Chapter 39

Before they got into the car, Lu Li had already given a detailed account of what had happened to Chi Old Master.

It turned out that members of the Chi Family Second Branch, unwilling to endure their vagabond existence any longer, had hoped to siphon off some of the old man’s property. They had secretly reached out to the Chi Butler, who had been caring for Chi Old Master all this time. Under the cover of the deep night, they had slipped into the Chi Family Old Mansion with help from the inside.

Chi Old Master had only just drunk his medicine and been tucked into bed by his caretakers when Chi Yueluo from the second branch roused him.

It had been a long time since he had seen this granddaughter, and a complex expression crossed Chi Old Master’s face. But before he could say a word, he felt a cold edge pressing against his neck.

Then he heard Chi Yueluo’s voice, lowered to a whisper: “What’s the password to the safe?”

At that moment, Chi Old Master’s heart sank. So this granddaughter of his had come only to wrest the last of his assets from him!

“You… you scoundrel! Would you really draw a knife on your own grandfather just for that bit of money?!” Chi Old Master was furious. His hand trembled as he tried to push away the wicked girl who was threatening him with the blade.

Chi Yueluo glanced at her watch. Time was slipping away too quickly; she couldn’t afford to waste any more. Seeing that the old man wouldn’t give up the password and was trying to use his position as an elder to pressure her, a surge of anger rose in her chest. She pressed down harder with her hand, drawing a line of blood across his neck.

The metallic scent of blood jolted Chi Old Master, his eyes widening in shock. “You! You!”

“Tell me the password!” Chi Yueluo’s eyes burned with greed for the money, oblivious to the fact that the old man was already struggling for breath from sheer rage.

“You’ve always favored that sanctimonious wretch Chi Xingcen! She’s ruined our whole family—we’ve lost our home, we barely eat, and everyone mocks us!” Chi Yueluo harbored deep resentment toward the old man. At this point, with him still refusing to yield the code, she pressed down even harder. “Won’t you tell me? Do you want to leave all that money to that bitch?!”

In the dim room, the air grew thick with the stench of blood. A faint rattling escaped Chi Old Master’s throat, his cloudy eyes bulging wide. They reflected Chi Yueluo’s vicious face. His mouth opened as if to speak, but in the next instant, his struggling hand fell limp.

“Tell me the password, you old fart!” Panic seized Chi Yueluo as she watched the old man breathe his last. Filled with a mix of rage and regret, she slapped his face, but getting no response terrified her. She dropped the knife and bolted.

Glancing around, she noted the blood smell growing heavier. Fearing someone might come to check, she abandoned the safe code, wiped the knife clean on the floor, opened the door, and vanished into the darkness.

It was the Chi Butler who finally went upstairs under cover of night to check on him and discovered that Chi Old Master had stopped breathing. In a panic, he called the doctor and the Lu Family.

Before the Lu Family members arrived, he had already explained everything.

Chi Yanqing had contacted him privately, admitting his mistakes and saying he no longer chased fame or fortune like before. He just wanted to return to the Chi Family and see their grandfather.

Remembering how taciturn Chi Old Master had been lately, still brooding over the second branch’s misdeeds, the Chi Butler had hesitated but ultimately agreed to let Chi Yanqing into the old mansion.

It had surprised him that the visitor that night was actually the second miss, Chi Yueluo. But when she appeared humbled, pleading only for a chance to beg grandfather’s forgiveness, he softened. After all, he had watched her grow up. So he let her into the room.

Who could have known it would end with the old master’s death!

Shaking with shock and fear, the butler babbled out the full story, tears streaming down his face. He kept repeating how sorry he was to Chi Old Master. Amid the biting cold wind, the elderly man’s pitiful figure evoked genuine sympathy.

When Chi Xingcen arrived at the old mansion, she saw the butler weeping bitterly. Ignoring him, she rushed in a daze to the back garden, up the stairs, and approached Doctor Song as she emerged from the room, shaking her head. Chi Xingcen’s face held a glimmer of hope as she gazed at her. “Doctor Song, how’s my grandfather? Can he be saved like before, and recover with some rest?”

Doctor Song removed her bloodstained gloves and hesitated, glancing at Chi Xingcen before turning to Lu Xi, who had just reached the top of the stairs.

Lu Xi had overheard Chi Xingcen’s words on the way up. She didn’t know how to break the news to her.

With a shake of her head to Doctor Song, signaling her to leave first, Lu Xi slowly approached the now-rigid Chi Xingcen. She draped her own coat over the girl’s shoulders and patted them gently. “Cen Cen, Chi Old Master… he’s passed away.”

How could that be? How could this happen?

Chi Xingcen pushed open the half-closed door and staggered into the room.

The bedsheets had been changed to plain white, and Chi Old Master now wore clean clothes, free of bloodstains. The wound on his neck had been neatly treated—no trace of the cut remained.

His face, dotted with age spots, looked pale, but his cloudy yet affectionate eyes were now closed, as if he were merely asleep.

Chi Xingcen knelt by the bed, gripping the old man’s hand tightly, her lips pressed together as tremors ran through her body.

His hand felt cold to the touch—no warmth left at all.

“Grandfather… Grandfather…” she called softly, trying to rouse the man who seemed lost in sleep.

A scalding tear fell onto the back of her hand, a stark contrast to the chill of his skin.

In that moment, Chi Xingcen broke into quiet sobs. “Grandfather, didn’t you say you wanted to see me get married?”

No one answered.

