After A Secret Marriage With The Trending Queen - Chapter 9

Chapter 9

“Grandma, it’s me. How have you been feeling lately?” Shen Lu held the phone with a smile, feeling a great sense of closeness. Her own grandmother had passed away when Shen Lu was in elementary school, and every time Ye Qin’s grandmother called her, Shen Lu was reminded of her own grandma.

“Good, good. Grandma is very well. Grandma just keeps thinking about my two granddaughters. I haven’t seen you both in a long while,” Grandma said the last sentence with a hint of small pride.

Shen Lu glanced at Ye Qin beside her, then continued, “Grandma, when we have time, we’ll definitely come to see you together. You must take good care of your health.”

Just then, the grandmother on the other end suddenly lowered her voice mysteriously and quietly asked Shen Lu, “Did my granddaughter bully you? If she treats you badly, you come to Grandma, and Grandma will get justice for you!”

Shen Lu instinctively blushed, quickly covering her mouth and whispering, “No, she didn’t bully me. We’re doing very well…”

Although her voice was low, it was loud enough for Ye Qin beside her to hear clearly. Ye Qin reached out her hand, and Shen Lu obediently handed the phone back to her. Shen Lu then heard her say, “Grandma, how about I let Shen Lu go stay with you for a few days?”

“That’s wonderful! Wonderful! It won’t affect your work, will it, silly child?”

“No, it won’t. My work can still run even without an assistant,” Ye Qin chuckled.

“What assistant? She’s your wife!” Grandma’s voice on the phone sounded slightly chiding.

Ye Qin couldn’t help coughing twice, clearly having choked on her own saliva. She immediately corrected herself, “Yes, yes, wife. Grandma, I’m about to get off the car at the hotel. I’ll talk to you later.”

Wife… Shen Lu turned her head to look out the car window. Why did it feel so strange hearing that word come from Ye Qin’s mouth?

Back at the Hotel and the Secret of the Hukou Book

At the hotel, Sister Wang left again, saying she had private matters to attend to. Even Ye Qin found it strange and couldn’t help but mutter, “Is Sister Wang running into some kind of trouble lately?”

Shen Lu, carrying the bags and following behind her, replied, “Maybe it’s something she’s not comfortable telling us.”

Ye Qin didn’t say anything more. Everyone had their privacy, and it was inappropriate to pry. If Sister Wang wanted to tell them, she would naturally do so.

Back in the hotel room, Ye Qin was exhausted. She immediately collapsed onto the sofa. The thought of staying up late to memorize lines made her feel like dying.

After putting her things away, Shen Lu asked her, “Do you want anything to drink? I’ll get it for you.”

Ye Qin waved her hand, indicating no need, and then said, “Go back for a trip. Go spend two good days with Grandma, and talk with her. That’s your job for the next two days.”

Shen Lu wanted to say something but swallowed it back, pursed her lips, and replied, “Okay, I understand.”

As she stood there hesitating like a wooden post, Ye Qin finally couldn’t help but ask, “Do you have something else you want to say?”

Shen Lu then explained her intention, “It’s about the Hukou book.”

Ye Qin clearly didn’t remember the incident. “What about the Hukou book?”

“You didn’t give it back to me after we got the license. My family seems to have noticed it’s missing… I’m worried…” Shen Lu said.

“Oh….” Ye Qin remembered. “I think Grandma kept it. You can just get it from her this time when you go back. She’s old, she probably didn’t look at it then, and I forgot about it after a while too.”

Shen Lu nodded. “Then… I’ll head out if you don’t need anything.”

Ye Qin closed her eyes to rest and didn’t speak. Shen Lu quietly opened the door and left. She booked a train ticket home and immediately rushed back to A City that very night. She didn’t plan to go home first but intended to go to Ye Qin’s grandmother’s house to retrieve the Hukou book before heading back.

…

Meeting Grandma and Uncovering a Painful Past

She arrived in A City at midnight. Shen Lu stayed in a small guesthouse near Ye Qin’s family home for the night. The next morning, she bought some fruit and gifts from a nearby supermarket and paid a visit.

