Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

  These words made Mu Jingzhe’s nose sting. She lowered her head and held back her tears, trying her best to calm herself.

  The moment she lowered her head, Old Master Ji saw a bit of the white hair that Mu Jingzhe had tried her best to hide but had still revealed. His eyes instantly ached.

  Buwang had left. The most pitiful ones and the ones in the greatest agony were him and Jingzhe. Unfortunately, he had to leave too. After he left, Jingzhe would be left to endure this alone in the world. He shouldn’t leave, but he had no choice.

  Momentarily, Old Master Ji didn’t know if Ji Buwang had done the right thing or not. Looking at Mu Jingzhe’s white hair, he even thought that perhaps Ji Buwang should have been reported as missing, just to give Mu Jingzhe some hope. Maybe that would have been better.

  If he had left behind a glimmer of hope, Jingzhe might not be having such a difficult time now. Her hair wouldn’t have turned so white at such a young age either.

  That way, Mu Jingzhe might have lived in hope and disappointment for the rest of her life, just like the four years when Ji Buwang had been in a coma.

  Upon thinking of those difficult four years and then looking at Mu Jingzhe’s white hair, Old Master Ji couldn’t decide whether it was better that Mu Jingzhe had given up completely or if it would have been better to give her some hope.

  Buwang might have chosen this method precisely because he had experienced those four years. However, it was too difficult to decide. No matter the choice, it wouldn’t be easy.

  Old Master Ji had a lot to say to Mu Jingzhe but didn’t know where to start.

  In the end, it was Mu Jingzhe who calmed down and spoke first. “Grandpa, let’s not talk about this. You’ll get better.”

  Old Master Ji came back to his senses. “I’m old and I should have left long ago. Don’t be sad. At my age, this is a ‘happy?funeral1‘.”

  Given Old Master Ji’s current state, his death would actually be a relief. He had experienced too much in this lifetime. He had lost his children, his spouse, and his grandchildren. He had experienced all these three hardships in life, and not just once or twice.

  Old Master Ji held Mu Jingzhe’s hand. “Jingzhe, I’ll entrust Xiao Wu and the Ji Family to you. There’s also Moling. He’s not young, but he’s still not steady enough. You should watch over him more in the future. If he’s disobedient, you should teach him a lesson.”

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  In the end, Old Master Ji still chose the path Ji Buwang had taken, as he had no other choice.

  Ever since Ji Buwang had left, Tang Moling had been by Old Master Ji’s side. He had become a lot steadier during this period of time. When he heard Old Master Ji’s words, he looked up at Mu Jingzhe.

  Mu Jingzhe nodded. “Alright, I’ll watch over him. I’m his aunt after all.”

  Upon seeing her nod, Old Master Ji heaved a sigh of relief. “Did you hear that? Tang Moling, you have to listen to your aunt. Your uncle has left, and so will I soon enough. You can’t do whatever you want from now on.”

  “I heard you.” Tang Moling nodded. “I’ll listen to her.”

  “That’s good.” Old Master Ji held Xiao Wu’s hand again. “Xiao Wu, Grandpa has let you down. I can’t keep you company anymore. You have to listen to Mommy in the future.”

  Xiao Wu nodded. “I know.”

  Old Master Ji looked at Xiao Wu, his eyes filled with reluctance. After all, he wouldn’t get to see Xiao Wu grow up. Fortunately, Mu Jingzhe would be there. With her around, he felt at ease.

  Old Master Ji finally looked at Mu Jingzhe. “Jingzhe, live well. Don’t follow my footsteps. This was also Buwang’s wish.”

  Mu Jingzhe nodded. “I know. I’ll live well on behalf of Ji Buwang too. Since he saved me like that, I have no right to die.”

  Her life didn’t belong to her now. It belonged to Ji Buwang. She had no right to die, as she had to cherish it.

  Old Master Ji should have been at ease when he heard that, but when she reacted, he felt that something was amiss. Could Jingzhe know the truth?

  He had promised not to tell Mu Jingzhe the truth for the rest of his life.

  “Jingzhe, you…” Old Master Ji’s expression was uncertain. He wanted to ask but didn’t know what to say. Mu Jingzhe could tell what he wanted to ask, but she didn’t answer.

  She didn’t know the truth, but because she had suddenly fainted due to hemophobia, she had already guessed it.

  However, Ji Buwang hadn’t wanted her to know the secret behind her survival, so she pretended not to know and didn’t ask around.

  Since Ji Buwang had hoped she wouldn’t find out, she would pretend not to know.

  Old Master Ji had been hanging on just to see Mu Jingzhe and Ji Buwang’s ashes. After seeing them, he passed away in the middle of the night.

  He died in his sleep and left very peacefully without suffering.

  However, it had been less than three months since Ji Buwang had left. At the end of the day, he only left because Ji Buwang was gone. Otherwise, he might have been able to live for a few more years.

  The Ji Family held two funerals in three months.

  The person who carried Old Master Ji’s portrait was Xiao Wu. After Old Master Ji died, Xiao Wu discussed it with Shao Qihai, who had rushed to the capital to help with the funeral arrangements. After also talking about it with Mu Jingzhe, Tang Moling, and his siblings, he decided to change his surname to Ji.

  Previously, with Ji Buwang around, it hadn’t mattered if he changed his surname or not. In any case, Ji Buwang would have children in the future, and surnames weren’t that important.

  However, things were different now. Ji Buwang was no longer around, and only he and Tang Moling were left in the Ji Family. They felt that it didn’t matter and that Tang Moling was also family, but outsiders viewed it differently.

  Xiao Wu heard people say that no matter how rich the Ji Family was, in the end, their bloodline had still reached its end. They still had no descendants left.

  Regardless of whether they were sighing or gloating, their tone made one feel uncomfortable. Xiao Wu didn’t want Old Master Ji to hear such words and finally decided to change his surname to Ji.

  Shao Qihai agreed when he heard him bring it up. Xiao Wu was a member of the Ji Family to begin with. In the past, he had always said that he didn’t want them to snatch Xiao Wu because Ji Buwang had still been fine. Now… what else was there to say?

  The matter was settled. No one thought of asking Shao Qiyun for her opinion, for she had gone crazy. She was still alive, but her life wasn’t much different from death.

  People always said that a scourge would live for a thousand years. How true. Zhao Lan and Shao Qiyun were half-dead but still alive, but Ji Buwang had left just like that.

  The heavens were too unfair.

  Fortunately, in the end, the Ji Family had still left behind Xiao Wu, an only child. After Xiao Wu acknowledged his ancestors and returned to the Ji Family, although some people kept gossiping behind their backs, no one said that the Ji Family’s bloodline had reached its end anymore.

  Old Master Ji and Ji Buwang were buried in the Ji Family’s ancestral grave together.

  Because Ji Buwang’s ashes remained in the capital, and Shao Dong and the others might also frequently stay in the capital in the future, Mu Jingzhe later bought a house in the capital, planning to stay there for a long time.

  She took turns staying in three places—the capital, Ocean City, and the county. Li Zhaodi and the rest had no objections to this, as Mu Han was often stationed in the capital now.

  Now that Xiao Wu had returned to the Ji Family, he was considered the newest heir of the family. Because Tang Moling had often been enslaved by Ji Buwang previously, he could handle many things by now. Although there was a period of chaos, he quickly straightened things out. Other than the fact that Tang Moling became even busier, nothing else had changed.

  Tang Moling had never thought of monopolizing everything in the Ji Family. He only wanted the portion that Old Master Ji had left him. After all, it was already a lot. He still wanted Xiao Wu to take over the rest after the latter inherited it.