Chapter 315: Chapter 315: Painful Past (22) Chapter 315: Chapter 315: Painful Past (22) Ji Yiyun had initially managed to snatch the inheritance with great difficulty and naturally was not willing to give it up so easily.

“There isn’t any inheritance left. It cost a lot to take care of you three siblings, and we also had to regularly clean and maintain the mansion. On top of this, we’ve been covering for your father’s Ji Group. That inheritance was gone long ago,” Ji Yiyun said.

“It’s okay, I’ve brought an accountant with me. He’ll help us figure out exactly how much was spent and how much remains,” Ji Tingyang glanced back at the man holding a briefcase.

The man immediately stepped forward, took out a laptop from the briefcase, and said, “Miss Ji, could you provide the bills you mentioned?”

Ji Yiyun stammered, “I… I don’t have the bills…”

“No problem. Bills can always be reissued. If we really can’t get them, we could also go to the bank and print out the transaction history for the past decade or so and compare everything,” the man said.

Ji Yiyun’s body stiffened for a moment.

“It seems like it will take a while to calculate. I have other matters to attend to, so I’ll leave first. Please take your time going over the accounts,” Ji Tingyang got up and just as he took a couple of steps towards the door, he paused.

As if he remembered something, he turned back to the accountant and said, “Oh right, this mansion was also purchased with my parents’ inheritance. Accountant Zhang, remember to include that in the calculation.”

Ji Yiyun’s complexion turned an abrupt shade of ashen.

…

After Ji Tingyang got the keys to the mansion, he came alone.

The mansion hadn’t been cleaned for years; the front and back yards were overgrown with weeds. He pushed the door open; the interior was covered in a thick layer of dust.

He walked through the mansion step by step, his gaze slowly sweeping over the familiar layout and furniture.

On the big couch in the living room, Lin Xu would always hold him as they watched TV together, and she liked to complain about the bewildering actions of the male and female leads in the shows.

“In the future, Tingyang should never yell at a girl like him. We need to be a polite and well-behaved kid,” Lin Xu’s gentle voice echoed in his ears.

At that large dining table, after breakfast Lin Xu would always give him a glass of milk, “You must drink more milk to grow taller and stronger, so you can protect your brother and sister.”

In that backyard full of flowers, he also had memories of planting flowers with his mother.

“Tingyang, look, there’s a loach here,” Lin Xu pointed at the squirming loach on the ground for him to see.

“Mom, don’t be scared, I’ll protect you.” Thinking Lin Xu was afraid of bugs, he promptly caught the loach with his small hand and threw it far away.

Lin Xu’s smiling lips softly stretched; her face radiated with a graceful smile, “Our Tingyang is so wonderful, my little hero.”

What did he say at that time?

He said, he would protect Mom for a lifetime.

But in the end, he wasn’t able to do anything.

The mansion held too many beautiful memories; the more beautiful they were, the more his chest ached.

It felt like a heavy hammer hit him, like a hot iron scorched him, the pain penetrating deep into his bones, unbearable.

Ji Tingyang clenched his hand at his side and made his way up the stairs.

He stopped in front of the master bedroom door, his hand pausing on the handle, his dark, deep eyes filled with struggle.

After a long while.

He finally pushed the door open.

What met his eyes was the family portrait of the five of them, glistening as it hung on the wall.

Ji Tingyang clutched the front of his shirt tightly, beads of sweat bloomed on his forehead, and he hurriedly left the mansion, not daring to stay any longer.

He lowered his head, his pace was hurried, and he stumbled into someone on the adjacent path.

Ji Tingyang apologized, and just as he was about to leave, he heard the person hesitantly call out his name.

“Ji Tingyang?”

Ji Tingyang turned his head.

He saw the girl’s eyes, clear as water, looking at him, revealing a faint hint of happiness and shyness in her expression.

“Do we know each other?” Ji Tingyang’s brows furrowed slightly.

“I’m Wen Li, remember? I used to bring you breakfast when we were in elementary school. We were only friends for a few months before you transferred away.” Wen Li felt a hint of regret as she thought about it.

“It’s you…” Ji Tingyang murmured softly.

The girl who resembled his mother.

“You remember me?!” Wen Li’s expression suddenly became excited, “Where do you live now? Maybe we…”

Before she could finish,
Her palm was abruptly yanked, and she found herself crashing into a solid chest.

Ji Tingyang held her body tightly, his head buried in her shoulder as he desperately tried to ease the pain that had been suppressed in his heart.

A flicker of surprise crossed Wen Li’s eyes and a delicate blush crept up her ears, “What, what’s wrong?”

Was he really this happy to see her again?

As a child, he’d always been so cold, she even thought he didn’t like being friends with her, but now it seemed that might not have been the case?

Wen Li’s eyes curved like crescent moons.

…

Ji Tingyang hired some cleaners and had them thoroughly clean the Ji Mansion inside and out before he moved back in with Ji Zeqiu and Ji Yuqiao.

Ji Yuqiao had never seen the mansion before and found the decorations fascinating, wandering around again and again.

“Big brother, this place is so big, even the bathrooms are larger than any bedroom we’ve lived in before,” Ji Yuqiao said, somewhat excited.

Ji Tingyang smiled, “The bedrooms on the second floor are even bigger. Want to go see?”

“Can I pick out one of the bedrooms I like to live in?” Ji Yuqiao asked.

Ji Tingyang paused for a moment, “You take the second-last room on the second floor.”

That bedroom used to belong to his sister.

Hearing this, Ji Zeqiu looked up at Ji Tingyang, silently picked up his luggage, and went back to his old bedroom.

Retrieving the inheritance had taken quite some time, and of course, Ji Yiyun was not willing to let go
just like that.

He followed the lawyer now
Ji Tingyang hired some cleaners and had them thoroughly clean the Ji Mansion inside and out before he moved back in with Ji Zeqiu and Ji Yuqiao.

Ji Yuqiao had never seen the mansion before and found the decorations fascinating, wandering around again and again.

“Big brother, this place is so big, even the bathrooms are larger than any bedroom we’ve lived in before,” Ji Yuqiao said, somewhat excited.

Ji Tingyang smiled, “The bedrooms on the second floor are even bigger. Want to go see?”

“Can I pick out one of the bedrooms I like to live in?” Ji Yuqiao asked.

Ji Tingyang paused for a moment, “You take the second-last room on the second floor.”

That bedroom used to belong to his sister.

Hearing this, Ji Zeqiu looked up at Ji Tingyang, silently picked up his luggage, and went back to his old bedroom.