Grandma’s hair was gray, and her face was kind—that was Shen Lu’s impression. Her eyesight wasn’t great, but after staring for a few seconds upon opening the door, she immediately recognized Shen Lu. “It’s Lu Lu! Come in, come in. You must be tired from the journey.”

“Not tired at all, not tired at all.” Shen Lu was pulled into the house by Grandma, still carrying her bag.

This was only Shen Lu’s second time visiting Ye Qin’s childhood home, the place where Ye Qin lived from a young age until her debut. It was an old apartment complex. Although Ye Qin later earned a lot of money and bought a house in a high-end complex, Grandma didn’t want to move. She felt that this old house held too many memories. Ye Qin didn’t force her. Due to her own extremely irregular work schedule and frequent visitors at her place, she was afraid of disturbing Grandma, so she didn’t live with her, hiring a nanny to come over and take care of Grandma every day.

“Grandma, this is the fruit I bought for you.”

“Your presence is enough to make Grandma happy. Why did you bring me things?” Grandma, with her hunched back, held Shen Lu’s hand tightly. “Would you like something to drink? I’ll pour you some.”

“No, no, Grandma, I can get it myself. You don’t need to trouble yourself. Please, you sit down first.” Shen Lu quickly helped the elderly woman sit on the sofa. Letting Grandma pour water for her would be too embarrassing for Shen Lu; she wasn’t that clueless.

From then on, Grandma kept hold of one of Shen Lu’s hands. Her gaze was very soft and kind, with deep affection in her eyes. She couldn’t help but murmur, “If my husband were still here, I wonder what he would think. Suddenly having a granddaughter, and such a beautiful, lively one at that.” Grandma revealed a few of her remaining teeth as she smiled.

Shen Lu’s nose stung with emotion. If only this wonderful grandmother could live for another ten or twenty years. Why was it that she only had five years of life left? Sometimes knowing the limit of one’s life wasn’t a good thing. She sniffed, wiped her eyes, and chuckled, “I’m not that beautiful. At best, I’m not scary.”

“No,” Grandma said earnestly. “Who says you’re not beautiful? If it were in my time, you would be considered a first-rate young woman, honest and vibrant.”

Shen Lu laughed awkwardly. Grandma is… complimenting her on being honest and vibrant…

“Grandma, you flatter me. I really don’t think I’m that good-looking,” Shen Lu pouted. Ever since she was little, she wasn’t the kind of girl people called pretty, let alone a standout beauty like Ye Qin.

Grandma patted her hand and said sincerely, “Child, since our Qin likes you and chose you, it means you have brilliant qualities that you can’t see yourself. You must have confidence, you know? Just like Grandma, the first time I saw you, I felt a genuine liking and closeness in my heart. That’s the charm you possess.”

Charm… does she really have that kind of charm? Why couldn’t she feel it herself? Shen Lu wondered. However, Ye Qin didn’t choose her because she liked her. Everything was done just to fulfill Grandma’s wish. It was better not to let Grandma know this. Things were perfect the way they were: the elder was happy, Ye Qin was happy, and Shen Lu was happy.

“Right, Grandma, I came this time also to take back my family’s Hukou book. Ye Qin said you might have kept it,” Shen Lu asked carefully.

Grandma paused. “I might have put it away. Look at me, so scatterbrained. You don’t blame Grandma, do you?”

“No, no, of course not,” Shen Lu quickly waved her hand.

Then, Grandma stood up, still holding Shen Lu’s hand. “Come with me, I’ll find it for you.” She led Shen Lu past the living room and into Grandma’s room.

As soon as they entered the room, a strong, elderly scent was noticeable. The furnishings were from that era, and many old, antique pieces of furniture were preserved. The shadows of the plane trees outside the window fell on the floor in dappled patches, reflecting slivers of light. Dust particles danced in the light, like ballerinas performing under the sun.

Grandma pointed to a large leather trunk on the cabinet. “Granddaughter-in-law, can you help Grandma bring that down?”

