Chapter 41#

When Ji Yang returned to the Ji family estate, the sun had already risen high.

Security at the gate was more than double the usual number, all in matching black uniforms with earpieces, waistbands bulging with gear. They didn’t even stop Nie Xu’s car—they let it through immediately. Ji Yang thought to himself that this was the grand show of the so-called “core asset voting,” looking more like a military control zone.

The car stopped at the foot of the steps in front of the main building.

Mo Yi was already waiting at the entrance. Upon seeing Ji Yang return, she stepped forward and looked him over. “You’ve lost weight. Honestly, you went to Zhouling and didn’t even come through the door when you got back, wouldn’t let me come with you either—out there all alone, who knows how much you suffered.”

Ji Yang: “It’s only been half a week. If you think I’ve lost weight, that’s just an illusion born of your affection for me.”

Ji Yang got out of the car, stretching his somewhat stiff knees.

Mo Yi smiled at Nie Xu, who had climbed out after him, and went to support his arm, lowering her voice: “It’s been quite lively today. The eldest branch and the second branch are at each other’s throats. The third branch wasn’t getting involved, but the Second Madam is making too much of a scene—the Third Madam even specifically asked me last night when you’d be coming back.”

Ji Yang thought about it. The Third Madam suddenly asking after him—maybe Ji Mingyue had actually warned her parents, and possibly even mentioned him.

Ji Yang: “It’s fine.” What concerned him more was: “With the eldest and second branches tearing at each other, so the eldest brother and third brother have turned on each other too?”

“Not exactly,” Mo Yi said. “I’ve watched it myself—when the Eldest Young Master first came back from the investigation, he was still alright. But ever since the Old Master repeatedly shot down his decisions, his spirit hasn’t been what it was. On top of that with his uncle’s mess, his whole demeanor is off. I saw that bastard with your eldest brother just this morning.”

Ji Yang reminded her, helplessly: “You live here at the Ji estate every day, and you still call him that?”

“I only say it behind closed doors.” Mo Yi’s expression turned disdainful. “You haven’t seen it—Yao Zhaoling is strutting around now. She used to be meek and submissive, but now she’s the one proactively inviting other madams out for afternoon tea, as if her son has really made something of himself. Someone should hand her a mirror—see if others actually think she’s worth the bother.”

Ji Yang thought of a word: false prosperity.

The Ji family still maintained the facade of Fanzhou’s number one noble household. After the Lanhai Bay project failed twice, the delisting, the shipping scandal, and countless other upheavals, the eldest and second branches were still battling fiercely. Outsiders saw an unshakable colossus. Even someone like the Second Madam might not see that beneath this skeleton, riddled with holes and long hollowed out, the foundation was all but gone.

Someone had single-handedly engineered all of this—or rather, gradually peeled back the facade to reveal it all to the world.

That person remained invisible.

Even now, people only knew him as the Old Master’s capable right-hand man, the weathervane of Building No. 4, a former bodyguard and even assistant to him, Ji Yang. But that was as far as the knowledge went.

Ji Yang turned around.

Nie Xu had retrieved something from the car and closed the door, looking at him. “What is it?”

Ji Yang: “I’m studying.”

“Studying what?” Nie Xu asked, his voice unruffled.

Ji Yang: “Studying how to remain composed when Mount Tai collapses before your eyes. Once we go inside, I’m afraid I won’t be able to stop myself from flipping the table if something goes off.”

“You can flip it,” Nie Xu said.

Ji Yang: “…You told me I had to come back today—wasn’t that so I’d swallow my pride and stay quiet?”

Nie Xu stepped forward two paces, leaning in slightly, and spoke softly beside Ji Yang’s ear: “Young Master, if you’re going to study composure, then study it properly. I never taught you anything about swallowing your pride.”

Ji Yang stiffened, turning his head to rub his ear.

So numb.

Nie Xu noticed the subtle movement and straightened, stepping back.

“Ji Yang.” A voice interrupted at that moment.

Ji Yang looked toward the main entrance and saw Ji Zhonglin and Ji Chengyi standing there.

“Eldest brother,” Ji Yang greeted, then glanced at the person beside him. “Third brother.”

Nie Xu also nodded to them.

Ji Zhonglin’s face was somewhat dark. “You’re back, so hurry inside. What are you dawdling out here for?” He looked at Nie Xu as he spoke, with a trace of guarded wariness. “Nie Xu, Ji Yang is the fourth young master of the Ji family, after all. Even with Grandfather’s orders, he’s not some prisoner.”

