Only three people remained in the grand hall.
Old Master Ji spoke in a grave voice, "A-Yan, why did he call you 'brother'? Who exactly is the outsider here?"
Ji Yanting pressed his lips together, his voice hoarse as he replied, "Old Master, he is the orphaned child of the Zhou family I mentioned to you before. His mother entrusted him to me on her deathbed. He has no other family left—he can only rely on me. Calling me 'brother' shouldn’t be an issue."
Old Master Ji finally remembered.
About ten years ago, when Ji Yanting had just debuted as an actor, he starred in a film.
He played a child from a single-parent household—a father long dead, a mother battling cancer. To make the story feel more authentic, the director had actually cast a terminally ill actress to play his mother.
Shortly after filming wrapped, the actress passed away.
Though her role had only a few scenes, the mother and son had spent a long time bonding to capture those crucial moments. That was how Ji Yanting had come to know Zhou Yachen.
Back then, Zhou Yachen was only ten years old, trailing behind Ji Yanting and calling him "brother" incessantly.
"When we were filming that movie, his mother genuinely treated me well—she took great care of me," Ji Yanting said slowly. "Before Aunt Zhou died, she held my hand and made me swear to protect Yachen for the rest of his life. I have to keep my word."
A soft laugh came from the side.
Ji Yanting looked up. "What are you laughing at?"
"If she truly cared about you, she wouldn’t have made a child like you take on the role of a father to her son," Rong Yu said with a smirk. "Isn’t that just emotional blackmail?"
Ji Yanting’s expression darkened. "No matter what your relationship with Old Master is, you have no right to speak here."
"You insolent brat—apologize!" Old Master Ji’s face flushed with fury. "You disgrace! Didn’t you hear me? Apologize—now, immediately, at once!"
Ji Yanting clenched his jaw.
On the way here, he had done some digging. Rong Yu was just a high school student who had skyrocketed to fame after joining a talent show sponsored by the Ji Group.
She had no real ties to the Ji family.
If there was any connection at all, it was that Old Master had recently taken an interest in the show.
Could it be… he was her fan?
"Old Master, I think you’ve lost your senses," Ji Yanting said coldly. "I won’t comment on you, at your age, chasing after celebrities. But canceling contracts with signed artists just for this Miss Rong—isn’t that crossing the line?"
Old Master Ji nearly choked on his own anger, his nostrils flaring.
Rong Yu reached over and patted his back. "Why do you always get so worked up? Experts say people who anger easily don’t live long. Go sit down."
Ji Yanting’s eyes widened.
Not only had she just implied Old Master wouldn’t live long—she had the audacity to order him to sit down like some misbehaving child?
And the most unbelievable part? Old Master actually obeyed, meekly settling onto the sofa…
The formidable chairman of the Ji Group, a titan of the business world, now looked like an obedient, well-behaved child.
This had to be a hallucination…
Ji Yanting rubbed his eyes.
Rong Yu poured Old Master Ji a glass of water before finally turning her gaze to her great-grandson. "A-Yan, do you really know Zhou Yachen?"
Ji Yanting’s face darkened further. "Who gave you permission to call me A-Yan?"
"You don’t know him," Rong Yu continued. "He disrespects brands, directors, and even his fellow actors… Ask around, and you’ll find out I’m telling the truth."
Ji Yanting fell silent.
Several directors in the industry had privately hinted at Zhou Yachen’s problematic behavior.
He had gone out of his way to hire multiple tutors to coach Zhou Yachen in acting fundamentals—he thought the boy had changed…
Before he could respond, Ji Zhiyuan hurried in.
He had been in a meeting when he heard about the commotion downstairs and rushed over immediately.
But now, he found his younger brother, their great-grandmother, and Old Master all staring at each other in tense silence.
"A-Yuan, perfect timing," Rong Yu said, taking a sip of water. "Notify all departments under the Ji Group—Zhou Yachen is to be blacklisted from any future collaborations."
Ji Yanting’s pupils constricted.
Before he could even process the shock of hearing his elder brother addressed so familiarly, those words struck him like a blow.
His lips curled into a sneer.
Did this woman even understand what she was saying?
Just because Old Master favored her, she thought she could meddle in the Ji Group’s business affairs?
What gave her the right?
Before he could retort, his idolized elder brother, Ji Zhiyuan, responded calmly, "Understood, Great-Grandmother."
Ji Yanting froze.
The usually composed and refined actor found his lips trembling uncontrollably. "Brother… what did you just call her?"
"Rong Yu is the true matriarch of the Ji family—our great-grandmother. I know it’s shocking, but now isn’t the time for that."
Ji Zhiyuan spoke evenly. "About Zhou Yachen… I’ve been meaning to talk to you. Let’s do the math—since he was ten, you’ve covered his tuition, living expenses, medical bills… He failed his college entrance exams, so you brought him into the entertainment industry, securing him roles and investing heavily in his career. He’s long been an adult with a job. There’s a limit to playing father figure."
Rong Yu silently scoffed to herself.
Wasn’t Ji Zhiyuan the same, fussing over Lan Yue like a doting father? Now he had the nerve to lecture others…
"We’ll discuss Zhou Yachen later," Ji Yanting said through gritted teeth, narrowing his eyes at Rong Yu. "Brother, do you even understand what 'great-grandmother' means?"
Ji Zhiyuan understood his bewilderment all too well—he had once felt the same.
He nodded. "Some things in this world defy scientific explanation. We may never know the reason, but the truth remains—she is our great-grandmother."
Ji Yanting was convinced his brother had lost his mind. "Do you have proof?"
"Proof? What nonsense!" Old Master Ji slammed his glass down. "My mother is my mother—she doesn’t need proof! If you dare question her, get out of the Ji family! Consider yourself no grandson of mine!"
"Why do you always pick fights with the kids?" Rong Yu nudged him back onto the sofa before looking up. "A-Yan, since it’s our first meeting, how about calling me 'Great-Grandmother'?"
Ji Yanting’s jaw tightened.
This woman was younger than him—asking him to call her "Great-Grandmother" was absurd.
What kind of spell had Old Master fallen under?
And how could his brother say it so easily?
"I was hoping you, the award-winning actor, could give your great-grandmother a leg up in the industry. Seems like that’s out of the question now." Old Master Ji stood. "A-Yan’s always been stubborn, Mother. Don’t take it to heart. It’s noon—let’s eat first, then come back for the shoot."
Mother and son walked out side by side.
Ji Yanting lowered his voice. "Brother… the financial troubles you’ve been having lately, borrowing money left and right—it’s because of her, isn’t it?"
"Don't keep referring to her as just 'a woman.' It's disrespectful to Great-Grandmother." Ji Zhiyuan took out his phone, opened a document, and handed it over. "There was international news yesterday—a high-speed probe used a gravitational tractor to alter an asteroid's trajectory. The current probability of it hitting Earth is zero... Do you know who calculated all the data for that gravitational tractor and the asteroid?"
