Lan Rouxue bit her lip.
Before she even graduated, Kou Xing had already established Kou Technologies, becoming particularly famous in the international student community.
He started from nothing, relying solely on himself, step by step, transforming what was once a four-person studio into the rising star of the business world today.
The moment he returned to the country, countless people sought collaborations with him.
Though Kou Technologies couldn’t compare to the Ji family’s empire, it had already become a presence that commanded respect in the business world.
More importantly, the Ji family’s power lay in the hands of Old Master Ji, with a swarm of brothers eyeing the throne.
But Kou Technologies? It was entirely under Kou Xing’s control.
As Lan Rouxue hesitated, a look of disdain flickered in Kou Xing’s eyes.
Just then, a knock sounded at the door.
Lan Yue, who had been playing with a puzzle nearby, stood up to answer it. But when she caught sight of Kou Xing, she called out loudly, "Who is it?"
"Yue, it’s me," Ji Zhiyuan’s voice came from outside. "Is your mother home?"
Lan Yue shuddered with relief—she hadn’t opened the door right away.
Lan Rouxue snapped out of her daze, grabbing Kou Xing’s arm and shoving him into the study before shutting the door.
Only then did Lan Yue pull the door open, sweetly calling out, "Daddy!"
Lan Rouxue looked at Ji Zhiyuan with complicated emotions. "What are you doing here?"
"I just called the Shang Family. They’ve agreed to lower the interest," Ji Zhiyuan said. "Only three hundred and thirty thousand needs to be repaid to get him back."
Lan Rouxue exhaled silently in relief.
She had the money.
But if she had a boyfriend, why should she have to pay it herself?
The thought filled her with resentment.
"Zhiyuan, you’re the eldest son of the Ji family, Old Master Ji’s favorite grandson. If you begged him, wouldn’t he give you the money?" Her voice trembled with emotion. "This amount is nothing to your family, but it could save my brother’s life."
Ji Zhiyuan was silent for a long moment before replying, "I know a few luxury resellers. They’ll give you a fair price for your things. You could—"
Lan Rouxue’s eyes dimmed with disappointment. "You’re no longer the Ji family’s heir, are you?"
Ji Zhiyuan thought of Rong Yu’s attitude.
More than once, he had called him foolish.
Compared to his great-grandmother’s extraordinary intellect, he really was a bit stupid.
She might very well strip him of his inheritance rights.
His silence was answer enough.
Lan Rouxue smiled.
So Kou Xing hadn’t lied to her.
Lowering her gaze, she made a subtle gesture to Lan Yue.
The girl understood.
Suddenly, she began gasping for air, her breathing ragged, her body swaying before collapsing backward.
Ji Zhiyuan caught her instantly. "Yue! What’s wrong?"
"She’s having an attack!" Lan Rouxue panicked, tears rolling down her cheeks. "I have to go get Zigang. Zhiyuan, could you please take Yue to the hospital? Just find Doctor Tian—he knows how to treat her..."
Ji Zhiyuan didn’t hesitate.
Scooping Lan Yue into his arms, he rushed out.
He was grateful he had come—otherwise, how would Rouxue have handled this mess alone?
The moment he was gone, Lan Rouxue wiped her tears, her voice low. "Kou Xing, come out. I’ll agree to your terms..."
A man who couldn’t even produce three hundred thousand wasn’t worthy of being her husband.
Ji Zhiyuan drove to a hospital near the villa.
The head of the department here was Lan Rouxue’s college classmate. Every time they came, they went straight to him.
But this time, the doctor wasn’t available.
With Lan Yue’s condition urgent, Ji Zhiyuan hurried to the emergency room to find another specialist.
As the doctor listened to Lan Yue’s breathing, he asked, "Has she had episodes like this before?"
"She has asthma," Ji Zhiyuan answered.
The doctor pressed further. "Exercise-induced or allergic?"
Ji Zhiyuan had never heard Lan Rouxue specify. He shook his head. "I don’t know."
"How can you be a father and not even know your child’s condition?" The doctor frowned, then paused. "These symptoms don’t seem like asthma. We’ll need to run some tests before we can prescribe anything."
"No! I don’t want tests!" Lan Yue, who had been struggling to breathe moments ago, suddenly burst into tears, clinging to Ji Zhiyuan. "Daddy, I’m fine now! I don’t need any tests!"
Seeing her recover so quickly, the doctor relaxed slightly. "Even if she seems fine now, she still needs a full examination. If there’s an issue, we treat it. Otherwise, future episodes could become life-threatening."
Lan Yue shook her head violently, sobbing in refusal.
But Ji Zhiyuan was firm. After paying the fees and waiting in line, they completed four or five tests in quick succession.
The results came back: adenoid hypertrophy.
Leaving Lan Yue in the hallway, Ji Zhiyuan stepped into the doctor’s office alone.
"You really don’t pay much attention to your child, do you? Adenoid hypertrophy is nothing like asthma—they’re completely unrelated!" The doctor scowled. "While adenoid hypertrophy can cause breathing difficulties, it usually happens during sleep. A sudden episode like your daughter’s? In all my years of practice, I’ve never heard of such a case. We’ll need further examination..."
Ji Zhiyuan’s expression darkened.
He had never once seen Lan Yue’s medical records.
Standing in the hospital corridor, countless memories resurfaced.
On Duoduo’s first birthday, Lan Yue had an "asthma attack," and he had been called away.
When Duoduo started kindergarten, he had wanted to take her himself—only for Lan Rouxue to call him in tears, saying Lan Yue was sick again.
Time after time, whenever he showed too much care for Duoduo, Lan Rouxue would sob over the phone, claiming Lan Yue was having another episode, begging him to take her to the hospital...
It had never occurred to him that it was all a lie.
But why had Lan Yue faked an illness to send him away tonight?
"Daddy, can we go now?" After hours of tests, Lan Yue was exhausted, nestling against him. "Daddy, I want to sleep."
Ji Zhiyuan held her close.
By the time they left the hospital, it was past three in the morning.
He drove Lan Yue home. The villa’s lights were still on. Lan Rouxue opened the door immediately, taking her daughter with a worried whisper, "What did the doctor say?"
Ji Zhiyuan’s voice was quiet. "Put Yue to bed first."
Lan Rouxue carried Lan Yue to her room, tucking her in. When she returned, she found Ji Zhiyuan’s gaze fixed on her—dark, unreadable, as if piercing straight into her soul.
Her heart skipped a beat. "What’s wrong?"
Ji Zhiyuan stepped toward her, his voice low and dangerous. "Why did you lie to me?"
Lan Rouxue’s pupils contracted.
For a moment, she wasn’t even sure which lie he meant.
"Yue doesn’t have asthma. Why have you been deceiving me all these years?" Every word was measured, his emotions barely restrained.
Lan Rouxue instinctively retreated.
With Lan Zigang’s crisis today, she had been too frazzled—too careless. She had forgotten to call her college friend and warn him.
A deception spanning over four years had just unraveled.
