Nelson sat beside his grandfather, who was staring at the girl with satisfaction. To him, family background was never the most important thing. Callie was well-mannered, sensible, and understanding. He was pleased that his grandson had such a wife.
Callie suddenly said, “Grandpa, I’m sorry. I was injured these past few days and couldn’t come to see you. I hope you don’t mind.”
Nelson’s eyebrows furrowed; he hadn’t expected her to say that.
Grandpa immediately smiled and said, “It’s alright. I really liked the gift you sent.”
Bianca didn’t notice, but Callie’s fingers, which were quickly wrapping dumplings, tightened slightly, causing a round dumpling to dent.
She frowned. A gift?
She wasn’t stupid. With a bit of thought, she could guess that it was likely Nelson’s doing, done hastily to avoid Grandpa having a bad impression of her.
Even though it was all an act, they were always good to her.
Nelson sent the gift in her name, being meticulous to the extreme. He was always attentive in this regard, deeply understanding human relationships.
But it wouldn’t change the fact that all of this was an act…
Callie continued her mechanical actions, but her thoughts were not calm.
Thinking about his return today, she might have been very touched if it had been before today.
Seeing her not respond, Grandpa took the opportunity to sigh and said, “That day you got hurt, you didn’t see how worried I was. I wanted to rush to the hospital to see you immediately, but Nelson stopped me…”
Callie was stunned and looked at the man on the sofa, who then averted his gaze.
“Grandpa, I’m fine now…”
“That’s good.” Grandpa glanced at Nelson and saw his unusual expression. He asked in a low voice, “Who are you giving that look to?”
Nelson frowned. “It’s nothing.”
Grandpa knew him well. Though he seemed gentle and mild, when it came to things he liked, he would go to any lengths to possess them. And possessing them wasn’t enough; he always wanted them safe under his protection.
Domineering, slightly twisted, but also devoted.
A bit crazy. He thought Callie could understand.
“Did you have a fight?”
There was a moment of silence in the air before Grandpa understood and walked over to Callie. “What did Nelson do to hurt you? Tell me, and I’ll make it right.”
“It’s nothing, Grandpa. Just a small argument,” Callie said, lowering her head.
Grandpa glared at Nelson. “You tell me! What did you do? Apologize!”
“Grandpa,” Nelson said calmly.
“Grandpa, it’s nothing. It’s my fault,” Callie forced a smile and remained silent for a long time.
The atmosphere around Nelson was tense; he didn’t speak.
Grandpa didn’t know what more to say for the moment. Bianca held Callie’s hand.
He noticed a red patch on the back of her left hand and was surprised. “What happened to your hand?”
Callie came back to her senses. “Oh, it’s nothing. I’ve already applied some medicine.”
Bianca also noticed and kept rubbing it gently, feeling distressed and murmuring anxiously, “Always getting hurt. How will we explain this to your parents?”
Callie’s heart suddenly felt tight.
The dumplings were ready, and it was almost dark outside.
The lights in Paucaster Villa Complex were all on.
Callie and Bianca were both good cooks. As they sat around the dining table, there was a rare feeling of family reunion.
Nelson occasionally picked food for Callie, not saying much. It was unclear if he was doing it deliberately for Grandpa’s sake.
Callie cooperated but barely ate anything. The wound on the back of her hand itched a bit, but with the imposing man sitting beside her, she didn’t dare touch it.
Grandpa observed their expressions and signaled his grandson with a look. Nelson saw it, stopped picking food for her, put down his spoon, and asked, “Are you uncomfortable?”