C30 It Had Been a Long Time Since She Felt the Warmth of Her Family

"Got it, Young Master Gu."

Without looking back, Huo Niannian left in a hurry, her mind buzzing with questions. Why is he bothering to tell me this? I certainly don't want to dine with him!

She took a taxi back to the villa and before she could enter, she spotted a stretch Rolls-Royce parked in the driveway. Uncle Zhang stepped out and greeted her respectfully, "Young Madam, the Old Master has requested to see you."

Huo Niannian was curious. "What's the occasion for Grandpa's sudden call, Uncle Zhang?"

Uncle Zhang replied with a smile, "The Old Master's friend has sent over some top-notch beef and seafood. He's aware of your love for seafood and given the extensive variety, it wouldn't be convenient to transport it all here for you and Young Master Gu to select. He thought it best for you to come and choose for yourself."

A wave of warmth washed over Huo Niannian.

She had casually mentioned that during her childhood, her family could only afford carp, and she had thought prawns were spicy because of their red color until she grew older and tasted them for herself.

She never expected her grandfather to take her casual remark to heart, much less give her the privilege of picking her favorites first.

Huo Niannian knew that for most people, such an abundance of fine seafood and quality beef was a luxury, but for the Gu family, any ingredient was just a request away. However, it was her grandfather's caring gesture that filled her with immense warmth.

"Uncle Zhang, would you mind waiting for me? I need to put away my things and change into something clean; I've dirtied this outfit," she said.

Uncle Zhang, ever smiling, told her there was no hurry.

After quickly changing into fresh clothes, Huo Niannian accompanied Uncle Zhang to the Gu family estate. On the way, she pondered the idea of using her grandfather's ingredients to cook dinner, especially since Gu Tingshen would be home for the meal that night.

The thought made her heart race with a mix of surprise and apprehension—why was Gu Tingshen creeping into her thoughts so unexpectedly?

More than half an hour later, Huo Niannian walked with Uncle Zhang into the venerable Gu family mansion.

As Huo Niannian approached the entrance, she caught sight of Gu Yufei. Before Niannian could even speak, Yufei courteously and gently said to Uncle Zhang, "Uncle Zhang, Grandpa is asking for you. I'll accompany my sister-in-law to the cold storage to pick out some ingredients."

Uncle Zhang hesitated for a moment, then responded, "I see. Thank you for your assistance, Miss."

He handed the keys over to Gu Yufei.

"It's no trouble at all, please attend to your duties," Yufei replied, taking the keys. She then turned to Niannian and said, "Let's go, sister-in-law."

Niannian had originally planned to say hello to the Old Master first, but given that he was busy, she resolved to postpone their greeting until their next encounter.

"Uncle Zhang," Niannian called out to the seasoned butler, "would you kindly thank Grandpa for me?"

With a warm smile, Uncle Zhang assured her, "Don't worry, Young Madam, I'll be sure to relay your gratitude to the Old Master."

After Uncle Zhang left, Niannian noticed a complete shift in Yufei's expression, now tinged with impatience. Clearly, the previous politeness and warmth were nothing but a charade. Niannian actually felt reassured by this change; Yufei's earlier feigned niceties had made her wary of possible deceit.

She then followed Yufei to the cold storage, three levels down in the basement.

Aware of the opulence that came with wealth and the expanse of the Gu family's estate, Niannian was still awestruck as they passed the impressive red wine cellar and the home theater. It dawned on her that her previous understanding of luxury had been quite limited.