Chapter 49 - Grandfather Is Becoming Softer
"Win what?" Li Fu Tong's looked up straight to Chen Yi's face with his typical frown. His face was stern properly indicating that even the slightest carelessness would not be tolerated.
Everyone looked up at Chen Yi's face in synchronization. Chen Yi was baffled at the sudden influx of stares. 'What happened now?' No one said a word but in their eyes, there was a strange expression. Under the influence of inexplicable stares, she momentarily forgot the grandfather who was still expecting an answer.
Li Luxian coughed to break her out of her trance and gestured towards the waiting grandfather.
"Er, right." Chen Yi had already established that this Li family was totally weird. Considering that, she dismissed their strange stares and directly glanced back at grandfather. "The stare competition we were having right now, I was talking about that. You looked down first. That means I win, right?" That's all she wanted to ask.
Everyone: "..."
Why was everyone having these strange expressions now? She just wanted to know if she won or not. What was wrong with that? She was innocent.
Li Fu Tong didn't say anything. He just stared at her with an expressionless face for a long time.
'Huh? What now? Could it be that grandfather didn't like that he lost and want another stare competition?' Chen Yi's brain was filled with ridiculous ideas. The Li family's ridiculousness was getting into her brain and affecting her judgment.
But she didn't want another stare competition.
"It's alright if grandfather doesn't want to admit it." Chen Yi shrugged and went back to her breakfast; this time looking down while eating. 'Huh! I broke the stare this time. Are you happy now that you won?' But she couldn't help mumbling. "But you can't deny that I was the one who won the first time."
'Don't be too happy. I just don't feel like starting another stare competition. Otherwise, I would have won again. Humph!'
Even after her admitting defeat, grandfather stare wouldn't end,
Gradually, the atmosphere turned chillier. While everyone was shuddering, Chen Yi was eating her breakfast very calmly. 'Whatever you do grandfather, I am not engaging into another staring competition with you.' She ate with complacent expressions.
The temperature continued to drop until Li Yuan let go of chopsticks and cringed away. He lost his appetite and glanced at his sister-in-law in desperation. He looked like he was about to cry at any moment.
But Chen Yi didn't give in.
Then suddenly something unexpected happened.
Their grandfather laughed.
And not only did he laugh; he laughed aloud. And it was not one of his mocking laughs that would chill one to the marrow. But a laugh filled with pure joy. "Of course you win. You can gloat over it all you want." He chuckled some more and bizarrely with a 'smile' went back to his breakfast.
And just like that, the stormy, cold atmosphere was replaced with sunshine and butterflies.
"What is happening, mother? I am scared." Out of them all, Li Yuan was the most baffled. His brain just couldn't adjust to these abrupt twists in temperature. "Why did grandfather laugh all of sudden?" He shrunk into his chair. Even if the temperature was back at being warm now, the situation was still bizarre for him. He felt something was out of place.
No. Everything was out of place
"Looks like your sister-in-law is going to change a lot of things in this family." Li Shanguaan had warm admiration in her eyes.
"Change my butt. Why did grandfather laugh? I had never heard him laugh. This is scary. First brother and now him. What is happening to this perfect little world."
Li Shanguaan glared at him: "Don't be rude. You want me to show your school reports to your grandfather?"
Li Yuan shuddered: "Mother, don't scare me like this."
While the mother and the son pair bickered, Chen Yi quietly put down her chopsticks and looked at the grandfather straight into his eyes. "This is unfair. The way you say 'I can gloat over it' sounds very negative."
"What do you mean child?" Li Fu Tong's voice was grave. But this time, there was a hint of warmth in it. It was as severe as before but with an edge of softness.
"I won square and fair. Why would you say 'I can gloat over it'? You should rather congratulate me." Finding an opening in his milder tone, Chen Yi pushed her luck. "That's what a nice and honorable man would do once he loses. And I have heard that's what you are."
Li Fu Tong grimaced. But his grimace was only fake. The amusement in her eyes failed his expressions. He looked rather less scary: "What do you want then?" This girl was really getting bolder with him but Li Fu Tong couldn't find himself angry at her. Initially, he had thought of keeping her under check with his strict attitude towards her, but now he had changed his mind.
He had to admit, what she said wasn't wrong. Back at the time when Li Guang had brought in Li Shaguaan, she had dropped her head with a single glance from him. Li Shanguan was a mild woman with a docile personality. She couldn't possibly face someone as harsh as Li Fu Tong.
But this girl; she was different.