Chapter 488: Chapter 488 - 482: Mr. Shi Told Me To...

Shi Su: "If all you know is to cry and let others bully you, it will only make them accustomed to looking down on you. Later, it will be difficult to change the situation. Do you want to live in such an environment all your life?"

Shi Yuan immediately shook her head and suddenly reached out to grab Shi Su’s arm, seeking help: "I don’t want to be bullied..."

As she spoke, she looked at Shi Su, her eyes full of hope, and softly asked, "Shi Su, will you stay with the Shi Family in the future? I want to follow you, sister..."

Shi Su: "?"

She wanted to teach this little girl to grow up on her own. How did it turn into the little girl asking if she could stay with the Shi Family?

Is she seeking a sense of security from her?

Shi Su glanced at Jing Jihan, seeing the man with a look of understanding on his face. Although he didn’t say anything, it was obvious he realized she got unintentionally tangled up with a little tagalong.

Shi Su: "...I probably won’t stay."

Seeing Shi Yuan’s expression instantly turn dejected, Shi Su couldn’t bear it. After clearing her throat, she said, "Alright, it’s too cold here. Mr. Shi is still in the ancestral hall, let’s go and see him."

"Oh." Shi Yuan responded quickly and obediently followed along.

Seeing Shi Su and Jing Jihan walking together, although she hadn’t read much about them online, she could see that the tall, handsome, gentle, yet strong man and Shi Su were a pair. She obediently followed behind Shi Su, not daring to walk between them.

Shi Su and Jing Jihan walked in front, seemingly not intending to pay further attention to Shi Yuan, just letting her follow.

However, they occasionally glanced back, seemingly unintentionally, to make sure the little girl was still following, then continued walking.

Shi Yuan noticed Shi Su’s subtle concern for her, and when Shi Su turned her head back, she looked up and grinned. Shi Su immediately put on a stern face, as if her support was hard to gain, and continued walking towards the ancestral hall.

Mr. Shi had been sent back to his bedroom to rest. Shi Su went to check on him. The old man was semi-conscious, but when he heard Shi Su was visiting, his fingers moved slightly at the bedside, signaling her to sit.

Shi Su then sat by Mr. Shi’s bedside for a while. Since there were others in the room, including the Shi Family’s butler and servants, as well as some friends and relatives outside the bedroom door.

The doctors said that if Mr. Shi were discharged now, leaving the hospital’s equipment would be dangerous. When he was in the hospital, they had already issued a critical notice, let alone now with no treatment, just lying there.

Everyone knew Mr. Shi could pass away at any moment. It could be this second or the next.

In the business circle of the capital, it was unclear whose hands the situation lay in. Shi Su was merely taking time to visit Mr. Shi, fulfilling her last bit of familial duty as a granddaughter she rarely saw, with little familial affection.

As for the Shi Family’s development, she couldn’t avoid it, but she indeed had no intention of taking over.

Firstly, her expertise didn’t match. Secondly, it wasn’t the life she pursued.

Although she hadn’t taken the time to understand the business lifeline in the capital or master everything about the Shi Family, being with Jing Jihan long enough seemed to imbue her with a certain reliance.

For instance, the things she hadn’t learned, Jing Jihan surely had.

The things she didn’t know, Jing Jihan knew.

All the information she hadn’t grasped, he had already mastered.

But since she didn’t want to deal with these matters, he silently bore the pressure himself and didn’t burden her with it.

Mr. Shi lay on the bed with eyes closed. His hand was warm, and when Shi Su reached out, his fingers gently moved, grasping hers and holding on for a long time without letting go.

The servants and butler in the room weren’t sure if they belonged to Shi Lingkang or Shi Dongyang’s father, or perhaps someone else. They stayed in the room for a while, seeing Shi Su just quietly staying by Mr. Shi’s side, not speaking, not doing anything. After watching for a while, because they were called from outside, they looked again at Shi Su before turning to leave.

Shi Su turned to ask the remaining servant in the room to bring a glass of warm water and a straw for Mr. Shi, saying he might be thirsty as his mouth seemed dry.

Once the servant left, Shi Su looked again at the old man holding her hand tightly and softly said, "Is there something you want to tell me?"

Mr. Shi couldn’t speak, barely able to open his eyes, as if all his strength was focused on holding her, never letting go.

Seeing the room was temporarily empty, but knowing the servant fetching water would soon return, she leaned closer to Mr. Shi and whispered, "What do you want to say?"

With her eyes lowered, she saw Mr. Shi’s mouth move slightly. Although no sound came out, she roughly understood the meaning from the barely perceptible movements of his lips.

In the evening, Shi Lingkang, taking advantage that Shi Dongyang’s father hadn’t returned and temporarily acting as the host, asked Shi Su to stay, but Shi Su didn’t agree. She didn’t have dinner either. After saying goodbye to Shi Yuan, she left and returned to her hotel.

Just back at the hotel and preparing to go out with Jing Jihan to find a place to eat, Shi Lingkang suddenly called again, saying there were too many relatives and guests at the Shi Family; he himself had no appetite and hadn’t eaten yet. He asked Shi Su what she wanted to eat and suggested dining out with Jing Jihan.

When Shi Su received the call, she glanced at Jing Jihan.

Jing Jihan calmly looked outside the hotel, casually saying, "It’s snowing."

Shi Su immediately replied over the phone, "Better not. The hotel is far from the Shi Family, it’s getting late, the weather is bad, and the snow makes the roads slippery and inconvenient. Let’s arrange for another day."

Before Shi Lingkang could find an opportunity to say more or ask additional questions, she quickly added, "I’m entering the elevator, and the signal isn’t great, so I’m hanging up."

After hanging up, Shi Su looked outside at the snow: "With snow so heavy, the roads will surely be jammed. Let’s just eat at the hotel."

The two went to the hotel’s Michelin restaurant. After ordering, Shi Su picked up the lemon water, holding it in her hands, her fingers lightly tapping on the glass.

Jing Jihan helped her cut the appetizer brought by the restaurant, placing it on her plate. As he withdrew his hand, he asked, "Something on your mind?"

Shi Su, holding the glass, withdrew her gaze from the window and turned to look at him.

"Mr. Shi said, be careful of my second uncle."

Hearing Shi Su’s words, Jing Jihan showed no sign of surprise. Instead, he remained calm, as if he had already anticipated something.

Shi Su, however, supported one side of her face with one hand while continuing to hold the glass, hesitantly said, "So, when Shi Dongyang repeatedly caused trouble for me, was it because he heard something about me from his father? I only saw Shi Dongyang’s father once at a family banquet during Spring Festival two years ago, but even then, I didn’t know it was my second uncle. I didn’t plan to acknowledge my grandfather yet, let alone them."