She Became Rich After Divorce

Chapter 31: Lantern

Chapter 31: Lantern

The next day, the bright summer sun shone down on the small courtyard, making the lush trees appear even greener. Underneath the eaves, Grandpa's pet, parrot, was squawking nonstop.

"My granddaughter is so lazy!"

"The sun is already shining on your butt!"

"Wake up! Wake up!"

The chirping bird woke Cheyenne from her slumber and she rubbed her disheveled hair. She glared coldly at the little creature.

"I suddenly feel like fried parrot would be pretty tasty."

The parrot clutched onto its iron perch with its tiny claws and rolled its eyes. Exclusive content © by Nô(v)el/Dr/ama.Org.

Fluttering its wings, it flew for a moment before landing back on the iron cage.

"Terrifying! Terrifying!"

"Protecting animals is a human virtue!"

Layne was practicing Tai Chi in the yard, wearing a loose white robe and moving gently as if he was about to fall asleep.

Hearing some noise behind him, he stopped his movements and turned around.

"Cheyenne, why are you bullying Lantern?"

This green parrot with a red beak had feathers that were green with hints of blue and blue with hints of green, quite flashy indeed. Hence, it was named "Lantern".

True to its name, this bird had an eccentric personality. For example, all those insults directed at Cheyenne earlier were actually coming from Lantern itself.

"Grandpa, tell me the truth! Did you teach that animal to say those things?"

As she spoke, Cheyenne quickly braided her long hair into a twisted braid that hung down behind her head. She gave Layne an intimidating look.

The latter shook his head helplessly and said, "How could I have taught it? It learned on its own!"

Lantern thought its owner was praising it for being clever and repeated after him. "Learned on its own!"

"Cheyenne is so stupid..."

Cheyenne's forehead throbbed as she shook the birdcage. "Shut up, you stinky bird!"

"Don't shake it, it's going to get dizzy!" Lantern inside the cage swayed back and forth.

Finally, with a flutter, it fell to the ground.

Fortunately, this eave was not high from the ground, only a little over two meters in height.

She stepped over Lantern expressionlessly. "Hmph! Let's see if you dare talk back to me again!"

Lantern: I'm so dizzy... Cheyenne is really mean.

Layne picked up Lantern with heartache and put it back in its cage before closing the door.

He looked at his granddaughter and smiled. "You're all grown up now but still just as childish as when you were young."

Cheyenne was pouring tea and first served her grandfather before herself.

"I'm just teasing it."

They ate breakfast together and then heard a roar of car engines outside.

A black Rolls-Royce Phantom pulled up at the entrance of his shabby courtyard. That car was worth no less than ten million dollars.

After the Edwards family fell from grace, few people came to visit. The only visitors were Layne's old friends who always walked or rode bicycles when they came to Layne's place. The courtyard was so precious that even a single brick on the ground could be an antique, and breaking it would be heartbreaking.

"I'll go see who it is," Layne put down her teacup and headed towards the door.

"I'll go change my clothes," she said as she was wearing a pink pajama set that would be inappropriate for receiving guests.

The gate opened, but as soon as Layne saw who it was, his face darkened. He quickly prepared to close the door.

"Layne, wait!" A hand suddenly pressed against the door panel and a man in a black coat squeezed in.

He stood before him.

It'd been over twenty years, and he had aged a lot with silver hair covering his head.

"Adrian, you didn't die overseas. What are you doing in my rundown courtyard?" Grandfather, who was always gentle and kind to people, surprisingly showed such hatred towards the visitor and even said such words.

Cheyenne was buttoning up her jacket when she heard the commotion outside. Her room was on the left side of the courtyard.

Through the door, she could hear everything clearly. Was Grandfather really angry? She had to go out and see for herself.

She quickly finished getting dressed, tying her long hair back with a pearl clip from her desk.

Despite Layne's sarcastic remarks, Adrian remained calm with a smile that accentuated his wrinkled face as he replied softly, "After all these years, you still have a short temper."

"What brings you here?" Adrian brushed off some dust from his clothes before stepping into the courtyard with his polished shoes. Looking at this unchanged little yard made him feel emotional as he said, "I never thought that after more than twenty years have passed, it would still be exactly like this."

"Layne, we grew up here when we were young," Adrian said.

"I remember when you wanted to eat apples and climbed onto the roof to pick them. You accidentally fell down, and Uncle cut down the apple tree," he continued.

"Actually, the fruit from that tree was really sweet."

His words brought Layne back to his childhood memories in an instant.

Now he was already seventy years old.

Adrian was only five years younger than him and should be sixty-five this year.

"Okay, I don't want to hear your nonsense. I believe even the ancestors of the Edwards family wouldn't welcome you. So just leave," Layne replied sharply.

Cheyenne came out just in time to hear her grandfather's words.

What did he mean?

Did Granduncle commit a big mistake before?

Why does Grandpa hate him so much and say that even the ancestors of the Edwards family wouldn't welcome him?

Adrian had come with a purpose, so he couldn't be easily dismissed with just a few words from Layne.

He stood at the door stubbornly and looked at Layne intently.

"Layne, I've really come around these past few years while living abroad. I was wrong; my youthful arrogance hurt you all!" Adrian said apologetically, "What do you want me to do for you to forgive me?"

Cheyenne walked over and carefully tugged on her grandfather's sleeve. She whispered, "Grandpa, it's him. The one who gave me the Rejuvenated Herb for free at the auction last time."

Layne also knew about this incident. He had prepared twenty million dollars for Cheyenne to go and get the herb, but then Adrian gave it to her for free.

Adrian smiled at his bright and beautiful grandniece in front of him. "Cheyenne, can you speak up for me? Your grandfather really misunderstood me."

"Granduncle, I don't know what happened between you two. Why don't you tell me what's going on?" Cheyenne was very skilled at playing along.

Adrian was speechless at her question.