HBWMA -Chapter 225 Grandpa’s Way of Running the Family

Shen Lanxi turned and returned to Lanyuan.

Lanyuan was exquisitely luxurious, filled everywhere with an atmosphere of refined elegance and moral grace.

Without glancing sideways, Shen Lanxi walked straight through the lotus pond and entered the study.

The outer corridor of his study was connected to the lotus pond. When he had free time, he could sit by the window and admire the autumn pool while watching the koi.

By the courtyard pond, several drooping banana trees were planted. When it rained, one could listen to raindrops striking the leaves and watch as countless beads fell like jade; when the sky was clear, the lush green filled the window, making it pleasant to sit in quiet contentment all day.

But at this moment, Shen Lanxi couldn’t feel any ease at all. Every time he was angered by Jiang Huashan, he would end up with varying degrees of headache.

Gao Zhi watched him with distress. Such a fine young master, yet he had somehow run into a completely unhinged young lady.

“Young Master, if Miss Jiang is unwilling to cooperate, I’m afraid the Second Branch will slip away again this time.”

Shen Lanxi pressed his fingers against his brow.

“I really can’t understand. Miss Jiang has a strong sense of justice and hates evil as if it were her enemy. Yet in situations like this, she still helps cover for the Second Branch. What is she even after? There must be some secret she can’t reveal.”

Shen Lanxi’s fingertips paused.

Gao Zhi carefully teased the little unfortunate creature in his pocket while analyzing everything step by step.

“Could it be… Miss Jiang, like her mother, has also taken refuge with the Second Branch? No, that doesn’t make sense! Her mother was already driven out by her. After my three years of secret investigation, I can confirm they are not the same type of people.”

“Miss Jiang treats everyone except the Fourth Young Miss with equal harshness. She offends everyone, so she doesn’t look like she’s aligned with anyone.”

“No—wait! That’s not right either. It’s not exactly equal treatment. Compared to Young Master Qingyu and Young Master A-Ling, Miss Jiang clearly dislikes you the most, Young Master.”

“…”

Gao Zhi was still about to continue analyzing when Shen Lanxi calmly cut him off.

“Shut up. Get out.”

Though a little disappointed, Gao Zhi quickly brightened up again at the thought of going out to play with the little turtle. His steps instantly became light and cheerful.

The study fell silent once more.

Shen Lanxi turned his gaze toward the pond outside the window. Sunlight gilded his eyelashes in gold, yet it failed to warm the emotion in his eyes.

Though there was no evidence, his intuition told him that the recent incident in the South Bay sea region must be connected to the Second Branch.

The young man lowered his eyes, staring intently at the red string on his left wrist.

“A-Xi, look. This is the lucky charm Mom braided for you. Isn’t it nice? Don’t be angry anymore. Dad and Mom promised you—they would definitely come back this time to spend Spring Festival with you. Then we’ll set off fireworks all night, okay?”

“A-Xi, Dad knows breaking a promise is the same as lying. But Dad had no choice. I’m sorry I can’t keep watching fireworks with you anymore. But every time I think of your fireworks blooming freely over the land I protect, I feel immense pride. I also hope you will be proud of your father.”

Plop—

A koi in the lotus pond leapt from the water and fell back in with a splash.

Shen Lanxi blinked, his expression still calm as he looked out at the scenery.

Back then, after his father died, everyone told him it was an honor.

But no one understood. For a child who had been waiting desperately for a night of fireworks, only to receive the news of death instead—what meaning did “honor” have for him?

He had knelt before his parents’ memorial tablets while watching people come and go. They looked at him with pitying eyes and accused him.

“That child is so cold-hearted. His parents died and he didn’t even shed a tear.”

“I heard the young master of the Shen family is exceptionally precocious but cold-blooded. I didn’t expect him to be so indifferent even toward his own parents.”

“That can’t be right. He’s just a child. Maybe it’s shock-induced emotional numbness?”

“Lanxi…”

The memory abruptly broke off.

Shen Lanxi turned his head. Shen Zhuang, leaning on a cane, walked in with a smile.

“Grandpa.”

Shen Lanxi quickly stepped aside from the main seat.

Shen Zhuang studied his expression for a moment, then gently patted his shoulder. “I heard the little hua has woken up?”

Shen Lanxi nodded. “Mm. Looks like she just slept enough.”

