Unexpected Second Chance at Love

Grandfather Ji stood at the door of the principal’s office. His minacious expression alone was enough to intimidate the people inside the room.

His eyes, filled with coldness, scrutinized the faces of Mr. Li and the Deng family. However, when his eyes land on his grandson, his entire being softens, and he smiles at the boy.

“Jingxu, sorry I’m late.”

He walks to the boy as his footsteps echo inside the room with the rhythmic thumping of his cane. He glances at the people in the room and threatens.

“I want to see who dares to touch my grandson.”

His words fell with eyes mainly glaring at the school principal. He may be nearing his death, but as long as he is still breathing, he will never let anyone hurt his family.

Mr. Li froze in place and didn’t dare to look at Grandfather Ji as sweat formed on his forehead. He felt like a hand had suddenly grabbed the back of his head, keeping him from moving.

Oblivious to the man, Mr. Xiao stood up from his seat and greeted the old man with a smile.

“General, I hope you didn’t encounter any trouble while coming here. Please sit here.”

He moves away from the main seat and gestures for Grandfather Ji to sit down. However, to his surprise, the old man declines the offer.

“I’ll sit with my grandson.”

Grandfather Ji walks around the school director and stops in front of Ji Jingxu, showing no heed to the Deng family.

He places his palm on his grandson’s shoulder and nods lightly.

“Don’t worry. Your grandfather will handle it from here.”

Ji Jingxu stares at the old man in front of him. He was confused about why his grandfather was here, but at the same time, he felt relieved to know that someone was on his side.

His trembling eyes search his grandfather’s eyes as if needing to find answers. However, he felt he could take on the world when he heard the old man’s reassurance.

He nods in understanding before taking his grandfather’s hand and helping him sit down.

As the grandfather and grandson sat, Zhong Yang stood behind their seats. He placed his hands behind his back and carried himself not as an assistant but as a bodyguard.

Grandfather Ji turns his head to the left and makes eye contact with Mr. Xiao.

“I see that the meeting has started without me.”

Hearing this, Mr. Xiao laughs and glances at the Deng family. He contemplated on how to respond but only for a brief second.

“I do apologize for starting without you, but Mr. and Mrs. Deng advised us to start the meeting.”

Grandfather Ji arched an eyebrow in amusement. He turns his head to the family across from him, and his smile disappears.

“Is that true?”

Old Deng and Madam Deng were speechless at how Mr. Xiao threw them under the bus. They would have waited if they knew that Grandfather Ji would be attending the meeting too.

Of course, they had forgotten that Mr. Xiao asked them to wait, but they ignored his words.

Old Deng looks at Grandfather Ji and does his best to smile.

“General, if I knew you were coming here, I would have gone to wait for you outside. I hope you do not mind this misbehavior.”

He wanted to let Grandfather Ji know he meant no harm and was not a threat. If he gets on the old man’s wrong side, it is the end for his Deng family.

Ji Jingxu was at a loss for words. He stares at the middle-aged man and scoffs inside. Just seconds ago, he (Old Deng) glared at him with eyes that could kill someone.

However, not wanting to speak to the man, his head turns to look at his grandfather.

“What are you doing here?”

Grandfather Ji did not retract the domineering emitting from him. He calms himself when he hears his grandson’s question and smiles at the boy.

“I am here because I am your grandfather.”

He spoke gently, but the second he glanced at the family sitting across from him, there was only a dangerous air.

“If I was a second late, who knows what these people would say or do to you.”

Unfortunately, he got lost on the way here, but fortunately, he made it in time.

He looks at Mr. Li and then at Mr. Xiao.

“Since the meeting has started, give me a brief summary.”

“General, nothing serious has been discussed. We were just trying to–“

“They want to have Ji Jingxu removed from the school.”

Before Mr. Li could finish his sentence, Mr. Xiao didn’t hesitate to cut him off. The old man held a severe expression, and his words continued without a care about the others in the room.

“Mr. Deng made sure to evoke that his family contributed the most to this school. At the request of the Deng family, they would like to have Ji Jingxu removed due to his violent behavior. Of course, I asked Ji Jingxu if he had anything to say, but before he could answer, Mr. Li, the principal, decided to raise his hand just before you entered the room.”

He spoke without pause, and when he finished, he held a smile like a child waiting to be praised. However, unlike him, Mr. Li and the Deng family were rendered speechless.

They stared at Mr. Xiao with disbelief that the old man did not try to cover for them but instead threw them under the bus again.

Old Deng and Mr. Li knew that if they did not fix this misunderstanding, they would be the talk of Imperial for years.

Old Deng: “General, it’s not what you think. I did make the suggestion, but I meant no harm.”

Mr. Li: “I have no intentions of harming a student. I raised my hand because I wanted to stretch.”

Their frantic words made Grandfather Ji arch an eyebrow. He glances between the two men and then lets out a long sigh.

His left hand raised to stop them before speaking.

“Since I am here now, let’s clear this misunderstanding up.”

Unlike her husband, Madam Deng held her ground in the presence of the almighty General. She raises her chin and stares straight into the old man’s eyes.

“Alright. We can clear up this misunderstanding.”

She respects the old man, but it is a different thing when it comes to her child.

“As you can see, my son has done nothing wrong. A little argument might have broken out between the boys, but that does not mean Ji Jingxu can break my son’s arm.”

She places her arm around Deng Xian like a pitiful and caring mother, but her eyes glare viciously at Ji Jingxu. So vicious that if looks could kill a person, Ji Jingxu would have been her victim.

“I have never hit my son. How do you expect me, his mother, to feel when I hear that my son was harmed?”

Her words made Old Deng, and Mr. Li sigh in sympathy for Deng Xian. The boy broke his arm and could not concentrate on his school assignments. What if he had lost his life during the dispute?

Grandfather Ji stared at Madam Deng and was reminded of Madam Chen and Madam Qin. He couldn’t help but wonder if these three women were close friends.

However, quickly pushing this thought aside, he chuckles at the woman.

His head lightly nods like he heard the most interesting thing in his life.

“Madam Deng, you are correct. No parent would be happy when they hear that their child has been harmed.”

His smile gradually disappeared within seconds as his eyes stayed on her.

“But I can say it is the same for me.”

He sits up in his seat and straightens his spine.

“I have never once hit my grandson, let alone raise my voice at him. You say it is unfair for your child, but what about mine? Just because he isn’t physically injured doesn’t mean he isn’t on the inside.”

He recalls the pain on Ji Jingxu’s face, and his heart ached for the boy, especially when Ji Jingxu told him what made the boy lose his temper that day.

However, not wanting to mention it, his head turns slightly to the left to look at Old Deng.

“Mr. Deng, you say that because you contributed quite a lot to this school, it is only right to remove my grandson, but I can return that statement to you.”

His expression held no emotion, letting the other party know he was not afraid of them.

“If you want to compare who contributed more, I would have to say I contributed more than you.”

A smile flashes on his face, and he lets out a small laugh as he thinks about something.

“But you know what, between us, the person who contributed the most to this school is actually my granddaughter, Ji Jingxu’s older sister.”

He spoke like he was flaunting his achievements and leaned forward as if to whisper a secret.

“And you should be thankful that I am here and not my granddaughter.”

For he knows that if words of this reach Yue Ling, the fate of the Deng family will be in her hands. And if that happens, he can do nothing to stop her.