◎Heartbeats in Disarray (Part 2)◎
This is a bit awkward—maybe I should pretend I never came downstairs.
Entertaining guests and having them stay overnight are entirely different concepts. Besides, didn’t Old Master Jiang say he was going to stay at Jiang Suizhi’s place? It’s just across the hall.
Le Qing had no issues with the two elders, but the thought of them staying the night made her slightly uncomfortable.
She knew she had reservations. Even when Sister Wang stayed over a few days ago, she had trouble sleeping because she wasn’t used to it.
Not to mention, there was only one spare room at home right now—and it didn’t even have a bed.
After hesitating for a few seconds, she turned around. I wasn’t here. I wasn’t here.
At the same time, she discreetly pulled out her phone and messaged Jiang Suizhi: "What did you tell your grandpa and them?"
Jiang Suizhi, still on the plane, couldn’t answer calls or receive messages.
The moment she sent the text, a chill ran down Le Qing’s spine, followed by an exuberant shout: "Auntie!"
Oh no.
She awkwardly rubbed her forehead, adjusted her expression, and turned around. Sure enough, the two little ones immediately broke free from their "airplane ride" with Second Grandpa and rushed toward her. "Auntie’s back!"
"Yeah." Le Qing lowered her head, avoiding the elders’ gazes. "Did you have fun?"
"Lots of fun! Second Grandpa is amazing!" The younger one clung to her arm. "He gave us airplane rides like this!"
The older one added, "Great-Grandpa’s dancing is super cool too!"
Clearly, they’d had a blast tonight. Le Qing, on the other hand, couldn’t imagine herself joining a square dance session or giving them "airplane rides" for long.
While she was looking down, Old Master Jiang and Jiang Heling exchanged several meaningful glances.
"Did she hear us?"
"How should I know? You ask her."
"You ask—I have my dignity to uphold!"
"Whose idea was this anyway?"
"Dignity or the kids—you decide."
In the end, Old Master Jiang surrendered. "Sweetheart, how long have you been here?"
"Just got here." Le Qing braced herself. "Grandpa, you must be tired. It’s getting late."
"Ah, yes, yes." Old Master Jiang chuckled dryly, his pride hanging by a thread. "It is late. We were planning to stay at Suizhi’s place, but the kid’s not answering his phone, and we don’t have the passcode to get in. Going back to the old house would take over an hour. What a mess."
As he spoke, he subtly studied his granddaughter-in-law’s expression.
Please don’t catch on.
"That is troublesome." Le Qing thought for a moment. "Grandpa, how about I book a hotel nearby for you and Second Uncle? I’d love to have you stay, but the spare room hasn’t been used in so long—there’s no bed."
Alright, the act begins.
"What does that matter!" Old Master Jiang immediately waved it off. "I’ll sleep on the sofa! As for your Second Uncle, he can sleep on the floor—or just get out."
Jiang Heling: "..."
Wow. Just wow.
Throw me under the bus, why don’t you?
If the old man were a few decades younger, Jiang Suizhi and Jiang Yan wouldn’t stand a chance.
"That won’t do." Le Qing genuinely hadn’t planned for this. "I can’t let you sleep on the sofa, and the floor isn’t fit for sleeping either. A hotel would be much more comfortable."
"Auntie!" Little Le Jia, ever the clever one, chimed in. "Great-Grandpa and Second Uncle can sleep together, and we’ll sleep with you!"
Le Qing: "?"
Old Master Jiang: "?!"
Jiang Heling: "?!"
Sleep together? How? Absolutely not!
But if they refused, they wouldn’t be able to stay.
Old Master Jiang wrestled with his conscience. You can’t have your cake and eat it too.
He shot his second son a dark look, silently willing him to take the hint and leave for a hotel.
Jiang Heling had originally planned to do just that—watching the kids wasn’t a one-day affair. If the old man wanted to stay, he could drive back to his own place or book a room.
But that glare triggered his rebellious streak.
Fine. Let’s see who outlasts whom.
"Sure." He smiled faintly. "That works."
Le Qing, who had just been making polite small talk: "..."
I should’ve stopped overthinking.
Now that the words were out, backing out would seem rude.
Whatever. It’s just one night. I’ll manage.
"Let’s head upstairs, then."
