Before he died, my grandfather forced me to marry the richest man in the capital.

Night fell a little earlier than usual tonight; the moon is already high in the sky, and countless stars are trying their best to illuminate this courtyard. What a beautiful night, what a pity...

Tang Junyao leaned against the gate, looking up at the beautiful scenery. She nibbled on a cigarette butt, and in the wisps of smoke, her eyes revealed helplessness, confusion, and reluctance.

After the cigarette burned out, she pulled her leather jacket tighter, turned around and went upstairs, her steps heavy as if weighed down by a thousand pounds. She had never been so afraid to open the door to her grandfather's master bedroom.

She took a deep breath, gently turned the door lock, walked to the bedside of Grandpa Tang, looked at her emaciated relative on the bed, and slowly extended the index and middle fingers of her right hand to check for breath.

In just a second, a suppressed smile tugged at the corner of her lips. She slowly sat down on the edge of the bed, took her grandfather's icy hand, and placed it against her chest, trying to warm it. "Grandpa, you're so disobedient! How could you go back on your word? We agreed that I would sleep with you tonight, but you 'slept' first. You didn't even give me this last chance. You're so old and still cheating. Didn't you teach me from a young age to keep my word and not lie?"

She wiped away her tears, staring blankly at the pale person on the bed, and continued to ramble, "Grandpa, is it because I didn't get the marriage certificate today that you won't leave? Do you think you can leave in peace just by entrusting me to the Ji family? Without Grandpa, where would I have a home?"

She cried for a long, long time, quietly holding her grandfather's hand and talking on and on, from her childhood to the present...

Because of her doctor's mental fortitude and the resilience she had cultivated since childhood, she didn't just sit there. After talking with her grandfather, she got up, went to the bathroom to get hot water, and carefully washed him, combing his hair meticulously.

She then went to the wardrobe and found a new outfit she had bought for her grandfather last time. The old man liked it very much and praised his granddaughter for her good taste.

Adjust your mindset, try your best to do your best, and don't cry, Grandpa won't like that.

Standing at the top of the stairs, she called to the maids, "Auntie, please come up."

"What's wrong, Miss?" Two maids rushed up, and seeing her red and slightly swollen eyes, they had a bad feeling.

"Call the people who will set up the funeral hall to come over immediately, Grandpa has passed away." She asked someone to call a company that specializes in these things, plus some monks to chant sutras for the deceased, as Grandpa loved Buddhist scriptures when he was alive.

"Young Miss, should I... call your father?" the maid asked, her voice broken as she cried.

"No need, let Grandpa rest in peace for the night. I'll stay with him tonight." Before he passed away, Grandpa didn't mention his so-called blood relative, his father. As Grandpa's only son, she couldn't stop him from coming to pay his respects, but she also didn't want to take the initiative to contact him.

The word "father" has disappeared from her vocabulary; she hasn't known how to address him since she turned 10.

The once quiet courtyard was only disturbed by the rustling sound of the wind blowing through the branches and leaves.

This will happen.

The courtyard was bustling with people coming and going, and the lights were as bright as day, yet it did not feel lively at all; instead, it felt desolate and lonely everywhere.

Because she was all alone now.

The old Ji family mansion was also brightly lit. Usually, Old Master Ji would have been asleep by now, but after hearing from Old Master Tang that he wouldn't live more than a few days, he seemed to be waiting for the next few nights.

Butler Ji hurriedly knocked on the study door, panting, and said, "Master, Old Master Tang... he's gone."

Grandpa Ji stared at the unfinished calligraphy, his hand holding the brush pausing in mid-air for a long while before he sighed and said, "Prepare the car and head to Old Tang's place. Call Hancheng right away and tell him to hurry over, and remind him not to drive his flashy old car there."

"Yes, sir, I'll take care of it right away," Butler Ji replied.

