Mo Nuan felt no guilt at all for throwing Lu Chen under the bus and quickly added, "Exactly! Next time, I'll back you up and give him a talking to."

The old man chuckled, finally putting down his large pruning shears. He glanced at Mo Nuan and said, "It’s been a while since I’ve seen you. You’ve become more sensible—knowing right from wrong instead of always siding with that rascal."

*Siding with him?* Mo Nuan hadn’t even realized she’d been doing that. Linking arms with the old man, she said, "Grandpa, I’ve always been sensible!"

The old man let out a cold "hmph," clearly skeptical of her claim. It had...