Chapter 5: The Old Master’s Approval

The moment Ye Long stepped into the room, he saw an elderly man with white hair sitting on the bed ahead. The man's face bore the marks of illness, and his complexion was somewhat pale. However, his features were well - proportioned, and he exuded an innate noble aura. It was easy to imagine that he must have been extremely charming in his youth.

"Grandpa Zhou." Ye Long greeted him politely.

For a moment, Zhou Xiaotian merely sized up Ye Long coldly.

"Granddaughter, you two go out first. I want to talk to him alone." Zhou Xiaotian spoke in a tone close to an order.

Zhou Ruobing cast a worried glance at Ye Long before retreating with the steward.

Zhou Xiaotian looked Ye Long up and down. Just from his casual attire, it was evident that this young man disliked being restricted and didn't pay much attention to his appearance.

"When did you start dating my granddaughter?" The originally cloudy eyes of Zhou Xiaotian suddenly turned sharp, staring intently at Ye Long's face.

Ye Long replied, "Grandpa Zhou, it was just this afternoon."

This answer took Zhou Xiaotian by surprise. "How did your relationship develop?"

Ye Long explained, "At first, I went to a café near the Hollywood Walk of Fame for a blind date. I happened to see Bingbing being harassed by a group of hooligans. I stepped in and drove them away, saving her. To thank me, she invited me for coffee. Maybe it was love at first sight, or perhaps we were just impulsive, but we decided to be together."

Zhou Xiaotian narrowed his eyes, filled with suspicion. Given his granddaughter's aversion to men, how could she fall in love so easily? Was it because he saved her, or was she trying to deal with him?

Zhou Xiaotian couldn't help but think of his wife. Back then, he had won her heart by rescuing her.

Zhou Xiaotian asked coldly, "How many girlfriends have you had before?"

Ye Long shook his head frankly. "Grandpa Zhou, I'm not ashamed to say that I've never even held a girl's hand. After being discharged from the military half a year ago, my mom has been pressuring me to find a partner every day. As of today, I've been on twenty blind dates. But every time, the girls either disliked my ordinary family background or the fact that I'm a security guard. None of them were interested in me. If it weren't for meeting Miss Zhou this afternoon and getting married to her, I'd probably still be going on blind dates."

After hearing this, Zhou Xiaotian's guard against Ye Long lessened considerably. This young man seemed honest and courageous. Zhou Xiaotian even saw a shadow of his younger self in him.

Zhou Xiaotian asked a few more random questions and found that they mostly matched the information the steward had previously investigated. This showed that Ye Long wasn't hiding anything from him.

Zhou Xiaotian's tone softened. "Xiaolong, are you interested in business?"

Ye Long shook his head. "Grandpa Zhou, I'm not really interested in business."

Zhou Xiaotian asked curiously, "Then what are you interested in?"

Ye Long looked at the chess table beside them. "Grandpa Zhou, actually, I'm really into chess. To be honest, among people my age, no one has ever beaten me."

Zhou Xiaotian looked at the chess table and couldn't help laughing. "What a coincidence! I've been passionate about chess for at least thirty years. In these thirty years, I've never met a true opponent."

Ye Long smiled and suggested, "Grandpa Zhou, since that's the case, how about we have a game right now?"

Zhou Xiaotian said confidently, "Okay! I hope you're as good as you claim. Otherwise, it'll be rather dull!"

Ye Long smiled confidently. "I definitely won't disappoint Grandpa Zhou!"

Zhou Xiaotian was about to get out of bed when Ye Long quickly stopped him and moved the chess table to the bedside.

…

Outside the room, Zhou Ruobing paced back and forth in the hall, glancing at her grandfather's door from time to time. Her expression was one of great anxiety.

How could I have forgotten that Grandpa would question him alone? What if he reveals the truth?

During her school days, Zhou Ruobing had almost been assaulted by a male classmate she had a good impression of. Ever since then, she had developed a deep aversion to men.

If Grandpa finds out that Ye Long is a fake boyfriend I hired, he'll definitely make us divorce immediately. In that case, Grandpa will pressure me to find another partner, and Mom will urge me to go on more blind dates. It would be sheer torture for me.

"Steward, what are Grandpa and he talking about?" Zhou Ruobing couldn't help asking.

