Ji Zhiyuan's face remained calm, but inside, it felt as though a storm had erupted—his blood surged violently, and it took every ounce of his strength to restrain himself.
He remembered the year his mother was pregnant with the fourth child. Her health had been poor—she couldn’t keep anything down, and the baby had been underweight throughout the pregnancy. Yet, when the child was finally born, he was plump and healthy. Everyone had called it a blessing from heaven. But now, the truth was clear: on the very first day, the real fourth child had been swapped.
Looking back, Ji Liuguang’s personality had always been different from the rest of the Ji Family. Back then, blinded by familial affection, they had dismissed it as immaturity, telling themselves he’d grow out of it.
Now, that illusion was shattered. To Ji Zhiyuan, Ji Liuguang’s face seemed twisted with malice.
His gaze bore into Ji Liuguang’s forehead like a physical weight, making the younger man shudder. "Big brother, I—I am your real brother!" Ji Liuguang stammered. "You can’t just deny my identity because of one report! Someone must have forged it to hurt the Ji Family! Big brother, don’t be fooled!"
Nanny Zhang nodded frantically. "Yes, it’s all a fabrication—"
"Then let’s run another test," Rong Yu interjected coolly. "A mother-son DNA test. That’ll be more accurate."
"N-no!" Ji Liuguang instinctively recoiled, his voice strained. "I am a Ji—through and through! There’s no question about it!"
Ji Zhiyuan watched him silently. "So you knew all along."
"No, the fourth young master didn’t know—" Nanny Zhang’s voice trembled.
Her eyes darted to the shredded papers scattered on the floor. She knew the truth could no longer be hidden.
This secret—one she had buried for twenty years, locked in the deepest corner of her heart—was supposed to stay hidden forever. She didn’t understand where things had gone wrong, or how it had come to this…
"Y-young Master Ji," Nanny Zhang dropped to her knees, shaking. "It was my fault! The child Madam gave birth to was so small, so weak—barely the size of a palm, too frail to even nurse… I was afraid he wouldn’t survive, so I dared to switch them! I—I only did it for Madam’s sake! If she had seen how sickly the baby was right after childbirth, the shock might’ve caused a hemorrhage—"
Before she could finish, Ji Zhiyuan lashed out, kicking her squarely in the chest. She collapsed at Ji Liuguang’s feet.
Ji Liuguang recoiled as if she were contagious.
Ji Zhiyuan looked down at her, his voice icy. "You’re saying the real fourth child was born weak and nearly died?"
"Y-yes," Nanny Zhang lifted her head. "If not for my care, if I hadn’t spent money on doctors… He Jingchuan would never have grown up so strong—"
Ji Zhiyuan let out a bitter laugh. "Are you implying that if you hadn’t swapped them, the Ji Family would’ve neglected our own child? That we wouldn’t have paid for his treatment?"
"N-no! That’s not what I meant!" Nanny Zhang quivered. "I truly only acted out of concern for Madam! I never meant any harm—"
Ji Zhiyuan wanted to kick her again—harder.
Back then, his mother had given birth in a luxurious private suite, in a ward reserved for the wealthy.
For Nanny Zhang—a woman on the verge of labor herself—to pull off such a switch under the noses of doctors, nurses, and servants… It couldn’t have been anything but premeditated.
"If over these years, you had treated He Jingchuan—no, Ji Jingchuan—with kindness, the Ji Family might have been willing to let this matter slide. But—" Rong Yu shook her head, "this is something the Ji Family will never let go of."
The moment Ji Jingchuan's name was mentioned, Ji Liuguang panicked completely.
He grabbed Ji Zhiyuan's arm desperately. "Eldest Brother, no matter the truth, I’ve been the younger brother you’ve cherished for twenty years! Just because the blood running through my veins isn’t the Ji Family’s, does that mean you’ll sever all ties with me? How is this fair to me?"
Ji Zhiyuan pried his fingers off. "Have you forgotten? Even before this paternity test, you were already expelled from the Ji Family due to your misconduct."
"Eldest Brother, no…" Ji Liuguang broke down in tears. "I knew nothing—I’m an innocent victim too. Why should I—"
Ji Zhiyuan clenched his fists, barely restraining himself from striking him.
Hah. A "victim" who lived twenty years in luxury as a young master.
Meanwhile, the true fourth son nearly died at the hands of that venomous woman, Nanny Zhang…
With a wave of his hand, four security guards entered and forcibly dragged Ji Liuguang and Nanny Zhang out of the hospital.
Rong Yu pinched the bridge of her nose and spoke. "Go first thing tomorrow to handle the paperwork. Transfer our youngest’s household registration—change He Jingchuan to Ji Jingchuan. Sever all ties with the He Family first, then we’ll settle the score slowly."
Ji Zhiyuan nodded. "Understood, Great-Grandmother."
With four guards stationed outside the ward and two Ji Family servants called in to assist, Rong Yu finally felt at ease enough to return home.
By the time she arrived, it was already 2 a.m.
The TV in the living room was still on, and Old Master Ji was dozing off on the sofa.
The moment he heard the sound of the car engine, he jolted awake. "Are they back?"
Steward Yu hurriedly replied, "It’s the young master and Miss Rong."
"What on earth happened? Why are you back so late?" Old Master Ji yawned as he approached. "Mother, you still have a show to film tomorrow. Staying up this late might affect your appearance on camera."
Rong Yu gave him a forewarning. "The show is nothing. After filming tomorrow, I’ll tell you something far more important."
Old Master Ji was instantly intrigued. "What could it be? Can’t you tell me now?"
Rong Yu patted his head. "No more questions. Be good and go to sleep."
Exhausted, Old Master Ji obediently retreated to his bedroom.
"I hope the old man can handle it," Ji Zhiyuan murmured. "Great-Grandmother, you should rest too. Goodnight."
Rong Yu fell asleep the moment her head touched the pillow.
Early the next morning, Ji Zhiyuan escorted her to Ji's Entertainment for the show’s filming.
This was the seventh episode—a group performance round. Rong Yu’s team drew the sixth slot to perform.
The show was planned for only nine episodes in total. After this round, only one final performance remained.
Tension hung thick in the air.
Rong Yu’s group, however, was composed of highly skilled and popular contestants, so they remained relatively relaxed.
One by one, the teams took the stage.
Though Rong Ruoyao led a team of underperformers, her own abilities and popularity shone through, earning her 899 votes.
Lisa, having suffered a crushing defeat in the last round, had reflected deeply and pulled out all the stops this time, securing 904 votes.
Su Tian's team was the fifth to perform. The members she led were all girls with moderate popularity, and they ended up receiving 856 votes. While this number wasn't exceptionally high, it still exceeded Su Tian's expectations.
Soon after, Rong Yu's group took the stage.
The moment they appeared, the audience erupted into thunderous cheers.
Jiang Shuang's lips curled into a faint smile. She had known she made the right choice in following Rong Yu—being with her naturally brought attention and excitement.
When it was time for her drum solo, she heard someone calling her name. The voices grew louder and louder.
Her drumbeats intensified, building to a thrilling crescendo that sent shivers down the spine.
By the end of the performance, the audience awarded them 911 votes—the highest score of the night so far.
Rong Yu didn’t stay to wait for the final results. She excused herself from the recording hall, leaving with the director’s permission.