Back at home, she brought out gifts for the two elders. "Grandpa, Second Uncle, these are just small tokens of appreciation. I hope you don’t mind them."
Gifts!
We got gifts!
Dammit, I should’ve transferred more money into the card.
"Not at all!" Old Master Jiang immediately slipped on the bracelet, even removing his watch to make room for it. "This is perfect!"
Jiang Heling untied his tie and used his phone screen as a mirror to adjust the new one. "This tie and pin are excellent. You have great taste."
Seeing her gifts so warmly received, Le Qing felt a swell of emotion. Maybe this kind of family isn’t so bad after all.
"Oh." She suddenly remembered. "Grandpa, do you know what Jiang Suizhi likes? He’s helped me a lot, and I’d like to give him something too."
I wonder if he’ll like what I pick.
The question left the two elders speechless.
They’d never really given Jiang Suizhi anything. When the boy first returned to the Jiang family, Old Master Jiang had considered it, but Jiang Suizhi never even came home. If not for daily updates from his father about how hard he was working at the company, the old man might’ve doubted his grandson’s return altogether.
As for Jiang Heling? He and his nephew had been practically at war.
Old Master Jiang sighed. "Suizhi’s temperament is even more unpredictable than Jiang Yan’s. None of us really understand him."
Le Qing paused.
The Jiang Suizhi she knew seemed... fine?
"You might not know this." Old Master Jiang treated her as family and held nothing back. "After Jiang Yan’s accident, the family needed a successor, so his father brought Suizhi home. Before that, he’d been fending for himself, unaware he even had relatives. He went through a lot. Later, Jiang Yan found him, and the brothers seemed to get along well—until Jiang Yan passed."
"After coming back, that boy kept his distance from the family. It’s only recently that he’s seemed a little better." The old man looked ashamed. "So the truth is, we don’t really know him."
Jiang Heling added, "All Jiang Hechang’s fault."
"Absolutely. No argument there."
Though she didn’t fully grasp the details, Le Qing suddenly understood why Jiang Suizhi cared so much about Jiang Yan—and why he never shared his health issues with the family.
To him, Jiang Yan had been his most important family. That’s why he cared so deeply for the children and why he trusted her.
What surprised Le Qing was that, despite everything, Jiang Suizhi carried no trace of bitterness or weakness.
At that moment, she suddenly felt a sense of empathy—for someone whose fate had mirrored her own for the first half of their life.
"Don’t buy it for him," Jiang Heling said, adjusting his tie and snapping a few selfies with his phone. "There’s a high chance he’ll just toss it in the storage room and complain about the hassle. Besides, helping you was his job anyway."
And that was the best-case scenario. During the New Year, gifts from corporate bosses were usually dumped at the old family home for everyone to deal with as they pleased.
That excessive?
Le Qing hesitated. What if her gift ended up displeasing him?
The two children had played to their hearts’ content today and were already yawning before their usual bedtime. Le Qing carried them to her bed to sleep.
She then changed the sheets and bedding in the master bedroom for the two elders to rest. It was clear they had planned this in advance—even bringing fresh pajamas and toiletries, promptly delivered by their bodyguards.
Father and son entered the master bedroom with expressions that seemed to challenge who would kick the other to death first, slamming the door shut behind them.
With no immediate desire to sleep, Le Qing turned down the volume on her tablet in the living room and began researching how to "peacefully" send the kids to kindergarten.
She was worried they might cry—not because it would be hard to comfort them, but because she feared their tears might weaken her resolve and make her agree to let them skip school.
Time slipped by unnoticed. As it neared 2 a.m., Le Qing decided to lie down, even if she couldn’t sleep, just to rest her eyes.
But then her phone lit up with a new message.
Jiang Suizhi: "Just landed. What’s going on with them?"
Le Qing glanced guiltily toward the master bedroom and typed quietly, "They’re staying overnight at my place. Said they couldn’t reach you."
"..."
As expected, coming back early had been the right call.
Seeing she was still awake, Jiang Suizhi called directly. "They’re sleeping at your place?"
Le Qing stepped onto the balcony before murmuring a soft "Mm."
"I’ll be there soon. I’ll take them with me."
"Huh?" Le Qing was stunned. "They’re already asleep."
Jiang Suizhi countered, "Then why aren’t you?"
