Chapter 12 — IAVD (QT) Chapter 12

Upon hearing that Song Ruyue had fallen ill, Ji Xiu slowed his pace, waiting for her to recover before calling her to collect the divorce certificate.

The two met at the Civil Affairs Bureau.

After not seeing each other for half a month, Song Ruyue had become noticeably thinner, her face carrying the heavy pallor of illness. She had always been a lover of beauty, never stepping out without meticulous makeup and elegant attire, ensuring every detail from her hair to her nails was perfect so as not to stain her status as the eldest daughter of the Song family.

This time, however, she didn't even bother with light makeup.

Ji Xiu studied her, wondering what new scheme she was hatching. Fortunately, she was cooperative this time—no drama, no delays. Because they had a divorce agreement and the assets were already divided, there was no need for mediation. In just a few dozen minutes, the divorce certificate was successfully issued.

They walked out with their small green booklets. Ji Xiu gave her a nod, got into his car, and left.

Song Ruyue stood there watching him until he disappeared. After a long time, she walked home step by step and fell ill once more.

Ji Wu came to her bedside anxiously. "Mom, when are you going to announce the divorce? My classmates are all laughing at me. Can you host a banquet for me to back me up?"

Song Ruyue let out a cough and closed her eyes to sleep. No matter how much Ji Wu rambled, she remained unmoved. Once Ji Wu left in frustration, Song Ruyue opened her eyes and stared at her daughter's retreating back for a long time, beginning to wonder if she had been blind all those years.

Otherwise, why had she thought the girl was sensible and considerate?

She rubbed her temples and told someone to call for Ji Ze.

"Madam, the Young Master went to see the Master. He isn't home."

Song Ruyue nodded. "Tell him to come see me as soon as he returns."

The room grew quiet. Dust floated in the air under the dim sunlight. Song Ruyue coughed again, lying alone in bed, listening to the sounds outside and reminiscing about the past.

At midnight, Ji Ze returned and rushed to see her. "Mom, I begged Dad, but he wouldn't listen to me..."

Song Ruyue waved him off and propped herself up. "It’s not your concern. It was my fault; I broke your father's heart. It's only natural he wanted a divorce."

During these days of quiet recovery, she had realized her mistakes were far more numerous than she had imagined. For twenty years, she had recklessly squandered Ji Xiu's affection without ever giving him equivalent care or response. Losing him was an inevitability.

Her heart ached. She struggled to pull a stack of documents from the nightstand and gestured for Ji Ze to look at them.

"What's this?" Ji Ze asked, confused.

"The company's certificates, contracts, and shares are all here, including the shares your father left for you. I'm sick and can't manage the company; even if I weren't, I wouldn't know how. I can only leave it to you. Go to the company tomorrow to start your internship."

Ji Ze was dumbstruck. "What would I even do? I don't know anything! I'm only in my senior year of high school..."

Song Ruyue glared at him, looking quite disdainful. "Stupid. Can't you ask your father for guidance?"

Ji Xiu might ignore her, but would he ignore his son? As long as Ji Ze sought his help, he would surely teach him. With Ji Xiu's oversight, the company wouldn't face any major disasters. In a few years, when Ji Xiu no longer wanted to involve himself, Ji Ze would have graduated and would be ready to take over officially.

This was likely the wisest decision Song Ruyue had made in twenty years. By handing the company to Ji Ze, she ensured it wouldn't decline in her hands or be hollowed out by the Song family's extended relatives.

Poor Ji Ze felt a mountain of pressure looking at the documents, but having no choice, he could only bite the bullet and agree, visiting Ji Xiu daily for advice.

Of course, Song Ruyue didn't push all the responsibility onto her son. At the banquet, she had agreed to let the Song relatives enter management, a decision she regretted immediately upon calming down. With Ji Xiu gone, there was no one to intimidate them.

While she and Ji Xiu were finalizing the divorce, three relatives had already occupied management positions—taking salaries without working and shamelessly taking kickbacks. Song Ruyue forced herself out of bed, carrying her father's spirit tablet, and visited each of their homes.

A woman like her, who valued pride above life, doing something so "unrefined" made outsiders think she had been pushed to the brink. The public backlash against the Song relatives was fierce. Terrified by the spirit tablet and the social shunning, they scrambled out of the company to stay home and wait for their dividends.

Song Ruyue breathed a sigh of relief. With the heavy burden lifted, she focused on her recovery. Her health had always been fragile; it was only after marrying Ji Xiu, who went to great lengths to find doctors and followed her every whim, that she had managed to improve. Now, after the upheaval, she was back to square one—no major illnesses, but constant minor ones.

Lying in bed, she drifted into sleep. In her dreams, she saw her forgotten youth—sunlight, a breeze, and a young Ji Xiu. The young man in white, handsome and bright, walked toward her with a bicycle, his deep eyes fixed on her, a smile on his lips that held the stars.

She truly regretted it...

…

Ji Xiu didn't pay much attention to Song Ruyue’s situation. After moving out, he aggressively launched his investment firm—picking office space, hiring staff, and monitoring project progress. He was so busy he barely had time for Mingzhu, let alone news of his ex-wife.

