At 4:44 p.m. on May 4, Flight ZH7623 lost contact while in the airspace and subsequently crashed.
After half a month of search efforts and emergency support, hundreds of rescuers arrived at the accident site overnight to carry out search and rescue operations.
There were a total of 98 passengers on board and no one survived. The exact cause of the accident is still under investigation.
It had already been a full two months since the accident occurred yet on the television news, that piece of information was still being broadcast on a constant loop.
The headline, displayed in white text against a red background, repeatedly swept across the screen, as though emphasizing over and over again just how serious the incident had been.
The enormous living room was packed with people today. There were relatives sitting on the sofas, on stools and even along the edges of the coffee table, some familiar to Jiang Ci, while others were faces he barely recognized.
Aunts, uncles and those older uncles who stuffed red envelopes into his hands every Lunar New Year.
In fact, the air was filled with the mixed smells of cigarette smoke, tea and some cheap perfume whose source he could not identify. The unpleasant combination made the little boy feel distinctly uncomfortable and uneasy.
Right in the middle of the living room, perched on a small stool, was a tiny figure curled up into himself. Jiang Ci hugged the family’s Maine Coon cat tightly, resting his chin on top of the cat’s head. His pair of bright black eyes darted around as he curiously examined everyone gathered around him.
He did not understand.
It wasn’t New Year today, so why had so many adults suddenly come over?
Jiang Ci stood up. His eyes were exceptionally beautiful and his little face looked innocent and adorable. He held his small belly with both hands, turning around twice as he began to feel hungry.
He wanted to eat.
Why hadn’t anyone made dinner?
The television was still broadcasting the news about the accident. Jiang Ci frowned as he looked at it. He did not want to watch this. He wanted to watch Miraculous Adventures of Milk Dragon, the animated show he liked.
So he ran barefoot toward the television. He jumped several times, stretching his little body as far as he could to reach the remote. After wobbling dangerously and nearly falling over, he finally managed to touch it and decisively pressed the channel button.
The screen immediately changed to the round, chubby yellow figure of Milk Dragon and the music became cheerful as well.
Jiang Ci sat back down on the floor, completely satisfied. He hugged the cat a little tighter and gently bobbed his head along with the opening song.
“Milk Dragon is good…… Milk Dragon…………….”
But as the adults continued talking, the tone of their voices gradually changed.
At first, they had merely been speaking in lowered voices, calmly discussing things and trying to think of a solution.
Half an hour later, someone suddenly raised their voice.
Then another person raised theirs in response.
It was like a flame suddenly catching fire, instantly blazing into something fierce and uncontrollable.
“What do you mean by that?”
“You know exactly what I mean! The old man said that anyone could adopt Xiao Ci!”
“That money can’t be divided like that. The Jiang family’s assets and my investments are still involved!”
“Then tell me how you think it should be divided. Go ahead, make it clear!”
Their voices grew increasingly hurried and increasingly loud. Someone slammed a hand down on the coffee table, making the lid of a teacup jump with a sharp ding.
Jiang Ci was startled.
He covered his ears with both hands but the voices still seeped through the gaps between his fingers, piercing his eardrums and making them ache.
“Don’t fight……………… Don’t fight…….. Daddy and Mommy will be back soon.”
He turned the volume of the cartoon up to its maximum but even then, he still couldn’t hear Milk Dragon’s cheerful laughter clearly.
The little boy felt a little wronged.
There was no food to eat and now he couldn’t even watch his cartoon. He had no idea what was wrong with everyone.
Jiang Ci bit his lip and endured it for a while.
But in the end, he couldn’t take it anymore.
He let go of the cat and scrambled up from the floor. Then he hurried between the adults’ legs, squeezing through the narrow gaps between them before grabbing onto his aunt’s clothes with both hands and tugging hard.
“Auntie……”
He raised his little face, his small voice trembling slightly.
“I want to watch my cartoon……. You’re being so loud, I can’t hear it. Xiao Ci can’t hear.”
His aunt lowered her head and glanced at him. Her lips moved as though she wanted to say something but before she could, a sharp remark from the aunt beside her cut her off.
Her brows immediately drew tightly together. She released Jiang Ci’s hand, turned her face back toward the people opposite her and began shouting at them again.
Jiang Ci froze for a second.
At that moment, an older uncle sitting in the corner suddenly stood up and started getting physical.
Another uncle rolled up his sleeves and stepped forward as well. His face had turned bright red, the veins bulging along his arms. What had started as angry cursing quickly turned into an actual fight.
Jiang Ci’s pupils contracted.
Instinctively, he turned around and ran, afraid that he would be hit.
He clutched the cat protectively against his chest as he ran but moving was difficult. The Maine Coon was almost as large as the little boy himself. Jiang Ci stumbled as he hurried around the coffee table, squeezing desperately between the two arguing adults.
He kept retreating until he finally reached the balcony door before stopping.
“Wuwu……………… Xiao Ci is scared……. It’s so scary………………”
Outside on the balcony, the old man slowly rose to his feet.
His gaze swept coldly across every person in the room.
