Iris couldn't stop herself from giggling. She was amused that Grandpa Lu and Grandma Li would be so similar to each other when she met them for the first time on different occasions.
Grandma Li raised an eyebrow.
"My apologies, Grandma Li. I wasn't laughing at you. I just remembered Grandpa Lu asking me the same question."
"Oh? So he also asked whether you're single or not?" Grandma Li gave Grandpa Lu a side-eye, narrowing her eyes.
"Sister Zhiruo, why are you looking at me like that? I want to know! As the saying goes, the early bird gets the worm!"
Grandma Li lifted her chin at him. "But this worm has free will so she has the right to choose which bird she wants to be with."
"Y-you! Don't you dare! My bird has first priority!" Grandpa Lu looked enraged.
Iris knew what the saying meant, but she couldn't understand what they were talking about. So she turned to Huang Yuyan beside her. "Auntie Yuyan, what do they mean? I don't understand."
"Oh…" Huang Yuyan laughed awkwardly, her face turning red.
Iris tilted her head to the side. It seemed that Auntie Yuyan didn't want to answer her. What was going on? It seemed that she was the only one who didn't understand.
"Mother, actually…well, the truth is...our two birds are already taken. I mean, they already have their own...worms."
Grandma Li: "Yuyan, what are you talking about? I know that our youngest bird is already taken but our eldest is still available."
Huang Yuyan: "Actually…he's already taken as well."
Pause.
"Ahahaha! What? You didn't know?" Grandpa Lu smacked his thighs as he laughed out loud. "Even I know about this!"
Grandma Li didn't look pleased. She turned to her daughter-in-law. Even though she was frowning, she still looked graceful. "Why wasn't I informed about this?"
Huang Yuyan bowed her head. "Sorry, Mother. I was going to tell you today, that's why I came here. But I just couldn't find the right time."
"Oh, my dear Yuyan. After all these years, you're still so timid," Grandma Li said with a sigh.
Huang Yuyan bit her lip.
Huang Yuyan reddened.
Grandma Li's eyes saddened for a moment before smiling softly. Then she turned to Iris. "So? You still haven't answered my question, my dear. Are you single or not?"
"I'm not, Grandma Li. I have a boyfriend," Iris said. Then she added, "And I like him very much."
Grandpa Lu: "Hmph!"
"I see. How unfortunate. It seems that everyone is already taken." Grandma Li sighed but after a few moments, she smiled again. "I have two grandsons. They're both a little older than you. You won't mind meeting them, would you, Xiulan my dear? If possible, I would like you to be friends with them."
Friends? Iris' eyes lit up. If the grandsons were like Grandpa Lu and Grandma Li, she wouldn't mind being friends with them for sure. So she agreed. "Of course, Grandma Li. I would be glad to meet them."
Grandma Li smiled, her sharp eyes glinting. She ignored her scowling friend who was glaring daggers at her.
They chatted about other topics afterwards. Grandpa Lu started raving about Iris and how he was so proud to be her mentor. He also mentioned Cross Academy several times. Iris observed that Grandma Li didn't even bat an eye at the mention of the academy. Well, it was only natural. Grandpa Lu and Grandma Li were dear friends so she must have known that he was an important figure at the academy.
On the other hand, Huang Yuyan looked very shocked when she heard that Iris was a Cross Academy student. She stared at Iris for a long time, as if looking at a rare creature. Then she grabbed Iris' hands. "Oh, Xiulan! How I wish you were my daughter!"
Grandma Li chuckled coldly. "Brother Jianhong, didn't you hear Xiulan call me Grandma? It means that she's already my granddaughter as well."
"You!" Grandpa Lu looked like he would choke on his own anger.
Iris felt warmth spread within her. Her eyes pricked. She blinked quickly and took deep breaths to control her emotions. Although the two were arguing, there was fondness in how they treated each other. And they were extending their fondness to her. They just met her but they were already treating her like family.
"Grandpa Lu, Grandma Li, Auntie Yuyan," Iris called. "Thank you very much for your kindness! I will never forget how well you're treating me."
Grandpa Lu: "Don't be so formal, my girl!"
Grandma Li nodded and smiled at kindly at her.
Huang Yuyan continued to grip Iris' hands. She sighed. "How I wish I have another son to introduce to you!"
'What nice people,' Iris thought. They really were treating her like family and wanted her to be friends with their sons or grandsons.
"What's wrong with introducing her to your two sons?" Grandma Li asked, raising an eyebrow.
Grandma Li scoffed. "For our youngest, almost two years of engagement but still no signs of tying the knot. I may not be a man but even I know when a man doesn't want to marry the woman he's engaged to."
"I'm sure they're just taking their time."
"Oh?" Grandma Li raised her eyebrow even more. "Or perhaps they're just not meant to be together. I keep saying this but it's beyond my comprehension why he even proposed to that girl in the first place! Absolutely ridiculous!"
"Mother! Little Luo Luo is a nice girl!"
Grandma Li sniffed in contempt. "I promised your husband, my son, that I wouldn't meddle in his sons' lives too much. That's why I stay here in the mountains to prevent myself from prying too much in their personal affairs. So even if I disagree, I'll let our youngest make his own decisions. But if he still goes ahead and marries that girl, then I daresay that he's a stupid blind idiot! I'll feel truly ashamed to have a fool like him in our Jin family!"
"Mother, that's too harsh!"
"Harsh? I'm only telling the truth, my dear."