C18 Great Grandma Is so Pretty!

Chen Xiaomeng was rudely awakened by the shrill ring of his phone. Had it not been for that call, he could have slept in until nine in the morning—a luxury he could indulge in only twice a week. It was something he truly cherished, and now it was ruined by that infernal ringing.

As soon as he saw the caller ID, Chen Xiaomeng's irritation deflated. His tone, ready to snap, softened instantly. "Hey, Xiaoya, I just woke up. I stayed up too late playing games last night. You're asking about Zhe? He dropped by yesterday at noon and gave me 200,000... not cash, but game currency. After that, I haven't seen him. I bet he's off saving the world again."

Sun Xiaoya was clearly frustrated. "Can't you two ever take anything seriously? Saving the world, huh? I think you should start with saving yourselves! I'm trying to find him to ask about the songs we sang the other night. Everyone's been asking about them. And none of those songs were complete. I mean, can't we put together full versions and shoot a music video to post on Slow Hand?"

Chen Xiaomeng perked up immediately. "Absolutely, Xiaoya. Why don't you come over to my place to talk about it? My house is now connected to Zhe's. Seriously, just look out the window. You won't even need to use the stairs."

Sun Xiaoya lived across from the villas of Zhao Zhe and Chen Xiaomeng. From her rear window, she could see both buildings. Upon Chen Xiaomeng's suggestion, she looked out and noticed a horizontal iron walkway connecting the third floor of the two villas, leading directly to the rooftop of Zhao Zhe's house. The whims of the wealthy truly knew no bounds.

When Sun Xiaoya arrived at Zhao Zhe's rooftop, Chen Xiaomeng had already freshened up and laid out a spread of breakfast tea and assorted pastries, all conveniently fetched from his own home.

"Oh, Hai-ge? What brings you here?" Chen Xiaomeng was surprised to see Lu Hai, the class study committee member, trailing behind Sun Xiaoya onto the rooftop. He wasn't thrilled to have Lu Hai there at that moment, as it meant missing out on some alone time with Sun Xiaoya.

Lu Hai surveyed the scene with a huff. "Why shouldn't I be here? We're classmates, aren't we? Is there a rule that says I can't come and hang out with my classmates? It seems you three have your own little clique. That's not very inclusive, is it?"

Seeing Lu Hai visibly upset, Chen Xiaomeng quickly tried to defuse the situation. "Oh, come on, Hai! You're always welcome here. Have some tea and enjoy these snacks. My dad had someone bring them over, and they're absolutely delicious."

Lu Hai made himself comfortable, sipping tea and munching on snacks. Sun Xiaoya turned to Chen Xiaomeng and inquired, "Cutie, where's Zhao Zhe? Hasn't he woken up yet?"

"I just called for him," Chen Xiaomeng replied. "He'll be up soon. He claimed he was up late saving the world last night and mentioned he'd introduce a friend to me later on."

Hearing the 'saving the world' excuse again, Sun Xiaoya and Lu Hai couldn't help but roll their eyes. They were tired of the same old story.

Suddenly, a high-pitched exclamation echoed from the third floor, startling the trio upstairs. "This, this is the fabled sunlight! It's actually sunlight, warm and glorious sunlight. I can see the sunlight!"

Sun Xiaoya shot Chen Xiaomeng a questioning look, to which he responded with a bewildered expression. He suspected Zhao Zhe was in for it now; he'd brought a girl home last night and hadn't managed to send her off by morning. Sun Xiaoya was bound to lose her temper.

"Master, master, come quickly and see the sunlight! There really is a heaven, and there's sunlight in heaven! It's so warm, so incredibly warm..." The woman's voice from downstairs grew increasingly excited. "...Ah, master, come look! What are those green things? Are they plants? The legendary plants? And the flowers – those are flowers, right? I've seen pictures of them. These are real, living flowers. They're so beautiful, so incredibly beautiful..."

Even Lu Hai couldn't contain his frustration. "What on earth is Zhao Zhe doing? We're up here waiting for him, and he's down there causing a scene with some disreputable woman. Has he lost his mind? Have people's standards really dropped this low?"

Sun Xiaoya's face contorted with anger. She couldn't believe that Zhao Zhe, who usually didn't bother with trivialities but was clear-headed about serious matters, would bring home some deranged woman. "I'm going down to see what's going on!"

Lu Hai and another person were upstairs, eavesdropping. Suddenly, they heard a voice exclaim in delight, "Oh, is that the eldest sister-in-law? She's absolutely stunning. My respects to you, eldest sister-in-law..."

With another slap, Lu Hai's palm tingled with numbness. He stood up, ready to descend the stairs: "I'm going to check out what's going on. The eldest sister-in-law has made an appearance. Are they putting on a period drama downstairs?"

Chen Xiaomeng was still in a daze, clueless about what had transpired, and fretting over how Zhao Zhe would explain things to Sun Xiaoya. He believed Zhao Zhe had feelings for Sun Xiaoya. The thought of Zhao Zhe bringing a girl home overnight and being confronted by Sun Xiaoya seemed like a scene straight out of a soap opera.