But when his eyes fell upon his grandson, the aged features of his weathered face seemed to grow even more worn with sorrow and his eyes were filled with unmistakable heartache.
He had deliberately done this from the beginning. He wanted to see whether any of these people would actually care about the child’s feelings.
Even if there had been only one person, someone who could take Xiao Ci’s feelings into consideration, keep him by their side, let him quietly eat a meal, or simply watch an episode of his cartoon, he would have been willing to consider entrusting Xiao Ci to them to raise.
But what about the result?
Not a single one.
These people had disappointed him far too much.
The arguing in the living room still hadn’t stopped, while on the television screen, the cheerful laughter from the cartoon seemed almost like a kind of mockery.
“Grandpa, what’s wrong with them………………”
A black Bentley was traveling steadily along a suburban road.
In the back seat, a teenage boy dressed in a black and white school uniform had his gaze fixed on the news footage playing on the screen of the notebook computer resting on his knees.
He watched in silence, his fingers resting beside the keyboard, unmoving for a long time.
“According to this station’s report, the chairman and his wife of Jiang Group were both killed in the accident. The group has fallen into a bankruptcy crisis, with its stock price plunging continuously for several consecutive days and suppliers collectively canceling their orders. Jiang Ci, their only son, is only five years old. Although he has inherited all of the shares and assets under his name, by law, a guardian is still required to manage and operate them on his behalf. A huge family fortune has now been placed on the shoulders of a young child, while relatives from the collateral branches of the family have appeared one after another. A battle over guardianship is on the verge of erupting…… Will the Jiang family ultimately be able to survive this crisis?”
Lu Shiying shut the computer, a trace of disgust appearing between his brows.
Old Zhang, the driver, secretly glanced at him several times through the rearview mirror.
The young master had replayed the live news broadcast more than a dozen times. His expression had remained indifferent throughout, making it impossible to tell what he was thinking.
“Young Master, we’ve arrived. This is the Jiang family’s villa.”
Lu Shiying raised his head.
His clothes were neat and perfectly arranged, while the wind had blown his bangs apart slightly, causing them to fall to either side of his forehead. He had a handsome and refined appearance, with a high, straight nose and almost no expression on his face. He looked remarkably calm.
The boy’s eyes were always cold, as though he didn’t particularly care to pay attention to anyone.
He was fourteen years old this year yet he had already completed the entirety of the high school curriculum. He had been too busy recently and hadn’t had the chance to come over. Only after finishing the college entrance examination did he finally have the time to complete the task his father had entrusted to him.
As for his father’s desire to repay a debt of gratitude, Lu Shiying had no complaints.
The Lu family had been a scholarly family for generations. When there was something he was supposed to do, he had never shirked from it.
Old Zhang carefully considered his words before speaking.
“Young Master, Mr. Jiang’s child is still very young. He’s five years old this year. Old Master Jiang said that the little one is always getting sick. Originally, his aunt was supposed to adopt him but the old man wasn’t at ease with that. Old Master Lu and Madam’s intention is to bring the child over and raise him here. There’s no need to transfer his household registration. We can leave it under his grandfather’s name, so the Jiang family will still have something to hold on to. There’s a nine year age difference between the two of you, so there may be a bit of a generation gap…….”
Lu Shiying didn’t respond.
He had already pushed open the car door and stepped out.
Old Zhang had watched him grow up and understood his temperament. He knew that once the young master became like this, he wouldn’t say a word. Before he had even finished conveying everything the chairman had instructed him to say, the boy had already walked away.
When Lu Shiying reached the entrance of the Jiang residence, he could hear the lively arguing coming from inside.
All the aunts, uncles and relatives had apparently gathered here. Their arguments were so loud that they could be heard clearly even through the door.
He stood at the threshold, his gaze passing over the crowd before finally landing on the corner of the room.
A very small child was sitting on the floor in a daze, hugging a silver colored Maine Coon cat in his arms.
The child was exceptionally beautiful.
His eyes were like two dark grapes, his mouth small and delicate and his cheeks still carried the soft, rounded fullness of baby fat. His eyelashes were long and thick, making him particularly pleasing to look at.
He curiously looked around at his surroundings, his little hand repeatedly stroking the cat’s head.
Even though he himself was trembling with fear, he was still trying to comfort the little cat.
Lu Shiying frowned.
There were so many people here yet not a single one of them was taking care of the child?
The little boy was wearing a gray cooling pajama set covered in cat patterns. From the design alone, it was obvious that he really liked cats.
Grandpa Jiang stood on the balcony with his cane, his entire face filled with worry and sorrow.
Listening to the chaos inside the house, with everyone arguing so loudly that the room seemed to have become one huge mess, he limped over and prepared a bottle of milk for the child.
Grandpa Jiang stood on the balcony, leaning heavily on his cane, his face filled with worry and sorrow. Listening to the chaos inside, with the entire room sounding like a pot of boiling water, he limped over with his injured leg and prepared a bottle of Stage Four formula milk for the child.
As he did so, he quietly wondered how he was going to get this entire group of people out of the house.