Ji Yang looked surprised, and Ji Chengyi glanced at Ji Zhonglin with equal astonishment.

Nie Xu: “Eldest Young Master jokes. I’m only responsible for delivering him safely.”

Ji Zhonglin waved Ji Yang over: “Come here.”

“Huh? Oh.” Ji Yang glanced at Nie Xu, then turned and walked up the steps.

Coming closer, he noticed that Ji Zhonglin really did look unwell. The redness in his eyes was obvious, and he had genuinely lost weight.

Just then Zhao Yuan came over to announce that everyone inside had more or less assembled. Ji Chengyi turned to Nie Xu: “Want to head over together? Grandfather’s been looking for you since early morning.” After calling out to Nie Xu, he turned back to Ji Zhonglin. “Eldest brother, I’ll head in first.” He glanced at Ji Yang, then continued to Ji Zhonglin: “Don’t get angry at him. After all, he doesn’t know anything.”

Ji Zhonglin pressed his fingertips to his temples: “Mm. You go ahead first.”

As soon as Ji Chengyi and Nie Xu left, Ji Yang asked: “What is it I don’t know?”

“You don’t know the current state of the Ji family.” Ji Zhonglin studied him for a moment, then said abruptly: “It’s not necessarily bad to leave the Ji family.”

Ji Yang: “Are you talking about me, or yourself?”

“You.” Ji Zhonglin’s tone returned to normal. Then, frowning, he began to lecture: “I told you before—stay away from Nie Xu. The businesses he deals with daily aren’t simple, and not necessarily clean. Don’t get involved with him when there’s no reason to.”

So he’d gotten a whiff of the Ji family’s underground dealings? No wonder he’d fallen out of the Old Master’s favor lately.

Ji Yang pointed in the direction the two had walked off. “Well, the third brother just invited Nie Xu to walk over together—why don’t you say something about that?”

Ji Zhonglin followed his gaze. “Chengyi has already taken on far more than someone his age should have to.” His eyes flicked back. “Don’t always target him because of Nie Xu. They just happened to know each other before.”

Ji Yang felt a vein throbbing at his temple.

He fired off question after question:

“Don’t tell me it was the third brother who told you Nie Xu is running illegal business for the Old Master?”

“Don’t tell me he said he only knows Nie Xu.”

“And for God’s sake, don’t tell me you actually believed him?”

Each sentence rose higher in pitch.

Ji Zhonglin’s brow creased deeply: “What kind of expression is that?”

“The expression that your naivete frightens me.” Ji Yang stepped closer and patted Ji Zhonglin’s shoulder, sighing: “Although this probably sounds like me trying to drive a wedge between you—seeing as you’ve technically looked after me over the years—I’ll say this much in goodwill: you think you’re being clear-headed, but you should also think about what you stand to lose, and who stands to benefit.”

Ji Zhonglin caught on to what he was implying, first surprised that Ji Yang would say such a thing.

Then, defending Ji Chengyi: “I was the one who proposed handing the shipping business to him in the first place. He was the one who kept declining.”

Ji Yang raised an eyebrow: “If he really wanted to push it off, then what is this family meeting today all about?”

Ji Zhonglin fell silent.

It was as if too many things had piled up during this period, and in this moment he appeared somewhat hesitant.

Ji Yang didn’t want to spell it out.

In the book, Ji Chengyi was a clever man. Although in Ji Yang’s eyes he had long since shed his coat of kindness, others didn’t see it that way.

If they didn’t see it, so be it.

When a person has ambition, there is always a moment when it can no longer be concealed.

Besides, in Ji Yang’s view, Ji Zhonglin’s situation was even more complicated.

Ji Yang probed: “How about, when you have free time, you go visit a gay bar or something?”

“What?” Ji Zhonglin hadn’t recovered from that wildly out-of-context remark.

Ji Yang: “I’m saying, if because of the third brother you have any confusion about your orientation, or some moral-emotional guilt complex, go check out places like that more often. Once a person’s moral bottom line is lowered, wisdom tends to come easier.”

Emotional wisdom. See enough of it, and the hidden thrill of transgression wears off. Whether it could cure a love-struck brain, he wasn’t sure.

A perfectly authoritative and capable man—placed in a normal family, he’d at least qualify as a golden bachelor. Yet here he was, with both branches fighting openly, still believing Ji Chengyi’s heart was as clean as a mirror.

