Ji Yanting woke up in the morning with a throbbing headache. Rubbing his temples, he sat up and realized it was already noon.
Memories from the previous day slowly resurfaced.
He… had broken up with Qiu Sang. After drowning his sorrows with friends, the alcohol had dulled the pain somewhat.
His mind was a mess. After freshening up, he went downstairs and found Old Master Ji sitting on the sofa. The old man glanced at him and remarked, "A grown man bawling like a baby—only your great-grandmother could put up with you."
Ji Yanting stiffened.
He suddenly remembered—last night, he had clung to his great-grandmother and cried for who knows how long. He had no idea if he’d said anything embarrassing.
It wouldn’t have been so bad if she were just an elderly woman.
But she was younger than him, which made the whole thing awkward.
Turning his head, he spotted Rong Yu sitting on the other side of the sofa.
After securing a university early admission spot, Rong Yu had the freedom to arrange her own class schedule. She attended only one day a week, mainly for literature, and spent the rest of her time at home with Yingbao if she had nothing else to do.
She looked up at him. "A-Yan, if you’re not feeling well today, you can rest at home."
Ji Yanting cleared his throat. "No, I have work to do at the company. I should get going."
He got into his car, put on sunglasses and a baseball cap, and drove to the private parking area of Ji's Entertainment. The moment he stepped out, someone suddenly darted out from behind a pillar.
He dodged to the side, gripping the car door for balance.
When he got a clear look, he realized it was Wei Xu.
Wei Xu swung at him but missed and lunged again.
Ji Yanting, though inexperienced in fighting, was taller and stronger. He pinned Wei Xu against the hood of the car and frowned. "What the hell are you doing?"
Wei Xu panted heavily. "Did you break up with Auntie Qiu?"
Ji Yanting’s expression darkened.
He hadn’t agreed to the breakup.
But he also lacked the courage to stay together.
He couldn’t tolerate deception.
Nor could he accept that his girlfriend had a son this old.
Right now, he couldn’t handle it. Whether he ever could, he didn’t know. For the time being, he just didn’t know how to face it…
"She cried all night yesterday," Wei Xu gritted out. "She’s had a hard life. No one’s ever loved her. She finally met you—why did you have to hurt her like this?"
He struggled violently, nearly breaking free from Ji Yanting’s grip.
Then Ji Yanting realized something.
Qiu Sang was only thirty. There was no way she could have a son this old.
Was there something he didn’t know?
He softened his tone. "Why did Qiu Sang have you so young? You…"
Wei Xu’s pupils constricted. "Y-You know?"
Panic flashed in his dark eyes. "You’ve got it wrong. I’m not her son—I’m her brother. If you’re breaking up with her because of me, there’s no need. I won’t interfere. I can apply for boarding school right away. You’ll never see me again."
Ji Yanting fell silent.
The curve of the boy’s lips when he spoke was identical to Qiu Sang’s. He knew without a doubt—this was her son.
If he wanted to be with Qiu Sang…
He would have to accept this child.
And there was so much he didn’t know about her. She had kept so many things from him.
He lowered his gaze. "This isn’t about you. Don’t overthink it."
Wei Xu clenched his jaw.
He had hated that woman for as long as he could remember.
The hatred ran bone-deep. He wanted her to suffer as he had, to drown in misery.
But after coming to Haicheng and spending time with her, that hatred had inexplicably begun to fade.
She prepared a room for him.
She hired tutors to help him catch up in school.
She ordered takeout for him…
For a few days, she had been in unusually high spirits. After observing her, he realized—she was in love.
She would sit alone on the balcony, smiling to herself.
But last night, she had cried. The muffled sobs from the next room had twisted his heart.
Only then did he understand—he didn’t just hate her.
He loved her too.
But she didn’t love him.
He was a burden. A bastard. A disgrace. A sin.
He never should have been born.
Wei Xu gave Ji Yanting one last, deep look—then turned and ran.
A cold sweat broke out over Ji Yanting’s body.
That look—he had practiced it for roles before.
The look of utter despair. Of someone with nothing left to lose.
This kid was going to do something reckless.
"Wei Xu, wait!" Ji Yanting sprinted after him. "Stop! Don’t run!"
Wei Xu didn’t even glance back. He plunged into the flow of traffic and vanished.
At that moment, a group of college girls spotted Ji Yanting and swarmed him, clamoring for photos and autographs.
By the time he disentangled himself, Wei Xu was long gone.
Rong Yu was at home, playing chess with her "old son." After all these years, the man still played recklessly, charging forward without securing his base. Within a few moves, Rong Yu had wiped him out.
"Mom, can’t you go easy on me?" Old Master Ji pouted. "Just let me win once, okay?"
Rong Yu pressed a hand to his face. "At your age, that expression is painful to look at."
Bzzz!
Old Master Ji’s phone vibrated urgently.
Seeing it was his second son, he answered casually—only to hear panic on the other end. "Old Master, Wei Xu is missing…"
Old Master Ji frowned. "Who’s Wei Xu?"
Ji Yanting spoke rapidly. "Qiu Sang’s son. He ran out of Ji's Entertainment’s parking garage and disappeared across the street…"
Old Master Ji froze as if struck by a spell.
Was he hallucinating? Qiu Sang—that child—had a son?
Was it his second son’s?
When had that little brat fathered a child without telling the family?
Rong Yu took one look at her "old son’s" expression and knew he was jumping to wild conclusions.
She took the phone. "A-Yan, calm down. Explain slowly. What do you need?"
"Qiu Sang tried calling him, but his phone’s off. I’m afraid he might do something drastic," Ji Yanting said. "We need to check the surveillance cameras, but without official authorization, it’ll take too long. Wei Xu hasn’t been missing long enough for the police to file a report. Could Old Master Ji call the police chief?"
The Ji family had influence, but combing through every camera along the route would waste precious time.
And right now, time meant life or death.
Rong Yu’s fingers flew across the keyboard, typing lines of code. Within five minutes, she had extracted every surveillance image of Wei Xu…