A warm hand settled on her shoulder, followed by Lu Xi’s voice in her ear. “Cen Cen, Chi Old Master was killed by those two siblings from the Chi Family Second Branch.”

As Lu Xi recounted the events in a low, steady voice, Chi Xingcen stared at the wrinkled neck bearing the mark. She reached out to touch the scar but withdrew her trembling hand, fearing it might hurt him. She buried her head by the bedside and wept silently.

After a long while, she stood up, grinding her teeth as she asked, “Where are those murderers?”

Having squatted for so long, dizziness hit her as she rose; her legs went numb, and she nearly toppled. Fortunately, Lu Xi was right behind her and caught her.

Lu Xi supported the girl leaning against her and led her out. The room still needed cleaning by the servants; it wasn’t a place for discussion.

Down in the parlor, Lu Li waited and handed over the latest files, detailing the siblings’ plot from the Chi Family Second Branch.

The shocking records filled Chi Xingcen with despair. While she’d been preoccupied with her engagement to Lu Xi, she’d neglected the Chi Family side. She’d let those two scoundrels scheme right under her nose to seize grandfather’s last assets—leading to his death.

“We’ve taken Chi Yueluo into custody. Chi Yanqing and his mother fled first, but our people are tracking them. We’ll have them in two or three days,” Lu Li said. She took pity on the grief-stricken Chi Xingcen but still asked quietly, “How do you want us to handle Chi Yueluo?”

“Send her to the police station. Get the best lawyers.” Chi Xingcen closed her eyes as tears slipped down her cheeks. Her voice was calm yet numb. “Do the same to Chi Yanqing and that woman. Make them pay the proper price.”

With those words, exhaustion overcame the deeply bereaved girl. She slumped backward and lost consciousness.

“Cen Cen!” Lu Xi caught her, letting her head rest against her shoulder, then quickly summoned Doctor Song.

After an examination, Doctor Song breathed a sigh of relief. “Emotional trauma overwhelmed her, causing her to faint. Take her home to rest properly, and she’ll wake by tomorrow.”

…

That night, the Lu Family’s pursuit was relentless, and the police station, alerted to the crime, wasted no time. They locked Chi Yueluo away securely and swiftly hunted the other two.

Families with connections in the Capital City had already pieced together the story. Sating their curiosity, they murmured “What a sin” and continued following the bizarre affair.

Not until the sun climbed high did the restless omega awaken from her chaotic dreams, under Lu Xi’s watchful, anxious gaze.

Her vision was blurry at first. Then she made out the alpha at her bedside. Instinctively, she lifted her hand to touch her, but it fell back weakly.

Lu Xi clasped the girl’s hand, enfolding it in her own warmth. “Aunt Xu made porridge; it’ll be up soon. Have some to settle your stomach.”

Noticing Chi Xingcen struggling to sit up, Lu Xi steadied her waist and propped a pillow behind her.

Brushing back the girl’s disheveled hair from her temples, Lu Xi gazed at her noticeably more haggard face and sighed softly. “Chi Yueluo’s been arrested. She’ll be sentenced soon. Don’t worry—the lawyers are the best. She’ll get what she deserves.”

“Also, with grandfather’s funeral to arrange these days, it wouldn’t be right for the engagement. I’ve postponed the ceremony. Mother and Father know; they approve and want me to stay with you more…”

The alpha’s voice was clear and mild, laced with concern and comfort that Chi Xingcen understood well.

“I want to be there for the trial,” she said. Her hatred for the Chi Family Second Branch burned fiercely; she needed to see their downfall with her own eyes.

Lu Xi had already handled all such arrangements, so it was no issue.

She stroked the girl’s head gently. “All right. But first, you have to rest properly.”

Sunlight slanted through the window, bathing the gentle alpha in a radiant glow. The tenderness brimming in her eyes shimmered like a serene light, enveloping the heartbroken girl. It was like a soft, warming breeze, gradually easing the sorrow and numbness from her heart.

Chi Xingcen clung to the alpha’s arm and buried her face in the alpha’s scorching chest, finally letting her sobs pour out unrestrained.

Her tears were hot, soaking through Lu Xi’s collar and shirt, stinging the skin beneath and souring her heart. Lu Xi drew her close, patting her slender back wordlessly, offering silent companionship as the girl vented her turbulent grief.

…

Chi Old Master’s burial took place on a rainy, overcast day.

Due to Chi Xingcen’s connection to the Lu Family, many prominent families who had previously scorned the Chis sent important heirs to pay respects.

Lu Xi frowned at the opportunistic glances and eagerness among the mourners. She instructed Lu Li to handle the rest, then led the dazed Chi Xingcen away from the gravesite.

“We’ll come back tomorrow to pay respects to grandfather,” Lu Xi said, holding the girl’s hand as they settled into the back seat. She tugged the coat tighter around her. “Chi Yanqing and his mother have been caught. They’ll stand trial with Chi Yueluo later.”

The car pulled away, winding along the mountain road. Chi Xingcen stared at the trees out the window without responding. She nodded vaguely and watched the raindrops patter against the glass, lost in thought as they disturbed her mind.

Cars passed one after another—likely opportunists heading up under the pretense of attending the funeral to curry favor with the Lu Family.

Chi Xingcen felt nothing. But then, spotting a vehicle trailing behind, her heart jolted.

Had that been her father?

After the Chi Family was acquired, Chi Xianrang had vanished without a trace. Why was he here now?

Had he heard of grandfather’s death and come rushing back?

Chi Xingcen closed her eyes and shoved the long-forgotten man from her thoughts.