Yin Xiu had mentioned to Shang Jingchen before that she would arrange a ghost marriage for him and find him a wife, and he was well aware of it.
At the time, he had simply thought it absurd. Immersed in the grief of losing his eldest grandson, he had paid little attention to the matter.
Yet now, he had actually brought her here to meet him.
This was the first time his cold-hearted eldest grandson had ever brought a girl to see him.
Shang Jingchen glanced at Ye Zhixing beside him. In truth, he could have completely denied it and given Ye Zhixing another identity.
Yet at that moment, driven by some inexplicable impulse, he did not deny it at all. He even nodded slightly.
Ye Zhixing cast a glance at him, but quickly composed herself without raising any objection.
She cared nothing for such superficial titles.
The old man looked Ye Zhixing up and down.
The child’s appearance was flawless, beyond criticism.
She also looked quite young, about the same age as his own granddaughter.
Moreover, her attire was very modest; wearing no heavy makeup and leaving her face entirely natural, she looked simple, comfortable, and possessed an inexplicable sense of warmth and familiarity.
He nodded. Since she was someone approved by his grandson, she certainly had her own extraordinary qualities.
Otherwise, given his eldest grandson's temperament and the way they had married, it would have been a question of whether she even kept her life—let alone being kept by his side and brought to meet him.
The old man’s scrutinizing gaze did not linger for long. He knew proper boundaries; staring at someone for too long lacked manners.
Shang Jingchen introduced her at the appropriate moment: "Grandfather, this is Ye Zhixing."
Then he looked at Ye Zhixing and said, "This is my grandfather."
"Grandfather," Ye Zhixing greeted faintly.
"Let's go inside to talk."
"Alright."
Afterward, the few of them entered the house.
The old family residence must have been quite old; the rooms were furnished with vintage solid-wood furniture that showed signs of age.
As soon as Ye Zhixing stepped inside, she began to observe the surrounding environment quietly.
After they sat down, the housekeeper served them tea.
Shang Jingchen glanced at Ye Zhixing and, seeing her expression remain as calm as ever, figured there shouldn't be any problems.
The grandfather and grandson discussed the events of the previous day, omitting some of the more metaphysical details.
He told him that Yin Xiu was the source of the trouble and that she was already dead.
Then they discussed how to deal with Second Uncle Shang and Third Uncle.
Given Shang Jingchen's temperament, he could not possibly allow those two people to remain in the Capital; even as relatives, there was no room for negotiation.
Since they had schemed against him to this extent, sparing their lives was already showing leniency for the sake of the old man.
The old man sighed. Although they were his own biological sons, having done such things, he did not plead on their behalf; sparing their lives was already quite enough.
"Very well, handle this matter entirely as you see fit. I don't wish to get involved anymore," the old man said, waving his hand.
Over the past two days, his emotions had experienced drastic highs and lows. Now that things had settled down, he suddenly felt overwhelmingly exhausted.
Shang Jingchen noticed this, and a pang of guilt stirred in his heart.
"Alright, Grandfather doesn't need to worry over this matter anymore. Take good care of your health and get some rest."
Having finished discussing the heavy matters, Shang Jingchen shared the good news: "Grandfather, Nuannuan woke up this afternoon. In a couple of days, when her condition improves, I will bring her back to see you."
Sure enough, upon hearing this wonderful news, the old man’s eyes instantly lit up, his face filled with pleasant surprise.
"Nuannuan woke up? That's wonderful!"
"The child has been lying in bed for a whole year and was still able to wake up—it's truly Heaven's blessing!"
Shang Jingchen glanced at Ye Zhixing and then said, "Grandfather, actually, it was all thanks to Zhixing. She practiced Daoism in a Taoist temple when she was young and is very skilled in metaphysics."
"She was the one who woke Nuannuan up."
Although judging by Ye Zhixing's demeanor, she probably never thought of claiming credit, he had no intention of letting her efforts go unrecognized.
Upon hearing this, the old man instantly became interested: "Oh? There is such a connection?"
Ye Zhixing remained completely calm.
"I practiced metaphysics in a Taoist temple for fifteen years. If Grandfather has any unresolved problems in the future, you can ask me," she said indifferently.
Shang Jingchen looked at her and pressed his lips together, half expecting this girl to start pitching her talismans to his grandfather the next second.
Yet, considering that her talismans were indeed exceptionally effective, it wouldn't be a bad thing for his grandfather to keep one by his side.
However, she said calmly, "Your facial physiognomy is very auspicious, however, and your fateful destiny must be a rare and fortunate one. This old family residence is also a place blessed with exceptional Feng Shui."
"It is very difficult for evil spirits to entangle Grandfather, and making a move here is no simple matter unless the cultivator's power is extremely high."
Hearing her say this, Shang Jingchen finally set his mind at ease.
Upon hearing these words, the old man's expression also improved significantly.
He seemed to understand a little better why his sensible eldest grandson had approved of her.
After all, Shang Jingchen had not believed in these things before.
After such a conversation, he fully accepted Ye Zhixing’s status as his grandson's wife.
He asked Steward Chen to bring out a small, square box.
The box was a carved wooden jewelry box, looking very ancient and of superior quality. The wood alone appeared to be quite expensive.
"Since Xiao Ye has married Jingchen, she is naturally our Shang family's eldest grandson's wife."
"This is a gift from Grandfather to you, possessed only by the eldest grandson's wives of our Shang family. Please accept it and live a good life with Jingchen from now on," the old man urged earnestly.
Ye Zhixing originally wanted to refuse, but Shang Jingchen seemed to sense her intention and spoke first: "This is Grandfather's kind intention, hurry and thank him."
Ye Zhixing looked at Shang Jingchen, meeting his gaze as the two of them seemed to communicate in silence.
After a minute of a stalemate, Ye Zhixing ultimately accepted the old man's gift.
She then took a protective talisman out of her cloth bag and presented it to the old man.
"Grandfather, please keep this protective talisman; it can keep you safe and far away from those evil spirits."
A smile graced the old man's face, and his mood was clearly very good as he readily accepted it: "Alright, I accept it. Xiao Ye is very thoughtful, come back often with Jingchen in the future."
Ye Zhixing looked at Shang Jingchen; she would not make promises lightly, even if they were just polite pleasantries.
Shang Jingchen quickly agreed on her behalf: "Understood, Grandfather. We will definitely come back when we have time."
After leaving the old family residence and getting into the car, Ye Zhixing handed the wooden box to Shang Jingchen.
One does not accept rewards without merit, and he had already helped her buy so much cinnabar, yellow paper, and incense candles earlier.
"Grandfather gave it to you, so you should just keep it properly."
"Consider it a small reward for saving my life."
"My life is priceless; if you don't accept it, you're looking down on me." Shang Jingchen found a reason she could not refuse.
Whatever Ye Zhixing was thinking, she did not refuse again.
"Alright, then I'll keep it for now. From now on—"
"There is no from now on, once it's given to you, it's yours!"
"Open it and see what's inside? Actually, I'm quite curious myself." Shang Jingchen was forceful, but quickly changed the subject.
He was afraid this little girl had a more stubborn temper than his own.
In truth, Ye Zhixing was also a little curious; just looking at the wooden box told her it was out of the ordinary. It was made of top-grade sandalwood with a very long history.
She had an inexplicable fondness for sandalwood.
Thus, under Shang Jingchen's watchful gaze, Ye Zhixing carefully opened the box.
When they saw what was inside the jewelry box, both of their eyes involuntarily lit up—