"Great-grandfather, don't say such inauspicious things!" Pei Danqing hurriedly said.
"Girl, you guys are just overthinking. One must be a bit free-spirited; birth, aging, sickness, and death are all normal. Xu Lin, don't you agree?"
"That's true."
"Girl, I want to chat with Xu Lin."
"Alright."
Pei Danqing then left and went back inside the house, leaving only Xu Lin and the great-grandfather in the courtyard.
"Xu Lin, your reputation has been soaring lately. It makes so pleased. You are a true dragon among n, and one day, you will have a significant place in this world."
"My reputation will only grow bigger in the future." Xu Lin did not pretend to be modest.
"Haha, I can see that. I'm looking forward to that day too!"
"Great-grandfather seems to be in a good mood."
"Of course, being able to see a descendant like you makes my life without regret! Actually, my health is deteriorating day by day. When I was young, I could sleep only three or four hours a day, but now, I spend most of my ti sleeping. I fear there will co a day when I don't wake up."
Great-grandfather said, "The younger generation in my family worries about my health all the ti. So are even thinking of getting my organs replaced in the future to prolong my life. Xu Lin, do you think people like us should live too long? I want to hear your perspective."
"For people like us who control too many resources, living too long would be a disaster for society and the world."
Xu Lin did not hold back at all.
"Yes, indeed. People like us living too long isn't good for this world. Throughout history, few have been like Liu Bang."
Liu Bang viewed life and death lightly. When he grew old and was nearing his end, he faced death calmly.
Among emperors, dukes, marquises, and ministers, only Liu Bang was so free-spirited.
Great-grandfather felt very gratified, "Xu Lin, I thought you'd just flatter . I've heard too many praises in my life. In the Capital City, hardly anyone dares to speak ill of to my face. They all flatter , and only you are so unique."
Xu Lin has always disliked flattery.
Especially now, having reached this point, flattery was even more impossible.
Xu Lin: "Birth, aging, sickness, and death are natural laws. Better to enjoy life and go with the flow."
"Indeed, go with the flow, go with the flow... Do you not see? The Yellow River's water coming from the sky..."
Suddenly, great-grandfather started singing Li Bai's "Bring in the Wine," in a theatrical singing style.
This poem is very free-spirited.
But all of Li Bai's works are like this. No matter the circumstances, he's always free-spirited, rarely producing wholly sorrowful works. He seems perpetually optimistic and romantic.
Very soon, great-grandfather finished singing.
He smiled and said, "Xu Lin, if anything cos up in the future, you must tell us. Our family can support you. You're shining too brightly now; I'm worried sothing might happen to you. You still have a long life ahead; you should continue to rise, like a true dragon or Kunpeng in the future."
"Yes, I will tell you if anything cos up."
"Good, good, good!"
The two talked for over an hour until great-grandfather fell asleep.
Just as he said, he spends most of his ti sleeping now.
But after all, being over a hundred years old, it's truly an age of fading twilight, teetering on the brink of life. The process of life's aging is unavoidable for anyone.
As the ancients said, those who live to seventy are rare.
But in modern society, seventy is no longer remarkable, and eighty is just ordinary.
Ninety is rare, and a hundred is even more so.
"Great-grandfather is asleep."
Xu Lin said to Pei Danqing, "I'm going to leave now as well. When he wakes up, please tell him I'm heading back to work."
"Okay, I'll see you to the airport."
"No need, I can take a taxi."
Xu Lin declined Pei Danqing's offer to send him off.
"Alright then, but ssage when you arrive in Jiangdu."
"Sure."
At three in the afternoon, Xu Lin arrived at the airport.
After another half hour, Xu Lin took off from the Capital City, on a flight back to Jiangdu.
At six in the afternoon, Xu Lin returned to Jiangdu and then went to Chi Linyue's ho.
There was no avoiding it; in the morning, Chi Linyue had already told him to go to his ho if he returned.
Chi Linyue also wanted to ask about Pei Danqing, this woman.
"Oh dear, my husband is finally back!"
"Why is your tone so sarcastic? It's making uncomfortable."
"Well, what else? I just found out you have a woman in the Capital City. It's been several months now. Co on, when did you two et?" she said with her arms crossed, looking amused as Xu Lin walked over.
"May of last year, I think. I went to the Capital City then, and she happened to work at CCTV, so we t."
"What does she look like? I need to confirm if she's prettier than ."
Won can be curious like that. If their husband cheats, it's a big deal. But if they find out the woman isn't as beautiful or hasn't as good a figure as them, they wonder where they lost out.
"Of course, she'd be on par with you."
Xu Lin ca up from behind her, embracing her, and whispered in her ear, "Are you mad?"
"I was a little mad at first, but on second thought, being mad at you is pointless. I didn't even expect you to be faithful. Besides, I knew you had a girlfriend and still stayed with you, so I'm not exactly spotless either."
Chi Linyue: "What does she look like? Let see."
Xu Lin then opened his phone and showed a photo of Pei Danqing, "So beautiful?"
"I'm not desperate enough to settle for soone not up to par; I have my standards."
"Fine, you pass. I thought she might be ugly. I wouldn't agree if she were too ugly—I wouldn't be able to accept it."
"Why?"
"Because I don't want my man associating with ugly won and dragging down our family's good looks."
"Oh, the way you talk, it's like my mom! She used to say things like that too."
"Co on, call 'Mommy!' "
"You'll be dead for sure if you keep this up, daring to have call you that."
Xu Lin chuckled mischievously, "Didn't we say last ti, when might I manage a 1v2?"
Chi Linyue: "Oh! I'm up for it anyti, but could you sort it out with this woman first? See if she's willing?"
"Probably not willing."
Xu Lin guessed Pei Danqing would explode.
"Actually, the last ti I went to the Capital City was the first ti I t your dad. I found out your dad and her dad know each other—they seem quite familiar."
"My dad knows her dad?"
"Yes."
"What kind of family is she from?"
"Probably more powerful than yours. It's a big family, quite an exaggerated kind of big family..."
Xu Lin briefly explained.
The Old Chi Family, strictly speaking, is now in the fourth generation. Chi Linyue is the fourth generation. No need to count beyond that; it's unnecessary.
Chi Lingri's father had been to the battlefield, survived, and even held a position—not just any soldier.
In Huaxia, since ancient tis, there has been a special social advancent route. In chaotic tis, if you can survive the battlefield, your family can generally enjoy a better life afterward.
So the father who survived could help Chi Lingri, and Chi Lingri then helped his son. Now Chi Boyan assists Chi Longting.
A family rises like this, generation after generation, passing the baton.
But Pei Danqing's family is different. Their family is even more ancient, stretching back hundreds of years and now spread across the globe.
Therefore, the Chi Family cannot compare to the Pei Family.
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