Ji Zhonglin figured out what he meant, and steam nearly shot from the top of his head.

His voice boomed: “What nonsense are you spouting?!”

Ji Yang looked aggrieved: “He literally said he and Nie Xu only know each other, so what’s wrong with my saying a couple of words? Eldest brother is really too biased.”

Ji Zhonglin took two deep breaths.

He had a headache from the sudden waft of green-tea bitchiness.

Irritably: “Can you at least not make it so blatantly obvious every time you say this kind of thing? Afraid people won’t catch on?”

“It’s for you to see.” Ji Yang patted Ji Zhonglin’s shoulder again and headed inside. “Mingyue wasn’t wrong—a straight man like you is only fit to detect my level of green-tea bitchery.”

Ji Zhonglin: “…I knew it. Whenever you two put your heads together behind my back, nothing good comes of it.”

Ji Yang waved his hand: “Thanks for the compliment.”

Ji Yang and Ji Zhonglin entered the main hall one after the other.

It was similar to the trial of Ji Yang last time—the members of every branch had all arrived, though there were even more people this time. Alongside the several senior elders from other branches, there were also a few young members from the Ji family’s peripheral lines. Some of them Ji Yang had crossed paths with back in Haicheng. Many of them were essentially low-level functionaries.

The Old Master sat in the seat of honor, with Zhao Yuan and Nie Xu standing behind him.

Ji Yang swept his gaze along the long table and found the seating actually had its subtleties. He could faintly sense the signs of factional alignment.

They were about to start a fight before they’d even begun.

Each side holding to its own position.

“This is obvious, isn’t it? President Ji has served as CEO of the Ji Corporation for quite some time now. In terms of tenure, experience, and capability, he’s the most suitable candidate.”

“I disagree. Young President Ji is a better fit. Although he’s younger, his abilities are equally evident to all.”

Seeing that persuasion wasn’t working, they began to stab at each other.

“Regarding Chairman Zhu’s situation—it may not be directly related to President Ji, but they are close relatives. The fallout has been wide-reaching.”

“What kind of problem is that? Young President Ji may have decent ability, but he doesn’t have any major successful project backing him. The Lanhai Bay project suffered setback after setback, and considering his background—where does he get the confidence?”

A clear two-faction rivalry.

The Second Madam was a formidable figure. Compared to Ji Changshou and Yao Zhaoling, her roots ran incomparably deeper. Many of the branch family members belonged to the second faction. Certain remarks, made without restraint, rang especially harsh.

Ji Changshou was the first who couldn’t take it.

He slammed the table: “Stick to the facts! Attacking someone over their birth—how does your Zhu Liqian getting caught in bed with someone else factor into that?!”

“Ji Changshou!” The Second Madam shot to her feet instantly. “Using your own sister-in-law against him—where does a grown man like you get the nerve? Your sordid affairs from the past—dragging them out would dirty people’s ears!”

The Second Madam had completely lost her elegance and composure.

Her husband beside her pulled her back down into her seat. His expression was black as thunder, and the Second Madam’s face looked even worse. She pointed defiantly toward the eldest branch, then shouted: “I was set up! In a situation like this, besides the people in the eldest branch, who else would be capable of something like this?!”

Ji Zhonglin seemed to have had enough: “Mother! Can you stop making a scene?!”

“A scene?” The Second Madam’s face crumpled with hurt at being reprimanded by her own son. “I raised you through so much hardship, and this is what I get—now you’re siding with outsiders against your own mother. You’re really something.”

Yao Zhaoling then spoke up, her voice not loud: “Second Sister-in-law, there’s no need to say such things and wound the child. You keep insisting the eldest branch framed you, but no one in the eldest branch would do such a thing.”

The Second Madam laughed coldly: “You’ve raised two fine sons, haven’t you? Now they’re each more impressive than the last. Who knows?”

Ji Yang hadn’t even found a seat yet before he was force-fed gossip.

He hadn’t even swallowed it, and now he was being nauseated by it too.

Wait—what did this have to do with him?

Watching the eyes converging on him from every direction, Ji Yang elegantly rolled his eyes. “First of all, I was not raised by Yao Zhaoling. Second, although I may lack in moral character, I’ve always respected my elders. Third, passing up gossip is a sin against human nature—did any of you see me post a single word about it online?”

Those gazes gradually withdrew.

