HBWMA -Chapter 165 Reconciliation! A Healed Heart

The side hall was far from the noise of the banquet.

On the desk sat a pot of fragrant tea. Old Madam Gu’s eyes were half-closed as if she were deep in thought.

Footsteps approached. Shen Zhuang pushed the door open, a faint smile on his face.

“There are many guests at the banquet, I couldn’t get away for a moment. I hope I didn’t keep you waiting, Madam.”

Old Madam Gu collected her expression and stood to greet him.

“Mr. Shen.”

Shen Zhuang waved his hand. “We’ve known each other for decades, there’s no need to be so formal. Sit.”

Old Madam Gu nodded slightly.

Shen Zhuang took the main seat, first pouring tea for the old lady before pouring himself a cup.

“Did you call me here to discuss something, Madam?”

Old Madam Gu nodded, straightening her back slightly.

“I’ll be blunt. A-Ci’s death has always been an unresolved knot in my heart. Qingyu is the only bloodline my daughter left in this world. Mr. Shen, please release him and let me take Qingyu back to the Gu family.”

Shen Zhuang frowned, his expression complicated.

Old Madam Gu continued, “Mr. Shen values his legitimate grandson. In the Shen family, Qingyu will only be buried in obscurity. How can my grandson become someone else’s stepping stone? I ask you to show mercy.”

Shen Zhuang picked up his teacup, drank it in one gulp to clear some of the alcohol from earlier, then spoke slowly.

“Madam, have you discussed this with Qingyu?”

“He’s still young. In the future I—”

“Still young?” Shen Zhuang set the cup down, his gaze deep and unreadable. “So that’s your reason for deciding his life for him?”

Old Madam Gu froze, momentarily unable to respond.

Shen Zhuang said, “Ask yourself honestly, are you truly taking Qingyu back for his sake, or to ease the guilt you’ve carried all these years over A-Ci? Is this for him—or for yourself?”

At the mention of her daughter, the old lady’s emotions surged.

“Of course I’m doing it for Qingyu.”

Shen Zhuang said, “For Qingyu? Even if it means making a scene at the Shen family banquet and openly breaking ties with the Shen family? Have you thought about this—I’m Qingyu’s grandfather, and you are his maternal grandmother. If the Shen and Gu families become enemies, who will suffer the most?”

Old Madam Gu’s gaze flickered. She was suddenly at a loss for words.

Shen Zhuang sighed lightly, poured a fresh cup of tea, and respectfully handed it to her.

“I’m sorry about A-Ci. You sent your most precious daughter into the Shen family, and we failed to take good care of her. That is the Shen family’s fault. But… Madam Gu, let the mistakes of the older generation end with the older generation, alright? Don’t take it out on the children anymore.”

Old Madam Gu’s eyes reddened instantly, her gaze turning sore and blurred.

After a long moment, she reached out and accepted the teacup, her voice heavy.

“Mr. Shen… you will treat Qingyu well, won’t you?”

Shen Zhuang said, “Didn’t you already see it tonight?”

The old lady fell silent for a long while, then lowered her head and drank the tea.

Halfway through the banquet, Old Madam Gu left early due to ill health.

Gu Cifeng escorted her out of the estate but still felt uneasy.

“Mother, should I go back with you?”

The old lady shook her head. “Half the influential figures of A Country are here tonight. More guests will come later. You are the face of the Gu family—you cannot leave now. I have bodyguards; nothing will happen.”

“But…”

“Uncle, I’ll see Grandma off.”

Before they could continue arguing, Shen Qingyu walked out of the Shen residence with a flower basket in hand, smiling faintly.

Gu Cifeng glanced at his mother and nodded. “Alright. Then I’ll trouble you, Qingyu.”

Shen Qingyu stepped forward to support Old Madam Gu.

“You’re too polite, Uncle. We’re family.”

Old Madam Gu gently patted his hand and waved toward her son.

“Alright, we have Xiaoyu here. Go back to your duties.”

Gu Cifeng nodded and returned to the banquet.

Shen Qingyu helped the old lady into the car. After she was seated, he moved to the other side to get in—but found the door locked.

At this moment, the car window slowly rolled down. Old Madam Gu looked at him with a kind and loving expression.

“Qingyu, there’s no need to see me off. Grandma will go back on her own.”

Shen Qingyu froze slightly.

The old lady pointed at his flower basket. “Give that to me.”

Shen Qingyu removed the basket and handed it through the window. The old lady took it carefully with both hands and studied every single flower inside. At that moment, the corners of her wrinkled eyes were filled with a heavy, tender love.

She lowered her head and wiped the corner of her eye, her gaze gentle and calm.

“Qingyu, now you can use your absolute authority on Grandma.”

Shen Qingyu stood there in a daze. His usually unruly brows were now filled with guilt.

“Grandma… I’m sorry.”

The old lady shook her head, her eyes full of indulgence. “Didn’t that girl say it already? Even if it’s just a game, you still need the spirit of the game. I may be old, but I don’t lose to you young people when it comes to game spirit.”

Shen Qingyu’s fingertips trembled slightly. He said nothing, just stared at her.

The old lady sighed softly and asked with a smile, “Do you really not want to go back with Grandma?”

The boy’s gaze flickered. His fingers slowly tightened.

Very softly, he said, “No.”

The old lady looked relieved and nodded. “Grandma understands. Then come visit me more often when you have time, alright?”

Shen Qingyu bit his lip, his voice hoarse. “Okay.”

Her eyes reddened slightly, but she still smiled and shook her head. “Shen Zhuang… Shen Zhuang, still as scheming as ever. He used a game to take my grandson away.”

She lowered her head and pressed the button. The car window slowly rose.

“Let’s go.”

The car started moving slowly.

In the rearview mirror, the boy’s figure grew smaller and smaller.

In the end, the old lady couldn’t hold it in anymore and silently cried while holding the flower basket.

She had been widowed at thirty. After her husband’s death, internal conflict broke out within the family.

The Gu family was surrounded by wolves. Everyone tried every possible means to seize the shares her husband had left behind. With no other choice, she had sought help from Shen Zhuang, asking him to guide her—who should she give the shares to so that she and her child could survive this crisis?

She still clearly remembered that Shen Zhuang had poured her two cups of tea and asked:

“Do you want to be the one who chooses, or the one who is chosen?”

“The chooser carves out a path with their own hands. The chosen can only beg others for a way forward. The shares in your hand are enough to control the entire Gu family—why not become the head of the house?”

Those words struck like a hammer breaking through ice, a single crack that could overturn an entire frozen mountain.

From then on, with Shen Zhuang’s help, she fought internal battles within the family for ten years, finally seeing the dawn of success at forty.

And today’s game… was truly clever.

It used a game to awaken old bonds of friendship. But if that bond alone was not enough to make her let go of Qingyu, then…

Qingyu won.

Shen Zhuang was using this game to tell her that he would not suppress anyone’s brilliance—he treats Qingyu equally.

At the same time, in a corner of the side courtyard where she was keeping watch, Jiang Huashan suddenly felt a ripple in her gaze.

Electronic notifications rang in her mind one after another.

【Ding—】

【Current chapter’s main storyline deviation detected. Generating updated chapter…】

【Generation complete—】

【Original chapter script—“Breakup! A Broken Heart” has been changed to “Reconciliation! A Healed Heart”】

【Loading current plot into the story world: Chapter —“Reconciliation! A Healed Heart”

【】

【Warning: Current main storyline deviation 1%.】

【Warning: Main storyline deviation 90%—story world may collapse.】