It was only when Mingzhu mentioned it at dinner that he learned of Song Ruyue's recent, shocking actions.

Ji Xiu raised an eyebrow. "Is that actually true?"

"It's true," Mingzhu nodded, stealing a glance at her father. "Many people are saying she's gone crazy from the stress. Dad, do you want to go back and see her?"

"No," Ji Xiu answered without hesitation.

Mingzhu grew anxious. "Dad, although she made many mistakes, she’s in such a state now. You should at least visit. Brother says she cries every night."

Ji Xiu set down his chopsticks and looked at her suspiciously. "Why are you suddenly so concerned about her? Since when did your relationship get so good?"

Mingzhu pouted, her face—now fair and plump from being pampered—showing a hint of guilt. "Your divorce was because of me. I'm afraid you'll regret it one day..."

Ji Xiu didn't know whether to laugh or cry. He ruffled her hair. "My silly daughter, the divorce has nothing to do with you. I wanted to divorce, so I did. If we had a good relationship, I wouldn't have divorced even with your situation; I would have just talked sense into her. Understand?"

Mingzhu’s eyes cleared with realization, and she let out a sigh of relief, her cheeks blushing slightly. Ji Xiu smiled and continued eating. He had to admit, though his daughter was a bit slow, her cooking was excellent—she clearly had a talent for it. Unlike him, who could destroy a kitchen every time he tried to cook.

After dinner, he went to the living room to watch TV. Mingzhu, seeing him so relaxed, was shocked. For the last two months, whether at the Ji house or here, her father had dived into his study immediately after work.

"I'm finally finished with the heavy lifting," Ji Xiu explained, seeing her look. "It's normal to take a break."

Starting a business was hard, but as of yesterday, his company was on the right track with staff and secretaries handling the details. Why shouldn't he be leisurely? "Go do your homework," he waved her off. "Don't forget, you want to test into No. 1 High School."

Mingzhu felt a bit jealous of her father's leisure and huffed, heading back to her room. She determined to finish her homework quickly so she could join him.

…

Homework took two hours. With the high school entrance exam approaching, the workload was heavy, but Mingzhu’s grades were improving rapidly under the guidance of the elite Xiguang teachers.

She ran back to the living room to watch TV with Ji Xiu. This was a quiet comfort she had never enjoyed before. Watching TV together as a family was indeed a healthy activity.

"If only it were the weekend," Mingzhu sighed. "Then Brother would be here too."

Ji Xiu glanced at her with a smile. "Not just your brother, but Ye Yiyang would come too. Are you looking forward to the weekend for your brother, or for Ye Yiyang?"

Mingzhu turned red and ignored him. Ji Xiu laughed but stopped teasing her.

Ye Yiyang’s circumstances were poor—both parents gone, leaving him with a sick younger brother—but he was still able to climb from the bottom to become a winner in life. His "luck" was strong; even if he wasn't the protagonist, he was an exceptional figure. Such a man was worthy of his daughter.

Ji Xiu didn't block their relationship; he only required that they didn't cross "the line" before they were eighteen.

They had agreed to meet again at the No. 1 High School, but Ji Xiu remembered the original plot: Ye Yiyang's brother's illness was supposed to worsen on the 8th of last month. In the original timeline, he couldn't afford the surgery, the brother died, and a devastated Ye Yiyang dropped out and disappeared for a while. It was during that same period that the Zhou family tricked Mingzhu into the countryside to be sold.

By the time Ye Yiyang returned, Mingzhu was gone. They missed each other then, and they missed each other for a long time afterward. They only "reunited" when Mingzhu poisoned the Ji family and he came to collect her body.

In this life, Ji Xiu didn't want a tragedy. He had vetted Ye Yiyang’s character, and upon learning the brother’s illness had worsened, he took Mingzhu to the hospital with the money to save him. The surgery was a success, and Ye Yiyang was eternally grateful.

Now, Ye Yiyang spent his time after school caring for his brother in the hospital, visiting Mingzhu on weekends. He was busy, but he never let his grades slip—all for the sake of reuniting with Mingzhu at the top high school.

As for Ji Ze... Ji Xiu felt conflicted.

The first time the boy brought Song family files to his door, Ji Xiu saw through Song Ruyue's scheme. But he had to admit, it worked. He was in the original owner's body and felt a responsibility toward his son. If Ji Ze were a "jerk," he’d have sent him away, but Ji Ze wasn't. Ji Xiu felt he’d already done the boy wrong by divorcing and moving out; if he refused to answer his questions, he’d be a worse father than the original.

So, he helped. Under his guidance, Ji Ze and the new manager had managed to keep the company afloat. Though they had to scale back and the company dropped from the industry leader to the "second tier," it was still an impressive feat for someone his age.

However, Ji Ze had been coming over less frequently lately. When he did, he often mentioned Ji Wu.

Ji Xiu couldn't help but wonder—after all, in the original world-line, Ji Ze and Ji Wu were a couple.