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 something more.
But when he looked up, he saw an unprecedented smile on Old Master Ji's face.
In his memory, 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 seemed to have been spent bidding farewell to his loved ones.
In this world, it seemed like nothing could bring him even a fleeting moment 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 me to my room."
Old Master Ji had just woken up, and after such emotional highs and lows, he was indeed exhausted. He took his medicine and fell asleep.
Ji Zhiyuan led her to the guest room.
Rong Yu said calmly, "Take me 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 frame—her wedding portrait with her husband. Time 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, some pages still bearing her handwritten notes from years ago.
She said, "A-Yuan, I’ll give you a booklist tomorrow morning. Buy them for me 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 home 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 home 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 comes home 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 moment her head touched the pillow.
That night, she dreamed endlessly—chaotic fragments forgotten entirely upon waking.
After freshening up, she pulled open the door, only for someone 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 me."
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 time, 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 me 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 emerged 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 something, 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 came 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 message 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 home!"
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 me by rejecting me 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 moment 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 me?"
"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?"