“Of course, no problem.” Shen Lu quickly lifted the large trunk and gently placed it on the table. Grandma then walked over and sat down, carefully wiping the dust off the trunk, as if it were very precious.

Shen Lu remembered that her own grandmother used to have a similar old leather trunk.

In that era, everyone had a trunk full of memories: hardship, exhaustion, joy, and suffering, all collected and packed inside.

After wiping off the dust, Grandma opened the trunk. Shen Lu was surprised to see it filled with things: photo albums, documents, Grandma’s old-time marriage certificate, and even a pair of small, knitted woolen baby shoes.

Shen Lu and Grandma had a mutual understanding, immediately noticing the exquisitely knitted small shoes. Grandma reached out and picked them up, holding them small in her palm with a smile in her eyes, as if recalling something. “These shoes, Ye Qin wore them.”

Shen Lu took them into her hands, looking at them and smiling. Holding them up to the sunlight, she could almost see a cute little baby wearing them. She heard Grandma say to herself, “I knitted these tiny shoes when Qin’s mother was pregnant with her. Qin loved them when she was little.”

Shen Lu held the tiny shoes in one hand. They were incredibly small, and it was hard to imagine that Ye Qin had worn them as a child.

Just then, Grandma also pulled out the largest photo album from the trunk. The album was very old, and the style of the cover was distinctly from that era.

Grandma opened the album in front of Shen Lu. The first thing that caught their eyes was a photo of a baby. Shen Lu quickly leaned in to look and couldn’t help but exclaim, “So cute! Is this Ye Qin when she was little?”

Grandma nodded, a happy smile lighting up her eyes.

Indeed, beautiful people are beautiful from a young age. There was truth to that saying.

Next were photos of Ye Qin’s parents holding her. It was Shen Lu’s first time seeing them. The parents were good-looking, too, which explained such a beautiful daughter. However, up until Ye Qin was about five or six years old, there were no more photos with her parents—only solo shots or pictures with Grandma.

Grandma seemed to sense Shen Lu’s curiosity and looked at her. “Are you wondering why there are no photos of Qin’s parents after that?”

Shen Lu pursed her lips and asked carefully, “I only vaguely heard that her parents went abroad when she was very young…”

Grandma nodded helplessly. “It seems that Qin still refuses to talk about that matter. Since you are now married to Qin, you are not an outsider. There are some things Grandma should tell you. This matter has always been a knot in Qin’s heart. After Grandma is gone, at least you will be here to understand her.”

Shen Lu listened silently, sensing that the story was not simple, especially given Grandma’s tone.

“The truth is, my son and daughter-in-law’s relationship was never good after they got married. It was also my son’s fault for being a failure. He knew he had a family and a child to support, yet he drank, gambled, and womanized outside. Every time he came home drunk, he would hit Qin’s mother. Our poor little Qin grew up in that environment until she was about five or six years old, until the day a great tragedy occurred….”

The elderly woman seemed to recall the events of twenty years ago vividly, every frame deeply etched in her mind. Shen Lu listened quietly without interrupting.

“That wicked son of mine came home drunk again and fought with Qin’s mother. This time, Qin’s mother did not tolerate it; she fought back. A moment of carelessness led to a great disaster, and our Qin witnessed her mother killing her father. She was so young back then….” Grandma spoke, secretly shedding tears. “What a tragedy, what a disaster….”

“Then… then what about her mother now…” Shen Lu asked.

“Because there was no evidence, she was convicted of intentional homicide and sentenced to life imprisonment. She is still in jail now,” the elderly woman said, her face completely wet with tears.

Shen Lu quickly handed Grandma tissues, comforting her. At the same time, her own feelings became incredibly complex. So… this was the deepest secret buried in Ye Qin’s heart, the one she never wanted the world to know.

No wonder she said her parents went abroad when she was very young and never returned. It was because she didn’t want to mention that past to anyone, including herself.

Knowing these things, Shen Lu felt a heavy burden and, at the same time, a deep pity for Ye Qin.