"I..."
"Can’t sleep with other people around, can you?"
Le Qing froze.
How did he know?
"You get sleepy when work piles up—able to nap on set, in my car—yet here you are, wide awake at 2 a.m. in your own home?" Jiang Suizhi continued, as if reading her mind. "Weren’t you going to bed early after visiting kindergartens all week?"
He’d picked up these details from casually asking during his daily check-ins with the kids, despite the time difference.
Le Qing had no rebuttal. Had he studied behavioral psychology or something?
"If you don’t want something, just say no," Jiang Suizhi said. "No matter who it is."
"But that’s your grandfather."
"Not even the heavens get a pass."
Le Qing: "..."
She was starting to suspect Jiang Suizhi’s arrival wouldn’t end with him taking the elders away but rather joining their battlefield.
"I’m actually fine. I was about to sleep," she said. "You just got back from abroad—you must be exhausted. Go home and rest."
Jiang Suizhi didn’t confirm or deny.
Le Qing assumed she’d convinced him. Surely no one would actually wake two elders in the middle of the night.
But just as she finished washing up, noises erupted from the master bedroom—muffled but chaotic.
Her guest room didn’t have an ensuite, so she’d used the shared bathroom. Peeking out after hearing the commotion, she saw the master bedroom door open.
The two elders tiptoed out, carrying their belongings.
Le Qing: "…?"
"Grandpa, what are you doing?"
Old Master Jiang startled at her voice. "Sweetheart, you’re still up?"
"About to sleep," Le Qing said, eyeing their ready-to-flee postures. "Why are you packing?"
"Oh, Suizhi’s back, so we’re heading to his place," the old man said, waving. "Go to bed. Don’t stay up late—it’s bad for your health."
Le Qing hadn’t expected Jiang Suizhi to be ruthless enough to rouse his uncle and grandfather.
Second Uncle had already reached the door when his movements froze.
From outside came Jiang Suizhi’s voice, impatient but hushed: "I said not to turn on the lights."
"They were never off," Second Uncle retorted, glancing back. "She’s still awake."
Le Qing rubbed her temples and hurried to the entrance.
Jiang Suizhi had clearly just returned—dressed in an overcoat and suit, polished shoes gleaming, a small business suitcase at his feet. His expression carried the same aloofness she’d only seen at formal events.
Noticing her, he arched a brow. "Asleep?"
"Was about to be," Le Qing said. "How could you wake them up at this hour?"
Old Master Jiang theatrically yawned. "Exactly."
"Cut the act." Jiang Suizhi’s tone was colder than the night air. "Since when do any of you sleep before dawn?"
Le Qing blinked. Your family elders keep such youthful hours?
Not that it was their fault. With no children, partners, or anyone to answer to, they lived as they pleased. Late nights were addictive—Old Master Jiang was hooked on online mahjong, and Jiang Heling was perpetually shuttling between banquets and social events.
But they shared one trait: once asleep, nothing could wake them. Their phones stayed on silent.
Which was precisely why Jiang Suizhi had succeeded.
This was their first time sleeping at their (grand)daughter-in-law’s home—and sharing a bed, no less. The double novelty had them bickering under separate blankets, escalating from silent disdain to outright accusations.
Jiang Suizhi didn’t bother exposing them further. "The car’s waiting downstairs."
"No!"
Two voices overlapped.
He leveled them with a look.
"I told your dad I wasn’t coming back tonight," Second Uncle argued.
What kind of childish logic was this? Jiang Suizhi deadpanned, "Do you only own one property?"
Old Master Jiang straightened. "We promised the kids we’d dance with them tomorrow morning."
Then, taking his second son’s advice, he leaned into his seniority. "I’m your grandfather. You’d really make an old man trek back in the dead of night just to return at dawn?"
Before Jiang Suizhi could respond, Le Qing’s expression shifted to disapproval. "Maybe—"
Jiang Suizhi bit out each word: "I’ll give you the passcode."
Exactly what the duo wanted. They scurried to the opposite door, arms full of clothes.
Noticing the freshly pasted "Fu" character in the same odd position as Le Qing’s, Second Uncle frowned. Suspicion flickered in his gaze as it landed on his nephew.
"Pick any room except the innermost one," Jiang Suizhi said, shoving his suitcase inside.
