Chapter 49 of 100

Chapter 49

16 min read3,952 words

After dinner.

Lin Sen came to the study, gently knocked on the door, and softly called out, "Grandpa, it's me."

"Come in."

The response was a voice that, though aged, was still robust, easily evoking the image of a healthy old man.

Lin Sen pushed the door open, and a strong scent of ink immediately greeted his nose. It wasn't unpleasant, and even carried a hint of the unique smell of books. The study was sparsely furnished, with bookshelves lining almost every wall, filled with various books, mostly ancient and bound in traditional style. On the left was an old rattan rocking chair, and on the right was an antique desk, complete with the Four Treasures of the Study and a desk lamp. Despite the minimal furniture, the study did not feel bare at all.

The old man, with a head of silver hair, was not tall but did not have the stooped back common among the elderly. Standing behind the desk, he looked like a straight arrow, and even while bending to write, he exuded a taut energy. Lin Sen walked in, and the old man did not look up or greet him. Lin Sen seemed used to this and quietly stood to one side.

After the old man finished writing, he looked up at Lin Sen and said, "I heard you brought a foreign woman back? Is she your girlfriend?"

"No. Just a friend," Lin Sen shook his head.

They say distance is when one doesn't ask and the other doesn't say, and trust is when one doesn't ask and the other does. But these two sayings are not always true. The same question, his grandmother didn't ask, and he didn't say, because of trust. But his grandfather asked, why did he need to ask? Because of distance.

"That's good," the old man nodded. "Since you're back home, stay a few more days and spend some time with your grandmother."

The words "That's good" made Lin Sen frown, but he quickly concealed it, only responding softly. Then, he stepped forward and placed a sheet of paper on the desk.

"What's this?" the old man asked, glancing at the paper.

"It's a short story I wrote. I want you to read it," Lin Sen said calmly.

The old man nodded, picked up the paper, and began to read. After just a few seconds, although his expression remained calm, Lin Sen clearly saw his eyebrows twitch slightly.

It took a full ten minutes.

Lin Sen's story was only a few hundred words, but the old man read it for a full ten minutes.

"Is the old tree in the story that refuses to move, me?" After a long pause, the old man put down the paper and turned to ask.

"Grandpa, you are not an old tree."

"Huh." The old man smiled. "Is that so? I like the old tree in your story. It's not that it can't move, but that it can't."

"But, Grandpa, people are not trees."

"How do you know?" The old man still smiled.

Lin Sen fell silent, feeling helpless. He didn't believe that his grandfather couldn't see the meaning behind his so-called story. He had almost outlined the country's future trends for the next ten years, and the old tree that was cut down early was a reflection of his grandfather's next three years. Otherwise, why would his grandfather have immediately "appreciated" the old tree, which didn't take up much of the story?

Perhaps the old man really took it as a story. Thinking this, Lin Sen reluctantly pulled out another sheet of paper from his pocket and handed it to the old man.

The old man took it with a smile, but this time, after less than a minute, he threw the paper on the desk, his smile gone.

"Nonsense!"

Since returning to the country, Lin Sen had not used his "eyes" once, intentionally or unintentionally. Especially after returning to Lin Village, it had become natural, as if using his eyes to observe his elders' emotions was a sign of disrespect. But now, even without using his "eyes," Lin Sen knew that when the old man said this, his mood was already at its worst.

The second page of paper that caused the old man to lose his composure was Lin Sen's prediction of the various aspects of his grandfather's life over the next three years, detailed and comprehensive. But what upset the old man was not the content of the paper, but the fact that it came from Lin Sen. The old man had never had high hopes for Lin Sen, but he had never been disappointed. This page, however, completely disappointed him.

If it were the old Lin Sen, he might have just kept quiet, but now, he was not going to back down. Lin Sen knew that at this moment, the old man probably thought he was not only arrogant and self-important but also naive and ignorant. Because even the most arrogant and self-important person would not dare to make such precise predictions about the future, especially at such a high level.

"Grandpa, don't get angry, it's not good for your health. You can consider it as my nonsense or nonsense, but the time is not far. If it turns out to be nonsense, I will apologize to you."

