Madam Tang Lan, the wife of the Ji family who should have been grief-stricken over the loss of her beloved daughter, had just finished hosting a wave of guests. She returned to her room with an impatient expression for a brief rest.
A servant delivered tea and retreated.
Ji Yaoqing slithered over with a swaying, serpentine gait and instructed the tall, slender maid standing at the door, “Close the door.”
After she entered, the maid gently closed the door for the mother and daughter—but did not shut it completely.
“At the funeral in a bit, I’ll announce that I’m transferring your sister’s shares to you. Then you’ll marry into the Shen family in her place. Once the marriage is settled, control of the Ji Corporation will fall into your hands.” Tang Lan’s tone was strangely detached, with not a trace of grief.
Ji Yaoqing excitedly hugged her mother, but she didn’t pay attention to her mother’s words—she only assumed the entire company was hers.
Control and ownership were two completely different things.
“Mother really loves me the most!”
Tang Lan patted her younger daughter. “There are still many guests outside. Let’s hurry over. Don’t let those people from the second and third branches find any openings.”
“Okay!”
The mother and daughter left the room arm in arm. Since there was no one around, Ji Yaoqing spoke without restraint: “Ji Huanlan is finally dead! She’s been stealing my spotlight our whole lives! Mother, why did you even give birth to her? You should have strangled her as a child and kept only me!”
“Oh, you.” Tang Lan’s tone was indulgent.
They never noticed the maid standing guard at the door, quietly watching their retreating figures.
At the funeral.
The guests not only offered their condolences to the Ji family, but also bowed to the young man who arrived late: “Second Master, my condolences.”
“Please accept my sympathies.”
The young man sat in a wheelchair, his black suit wrapping a frame that should have been tall and powerful. His brows were faint like distant green mountains, his expression revealing neither joy nor sorrow.
To have one’s fiancée die before the wedding was, indeed, quite a sad thing.
“Everyone has come to attend my daughter’s funeral. Tang Lan thanks you all.” Tang Lan bowed.
She delivered a few inconsequential opening remarks, then shifted the topic: “Now that the Ji family is without a leader—my husband and daughter having passed away one after another—I am grieved, to be sure, but I must still steady this large household. I will take this opportunity to arrange her affairs after death. I hope you will all understand.”
The guests exchanged glances, already guessing that Tang Lan was about to make some announcement.
“My eldest daughter, Ji Huanlan, passed away unexpectedly. As her mother, I have decided to transfer all of my eldest daughter’s shares in the company to my younger daughter, Ji Yaoqing.”
Beside her, Ji Yaoqing wore a smile and gave a slight bow to everyone.
The brows of the other members from the second and third branches furrowed, sensing trouble.
After the head of the Ji family had died of illness a few months prior, members of each branch had been vying for power both openly and covertly.
Among them, the eldest young master of the second branch and the third uncle of the Ji family had fought the hardest. Who would have thought that in the end, it would fall to a young girl…
“After the share transfer, Ji Yaoqing will be the largest shareholder of Xinggang.” Tang Lan’s words were final.
In other words, the future heir of the Ji Corporation was undoubtedly Ji Yaoqing.
Ji Yaoqing couldn’t hide the excitement in her eyes. Holding the microphone, her gaze uncontrollably drifted toward a certain man. “Hello, everyone. Yaoqing is still young. In the future, if there are any shortcomings in my work, I hope you all can…”
“Mother, shouldn’t you also ask me—the actual shareholder—about this share transfer?”
A soft, alluring female voice cut off Ji Yaoqing’s excited chatter.
Everyone turned in unison toward the side door.
One second later, a wave of murmurs swept through the hall—some startled, some panicked.
“Clatter—”
The microphone in Ji Yaoqing’s hand dropped to the floor with a jarring thud.
The woman who appeared in the side doorway wore a plain, modified qipao, her high heels clicking against the floor in a steady rhythm.
In her hand, she held a stack of white papers.
Watching her approach, Ji Yaoqing’s mind went completely blank—panicked and helpless, she stood frozen, forgetting even to react.
The woman came to a stop and extended her hand.
The youngest daughter of the second branch, pale-faced, picked up the microphone at her feet and handed it tremblingly to her cousin, who had always been as tranquil as still water.
Ji Huanlan’s face was slightly pale, though saved by the fiery red lipstick that added color. She smiled softly, her radiance outshining Ji Yaoqing’s by far.
