Mrs. Tang Li held her teacup, her fingertips gently stroking its warm sides. Recalling the sight of Kallen cooking in the kitchen earlier, she could not help smiling again.
"Ah, even if you want to be his grandfather, that depends on whether he's willing to acknowledge you. With a grandfather like his, why would he care for a maternal grandfather like you?
"Old man, you still have no idea what you've missed.
"So,
"Relatives, blood ties-once you grow distant, you become strangers.
"Your own grandson was standing right in front of you,
"And you still didn't sense a thing."
Mrs. Tang Li set down her cup and stood, murmuring to herself again, "Fortunately, Richard really does seem able to sense him. They are cousins, after all. They're close."
The next moment,
A scene from that day surfaced in Mrs. Tang Li's mind;
She had been sitting in a wicker chair in the suburban Villa, drinking tea, when she saw a familiar yet unfamiliar figure appear in her garden.
"I heard becoming a Temple Elder grants you a longer life. It seems that really is true. Dis, you're still so young. Is the scenery in the Order Temple nice?"
"You've misunderstood."
"Misunderstood? Then what brings you here?"
"My grandson will be coming to Vien in a while."
"Your grandson? Which grandson... could it be... I understand. I'll make sure he's well taken care of. He's my grandson too."
"No, you've misunderstood again."
"Again?"
"I'm worried your Alt Bloodline will sense him. If you do sense him, I hope you'll pretend not to know him. He doesn't need your care or your arrangements. He has his own path to follow."
"I can't even tell my old man? He doesn't even know he has a grandson alive. He's never known."
"Delong? Mm, he