Inside the study room of the Ji Mansion, Grandfather Ji sat in his chair while Lu Tian sat across from him.
All was quiet as both men stare at each other like they were having a staring contest.
Grandfather Ji heaves a sigh and was the first to look away. He leans back on his chair and decided to break the silence.
"Lu Tian, I know you know why I wanted to speak with you."
Saying this, he sighs a deep breath and looks back at the boy.
"I never intended to keep this secret for this long. Now that you know Yue Ling is my precious granddaughter, as the only elder she has left, I do not wish to see her hurt again."
Lu Tian had planned to keep quiet and listen to what the old man had to say, but when he heard Grandfather Ji's words, he knew what the old man meant by 'hurt again.'
He stares straight into the old man's eyes and answers him.
"As long as I am breathing, I will never let her get hurt."
Hearing his words full of promising, Grandfather Ji sighs in relief. He stares at Lu Tian for a long minute before taking another deep breath.
"I hope you will keep your words. If I am going to hand her to someone, I want him to be someone worthy of her."
He avert his eyes from Lu Tian to the photos laid out in order on his desk.
"I had always wanted her to live a simple life without having to worry about social status. However, if it is your Lu family, I can rest in ease."
He pause in his words for a long minute.
The Lu family is a very powerful and prominent family, but Yue Ling's family is not inferior.
Lu Tian may have the Lu and Zhao family on his side, but Yue Ling has the Ji and Han family.
Although the members of the Ji family is not as stable as the Lu and Zhao family, Yue Ling is the last successor and holds the control of the Han family.
She also has the backing of every member in Fate.
However, that does not matter. He knows that the Lu family will never betray her.
Thinking this, he faintly smiles and kept his eyes on the photos.
"She may smile like everything is fine, but she is still human and has been through a lot in life."
As he stares at the photo of Ji An Ling and Han Min Joon, he smiles a smile full of deep sorrow.
"For a child like her, the experiences she had to face alone are beyond anyone's imagination."
Remembering the day he received the phone call about his daughter and son-in-law's death, Grandfather Ji slowly close his eyes to take another deep breath.
When he opened his eyes, he looks away from the photo and stood up from his chair.
As he walked to the window in the room, he held his arms behind his back and stares out to the night sky.
"Yue Ling… that child, she cannot remember anyone outside of her family after her parent's passed away."
Hearing this, Lu Tian's indifferent expression made a slight change. His brows furrow together as he thought back to something.
Knowing how Lu Tian is, Grandfather Ji does not beat around the bush. With eyes staring out the window, he decides to tell the boy.
"After the loss of her parents, she blocked the memories of everyone who is not important to her. Anyone who did not play a main part in her life were all forgotten."
Lu Tian listened until the end. Thinking of something, he part his lip to speak.
"Is that why you hid her as your granddaughter?"
Grandfather Ji sighs a smile and turn away from the window. He walks back to his chair.
"That is part of it."
Sitting back down, his words continue.
"I assume she has already told you who she really is."
Lu Tian did not say a word but nod his head in response. The night he proposed to Yue Ling, she had told him about her being the leader of Fate.
Knowing that Lu Tian knows who Yue Ling really is, Grandfather Ji felt like the heavy weight on his shoulders had been lifted.
For so many years, he was afraid that it would be hard for someone to accept Yue Ling as she held a dark past. However, knowing that Lu Tian knows and still accepted her, he could finally relax.
"As someone who deals with the underworld, I'm sure you know about Fate. I'm also sure that by now, you already know that it was Fate's former leader and one of my good friends, Old Han who had trained you when you often came to visit."
He pause in his words and sighs.
"To keep us safe, my daughter and son-in-law made me promise to not reveal Ah Ling to the world. If the underworld knew that Fate is tied to the Ji family, a war will not only break out in the underworld, but also up here."
Grandfather Ji held a sullen expression as he spoke his words but remembering how he was finally able to introduce Yue Ling as his granddaughter to others, he softens a little inside.
"If any harm came to the Han family, I will not hesitate to take action as the Han family to me. In order to keep both worlds in peace, her identity could not be revealed. Fate may be a notorious gang in the underworld, but it follows the law. However, like every gang out there in the world, it has enemies."
Hearing the old man's words, Lu Tian ponder in thought. He is the person the government sends when it comes to dealing with the underworld and he knows how each gang works.
However, why does it have to be his wife who has to take on the role as Fate's leader?
Looking at Lu Tian's expression, Grandfather Ji already knew what he was thinking about. He sighs and answers.
"It was her choice."
He looks away from Lu Tian and stares out to the window.
"After Ah Ling lost her parents, she threw away her childhood. Old Lu and I tried to convince her, but she told us that she will accept her fate and become the next leader in line for Fate."
Saying this, he looks back at Lu Tian before his words continue again.
"The stablization of Fate is all her doing."
He stares at Lu Tian to observe the boy's expression. However, no matter how long he looked, Lu Tian's expression remained the same as usual. Indifference.
Thinking of something, he sighs a smile.
"There are some who say that she is a curse, are you sure you want to be with her?"
Lu Tian's eyes stared at the desk as he was deep in his own thoughts about the life his wife had lived.
Hearing the old man's sudden words, he was reminded of his wife's words to him when they were at the beach in City Z.
'Like a curse, everyone beside me always end up leaving…'
Recalling the pain in her eyes that day, he felt a sharp stab in his heart.
His eyes slowly shift from the desk to Grandfather Ji.
"If she is a curse, then let her be my curse. Even if you, my parents or the whole world wants me to leave her, I won't give up on her."
Staring straight into the old man's eyes, Lu Tian's deep voice continues inside the study room.
"She is the only Han Yue Ling in my world."
Grandfather Ji stares at Lu Tian with an expressionless face. Even when Lu Tian was done speaking, he did not say a word but continue to look at the boy sitting across from him.
After what felt like forever, his lip slowly curl up into a smile as he chuckles.
"Good."
He nods his head approvingly and laughs heartily aloud.
"Now I can rest assure that I will not be giving my granddaughter to someone useless."
"…"
Lu Tian stares at Grandfather Ji and he did not know whether to laugh or cry. Should he be happy or angry at the old man's words?
Seeing the quick change in Lu Tian's facial expression because of his words, Grandfather Ji chuckles and stood up from his seat.
"Alright, I've said what I needed to say and heard what I needed to hear. Everyone must be tired of waiting for us."
Saying this, he proceeds towards the door to leave, but just as he reached the door, he paused in his steps.
"Ah yes, since you know about Ah Ling, I guess I should fill you in on something."
Turning back to look at Lu Tian, he smiles a smile that reached his eyes.
"The 'man' who saved Jingxu and Ting did not leave Imperial."
Hearing these words, Lu Tian who had just stood from his seat arch a brow. He had wanted to train with this mysterious man.
"Who is he?"
Grandfather Ji sighs a smile and held his hands behind his back as his chin slightly raise up with proudness.
"He is someone who has always been in front of you."
Arching his other brow, both Lu Tian's brows arch up at the old man.
"It was you?"
"No."
Grandfather Ji quickly answer as he shook his head and smiles chuckle.
He turns around and walks out of the room as he chuckles his next words.
"Yue Ling."