Chapter 877: Crunch

Chapter 877: Crunch

Days seemed to be passing really fast. The weather was getting hotter and hotter. Mu Chenyan held her fifth glass of the cold beverage and chugged it down.

"Chenyan!"

She straightened up and looked over at Grandfather Xiang, "Yes, Elder Xiang?"

"Come here and sit down with me," said Grandfather Xiang. "Let's play a game of go-stop."

"All of a sudden?"

"Why? I need to send you an invitation?"

Mu Chenyan pursed her lips and shook her head before she ran over. But soon, she ran back and brought back a glass full of ice cubes with her. She placed the glass on the table and said, "We can start." She picked up the hwatu deck of cards with a complicated look in her eyes. In the end, she couldn't help asking, "Elder Xiang, why go-stop?"

"Why? I can't play it?"

"No, you can," replied Mu Chenyan. "But you always prefer playing chess or any board games. It's rare to see you playing a card game."

"I also want to change the mood once in a while," he stated calmly. "Deal the cards, stop talking nonsense."

"Oh," was all she said and silently got back to work at hand.

As they played, she continued to take an ice cube and crush it with her teeth. She seemed to be enjoying this process way too much.

Grandfather Xiang continued to observe her during the game and finally asked casually, "Who did you meet the other day?"

Mu Chenyan's hand stopped as she was about to throw a card down. She looked up at Grandfather Xiang and answered honestly, "I met my nemesis."

Grandfather Xiang chuckled heartily, "You met Xia Zhao?"

Mu Chenyan made a face at him and nodded.

"You met him after decades, do you have to still put on that face?" he asked. "It seems you still lost your patience around him."

"Elder Xiang, I don't lose my patience around him," said Mu Chenyan. "He just frustrated me with his calmness."

"What's up this time?" asked Grandfather Xiang curiously. He believed it'd be more interesting to learn about what happened between Mu Chenyan and Xia Zhao than playing the game right now.

"He refused to sell a painting to me," she told him. She sounded like she was still in disbelief over this fact. "I personally went there and asked him. I even took him out for a meal but he still refused to sell me the painting."

"Chenyan, what are you upset about? The fact that he sell the painting or the fact that he refused you?"

Mu Chenyan frowned when she heard that question, "What do you mean?"

"If I'm not wrong, it's the first time he refused you of something," stated Grandfather Xiang.

Mu Chenyan was startled for a moment when she heard that. And she realized that was true. It had to be the first time he refused to give in to her. Whenever she caused trouble, he'd never go against her. If she wanted him to do something, he'd follow along.

"I think it's not sitting well with you that he refused to listen to you," added Grandfather Xiang with an amused look in his eyes.

"No, it's not like I asked him to give it for free," retorted Mu Chenyan firmly believing that she wasn't thinking about it at all. "I told him to name a price. He said he couldn't put a price on that painting. Isn't that indirectly saying that he just wants to make things difficult for me and not sell it to me?"

"I don't think so," said Grandfather Xiang reasonably. He looked at her crunching another ice cube and closed his eyes before saying, "Chenyan, stop snacking on ice. If you're so craving it, just get someone to make ice shave for you."

"What's the fun in that?" she asked. "You don't understand the satisfaction of crunching on the ice cubes."

"Yes, I'm old. My teeth can't take in this kind of fun," was his response.

Mu Chenyan laughed awkwardly and asked, "What were you saying? Why? You don't think he was making things difficult for me?"

"Nope, I don't," he replied taking a deep breath. "He told you clearly he isn't selling. You should question why isn't he selling. I don't think he isn't just willing to sell it to you."

Only then did Mu Chenyan recall that indeed, the painting was not for sale. It wasn't just for her. It was the same rule for everyone else. But that's the point, when did she become part of 'everyone' else? It didn't make sense.

"Did he sell it to anyone else?" asked Grandfather Xiang and she shook her head. "See? It means he really didn't intend on selling the painting. That's ice. Not Xia Zhao. Stop acting like you're crushing his bones with your teeth."

Mu Chenyan pressed her lips together and didn't know how to react to that. She was really exposed before Grandfather Xiang. But she wasn't embarrassed about it? She was sitting with the father who raised her. How could she feel embarrassment around him? Especially when he was always the one willing to take in all her tantrums?

"Elder Xiang, I'm not able to understand why he is not selling it."

"Then let me ask you, why do you want to buy it? Whatt's special about it?"

Mu Chenyan shrugged, "I didn't see anything special. And that's what bothers me. Why not sell it?"

"Just because you didn't find what's special about it, doesn't mean it isn't special. Beauty is in the eye of beholders. Every art has it's own appreciator. You can't see everything from the same perspective in life."

Mu Chenyan sighed, "It's times like this I believe that you're really Elle's grandfather."

Grandfather Xiang smiled helplessly and touched her head, "You need to stop doubting my identity as her grandfather."

"I never doubted it," she replied.

"I don't believe you," he said.

"How can you not? You always believe me."

"Sometimes, even I'm unwilling to believe in you. But the one thing I have faith in is that, you're definitely a part of our family."