Ji Zhiyuan was going insane.
Just because of this high schooler's words, Old Master Ji was going to change the heir of the Ji family?
This was utterly ridiculous.
He wanted to say sothing more.
But when he looked up, he saw an unprecedented smile on Old Master Ji's face.
In his mory, the old man rarely smiled.
Losing his father while still in the womb, his mother in childhood, his wife in middle age, and then his son soon after… his entire life seed to have been spent bidding farewell to his loved ones.
In this world, it seed like nothing could bring him even a fleeting mont of joy.
Acknowledging this great-grandmother might not be such a bad thing after all.
Ji Zhiyuan pursed his lips and spoke, "Great-grandmother."
Rong Yu smiled. "That's more like it. Yingbao needs to rest now. Take to my room."
Old Master Ji had just woken up, and after such emotional highs and lows, he was indeed exhausted. He took his dicine and fell asleep.
Ji Zhiyuan led her to the guest room.
Rong Yu said calmly, "Take to my own room."
Ji Zhiyuan paused.
He walked up to the second floor. The largest master bedroom here had always been empty. Though the furnishings had been replaced, they still followed the style of seventy years ago. The maids cleaned it daily—the windows spotless, not a speck of dust—as if waiting for its owner to return.
Rong Yu stepped inside, her fingers brushing over the desk where the black hairpin she once used still lay.
Beside the mirror was a photo fra—her wedding portrait with her husband. Ti had left its mark on the photo, the young faces now slightly yellowed.
She entered the walk-in closet. One side held the formal dresses and jewelry she once wore to Ji family events, the other the comfortable work clothes she wore to the research institute… Everything from the past was still here.
It was as if she had never left.
She pushed open the door to the adjacent study—unchanged as well.
Opening an old book, a cloud of dust rose, so pages still bearing her handwritten notes from years ago.
She said, "A-Yuan, I’ll give you a booklist tomorrow morning. Buy them for as soon as possible."
Ji Zhiyuan nodded.
His expression was complicated.
He had doubted her identity at first, but seeing her standing here, blending seamlessly into the surroundings, he could almost picture her sitting at this desk, working diligently in the past.
Was she really his great-grandmother?
The steward arranged for fresh, new clothes and daily necessities to be delivered.
"I'm going to rest now," Rong Yu said, about to close the door when she suddenly paused. "Where’s A-Ye? Isn’t he coming ho tonight?"
She had five great-grandsons in total.
The eldest, Ji Zhiyuan, was the president of the Ji Group, managing all family affairs.
The second and third were busy with their own careers.
The fourth was still in university.
The fifth, Ji Zhouye, was a high school student and should have been ho for the night.
Ji Zhiyuan replied, "A-Ye is in his senior year. To avoid disrupting his studies, I bought him a villa near the school. He usually stays there and only cos ho on weekends."
Rong Yu chuckled. "Disrupting his studies?"
She shook her head and closed the door.
Letting go of all her thoughts, she sprawled out on her own bed and fell asleep the mont her head touched the pillow.
That night, she dread endlessly—chaotic fragnts forgotten entirely upon waking.
After freshening up, she pulled open the door, only for soone to stumble inside.
She couldn’t help but laugh. "Yingbao, what are you doing outside my room?"
Old Master Ji rubbed his head. "I thought… I thought yesterday was a dream. I was afraid I’d open this door and find nothing…"
"It’s not a dream. Mom really is back." Rong Yu helped him up and handed him his cane. "I took the day off from school today. I’ll spend the whole day with you."
Old Master Ji looked down at her hand holding his.
He sighed. "Back then, it was Mom holding my hand. Now, it’s still Mom holding my hand. My body really is useless."
Rong Yu smiled. "If you know your health is poor, then take good care of yourself. Strive to live to a hundred."
Mother and son chatted as they went downstairs.
Steward Yu stood respectfully at the bottom, head slightly bowed. "Good morning, Old Master, Miss Rong."
Old Master Ji spoke with authority. "From now on, treat Miss Rong exactly as you would treat ."
Steward Yu had noticed their closeness yesterday.
But no matter how hard he racked his brain, he couldn’t figure out what relationship a young girl could have with the old master.
He had briefly wondered if she might be a mistress…
But he quickly dismissed the thought.
He had served Old Master Ji for over forty years, and in all that ti, the man had remained single, showing no interest in any woman.
Could it be… he wanted to adopt her as a granddaughter?
Old Master Ji’s voice cut through his thoughts again. "Let make this clear—if my orders and Miss Rong’s ever conflict, prioritize hers."
Steward Yu’s mind buzzed, certain he had misheard.
But when he turned, he saw Old Master Ji personally pulling out a chair for Rong Yu, who sat down without a trace of surprise, as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
And then—Old Master Ji poured her a glass of milk himself.
Ji Zhiyuan erged from the study and took his seat at the table, adding a bit of sugar to a bowl of tofu pudding before sliding it toward Rong Yu.
Rong Yu smiled. "Thank you, A-Yuan."
Steward Yu silently lowered his head.
If he couldn’t understand sothing, he wouldn’t dwell on it. His duty was simply to do his job well.
As they ate breakfast, the sound of a car engine ca from outside. Steward Yu glanced out and smiled. "The fifth young master is back."
He hurried out to greet him.
Ji Zhouye had been sulking all day after being publicly rejected during his confession yesterday. He’d spent the night gaming at an internet café with his friends and only saw his older brother’s ssage about Old Master Ji waking up when he checked his phone in the morning.
Without going to school, he drove straight back to Hibiscus Manor.
"Grandpa, I’m ho!"
Ji Zhouye burst into the hall.
He was about to rush to Old Master Ji’s side when his gaze landed on the figure seated at the table. His feet skidded to a halt, and he stared in disbelief before letting out an incredulous laugh.
"Seriously, Rong Yu? I confess to you, you humiliate by rejecting in front of everyone, and now you show up at my house? What the hell is this?"
He planted his hands on the table, leaning forward aggressively.
He was dying to know—how had Rong Yu found out where he lived? Had she been stalking him all along?
If she loved him this much, why had she turned him down?
Was she regretting it now?
He smirked. "If you’re here to apologize, it’s not too late."
The mont the words left his mouth, a sharp smack landed on the back of his head.
Old Master Ji yanked him away from the table, furious. "Steward Yu, clear the room."
The servants quickly retreated.
Ji Zhouye clutched his head. "Grandpa, why’d you hit ?"
"You insolent brat!" Old Master Ji was livid.
He had always taken pride in his eldest grandson, but even he wasn’t this foolish.
He had wanted to boast to his mother about how promising the fifth one was, only for the boy to barge in and spout such outrageous nonsense!
"This is your great-grandmother! Kneel!"
Ji Zhouye thought his ears were playing tricks on him. He turned to stare. "Great-grandmother? What are you talking about?"
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