A sharp "smack" echoed from below. Chen Xiaomeng heard the girl's voice ring out, "You will not insult my family's master!" He was tempted to go downstairs but feared witnessing the heated confrontation. Luckily, he didn't have to linger on the rooftop for long before the four of them came upstairs. Lu Hai was covering his face, but the imprint of a hand on his cheek was unmistakable. He kept his head down, occasionally casting glances filled with a mix of anger and affection at the person following Zhao Zhe.

Chen Xiaomeng was taken aback when he saw her—a charming young girl with skin so fair and delicate, it seemed untouched by the sun. Her long braid and gentle demeanor were striking, and although her clothes were ill-fitting, seemingly borrowed from Zhao Zhe, she wore them with an inexplicable grace. She was simply captivating.

Zhao Zhe was feeling triumphant, barely containing his laughter at the sight of Lu Hai's slap. It served him right for calling him shameless and despicable in front of Xiaoxue. Considering he hadn't been beheaded with a kukri, he should count himself lucky.

Sun Xiaoya, on the other hand, was bubbling with excitement, showing no signs of the fury one might expect from catching a cheater red-handed. She turned to Chen Xiaomeng and said, "Cutie, let me introduce you. This is Zhao Zhe's distant cousin, Xiaoxue. What do you think? She's gorgeous, isn't she?"

Chen Xiaomeng nodded enthusiastically and even stepped forward to offer a handshake. "Hello, hello. My name is Chen Xiaomeng, but you can just call me Cutie. It's great to meet you for the first time. I'll add you on Snapchat later and send you a red packet..."

Xiaoxue, however, kept trying to hide behind Zhao Zhe. "You, hello, Mr. Chen. What, what is Snapchat?"

Chen Xiaomeng thought she had misheard. He didn't know what Snapchat was? Well, if he didn't know, then he didn't know. But what had she just called him? "What, what did you call me?"

Xiaoxue, thinking she had addressed him incorrectly and frightened, sneaked a glance at Zhao Zhe. However, he seemed unconcerned, his face beaming with pride and a touch of smugness. Having such a distant cousin certainly gave him some prestige.

"Mr., Mr. Chen, you're the master's good friend. Your last name is Chen, so if I don't call you Mr. Chen, what should I call you?" Xiaoxue asked.

Chen Xiaomeng exclaimed, "My goodness, are you from Mars or something? Do people still use that title nowadays?"

Sun Xiaoya laughed, "Do you know what she called me just now? 'Grandma'?"

Xiaoxue's face turned red as she quickly tried to explain, "I, I thought you were the master's wife..."

Sun Xiaoya nearly choked with laughter. "Please, what are you even talking about? Zhao Zhe and I are just classmates. Marriage has never even crossed our minds. How could I possibly marry him?"

Lu Hai, who had been covering his face, finally showed a look of amusement. Exactly, Zhao Zhe was nothing special. How could Sun Xiaoya ever marry him? The idea of marriage was utterly ridiculous!

Chen Xiaomeng inquired, "Is this the usual way you address people where you're from?"

Xiaoxue nodded, but Zhao Zhe interjected, "Xiaoxue, haven't I told you? When you're here, you need to adapt to the local ways. You should call her Xiaoya, and this is Brother Cutie. That's Lu Hai; he's also my classmate, not a bad guy at all. You can't just go around hitting people."

Xiaoxue hung her head, acknowledging her error, "I understand, cousin. But he shouldn't insult you. As long as he stops insulting you, I won't hit him anymore..."

Oh my goodness, everyone nearly keeled over. That girl is so headstrong, and we're still not getting her name right.

Sun Xiaoya gave Zhao Zhe a nudge, "Where did you find this young lady? She's not from another era, is she? It feels like we've stepped back into the days before liberation."

Chen Xiaomeng looked on with envy, "Zhe, your cousin has such an unusual vibe. I really enjoy her company. Just hearing her name makes me happy."

Sun Xiaoya stopped Chen Xiaomeng, who was getting too close, "Back off. I'm taking Xiaoxue shopping for clothes. She's wasting her great figure in Zhao Zhe's outfit."

Chen Xiaomeng protested, "Weren't we supposed to shoot a music video? What are we going to do if you whisk her away?"

Sun Xiaoya was unfazed, "Play however you like. Xiaoxue, let's go. But once we're outside, please don't call me 'auntie' or anything like that—it's embarrassing. Just call me Xiaoya, and I'll call you Xiaoxue..."

After getting Zhao Zhe's approval, Xiaoxue left with Sun Xiaoya. Lu Hai hesitated briefly before following them. Chen Xiaomeng called out from behind, "Hai, where are you off to? Hang out here for a bit. They're going to a women's clothing store; it's not really appropriate for you to tag along."

Lu Hai didn't look back, "It can't be worse than what you two are implying! I'm certainly not into lingerie!"

Chen Xiaomeng's face turned red, "Hai, don't lump us in with that—it was all a misunderstanding! Xiaoya, Xiaoya, slow down. I'll send you a red envelope. I'll cover Xiaoxue's expenses for today."