Inside the study room in the Ji Mansion, Grandfather Ji sat behind his desk. His eyes stare intensely at the figure across from him.
"Ah Ling, are you going to explain? How do you know Lu Tian and when did you both meet?"
He has watched Lu Tian grow into a fine young man. He also knows that the boy is not interest in women, even he thought the boy was into men. Not only that, there has never been any rumors about the boy dating.
His eyes narrow and his words continue.
"As your yeye, you shouldn"t lie to me."
Saying this his eyes narrow more until they are barely open. Until he thought of something and his eyes widen.
"Two people living at Jade Condos…. Is that how you both met?"
Yue Ling remains calm. She did not wince at all to his words. Even though she could feel the intimidating aura, she flicks it away like swatting a fly.
After all, she is his granddaughter and knows him better than anyone. Not only that, he was one of the elders who trained her.
Seeing the old man"s face slowly turn red from her silence, she sighs inside. She leans back on the chair and cross her arms over her chest.
"Lu Tian and I met when I first arrived in Imperial. We met a few times by coincidence and now we"re engaged."
"What?!!"
Grandfather Ji"s eyes widen in shock. He abruptly stood up and pace back and forth in the room. Both his arms motion in the air like he is dancing.
"Aiya! What kind of news is this? You"ve both known each other since then? How can I meet your parents now? Engage? What do I tell Old Han? What will my wife think of me now?"
Grandfather Ji stops by his desk for support and ma.s.sage his temples.
"Ah Ling, tell me, how did you become engage to Lu Tian…. Eh? EH?!"
He froze once he realized something was not right. His eyes slowly widen along with his mouth. The look he has reminds one of a sloth.
"Engage?"
He gasps aloud and his legs turn weak. He staggers back to his chair and sits down.
"En…En…gage…"
Did he hear that wrong? No, she clearly said engage. How?
He could not believe it. How can his granddaughter be engaged to Lu Tian? He thought they were only seeing each other or at most dating.
But engaged?
"How can this be?"
Grandfather Ji was at a loss for words. Without thinking, he had whispered his thoughts. He ma.s.sages his temples again and mutter random words to himself.
Yue Ling stare at her grandfather with a complex expression. She couldn"t help but question whether she had thought wrong. Could it be that her grandfather didn"t like Lu Tian?
Thinking this, she sat up straightly and looks at her grandfather with stern eyes. However, there is a mixture of a.s.surance and love.
"Yeye, although Lu Tian appears cold, he is really good to me."
"….."
Grandfather Ji jumped at her words. He cast her a glance and seeing how she must have gotten the wrong idea, he is even more dumbfounded.
He takes a deep breath to calm his head and wave his hand before ma.s.saging his temples again.
"Ah Ling, how can you get engage to someone without informing me? What if he turns out to be a bad man?"
Yue Ling felt guilty hearing his words. The old man was right, she should have told him. However, she and Lu Tian never talked about it. Even she hasn"t met his family, so she cannot say if his family knows about her.
Grandfather Ji sees her expression and he sighs again.
"Alright, if Lu Tian is good to you then that"s all that matters. After all, dating is dating and engaged is engaged."
He leans back on the chair and his words continue.
"Bring him to visit. At least introduce him to me."
"….."
Yue Ling furrow her brows and she tilt her head. Her grandfather"s words did not make any sense at all.
"Yeye, don"t you already know Lu Tian? Why do you want meet someone you already know?"
Grandfather Ji scoffs at her and his palm hits the desk.
"I know Lu Tian. As a matter of fact, I know him very well, but I don"t know your fiancé, Lu Tian. As your yeye, it"s only natural for me to meet the man who proposed to my granddaughter!"
"….."
Yue Ling stare at her grandfather speechlessly. After a long minute, she lift her hand and pinch the s.p.a.ce between her brows.
"Fine. I"ll bring him to visit you."
Hearing this, Grandfather Ji"s eye lit up with fireworks. A sudden idea quickly comes to mind and leans forward.
"Ah Ling, does Lu Tian know that you are my granddaughter? Did you tell him?"
Yue Ling shook her head and her voice sounds.
"No, he doesn"t know."
She has told him about her past, but not her relations.h.i.+p to her yeye.
Grandfather Ji nod his head and stroke his chin.
"I see. So, he really doesn"t know."
He had been curious as to why Lu Tian was so clueless. The truth was his granddaughter never told the boy. It was no wonder the boy didn"t suspect anything when they met at Imperial Military Hospital.