Together, the father-son pair could banter endlessly. But faced with this near-stranger of a grandson (nephew), they had no retort. Not wanting to further disturb Le Qing, Old Master Jiang finally relented. "Get some rest, sweetheart."
Hearing this form of address, Jiang Suizhi frowned slightly.
Had it really been so little time? How had this old man become so familiar so quickly?
Turning his head, he saw the person standing across the hallway with a faint smile on their lips, giving a slight nod.
She seemed to like it?
Once the two elders had walked away, Le Qing took a few steps forward and asked softly, "Are you okay?"
"Me?" Jiang Suizhi rested his hand on the handle of a nearby suitcase. "What about me?"
Le Qing pointed to the back of her own hand.
Understanding instantly, Jiang Suizhi chuckled. "Different rooms."
"That's good."
No sooner had the words left her mouth than a head peeked out sneakily from behind Jiang Suizhi.
Startled, Le Qing instinctively moved to step back but then seemed to remember something. She grabbed Jiang Suizhi's sleeve and pulled him toward her.
Caught off guard, Jiang Suizhi's heartbeat stuttered slightly. He staggered a step, the loose strands of her hair brushing against his ear, sending a tingling warmth through him. His breath hitched. "What is it?"
"Uncle," Le Qing said without even looking at him, quickly releasing his sleeve. "Was there something else?"
"I just wanted him to move so I could grab something," Jiang Heling said, surprised by their reactions. "What's wrong with you two?"
Ignoring the odd warmth in his ears, Jiang Suizhi replied coolly, "What could possibly be so important that you need to fetch it in the middle of the night?"
"The tie and tie pin Le Qing gave me," Jiang Heling said, stepping out from the doorway. "I just realized I forgot the tie pin. Can't leave that behind."
For some reason, Le Qing noticed Jiang Suizhi's voice growing colder. "Tie pin?"
"Just a small gift for Grandpa and Uncle," Le Qing quickly explained. "I'll go get it. No need for you to make the trip, Uncle."
With that, she hurried off to retrieve it.
Meanwhile, Jiang Suizhi stood still, opening the corridor window and letting the cold air blow on his face for half a minute.
"You don’t know, do you? That tie and pin are really nice," Jiang Heling said, completely oblivious to the storm brewing in his nephew's mind. He sounded almost boastful. "A versatile style, and it even came in a gift box. The brand’s good too—I’ll have to keep an eye on their stuff from now on."
Jiang Suizhi repeated, slow and deliberate, "Gift box?"
"Yeah, tied with a big ribbon," Jiang Heling said. "But I kept the box. I’ll show you tomorrow."
Great.
Gifts. Gift boxes. Brand names.
Prepared so thoroughly on the very first meeting.
And him? How many days had it been? Not even a five-dollar plastic bracelet in sight!
And here he was, telling his secretary every day to keep an eye out for any messages—gifts, inquiries, anything.
Nothing.
Absolutely nothing.
No need for the cold wind anymore. Jiang Suizhi felt perfectly chilled on the inside.
Soon, Le Qing returned with the tie pin. "Here you go, Uncle."
Jiang Suizhi glanced at it. Tiny diamonds were embedded in the design.
What was so great about that? Glittery. Eye-straining.
Definitely not something Jiang Suizhi would ever mass-produce.
"Anything else forgotten?" Jiang Suizhi had just returned from a long trip, and his mood was far from pleasant. At this point, even if his own brother had risen from the dead, he’d have backed off at the sight of Jiang Suizhi’s expression.
He shot another glance at the tie pin. "Take it all at once."
"Nothing else. We can deal with the rest tomorrow—it’s not like we’re never going back."
Jiang Suizhi adjusted his glasses, struggling to maintain his composed facade.
So there was more.
Jiang Heling happily took the tie pin and went off to bed, leaving Jiang Suizhi with no further interest in whatever was happening with his ears. "Get some rest," he said, turning to leave.
"Jiang Suizhi," Le Qing called after him.
Despite his irritation, Jiang Suizhi stopped immediately, lifting his eyes lazily. "Hm?"
A black box appeared in his line of sight, held by slender fingers that seemed to glow against the dark surface.
Le Qing said, "This is for you."
Jiang Suizhi narrowed his eyes. "For me?"