Steward Li shook his head. "Miss, I don't know."

Just then, Zhou Ruobing received a call. She stared at her grandfather's tightly - closed door, and her face grew even more solemn.

"Steward, call me immediately after my husband comes out." Without waiting for the steward's response, Zhou Ruobing left in a hurry.

Zhou Ruobing first returned to the company to preside over a high - level meeting. Then, she took her to a luxurious hotel in Beverly Hills to attend a dinner with a company CEO. By the time she got back to the company, it was already completely dark.

Zhou Ruobing suddenly felt as if she had something left undone, but she couldn't recall what it was. After returning to her office, she began to work on a project plan at her desk.

That's right! Zhou Ruobing suddenly remembered bringing Ye Long to her grandfather's place. If it weren't for her right eyelid twitching non - stop, she would have forgotten all about it.

Zhou Ruobing quickly picked up her phone and dialed Steward Li's number.

"Miss, Mr. Ye is still in the old master's room."

Zhou Ruobing's face darkened, and she hung up the phone. What's going on? Why has he been in Grandpa's room for so long?

Zhou Ruobing left the company and drove straight to her grandfather's manor. She stormed up to her grandfather's room. Just as she was about to kick the door, it suddenly opened, and Ye Long was about to come out.

Zhou Ruobing glared at him coldly, walked into the room, and looked at her grandfather.

"Granddaughter, your husband has excellent chess skills. He actually tied with me. I haven't had such a great time in ages!" Zhou Xiaotian then said to Ye Long, "Xiaolong, if it weren't so late, I'd love to play ten more games with you!"

Ye Long smiled and said, "Grandpa Zhou, you should take care of your hea..."

Zhou Xiaotian interrupted him. "Xiaolong, from now on, call me Grandpa."

Ye Long nodded. "Grandpa, then you should rest early. I'll come to play chess with you another day."

"Okay, Xiaolong. I'll be waiting for you." Zhou Xiaotian then said to Zhou Ruobing, "Granddaughter, tonight is a big day for you and Xiaolong. Go back and rest early. If I can see my great - grandchild before I pass away, I can meet your grandma with peace of mind."

A faint blush crept onto Zhou Ruobing's cheeks, and a strange glint flashed in her eyes. Finally, she said, "Grandpa, you rest first. We're leaving."

Zhou Ruobing turned around, glared at Ye Long, and walked out in a hurry. Ye Long quickly followed.

Steward Li looked at the layout of the chessboard and then at Zhou Xiaotian. "Old master, did Mr. Ye really tie with you?"

Zhou Xiaotian looked at the chessboard. "We played ten games. He won five, and I won five. However, I suspect he let me win two games at the beginning. In fact, he's better."

Zhou Xiaotian was extremely renowned in the Los Angeles chess scene and was respected as the "Chess Saint." He had hardly ever been defeated in the past decade or more. Unexpectedly, this seemingly ordinary grandson - in - law had managed to win five games against him.

Steward Li couldn't help but look at Ye Long in a new light.

Zhou Xiaotian smiled. "Xiaolong is very intelligent. The child born to my granddaughter and him will surely be smart too."

…

Zhou Ruobing took Ye Long out of the manor and drove at high speed. Ye Long noticed her gloomy expression and refrained from initiating conversation.

Soon, the car stopped at the entrance of Palm Springs Community.

"What did Grandpa ask you just now?" Zhou Ruobing asked him irritably.

"He asked when we started dating..." Ye Long told her everything that had transpired between him and Zhou Xiaotian in the room.

Zhou Ruobing's heart raced. She knew her grandfather was shrewd and must have investigated Ye Long's background. Fortunately, Ye Long had reacted quickly and managed to get through it.

"Did you really win five games against Grandpa?" Zhou Ruobing still couldn't believe it.

Ye Long nodded. "Yes. What's wrong?"

Zhou Ruobing stared at him intently, but his expression didn't seem to be that of a liar.

Surprisingly, he's so good at chess! Zhou Ruobing had been playing chess with her grandfather since she was young. At most, she could only last fifteen moves before being defeated. Last time, the president of the Los Angeles Chess Association, an international chess champion, was easily beaten by her grandfather. He lost all five games. And Ye Long had won five out of ten games against Grandpa!