Upon reflection, this matter really didn’t have much to do with him. He wasn’t even a candidate for business succession, and his long-standing discord with Ji Chengyi was well known—there was no need for him to target the second branch.

But the Second Madam had been too definitive in her accusations, which made the eldest branch the prime suspect.

Ji Chengyi chose that moment to speak: “Everyone, please stop arguing. Grandfather is here today, and we’re here for serious business. Personal matters can wait.”

The Old Master also stirred from his closed-eyed state.

He opened his eyes: “Ah Xu, pass it out.”

Ji Yang, standing at the far end, was the last to receive the document.

Inside was clearly evidence of Zhu Guangsheng’s years of embezzlement.

The hall fell silent for a long while.

The Old Master releasing this material meant he had already made up his mind about the choice. Anyone present with half a brain could see it. But shipping was the core business of Haicheng—whoever held it would very likely be designated as the Old Master’s successor.

The Second Madam gripped the document, her manicured nails nearly punching clean through the two sheets of paper.

Ji Zhonglin was the first to report on the group’s recent situation—data, progress, difficulties—his account clear and methodical. The Second Madam tried to interject several times, but Ji Zhonglin shut her down with a look each time.

When it came to the shipping division, the Old Master swept his gaze across the room: “Zhu Guangsheng’s matter has been dealt with. Shipping can’t remain vacant. I called you here today to settle on the person who’ll take over.”

Nie Xu stepped forward from behind the Old Master and placed a stack of ballots on the table: “Voting will determine it. Each person present gets one vote, across two rounds. The first round is anonymous—anyone whose name appears on a ballot will have a five-minute speaking opportunity. Then we proceed to the second round of open voting. The final outcome will be decided.”

Ji Yang pinched the thin slip of paper and subconsciously glanced to the side.

Ji Mingyue twisted away, muttering: “You cheating on homework like you’re in primary school?”

Ten minutes later.

All ballots were back in Nie Xu’s hands.

“Ji Chengyi—one vote.”

“Ji Chengyi—two votes.”

“Ji Zhonglin—one vote.”

…

“Ji Zhonglin—five votes.”

“Ji Yang—one vote.”

When Ji Yang heard his own name, he reflexively shot a glare at Ji Mingyue. Ji Mingyue returned a provocative look that said, Yep, that was me.

But then, Ji Yang heard his name come up again and again, occasionally sandwiched between the other two names.

Never mind Ji Yang—many people in the room had strange expressions, exchanging glances.

Only Nie Xu remained.

Finally, he announced with composure: “Twenty-eight votes in total. Ji Chengyi, eight votes. Ji Zhonglin, eleven votes. Ji Yang, nine votes.”

Nie Xu gathered the ballots neatly: “Now we begin individual speeches.”

Many people stared at each other. No one had expected Ji Yang’s final count to exceed Ji Chengyi’s.

Some looked displeased. The most displeased were Ji Changshou and Yao Zhaoling.

After all, a single vote of difference was practically a slap in Ji Chengyi’s face.

Ji Yang noticed that while Ji Chengyi maintained his calm smile, the deeper emotions in his eyes were leaking through the way the fountain pen in his hand kept clicking open and shut.

Ji Yang raised his hand in the middle of the hall.

Nie Xu looked up: “Speak.”

“I can certainly understand that many people most likely didn’t want to get involved, so they chose the innocent me instead.” Ji Yang stood at the end of the long table, nearly on a diagonal line with Nie Xu. “Given that premise, is this speech really necessary?”

Ji Yansong rapped the table: “Do you think this is child’s play?”

“Isn’t it?” Ji Yang shot back. Remembering someone’s earlier comments about swallowing his pride, he pointed at Nie Xu: “I could give a speech, sure—just have my assistant draft a speech for me first. Then I’ll consider whether I actually want to fight for this family fortune.”

Every pair of eyes in the room fell on Nie Xu. Those unfamiliar with him, those wary, those speculating—all their gazes ultimately traced back to the past rumors between the two.

This fourth young master had been going off-script lately.

And now he was publicly demanding things, emphasizing his claim to rights—wasn’t that just asking for trouble?

Finally, after staring at him for a long while, Ji Yansong relented.

“Ah Xu. Write it for him.”

The onlookers sighed in reflection: This fourth young master was truly not the same as before.

Ji Yang: All of you sitting here brought this on. If he doesn’t write it, I’ll really start saying whatever comes to mind.