There was a ribbon on it too.
"I really liked the gift you gave me before," Le Qing said. "I bought this a while ago but never had the chance to give it to you. Today just happened to be the right moment—who knows when the next opportunity would’ve been."
Jiang Suizhi’s throat moved slightly as he took the box and opened it.
Inside was a watch.
But not the flashy, extravagant kind favored by businessmen. Instead, its design and color carried a quiet yet undeniable presence—understated but impossible to ignore.
The hands had tiny diamonds too, but Jiang Suizhi found everything about it perfect.
Where had this been mass-produced? He’d take it even if it were plastic.
Wait—no, this didn’t look mass-produced.
He’d recommended some watches before, but none like this. He’d even suggested cufflinks. Truthfully, he hadn’t known what kind of gift he wanted to receive.
But now he did. It should be like this.
"Does this bother you?" Le Qing asked.
"Bother me?" Jiang Suizhi chuckled. "How so?"
"Your grandfather and uncle mentioned you don’t really like receiving gifts."
Jiang Suizhi silently filed that away for later. "And they call themselves straightforward."
"..."
Jiang Suizhi asked, "Why this design?"
It was nothing like the ones he’d recommended.
"Hm?" Though puzzled by the question, Le Qing answered gently, "It felt like it suited you."
Initially, she’d considered a tie or cufflinks—after all, Jiang Suizhi needed them daily for work.
But when she saw this watch in the store, she changed her mind.
The Jiang Suizhi on the horseback and the Jiang Suizhi without his glasses—she thought this suited him better.
"If you don’t like it, we can exchange it," she said.
"I like it." Jiang Suizhi immediately took off the multi-million-dollar watch his secretary had picked for formal occasions and replaced it with this one. The corner of his lips lifted. "Thank you."
Though she was glad he liked it, seeing him casually stuff the other watch into his pocket without even putting it back in its box made Le Qing wince slightly.
Jiang Suizhi was exhausted from his trip, and he knew Le Qing needed to rest, but for some reason, he wasn’t quite ready to part ways yet. Before she could speak again, he asked, "What happened at the kindergarten?"
He’d heard the report from his bodyguards as soon as he landed.
"It’s already handled," Le Qing said. "Nothing major."
"I heard you threw down a card to intimidate someone," Jiang Suizhi said, leaning against the drafty window but feeling no cold at all. He smirked. "You’ve saved up that much already?"
"Ah." The memory made Le Qing smile too. "Actually, there was no money in that card."
Most of her savings were in the children’s accounts, leaving little for herself. As for the card Sister Lvy had given her, she’d never touched it and had no idea how much was in it. The one she’d used for verification was just a random pick—probably only enough for a handbag.
Honestly, Jiang Suizhi wasn’t surprised by the answer. Teasingly, he said, "Bold move for someone with no money."
Le Qing raised a brow. "I gambled on her not daring to call my bluff."
Jiang Suizhi’s lips curved. "You were that angry?"
"I wasn’t, at first," Le Qing said. "But she crossed a line."
"A line?"
Le Qing smiled but didn’t answer.
She disliked seeing children mocked by anyone in any way—she wanted them to grow up carefree.
Fortunately, Jiang Suizhi didn’t press further. "Did you vent your anger?"
"I did." Le Qing’s eyes gleamed with satisfaction as she recalled the other person’s disheveled state. "Turns out, with unreasonable people, a direct approach works best."
Jiang Suizhi had already seen the surveillance footage the bodyguards sent him on his way back—the school hadn’t dared hide it.
So he’d watched, more than once, the moment Le Qing decisively slapped the person to the ground in the office.
He could imagine the look in her eyes then—perhaps even more spirited than when she’d confronted him in the banquet restroom.
He had to admit, she looked really damn cool.
"I should get some sleep." Le Qing was genuinely tired now. "Grandfather and Second Uncle are coming for breakfast tomorrow."
"Don’t worry about them." Jiang Suizhi said. "They’ll figure it out themselves tomorrow. You sleep."
Le Qing chuckled. "Got it. You rest too. Goodnight."
She’d gotten used to saying it to the kids, so it slipped out naturally with Jiang Suizhi too, without a second thought.
But for Jiang Suizhi, he’d never actually said that word to anyone else before.