The mourning hall in the courtyard has been set up. Tang Junyao personally supervised every little detail. Her grandfather paid the most attention to details when he was alive. He said that details determine success or failure, and one should be careful and cautious in doing things.

Hearing hurried footsteps and the thud of a cane on the ground, she turned around on her knees and saw that the first person to arrive was actually the grandfather of her newlywed husband, whom she was meeting for the first time that day.

She didn't know why someone as important as Grandpa Ji would value her grandfather so much. She wanted to ask him today, but alas... it was too late.

"Hello, Grandpa Ji," she greeted politely.

"My child, you've suffered so much. Please accept my deepest condolences."

After offering incense, Grandpa Ji stood beside Grandpa Tang's body for a while. From Tang Junyao's kneeling position, one could see the mist in his eyes, which shimmered under the light.

Inside the Mercedes, Grandpa Ji looked displeased. He picked up his phone and dialed his grandson's number with a dark expression: "Where are you?" His tone was quite threatening, clearly showing his anger.

Even the butler, Ji, who was driving in front, could sense that the old man was angry.

A calm, unhurried voice came from the other end of the line, simply stating, "The company." The answer was concise and to the point, offering no further explanation.

"Why not go to the Tang residence? Although she is a woman you didn't want to marry, she is still your legal wife on your marriage certificate. You should go and pay your respects," Old Master Ji said emphatically.

对面的人并不害怕，仍旧一副欠揍的语气：「结婚证在你那我可没拿，法律了承认了不代表我就承认了，再者那是你要我娶的并不是我要娶的，爷爷我既已妥协娶了她已是最大的退让，你再让我做到孝那我就不能配合您了。」

Grandpa Ji was so angry that he hung up the phone. He was panting heavily in the back seat, patting his chest, and muttering curses at Ji Hancheng. Butler Ji could tell from Grandpa Ji's expression that the young master had not compromised.

Who is this young master? He's the fearsome Master Ji of the capital, not someone easily controlled. There's no way he'd do it again.

The shrewd butler Ji spoke up: "Master, there's no need for you to be so angry. Don't you know the young master's personality? He's too outstanding. Everything he does is according to his own plan. This time, you used shares to threaten him into marrying a girl he doesn't like. The fact that he listened to you is already the biggest concession he could make. It's also because you are his grandfather. If it were someone else, the young master might not accept it. You can't push him too hard, or it will backfire."

"Oh, that bastard! I'm his own grandfather, would I ever harm him? If it weren't for Old Master Tang, where would the Ji family be today, and where would this scoundrel be? I owe him more than just my life. He thinks I forced him to marry Yao Yao just to fulfill my promise. I've investigated Yao Yao; she's been very well-educated by Old Master Tang, and she's no less than a rich heiress. She has none of the bad habits or vices. If Acheng can get along with her and discover her good qualities, he might fall in love with her. If Yao Yao were a girl with a bad reputation, I wouldn't agree to Old Master Tang's proposal." Old Master Ji's brow twitched with anger. His grandson didn't understand him at all.

"Sir, please don't worry about this. If Miss Tang really has some redeeming qualities, the young master will surely discover them during the three months he spends with her. Isn't your biggest wish to fulfill Old Master Tang's promise and protect Miss Tang? If the young master and Miss Tang really can't be together in the end, why don't you just adopt her as your granddaughter? Wouldn't that also protect her?"

Grandpa Ji's eyes lit up, and he immediately opened them, praising Butler Ji: "You're the smartest one. You have so many clever ideas. With A-Cheng's personality, he won't go public with it. He's probably secretly married. I forced him to live with Yao Yao for three months because I hoped he could see Yao Yao's shining qualities. If he can't see such a good girl, he's practically blind."

A moment later he said, "Send some clever bodyguards to guard the Tang residence and maintain security." Old Master Ji, who had investigated Tang Junyao, was still worried that there might be an emergency that could harm Tang Junyao.

I promised Old Tang I would protect his granddaughter, and I can't go back on my word.

"Yes, sir."