Shen Zhuang couldn’t help but chuckle and shook his head with a smile. “That girl gave you trouble again?”

As the saying goes, it’s better not to be overly strict or overly deaf when acting as an elder. Shen Zhuang had always felt that Shen Lanxi lacked warmth and humanity—letting Jiang Huashan “treat” him a bit wasn’t necessarily a bad thing.

“No.”

Shen Lanxi was different from Jiang Huashan. That troublemaker, relying on the old man’s backing, came knocking on the door every few days causing chaos. But Shen Lanxi—no matter how frustrated Jiang Huashan made him, even to the point of splitting headaches—never reported it. Jiang Huashan took full advantage of this and became even more reckless.

Shen Zhuang didn’t expose him. He patted his shoulder again. “Sit.”

Shen Lanxi slightly bowed and sat below Shen Zhuang.

“How is it? Did you ask Huashan? What did she say?”

Thinking of Jiang Huashan pointing at his shoulder with that overbearing attitude, Shen Lanxi felt a little speechless. “She said she fainted at the time and doesn’t know anything at all.”

Shen Zhuang burst into laughter. Little Hua was best at muddling things through, while Lanxi was too rigid and principled. He could easily imagine how much of a headache his serious eldest grandson must have dealing with her slipperiness.

Shen Lanxi sighed helplessly. “Grandpa, are you still laughing? She only acts this way because you spoil her.”

“Ah.” Shen Zhuang waved his hand. “How is that ‘acting out’? A-Ling helping his father cover things up is filial duty. You wanting to uncover the truth and eliminate danger is your responsibility. Huashan refusing to enter the game and staying on the sidelines is her wisdom. You all walk completely different life paths—aren’t different choices only natural?”

Shen Lanxi paused, his gaze clearing as he looked at the old man. “Then what about you, Grandpa?”

He clearly already suspected that the Bai family and the second branch were working together. If they followed Shen Guiling’s line of investigation, the truth would inevitably come out. And yet he left both Shen Qian and Shen Guiling in Nanyan. Wasn’t that essentially tolerating the mastermind behind it all?

Shen Zhuang’s eyes were gentle, yet carried a steady strength. “Lanxi, as the head of the family, my duty is to preserve the foundation of the Shen family.”

Shen Lanxi considered it and shook his head slightly. “Grandpa, a century-old tree won’t wither overnight. Decline always comes from rotten roots, so we must dig them out.”

“And how do you dig them out?”

“By going straight to the root of the problem.”

Shen Zhuang shook his head. “A great tree has tangled roots. Digging them out harms the whole system. Kill one thousand enemies, lose five hundred of your own. Not the best approach.”

Shen Lanxi replied, “Roots are nourished by soil. If we remove the rotten parts, given time, the tree will absorb nutrients again.”

Shen Zhuang looked at him. Shen Lanxi paused, then added, “Grandpa doesn’t agree?”

“I didn’t say I disagree,” Shen Zhuang said slowly. “I’m only saying it’s not the optimal approach. Lanxi, what if it’s not rotten roots, but rotten people? A bad wife? A bad child?”

Shen Lanxi froze. He had never considered this question and was momentarily at a loss for words.

Shen Zhuang continued, “Abandoning is the easiest option. The hardest is governance. Lanxi, no one is without fault. If one day A-Ling or Qingyu becomes a ‘rotten root,’ would you really just uproot them without even trying to ‘treat’ them?”

Shen Lanxi fell silent.

“Think carefully about what Grandpa said.” Shen Zhuang stood up.

Shen Lanxi also rose, a trace of stubbornness in his eyes. “Grandpa, you know I’m not talking about A-Ling or Qingyu. If someone is truly beyond saving, do you still want to save them?”

Shen Zhuang paused slightly, then slowly said, “Save them first.”

“Grandpa?”

Shen Lanxi didn’t understand. The head of the Shen family for forty years—decisive and ruthless—how could he suddenly show such softness?

Shen Zhuang seemed to understand his thoughts and replied calmly, “Lanxi, the person you call ‘beyond saving’… is still my son. If education fails, it is the father’s fault.”

Shen Lanxi stiffened.

Only then did he realize how presumptuous his earlier words had been toward his grandfather.

His grandfather knew everything. He could exercise the authority of the family head at any time, but before acting as the head, he still wanted to fulfill his duty as a father one more time.