Thinking this, the dead light bulb on top of his head lights up. A glint of light flash in his eyes and he comes up with an idea.
"Ah Ling, how about you invite Lu Tian to my birthday banquet? Yes?"
Yue Ling tilt her head and the s.p.a.ce between her brow crease into three lines. She ponders on about her grandfather"s question.
Invite Lu Tian? Wouldn"t that go against their promise that she is the granddaughter of Imperial"s General Ji?
Knowing what is on her mind, Grandfather Ji sighs and voice his opinion.
"Ah Ling, sooner or later Lu Tian will find out. He is a smart man. Besides, I want to reveal your ident.i.ty at the banquet. What do you say?"
Yue Ling pout her lip. She remembers the reason why they kept her ident.i.ty hidden and looks at her yeye.
"Is this a good idea? After all, wasn"t it so that-"
Before she could finish her words, Grandfather Ji stuck his palm out to stop her. He slowly stood from his seat and walks over to the window.
He held his hands behind his back and open his mouth.
"Ah Ling, we"ve kept you hidden since your birth."
He sighs as his last word fell and he stares out the window.
"You know, it was requested by your father and mother."
Speaking of his daughter and son-in-law, his eyes soften as their faces appear in his mind.
"Being your grandfather and only blood family left, I want to do this. Despite any danger that might occur in the future, I am well prepare for it."
He slowly turns to her and the intimidating aura around him is replace with warmth.
"What do you say?"
Yue Ling stares at her grandfather with mix emotions.
When she was four, she had always wonder why people didn"t know she was the great General Ji"s granddaughter. At the time, she was young and did not understand the reason.
It wasn"t until she turned six that she finally understood.
Her mother is someone from a family who follows the law and her father from a family that goes against the law.
In order to not let the underworld know who her maternal family is, they had to keep her ident.i.ty hidden. Even her mother"s background was wiped clean with no traces related to the Ji family.
If the underworld knew, no one can a.s.sure the safety of her maternal family.
If it means bringing harm to Fate, even by a little, they would stop at nothing.
Yue Ling slowly blink her eyes and looks at her grandfather.
She can see that he has grown older over the past years. However, despite his old age, he is still the highly distinguish General.
Her lip curl into a pleasant smile and she nods her head.
"I think it"s not a bad idea."
Hearing her agreement, Grandfather Ji sighs in relief. He can finally tell the world who is real granddaughter is.
Yue Ling sees his happy expression and she lightly shook her head.
In the past, her family had always protected her. When her parents and paternal grandfather left, it was her yeye who never let any harm come to her.
She had only agreed because she is no longer the little girl who needed to be protected. This time, she will be the one to protects her love ones from any harm.
Anyone who dares touch a strand of their hair, she will collect their fate.
Grandfather Ji who is oblivious to his granddaughter"s thoughts beamed with happiness. He strides over to his desk and sits down.
However, the moment he sat down, his eyes stares straight into hers with a stern expression.
"Ah Ling, what about Ji Corps? Can I hand over Ji Corps to you? Hm?"
Yue Ling pout her lip and ponder in thoughts. Her expression is unreadable as she comes to a decision.
"Let me think it over."
Saying this, she glances at the window and sees that the grey sky outside had darken.
She slowly got up and smiles.
"Yeye, it"s getting late. I won"t be staying for lunch since I have to meet Lin Hui. So, I will take my leave."
"Alright. Go home before it starts raining."
Grandfather Ji sighs his words. Just when she almost walks out the door, he calls out with a smile.
"Ah Ling, don"t forget your promises! Also, keep it a secret from him until my birthday!"
Yue Ling shook her head and walks out of the study room.
Grandfather Ji laughs as he watch his granddaughter leave.
He is very happy to know that Yue Ling and Lu Tian are engaged. His reaction earlier was out of pure shock. He had wanted them to meet and yet, they were already two steps ahead of him.
Until her footsteps was not heard anymore, Grandfather leans back on his chair. The smile on his face slowly lowers and he close his eyes.
He knows that he is asking for too much from his granddaughter, but he hopes that she will consider taking over Ji Corps.
His eyes slowly open and looks at the neatly lined pictures on his desk.
The look on his face soften, but one can see how exhausted he is.
When Han Min Joon and Ji An Ling left, they left H-International to their young daughter.
When Old Han left, he left Fate to his teenage granddaughter.
And now… He is pus.h.i.+ng the weight of Ji Corps onto his adult granddaughter.
To think Yue Ling has to carry so much weigh on her shoulders.