“Sis, just let us raise the child here. Don’t you already have two children of your own at home?”
“Why don’t we raise him instead? My cousin has always been closer to our family and spent more time with us. We’ll take good care of the child.”
“Do you think I don’t know what you’re all trying to do? How long has it been since my younger brother passed away? Every single one of you is already thinking about getting your hands on the Jiang Group. I’m still a member of the Jiang family. You people don’t get to come here pretending you’re helping!”
“Linglan, watch how you’re speaking!”
The corner of Lu Shiying’s lips curled upward. A cold smile flashed across his face, carrying a trace of unmistakable mockery.
These people were fighting over the family fortune.
Whoever adopted Uncle Jiang’s son might very well have a chance to divide the inheritance in the future.
No wonder his father had been urging him so insistently. With all these relatives filling the house, not a single one seemed to have come with genuinely good intentions.
At some point, someone knocked over several potted plants. The people in the room were almost on the verge of actually coming to blows.
The five year old child shrank into the corner, trembling in fright as he stared at the broken money tree scattered across the floor.
He put down the cat and hurried over. Carefully, he gathered the plant up in his small hands, trying to put it back into the flowerpot.
But the flowerpot had already shattered.
He knitted his little brows together, looking terribly upset.
That was Mommy’s favorite money tree.
“Don’t fight. Little children don’t fight…….. Adults can’t fight either.”
Lu Shiying had initially felt no particular interest in this child.
It wasn’t until he saw that tiny figure crouching by the adults’ feet, carefully picking up the scattered green plants one by one and burying them back into the soil, that his expression changed slightly.
Those obedient, careful movements were enough to make anyone feel sorry for him.
After all, people were made of flesh and blood.
Even an outsider like him couldn’t simply stand by and watch anymore.
Jiang Ci busied himself for two or three minutes without crying or making a fuss.
There were seven or eight adults filling the entire room yet astonishingly, not a single person had noticed what the child was doing.
He was simply too well behaved.
His parents had only just passed away and even an outsider like Lu Shiying understood that a child’s emotions needed to be taken care of at a time like this.
Yet these relatives were concerned only with arguing over who should adopt him.
When everything was stripped down to its core, what they were really thinking about was the Jiang family’s fortune worth hundreds of millions.
Lu Shiying raised his hand and brought two fingers together, making a small beckoning motion toward himself.
Suddenly, five or six bodyguards rushed in from outside.
The living room instantly fell silent.
Those who had been arguing and those who had been causing trouble were all pulled apart and restrained, the chaos brought to an abrupt stop.
“Lu Shiying?”
“Young Master Lu? Why have you come here……?”
When Jiang Ci saw so many unfamiliar men dressed entirely in black, he was frightened and immediately hugged the little cat even tighter.
He covered the Maine Coon’s eyes with one hand, then closed his own eyes as well.
If he couldn’t see them, then he wouldn’t be scared anymore.
Grandpa Jiang noticed him.
His cane shifted slightly and his eyes seemed brighter than they had been moments ago. He murmured to himself,
“He’s here. He’s finally here……”
Jiang Linglan awkwardly walked over, forcing a smile onto her face.
“Shiying, it’s been such a long time. What brings you here?”
Lu Shiying couldn’t be bothered to pay attention to irrelevant people.
He walked straight forward, his target clear from the beginning.
He reached out, took the little boy’s hand and pulled him toward the outside.
He was tall and with the child holding onto his hand, Jiang Ci’s toes were actually lifted off the floor, his little body nearly being dragged away with him.
Jiang Ci looked up in confusion.
He had absolutely no idea who this unfamiliar teenage boy was.
He struggled twice, trying to break free and run away.
Only then did Lu Shiying lower his head and realize that the child was simply too small.
He couldn’t hold his hand like this and expect the little boy to walk properly.
✦ ✧ ✦
Fleurveil
[Translator]
☕ A LITTLE SOMETHING FOR THE TRANSLATOR
A tiny coffee can be a surprisingly nice “thank you.” ☕
☕ BUY THEM A COFFEE →
✧ (づ｡•ㅅ•｡)づ ☕ ✧
✦ thank you for reading ✦
Next →
ChaptersChapter 1 · Even He, an outsider, couldn’t stand itChapter 2 · DaddyChapter 3 · Thank you for the gift!Chapter 4 · Do You want to sleep with your brother?Chapter 5 · Smart BabyChapter 6 · Life in a Wealthy FamilyChapter 7 · Genius BrotherChapter 8 · Brother’s giftChapter 9 · Xiao Ci was injured.Chapter 10 · ThoughtfulChapter 11 · Treat as treasureChapter 12 · Only recognized oneChapter 13 · Lu family coupleChapter 14 · A closed heartChapter 15 · Understanding my brotherChapter 16 · Reluctant to hitChapter 17 · UneasyChapter 18 · PossessiveChapter 19 · Teenage RebelChapter 20 Part 1 · The car accidentChapter 20 Part 2 · The car accidentChapter 20 Part 3 · The car accidentChapter 21 · My heart is racingChapter 22 · Physiological Knowledge