Chapter 128 - Hostility

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The deep baritone voice frightened her so much that she almost wanted to hideaway. Turning around, Edith saw her grandfather's silhouette a few steps away from them. 

Their gaze met and Mike Qian walked over to his granddaughter with a stern look on his face.

At this moment, Edith thought that she was going to faint from too much excitement. The look on her grandfather's face was so scary.

She was aware that her grandfather was not at home when she saw that the door was locked. For the first time, Edith was not mad that her grandfather was not at home to greet her.

After all, this time, she had gone back to Z Town with Neil and Hazel. Knowing her grandfather's suspicious nature that won't lose to the ancient time's emperor, Edith was naturally scared that her grandfather might figure out something. Her grandfather knew her so well that it was hard for her to lie to him.

Edith was afraid that under her grandfather's pressuring gaze, she was going to confess her crime voluntarily and faced her punishment.

She had thought that she could ask Neil to leave before her grandfather came, but it looked like the universe was against her. What she did not want to happen, happened. Her grandfather had shown up before Neil was able to leave the scene.

"Grandfather!" Edith flashed him a smile. "Where did you come from? Old Chen's noodle stall?"

Mike did not reply to his granddaughter and instead watched the young man in front of him with wary. "Who are you?" Mike gave the man a look over and turned to his granddaughter. "Did this man disturb you?"

Sensing her grandfather's hostility, Edith went into a panic mode. 

"Grandfather, no. He's not disturbing me." Edith swiftly stood between the two men, intending to block Neil from her grandfather's gaze. "Grandfather, this is Neil Mo. You have met him before."

"Hello, Mr. Qian," Neil greeted respectfully.

Mike turned to his granddaughter and frowned. 

"Old Chen's noodle stall the last time I came back, remember?" Edith tried to jog through her grandfather's memory. "He is the guardian of one of my students. The last time I traveled home, the bus broke down and Mr. Mo was generous enough to give me a lift. He heard that I was heading back to town and gave me a ride."

Mike narrowed his eyes and continued to scrutinize the man. He seemed to remember meeting a family of his granddaughter's student at Old Chen's stall a few months ago, but he was not sure that the man in front of him was the same person.

Before Mike was able to get into his interrogating mode, the window of Neil's SUV rolled down and Hazel's adorable face appeared. "Hello. Great Grandfather, are you Teacher Qian's grandfather?"

Mike was surprised at the sudden appearance of the little girl, but soon, his gaze softened. "Little girl, did you just call me great grandfather?"

Hazel nodded. "Un. You are Teacher Qian's grandfather, right? Then, isn't it right for me to address you as a great grandfather?"

Mike thought over the girl's words and laughed. "Little girl, you are right. You should address me as 'great grandfather'. What is your name?"

"My name is Hazel Mo. I am a student of Teacher Qian. Great grandfather, what is your name?"

Hearing the little girl's chatter brought a smile to his face. "My name is Mike Qian. Your teacher's grandfather." He turned to Neil again and this time, the hostility from earlier had dissipated. "Little girl, is this your father?"

"Great grandfather, you are wrong. This is my uncle," Hazel answered.

Hazel's words triggered something in Mike's mind and he instantly recalled the conversation he had with an adorable girl at Old Chen's noodle stall a few months ago.

Back then, his granddaughter had mentioned that the little girl's parents passed away in an accident and her uncle was now her guardian. The two of them should be the same people he had seen at the stall.

Mike looked at the little girl again and this time, his expression towards both Hazel and Neil has become gentler. "Sorry about earlier," Mike said to Neil. "I thought a rogue was hitting on my granddaughter." A heartily laugh escaped him as soon as he finished his words. He let out a dry cough and smiled. "I should be thanking you since you have given my granddaughter a lift home. Mister Mo, little girl, why don't you come inside?"

"It's alright," Neil declined. "Hazel and I still have to return to my parents' place."

"It turns out that Mr. Mo is also from Z Town."

"My parents were staying in the west part of the town."

Mike looked at Neil's expensive SUV and finally able to connect a few dots in his mind. "Then, next time. Mr. Mo, thank you for sending my granddaughter home."

After bidding them goodbye, the grandfather and granddaughter watched as the SUV left the area and turned to look at each other. 

"That little girl was the one whose parents passed away recently?" Mike Qian asked.

Edith replied with a soft hum. She glanced at her grandfather and went closer to sniff at his clothing.

"What are you trying to do?" Mike was alarmed at his granddaughter's strange behavior. 

"Just checking if you really went fishing this morning." Edith patted at her grandfather's shoulder and smiled. "Fortunately, there is no smell of the sea on you."

Mike Qian chuckled at his granddaughter's words. 

If he really went fishing with his friends, he would change his clothes and get rid of the evidence. But of course, he was not going to tell his granddaughter these words and put himself in trouble.

Turning around, Mike watched as Edith carried her luggage and entered the house. 

"Why are you with your student's family?" Mike asked. He turned on the fan and sat down on the sofa.

"They knew that I am from Z Town," Edith said. "My relationship with Hazel, that little girl is pretty good and I often look after her knowing that she is an orphan. Her uncle was grateful for my help and offered a ride."

Mike nodded. He had thought that it was strange for his granddaughter to hitch a ride from her student's family. However, his suspicion gradually disappeared upon hearing his granddaughter's explanation. "It's good that you are treating the little girl nicely. It is always hard for a small child to suddenly lose their parents."

"Un. I know. Grandpa, I have promised that little girl that I will take her around the town and take her camping at the beach during this break."

"Go ahead. The little girl has lived in the city for too long.. It's great if you could show her around and have fun in this town."

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