"Jianmin, everyone regrets what happened in the past... But back then, under those circumstances, that was already the best arrangement. Moreover, living in that environment, your brother and the others were very eager to succeed, which led to..."
Just as Second Grandfather finished speaking, Butler Lin walked in with steady steps.
He carefully carried a bowl of steaming millet porridge and a plate of fragrant flaky pastries, along with various other exquisite and delicious snacks.
"Young Master, the Old Master personally prepared the rice mix for this porridge; please try it. And this pastry, the Old Master specifically instructed me early this morning to buy it from this particular shop for you to taste," Butler Lin introduced softly, placing the food on the table with a smile.
Upon hearing this, Jiang Cheng's face immediately broke into a sun-like, brilliant smile, and he happily turned his head.
Hearing this, Jiang Cheng grinned and said to his grandfather, "Thank you, Grandfather."
Great-Grandfather's face immediately blossomed with a warm smile, like the spring sun, his loving gaze gently falling upon Jiang Cheng like a softly flowing stream.
"Come, come, eat quickly. Don't starve yourself."
As he spoke, Great-Grandfather reached out and signaled for Jiang Cheng to start eating immediately.
Jiang Jianmin, standing nearby, watched his father show such tender care and loving affection toward Jiang Cheng.
A strong sense of resonance welled up deep inside him.
It should be known that Jiang Jianmin's love for Jiang Cheng was second to none.
Their family never hired a nanny or any childcare worker when Jiang Cheng was young.
Jiang Cheng was genuinely raised by him personally, attending to his every need from infancy.
Under the loving gazes of Great-Grandfather and his own father,
Jiang Cheng felt a little uncomfortable drinking the millet porridge in the bowl.
Seeing everyone watching him eat, Jiang Cheng was about to say something when Chen Ping walked in.
He looked cheerful and was carrying several gift boxes and bags in his hands.
After greeting everyone, Chen Ping smiled and spoke to Great-Grandfather.
"Old Master, these are the New Year gift boxes the Eldest Young Master had someone send over from the Magic City first."
Chen Ping respectfully placed the beautifully packaged gift boxes onto the table.
He then bowed slightly as he reported to Great-Grandfather.
After Great-Grandfather heard this, a trace of unusual emotion, barely noticeable, flashed across his otherwise calm face.
His slightly cloudy yet still sharp eyes involuntarily glanced toward Jiang Jianmin, who was standing nearby.
Immediately afterward, Great-Grandfather waved his hand and spoke to Chen Ping in a flat tone.
"I understand. Find a place to put them away..."
Seeing Great-Grandfather's lack of enthusiasm, Chen Ping couldn't help but feel uneasy, yet he didn't dare ask more.
He hesitated for a moment but decided to add, "The Eldest Young Master said that once his school matters are settled, he will personally come to pay his New Year respects to you."
The moment he finished speaking, Jiang Jianmin, who had been silent all along, instantly darkened, his brows furrowing tightly.
Seeing his own father's expression darken slightly,
Jiang Cheng inwardly went, "Tsk tsk tsk."
He hadn't expected his father, at his age, to still be jealous of those nominal relatives.
Jiang Cheng spoke up to Chen Ping, "Chen Ping, have you eaten?"
Chen Ping shook his head, "Young Master Jiang, not yet."
"Then go eat quickly. This millet porridge tastes very good; you should have a bowl too."
Hearing this, Chen Ping immediately understood that the atmosphere was tense.
Seeing Jiang Cheng remind him, Chen Ping looked gratefully at Jiang Cheng and replied, "Understood, Young Master Jiang, I'll go try some then..."
After Chen Ping left with the items, Great-Grandfather looked at Jiang Jianmin and offered an explanation.
"Jianmin, I was scared back then, which is why we arranged for two imposters to take your places outside. I know you mind them using your name and your brother's name, but because of this, you and Jiang Cheng have been safe and sound for the past decade or so. It also allowed us to make arrangements confidently here in The Capital."
After Great-Grandfather finished speaking, Jiang Chenghong added, "That's right. Only your father, Uncle Lin, and I know about this; no one else does. We truly did this for safety. Those two stand-ins have had a very difficult time over the years. They not only took the brunt of open and hidden attacks for you but also overcame countless hardships. Now they have finally completed their mission, retired from danger, and can live a stable life."
Upon hearing this, Jiang Jianmin immediately fell silent.
It wasn't that he blamed those two people.
It was just that for all these years, the father and son had been in a state of constant argument.
Many things had remained unsaid.
Furthermore, his own father was always overly domineering when dealing with him.
This led to the two of them unconsciously starting to argue and clash whenever the past was brought up.
Unlike Jiang Jianming, Jiang Cheng's mouth hung slightly open in surprise.
When he first heard it, he thought there were just two extra fake uncles.
He didn't expect that wasn't the case.
So, the two grandfathers meant that this was a 'Civet Cat for the Crown Prince' scheme.
One of these publicly replacing individuals was using his father's identity?
Jiang Cheng just wanted to exclaim aloud at this moment.
Holy crap! What a massive scheme!
No wonder his father had been able to move around freely and quietly outside for so many years.
Most importantly, no matter how much the Security Team investigated, they were never able to uncover his father's background.
Jiang Jianmin looked at Jiang Cheng and said, "I don't mind the name. If I did, I wouldn't have left ten years ago. After Jiang Cheng was born, my worries were the same as yours: I just hoped he would grow up healthy."
Hearing this, Great-Grandfather patted Jiang Cheng's head.
"I'm the same as you. This is the only grandson of our Jiang Family. I want him to be healthy and safe more than anyone. But Jiang Cheng, at such a young age, starting his own business and accumulating this wealth so quickly without relying on you or me—it makes me both proud and worried."
Jiang Chenghong agreed.
"That's right, good grandson, you truly are capable. You must know that I took over the Mingsheng Group from my grandfather's generation. It went through turbulent times, with ups and downs, and finally reached its current scale with the help of Elder Brother. That relied on the connections and network of many people. But Jiang Cheng relied on his own wits and methods. He truly is remarkable."