Only after Le Qing’s door closed did he glance down at his watch.
In the quiet night, the biting wind rushed in, chilling his ears—but where his hair had brushed against his skin, the warmth lingered stubbornly.
Jiang Suizhi’s sense of time synced with the second hand’s steady ticks, even syncing with the rhythm of his own heartbeat.
He’d been on such a tight schedule lately that good sleep had been rare. Yet this time, he’d slept unusually deep, waking the next morning feeling almost disoriented.
Remembering there were guests in the house, he shook off the grogginess, checked the time, and stepped out to tell the two elders not to disturb Le Qing too early.
There were still some dumplings in his fridge—Le Qing’s handmade ones—good enough for them.
…Never mind. He’d save the dumplings and just order breakfast instead.
But when he stepped out, he found the guest rooms wide open, everything neatly in place—both men already gone.
Up this early?
Jiang Suizhi clicked his tongue and went straight to knock on the opposite door.
Sister Wang answered, an apron tied around her waist. "Mr. Jiang, Old Master Jiang and Second Master Jiang took the kids for morning exercises."
Jiang Suizhi: "…"
Even Jiang Hechang would download a scam-prevention app in disbelief if he heard this.
Those two, the least health-conscious people alive, were taking kids for morning exercises?
Were they teaching them mahjong as a sport?
"And Le Qing?" he asked.
"Miss Le Qing went with them. They’re in the neighborhood park," Sister Wang said. "I’m making breakfast here for when they return."
Jiang Suizhi was convinced the two old men were deliberately excluding him.
He went back to freshen up and change, then headed downstairs.
He wasn’t too familiar with the neighborhood—last time he’d been out was to that little convenience store.
Since he wasn’t going to the office today, he dressed more casually, deliberately passing by the store to buy a bottle of water.
No mask hiding his face this time, no glasses either.
Sure enough, the shopkeeper’s eyes nearly popped out. "Handsome, you live around here?"
"Mn." Brother Jiang pulled out his phone to pay, subtly flashing his WeChat interface. "Bought New Year’s couplets from you on New Year’s Eve."
New Year’s Eve?
The only one who’d bought in bulk that day was that clueless tall guy…
The shopkeeper’s jaw dropped.
Damn it, he shouldn’t have kicked him out!
This was a walking advertisement! Bulk buying or not, the guy had prospects!
"That day, my kid was playing with my phone," the shopkeeper lied smoothly. "The group thing was a misunderstanding."
"Is the group disbanded?" Jiang Suizhi asked.
"Uh…" The man changed the subject. "I remember you’re single, right? That group’s actually great—helps busy people like you socialize! I can introduce you to someone!"
Jiang Suizhi frowned. "I don’t—"
"There’s someone in this neighborhood who’s a perfect match for you!" The shopkeeper cut in eagerly. "An absolute stunner, like a fairy! Heard she’s a model too, super gentle."
Jiang Suizhi’s protest died in his throat. His instincts tingled. "What?"
"Interested?" The man perked up. "She’s single too, though she’s got two kids—but they’re adorable, and honestly, they kinda look like you! Isn’t that fate? If you’re game, next time I see her, I’ll set you up!"
Jiang Suizhi: "…"
He grabbed his water and walked out.
Not one more second here.
These people were lawless. He needed to find a way to report that group.
Following Sister Wang’s directions to the activity square, he immediately spotted two conspicuous kids and one very conspicuous old man in the middle of a square dance.
Jiang Heling sat to the side, surrounded by elderly women, deep in some conversation.
But no sign of Le Qing.
Hadn’t they said she came down too?
He took a sip of water just as someone jogged up to him.
"Jiang Suizhi?" Le Qing’s voice was slightly breathless but light with amusement.
He paused and turned.
She’d tied her hair into a ponytail today. Fresh from her run, a faint sheen of sweat glistened on her forehead, her fair skin flushed pink. As she wiped the sweat away, the color stood out even more.
The morning light fell across her face, mirroring that day on the grassland when she’d looked down at him from horseback with that same gaze.
Jiang Suizhi’s fingers twitched.
His eyes dropped to his watch instinctively. The second hand ticked steadily, but this time, his heartbeat didn’t follow its rhythm.
Chaotic.
What a fortuitous chapter.
