"Come in."
It was a voice weathered by decades, yet still sharp, like the crack of a whip. The tone held neither warmth nor softness, only the authority of a man accustomed to obedience.
Xia Lihua pushed the door open and stepped into the room, shutting it quietly behind her. She took a steadying breath and looked directly at the man seated at the far end of the room. "Hello, Old Master Jiang," she said coolly.
Old Master Jiang's eyes flicked up at her, his brows knitting slightly. An instant stiffness took over his expression. She hadn't called him "grandfather," and he had half-expected it, yet hearing her address him so formally still struck a nerve.
He had already overheard the stir outside as the guards mentioned that the "eldest miss's daughter" was here, and he'd mentally prepared himself for her arrival. Still, hearing that distant address felt like a slap.
"How insolent!" he barked, his voice echoing in the large, richly furnished room.
