Chapter 97: An Unprecedented Change

Faced with this, the couple was utterly stunned.

What was most shocking of all was the bundle of things Old Master Su was carrying. It was beyond anything they had imagined.

Just the day before, in the hospital, Old Master Su had still been full of sarcasm, even pinning the theft of the betrothal gifts on Ye Tianlin and cursing him out without restraint.

Moreover, the worsening rift within the Su family had been caused in large part by none other than Old Master Su himself.

The scene before them was truly more unbelievable than anything that could be called unprecedented.

Su Weimin was the first to recover. He hurried over to open the door and asked in bewilderment, “Old Master, what happened to your face?”

“I was in too much of a rush when I left the hospital yesterday and fell by accident. Luckily, my bones are hard, so I’m not dying that quickly.” Old Master Su coughed a few times, forcing down his embarrassment.

Gao Yulan pointed at the things in his hands. “Then what about these fruits and nutritional supplements?”

Old Master Su swallowed nervously and glanced at Ye Tianlin a few times, his heart trembling with fear.

Then, with a stiff smile forced onto his wrinkled face, he set the things down properly and leaned by Su Rulan’s bedside before saying, “Of course I’m here to visit my good granddaughter!”

Hearing this, Su Weimin and Gao Yulan exchanged a look.

“Old Master, what are you up to this time?” Su Weimin was nearly dumbfounded.

“That’s right, that’s right. We can’t afford to offend you, so please spare us. Stop putting on an act in front of us, and as for the theft of the betrothal gifts, it has nothing to do with us.” Gao Yulan sounded anxious and defensive.

Old Master Su’s face was deeply lined, and his smile looked worse than a cry. After what had happened yesterday, he had long since figured it out: the missing betrothal gifts must already have been returned to their rightful owner. How could he dare bring it up again?

So he said with a smile, “Don’t misunderstand. I didn’t come with any ill intent this time. I simply realized that I was wrong before, and I hope I can mend our relationship again.”

“Mend the relationship?” Su Weimin was half-convinced, half-suspicious.

Old Master Su glanced at Ye Tianlin once more, then nodded solemnly. “Weimin, at the very least I am your father, and Rulan’s grandfather. We can’t truly sever ties. Over the years, I have indeed done wrong, and I hope to receive your forgiveness.”

Gao Yulan said doubtfully, “You’re not trying to fool us on purpose, only to turn around and slap us in the face again, are you? Why does it all sound so fake to me?”

“It’s true. This time you absolutely must believe me. I am not trying to deceive you. I came sincerely to apologize, so that our family can be made whole again. And this time, I even brought an invitation. I hope that through this eightieth birthday celebration, you can return to the Su family.” Fearing suspicion, Old Master Su hurriedly fumbled out the invitation and placed it on the table.

When Su Weimin saw the invitation, he narrowed his eyes and said, “Old Master, I keep feeling like you’re plotting something against us. You must have some other motive.”

Old Master Su’s expression changed slightly, and a trace of guilt surfaced faintly in his eyes.

This visit had indeed carried another purpose. Most of all, he wanted to win Ye Tianlin’s forgiveness so that he could reap future benefits. After all, the identity of the Ye family’s young master was no trivial matter.

Of course, at this very moment, fear outweighed everything else in Old Master Su’s heart. How could he dare reveal even the slightest bit of those private schemes? If he could be forgiven, he would already be thanking heaven and earth.

In the end, he could only make up a clumsy excuse and, with feigned superstition, said, “Last night I had a dream. I dreamed of the ancestors of the Su family pointing at my nose and cursing me for being heartless and ungrateful, for disregarding the bonds of family.”

“On top of that, they also said that if I don’t let you return to the Su family, then after I die, they won’t acknowledge me even beneath the Yellow Springs. So I came at once!”

When the couple heard this, their eyes widened at once.

People of the older generation had always been conservative and superstitious.

Especially someone of Old Master Su’s age, who believed such things all the more deeply. It would be unthinkable for him to invoke the ancestors of the Su family just to deceive them. That would be an act of unforgivable impiety.

Thinking of this, the couple almost believed him.

Seeing that the moment was right, Old Master Su quickly pressed on. “It was all because I had been blinded by greed before. If it were not for the ancestors visiting me in a dream and giving me such a scolding, I’m afraid I would still be in the dark even now. I have truly awakened at last!”

“Good son-in-law, what do you think about this?” Gao Yulan could not make up her mind and looked straight to Ye Tianlin.

Ye Tianlin smiled. As the saying goes, when something is strange, there must be something wrong. Old Master Su had come early in the morning to fawn over them, and that old face even bore fresh bruises. Clearly, something had happened, and he had learned some secret.

Most likely, the old matriarch had gone to the Su family to vent her anger and had been severely taught a lesson.

“This is definitely deliberate. How could there be such a good thing? Such a lie would only fool a three-year-old.” Ye Tianlin slowly stood up.

“I-I-I...” Old Master Su’s face turned green with anger, and he could barely get the words out.

Ye Tianlin snorted as if in indignation. “Stop putting on such an act here. Everyone already knows what the Su family is like. How could you possibly wake up overnight? Unless...”

“Unless what?” Su Weimin asked.

Ye Tianlin said, “Unless Old Master Su... can kneel down!”