Chapter 1285 King Of The Mountains
"Yes and no," Shui Xian took his sweet time before answering. "Yes and no?" repeated Raelle. "Is it because of our different temperaments?"
"That too is a reason," said Shui Xian. "But apart from that, if you look at the two of you separately, you won't really be able to make a clear connection between the two of you. But if you stand together like this, it's undeniable that the similarity in your features is quite uncanny. Your features match her but not entirely either."
"No wonder I said Grandpa loved her more," commented Xiang Wai and earned a smack on the back of her head from her brother. "What? Am I wrong?"
"Yes, you are," answered Xiang Weimin. "Grandpa doesn't love Raelle more because she looks like the younger version of Grandma. Love doesn't need reasons like that."
"I agree," said Shui Xian. "Love really doesn't need reasons. If it really did, I wouldn't have fallen in love with Raelle."
"Why?" asked Xiang Wai.
"Because every time I had a conversation with her back then, it felt like she was stabbing my heart or feeding me a bitter pill of reality. It stung. No, it hurt like hell. But I still ended up falling for her first."
"Maybe you are just a sucker for pain," said Xiang Wai.
"If you stay quiet, no one will call you a mute."
Xiang Wai gave Raelle a look, "You really love to protect your husband."
"Everyone likes to protect their treasures. Why is it wrong for me to do so? People even like to protect their own shortcomings. Am I wrong to do this?"
Xiang Wai went silent momentarily before shaking her head, "No, it's not wrong." She took a pause and frowned, "Ge, how did you know there was a photo here?"
"He is the eldest son, he must have heard a thing or two from his father," said Raelle.
Xiang Weimin smiled at her and nodded in agreement, "That's true. Dad told me about it. In every generation, there will be a portrait of the current patriarch and his wife in the main hall. And since Grandpa is still the patriarch of the family, it's still his blank and white photo hanging here."
"Oh," was all Xiang Wai said because she didn't know what else to say. "Then Ge, next will be your photo here, right? Because Dad isn't getting the position of the patriarch."
"It's not necessarily me," told Xiang Weimin as he glanced towards Raelle. "There is no such rule in the Xiang family that the head of the family can only be a man. It's just that there had been a lack of females in the Xiang family since the very beginning."
"Don't look at me, I don't want this position. It comes with too many troublesome things," said Raelle as she pulled Shui Xian away from the two of them and stood far away.
Xiang Weimin shook his head helplessly at her reaction. He was very certain that Grandfather Xiang wanted to pass on the family to Raelle but he also knew she won't like these responsibilities. Maybe that's why he was still a bit useful. He didn't want to undermine his importance but he was clear-headed enough to understand his position too. He might be smart but he knew Raelle was a better choice. It was just that she was unwilling.
"Young Masters and Young Misses, why are you just standing here? Let me show you to your rooms."
They turned to look at the housekeeper and followed him.
Xiang Wai rushed up and called out, "Lao Jian!" This brought another smack on her head from her brother, "Ge! What is it this time?"
"Call him Grandpa Jian!" said Xiang Weimin.
Lao Jiangou didn't mind the way Xiang Wai called him. It didn't matter to him. Anyway, Old Jian sounded a lot friendly but Grandpa Jian also represented the respect for him. He didn't refuse either the titles. They were just titles anyway. He had always been loyal to the Xiang family, how could he care about titles at this age?
"You can call whatever you want, Miss Wai," said Lao Jiangou.
"So, Grandpa Jian, you grew up with my Grandpa, right?"
"Yes," answered Lao Jiangou with a gentle smile. "I grew up with the Master."
"How was he like when he was young?"
Lao Jiangou's smile deepened, "Master was most mischievous kid around. He would climb trees, dig bird nests, go down the stream to catch fishes, dig traps to catch pheasants in the mountains. All in all, he just wanted to cause trouble all day long. And when he came back in the evening looking like a mud monkey, he would be beaten with a feather duster."
Xiang Wai gaped in disbelief, "Oh my! I didn't think my Grandpa had such an adventurous childhood."
Lao Jiangou chuckled, "It was adventurous for sure. He wanted to be the king of the mountains. Big dreams. But it changed quickly too."
"What happened?"
"Master lost his grandfather and his father whom he respected the most in his life. He admired both those people and he lost them at the same time. It was a devastating loss," told Lao Jiangou trying to say it in a plain tone without losing his composure or explaining the details of what impact it really had on Grandfather Xiang back then. "I guess, he realized he had to grow up from that moment on. So, when he was a fifteen, he changed completely and became a solemn young man who seemed mature. But he also seemed very cold to people from then on and didn't let more people get close to him."
"Why?"
"Because he was afraid of the loss," said Raelle. "When you know people are gonna leave, why would you want to get close to them? Is it looking for pain for yourself?"
Lao Jiangou gave Raelle a deep look and his lips turned up in a wry smile. But he didn't refute Raelle's words either. Because he was someone who knew what was Grandfather Xiang's mental journey at that time.
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