"Get out."

Lin Sen's words did not calm the old man. He impatiently waved his hand, and Lin Sen had to silently leave the study. As he was about to leave, the old man added, "You should go back to Europe sooner."

---

After leaving the study, Lin Sen did not feel much resentment, and his mood was surprisingly calm.

He knew that his grandfather would be very disappointed with him in the short term, but it didn't matter. The most important thing was that the old man knew. Time would tell the old man that his grandson had not truly disappointed him. As for how to deal with it, Lin Sen did not need to worry; the old man had enough wisdom to make a choice a hundred times better than his.

With his mind at ease, Lin Sen's steps were particularly light. He walked to Dina's room and knocked on the door. Dina quickly opened it.

"Do you want to go out and enjoy the moon?"

"Enjoy the moon?" Dina was taken aback, then looked up at the starry sky and said, "Where's the moon?"

"Uh." Lin Sen also looked up at the sky and awkwardly touched his nose. The weather was nice, and the area was far from city pollution, making the summer night sky particularly bright. Lin Sen had subconsciously thought there was a moon but realized he had made a fool of himself in front of Dina. He said, "I'll take you to a nice place. Do you want to go?"

"Sure." Dina laughed at Lin Sen's expression.

The two quickly went out the back door and headed for the hill behind. Clearly, the "nice place" Lin Sen referred to was where the old lady practiced Tai Chi.

The night path, though without streetlights, had soft ground lights on the side, and with the clear night sky, they could see the way. A gentle breeze and the faint chirping of insects made the place a good spot, even though the view was not as far-reaching as during the day. Lin Sen and Dina walked slowly, chatting casually as they went.

"Did you call Livermore during the day? How's the recruitment going?"

"The first phase is almost done, and the second phase has just started." Lin Sen had nothing to hide from Dina.

"First phase? Second phase?"

"The first phase originally had four people, but now there are only three, including Kirk."

"Kirk? So you're not content to just leave and are poaching from Atletico Madrid. No wonder Malaga hasn't announced your appointment. This is your doing, right?"

Lin Sen simply nodded. Of course, it was his doing. Although he and Atletico Madrid had parted ways amicably, neither side wanted the other to do well in the short term. Besides, even if Serezio was not mentioned, once he knew Lin Sen was Malaga's coach, Xiao Hill would not sit idly by while Lin Sen poached, even if the people he poached were just small pieces in his eyes.

"Wow, it's so beautiful." At this moment, the two finally reached the pavilion. Seeing it, Dina couldn't help but exclaim and ran over like a child.

Lin Sen followed with a smile.

"Do you know? You've changed a lot this year. You used to be shy, which was cute, but now you're occasionally a bit of a macho man," Dina said, lying on the stone bench in the pavilion, her legs crossed, looking up at the stars.

Talking about life while looking at the stars seemed cliché, but Lin Sen had no time for that. Dina had "fallen back into her old habits" again. She didn't care how her unintentional actions might affect others. Her long, white legs, the flat area between her T-shirt and shorts, and her high, tightly wrapped chest formed a breathtaking curve.

Seemingly not getting a response from Lin Sen, Dina turned her head and saw his gaze. She smiled and hooked her finger at him.

This was something even a husband couldn't tolerate.

Taking advantage of the dim night, Lin Sen gritted his teeth and walked over.

"Come, give me a hug." Dina extended her arms.

A surge of excitement rushed to Lin Sen's head, and his body seemed to be pulled by an invisible thread, moving closer to the inviting figure on the stone bench.

Lin Sen watched as the distance between him and the soft, red areas grew closer and closer. Just as he was about to lose himself in the softness, his body suddenly paused, as if he had suddenly come to his senses: If he continued, would he even lose his friendship?

Others might think Dina's single lifestyle was just a casual remark, but Lin Sen knew how firmly she believed in it.

As Lin Sen was caught between advancing and retreating, he suddenly felt a warm sensation on his lips, and then a playful little fish had already broken through his lips.

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