pei Shi Yu said today also reflected a person's cultivation. Smart women know how to put themselves in other people's shoes, while women like Lin Hai's wife are extremely selfish. This was the perception I gained after comparing them in my mind.

I didn't go straight to the restaurant; instead, I drove around West Lake. In the third month of spring, the scenery was picturesque, and the lush bamboo forest was flourishing, displaying its unique charm.