“I’m sorry to have put everyone through this little farce. But to root out the vermin and traitors within the family, Huanlan had no choice but to resort to this.”
The crowd immediately understood.
So this funeral was just a front?
Ji Huanlan had staged the whole thing—she’d never died at all!
The members of the second and third branches wore varied expressions.
Behind her, Tang Lan gritted her teeth, her skin prickling as she fought to suppress the urge to strangle Ji Huanlan on the spot!
How was she still alive?
Why!
Why hadn’t this rebellious daughter, who always sided with outsiders, gone to die with that heartless man!
Ji Huanlan ignored the venomous glare at her back. “Before my father passed, he had actually already drafted a contract. I’ve made several copies—please take a look.”
She gestured for a servant to distribute them to the various branches, and personally handed the remaining copies to Tang Lan and Ji Yaoqing.
Her eyes were as pale and cold as snow. “I’ve been meaning to tell you, Mother—before his death, Father signed an agreement with me. Starting three months after his passing, I, Ji Huanlan, hold absolute decision-making authority over Xinggang Fengtou. I also inherit all equity under his name.”
That single statement made one thing clear to everyone present.
The tides had turned at Xinggang Fengtou.
And the circle of power in Mingyun Cheng would likely be reshuffled as well.
The new head of the Ji family was the eldest daughter—Ji Huanlan.
“On… on what grounds?!” Ji Yaoqing finally snapped back to her senses and demanded.
“Even if Big Brother has passed, the first heir should be Sister-in-law, shouldn’t it?” Third Aunt of the Ji family spoke up.
“That’s right.” Third Aunt’s son chimed in.
The guests watching the spectacle said nothing, waiting to see how things would unfold.
Besides, even the future son-in-law of the Ji family hadn’t spoken—what reason did they have to say anything?
After calming herself, Tang Lan suppressed her fury: “Huanlan, Mother thought something had happened to you. I’m glad you’re safe. But this agreement you’re holding—how come I’ve never heard of it? You’re not listening to someone’s nonsense and making a scene, are you?”
As her biological mother, Ji Huanlan could feel the mud-slinging intent behind Tang Lan’s words.
The woman remained utterly unruffled. Ever since she’d overheard the conversation between mother and daughter earlier, she had clipped away what little mercy she’d once had, clean and complete.
She met Tang Lan’s hate-laden gaze, but spoke to the crowd: “There are quite a few partners of Xinggang here. I forgot to mention one more thing—my father and mother divorced five months ago. At the time of the divorce, my father gave Ms. Tang a substantial settlement.”
In other words, Mr. Ji’s inheritance rights now have absolutely nothing to do with Tang Lan!
Tang Lan’s pupils contracted sharply.
She knew very well why that faithless man had died.
Precisely because that man had wanted to divorce her and kick her out of the Ji family, Tang Lan had harbored resentment and deliberately refused to give her husband his medication.
Mr. Ji had, in fact, died of illness.
But how did Ji Huanlan know all this?!
Tang Lan’s smile turned ugly. “Huanlan, stop making a scene. Are you frightened? Come, someone take her to her room to rest!”
As she spoke, Tang Lan’s people immediately came over, attempting to forcibly take Ji Huanlan away.
Meanwhile, Ji Yaoqing made a move to snatch the agreement from Ji Huanlan’s hands.
She didn’t want to accept this truth!
Ji Huanlan knew very well that this household had long been in chaos, with most of it under Tang Lan’s control.
If she were taken away by Tang Lan, she might never be able to escape.
Ji Huanlan took half a step back, instinctively glancing toward a certain spot in the crowd.
Before she could find that figure, a cool, detached voice cut through and halted everyone’s movements: “I support Mr. Ji’s decision made during his lifetime.”
Everyone was stunned.
They looked in astonishment at Shen Xi in his wheelchair.
The Second Master of the Shen family approved?
What did approval mean?
It meant that the Shen family, as the Ji family’s prospective son-in-law and business partner, agreed to work with the new chairman of Xinggang Fengtou.
If he took the lead, then…
Some major players who had partnerships with the Ji family hesitated for a few seconds.
Gradually…
“Kangtao agrees.”
“Lesheng agrees as well.”
Several of the stronger enterprises all voiced their support, backing Ji Huanlan’s assumption of the position.
Tang Lan was utterly dumbfounded.
She couldn’t believe that those bosses who had privately promised to support her had now switched sides on the spot!