Ivy Holden remembered him grabbing her suitcase before she could at the baggage claim. Annoyed, she asked, "You did that on purpose, didn't you?"
Jensen Morrison gave a faint smile. "I slept pretty deeply on the plane, so I was still a bit groggy when I woke up. Good thing it was you. If it had been anyone else, this would've been a huge embarrassment..."
Ivy Holden shot him a glare, then strode into the small courtyard first and called out, "Grandpa, I'm back!"
June Grant excitedly clenched her fists as she stared at Jensen Morrison. "Morrison! Morrison! I'm your fan! I can't believe you're my best friend's brother! Am I the luckiest person or what?! Aaaah—"
Jensen Morrison seemed to be in a good mood. He smiled. "It's cold out here. Let's go inside to talk."
June Grant dazedly followed Jensen Morrison inside, only to see Ivy Holden nestled in Mr. Holden's arms, acting spoiled.
"Grandpa, I made sure to come back just in time for your seventieth birthday." The saccharine-sweet voice gave even Ivy Holden herself goosebumps.
Jensen Morrison sighed under his breath. 'Something is off about this girl,' he thought. 'It's like she's a completely different person.'
"You little rascal! Enough with the sweet talk! Disappearing over the New Year without seeing a single friend or relative, running off on vacation by yourself... that's just unfilial!" Mr. Holden chided. He had one arm wrapped around his beloved granddaughter while poking her forehead with his other hand. His words were harsh, but his eyes were filled with nothing but adoration.
"Aww, it's just that I didn't do well on my exams before the break, so I was too ashamed to face you. I was also afraid you'd lecture me at the New Year's feast, so I ran off on vacation abroad." Ivy Holden dove into her grandfather's arms. "If you keep scolding me, I'll be too scared to ever come back!"
"Alright, alright! Since you still have some conscience and remembered my birthday, we'll let bygones be bygones."
"Grandpa's the best!" Ivy Holden grinned and waved June Grant over. Once she was near, Ivy introduced her to Mr. Holden. "This is my good friend and roommate, June Grant."
"Hello, Grandpa Holden," June Grant said, bowing respectfully to Mr. Holden.
"Mm, she's a sensible girl."
"Grandpa, have you eaten dinner yet? I'm starving."
"Not yet, not yet!" Mr. Holden said, then gestured to Jensen Morrison. "Call them and ask if they're still coming. If not, we won't wait."
"Alright." Just as Jensen Morrison pulled out his phone to make the call, someone shouted from outside, "Dad! We're back."
Ivy Holden shot up from the sofa, glanced at Jensen Morrison, and asked coldly, "Where's my suitcase?"
"Oh, I put it in your room," Jensen Morrison said, pointing upstairs.
Ivy Holden pulled June Grant along, her feet thumping up the wooden staircase. She didn't look like someone who was starving at all.
The moment the door closed, June Grant threw her arms around Ivy Holden in a frenzy. "You're my idol's sister!" she shrieked. "Aaaah—Why didn't you tell me sooner?! That's so unfair! Ivy..."
Ivy Holden peeled June Grant off her and held her by the shoulders. "Miss Grant, I don't know if you've ever heard the saying, 'When a stepmom comes into the picture, your dad becomes a stepdad too.' The moment that mother and son walked through the Holden family's door, he and I became mortal enemies."
"What kind of thing is that to say!" June Grant protested, looking scandalized. "Nothing in this world is black and white. If Jensen Morrison's mother wasn't the homewrecker who came between your parents, then she and her son are innocent. You need to get your facts straight and not jump to conclusions."
Ivy Holden was in no mood to argue with June Grant about the "other woman." Her attention was fixed on her suitcase, which was lying on the bench at the foot of the bed—wide open.
"That bastard!" Ivy Holden stared at the lilac lace lingerie set sitting conspicuously inside the suitcase. "Jensen Morrison, you are a total pervert!" she cursed through gritted teeth.
A mischievous grin spread across June Grant's face, the kind worn by someone who loves a good drama. "A suitcase with a combination lock! And my Morrison opened it?" she chirped. "You still claim you're enemies? He even knows the combination to your luggage!"
"Shut up!" Ivy Holden hissed. "I've always just used the factory default combination for this suitcase. I never changed it."
"So you're saying this is all just a coincidence?"
"What else could it be?"
"A coincidence my ass! There's definitely something going on between you two!"
Ivy Holden couldn't be bothered to argue. She silently straightened the contents of her suitcase and took out two boxes. She tossed a silver one to June Grant, then headed downstairs with a sapphire-blue box in her hand.
"A present for me?" June Grant caught the box and opened it. Seeing a delicate bracelet with tiny diamonds inside, she happily fastened it around her wrist.
·
Earlier that day, Ivy's father, Carson Holden, and Jensen's mother, Brooke Morrison, had gone to arrange the venue and entertainment for Mr. Holden's birthday celebration. They had just returned with a draft of the menu for him to review.
As soon as they were inside, Brooke Morrison went to the kitchen to help the housekeeper, while Carson Holden and Jensen Morrison discussed the menu with Mr. Holden.
Ivy came thumping down the stairs, surprising Carson Holden so much he was momentarily stunned.
"Ivy? You're back?" Carson Holden stared at his daughter as he slowly rose to his feet. Faced with the girl who had been away for years, this titan of the music industry was surprisingly at a loss for what to do.
'In her past life, Ivy had been filled with resentment for this man. Her mother had died in a car accident, and not even six months later, Carson Holden married Brooke Morrison. Ivy found it impossible to accept. To make matters worse, Clara Zimmers and her mother had repeatedly slandered Carson, leading Ivy to believe that her father's affair had caused her mother's depression, which in turn led to the fatal crash. But now, in this new life, she knew she had to face the issue more rationally.'
"Oh? You're not happy to see me back?" Ivy Holden shot Carson Holden a glance before walking over to sit beside Mr. Holden.
"Don't talk nonsense! Your father barely ate a thing while you were gone over the New Year." Mr. Holden shot his granddaughter a look, then turned to Jensen Morrison. "What are you standing for? Sit down and talk."
"You all chat. I'm going to make a phone call." Jensen Morrison stood up and left, leaving the living room to the three generations of the Holden family.
Carson sat down across from Mr. Holden, but before he could speak, he saw his daughter offer an exquisite box to the old man.
"Grandpa, this is your birthday present," Ivy Holden said with a sweet smile.
"Oh! What have we here?" Mr. Holden was overjoyed. He took the box but couldn't bring himself to open it right away.
"Why don't you open it and see, Grandpa? I picked it out very carefully. It cost me all of my allowance money," Ivy Holden wheedled, hugging Mr. Holden's arm. 'The pipe had indeed been carefully selected, but it was Leila Lane who had chosen it for Clara Zimmers. It was supposed to be a New Year's gift for Clara's father, but more than 300,000 had been charged to Ivy's card for it.'
"My dear granddaughter is still the best. She knows what her grandpa likes most." With trembling hands, Mr. Holden opened the box. Inside, nestled on bright yellow silk, lay a jade pipe with gold inlay. The translucent, emerald-green jade was carved with longevity peaches, and an exquisite gold meander pattern coiled around the bowl, symbolizing a long and continuous stream of blessings.