Just as the room fell into an eerie silence, the soft whir of wheels echoed from the hallway.
A moment later, the doors to the living room opened— slowly, almost solemnly.
A black wheelchair rolled inside, pushed gently by a middle-aged man in a grey suit. Mr. Xu, the long-time assistant of the Jiang patriarch, bowed his head respectfully as he guided the chair into view.
Seated in it was none other than Jiang Weichen— the once-proud head of the Jiang family, now a shadow of his former self. Paralyzed from the waist down after a tragic car accident, he exuded quiet dignity, even in his weakened state.
His sharp gaze swept the room— until it landed on a girl lying on the leather couch.
His fingers gripped the armrest as his eyes widened in disbelief.
"Xianyu?"
His voice cracked slightly with disbelief.
Jiang Xianyu snapped out of her thoughts. Her eyes locked onto the source of the voice—her biological father. Her chest rose and fell rapidly, emotions flooding her like a wave crashing over dry shore.
He's alive… He's actually alive…
Without another word, she rushed forward and dropped to her knees beside him. Her arms wrapped tightly around his waist, clinging to the only person who had once truly loved her.
"Father… I thought… I'd never see you again…"
Jiang Weichen was stunned for a moment. Then, his expression melted into warmth. His hand moved slowly and gently patted her back.
"Silly girl," he murmured, his voice softer than ever. "It was just a small accident. Nothing serious. See? I'm still here, alive and well."
He gave a slight smile.
But in that tender moment, Jiang Xianyu's thoughts drifted to a bitter truth burned into her soul.
But everyone in the Jiang family died…And the first one was you.
She didn't speak the words aloud.
At least— she didn't mean to.
But somehow… they echoed through the air like a whisper in a haunted house.
Mrs. Jiang's face twisted into one of shock. Her eyes widened. Yuxin paled. Wenyan stiffened.
All three had heard her inner voice.
The silence that followed was deafening.
Mrs. Jiang suddenly pointed a trembling finger at Xianyu, her voice shrieking with disbelief and rising fury.
"You… BASTARD! What nonsense are you spouting?!"
She charged forward in a fit of rage, but before she could reach Xianyu—
"MOM!"
"Calm down!"
As Mrs. Jiang continued struggling in her children's grip, her chest heaving, Jiang Yuxin leaned closer and whispered urgently to her mother and brother.
"I think… only us three could hear her," she murmured, her eyes darting toward Jiang Xianyu."Dad didn't react at all. Neither did Mr. Xu. Even the servants nearby— none of them flinched. They didn't hear anything. Only we did."
Her words sent a chill down their spines.
Mrs. Jiang froze mid-struggle.
Her fury gave way to something else— a buried memory, one she hadn't dared to revisit in years.
Her pupils trembled as the scene from long ago unfolded in her mind—
Few Years Ago — Private Hospital Room
The scent of medicine clung heavily in the air. Machines beeped softly. The old man on the bed looked as though a single breath would tear him away from the world.
Old Master Jiang—once the mighty pillar of the Jiang family—now lay gaunt and pale, his skin sallow, his breathing shallow.
He reached out a trembling, bony hand to grip Mrs. Jiang's wrist.
"Xiao Wei…" he rasped, his voice barely audible, each syllable forced from dry, cracked lips."You are my only daughter… and I know you never loved him, but I had no choice. The master said Luo Weichen's fate could carry the disaster meant for you. I defied your will, forced you into that marriage… not out of cruelty, but because I couldn't bear to lose you. I only wanted to buy you more time."
Mrs. Jiang, younger then, her pride and sharpness dulled by grief, knelt beside his bed, her hand clutching his.
"Father, these are feudal superstitions..."
But he shook his head faintly, refusing to stop.
"Listen first.... The Jiang family… is destined to face catastrophe… An unexpected person will appear, and she… she will be the cause of our downfall… "
Mrs. Jiang stiffened. "What?"
His gaze grew distant, his pupils unfocused as if seeing something beyond the veil of the living.
"The master… he said… our granddaughter… carries a unique destiny. She's the only one who can reverse our fate. You must find her, no matter what. Bring her back. Let her do as she wishes. No matter what she says… or how she acts… allow her."
A single tear slid down the old man's cheek.
"She will be… the benefactor of our Jiang family…"
And with those final, cryptic words, Old Master Jiang exhaled one last breath— and passed away.
Thinking of her father's dying words… and now hearing Jiang Xianyu's inner thoughts echo in the room like whispered prophecy, Mrs. Jiang couldn't help but shudder.
A cold chill crept down her spine.
Could this be what Father meant...?
Is this why… I can hear her thoughts?
Her gaze locked onto Xianyu, who was still kneeling quietly beside Jiang Weichen, her expression calm— but her presence suddenly felt otherworldly.
Is she… truly the benefactor of the Jiang family?
"Mom? What are you thinking about?" Jiang Wenyan frowned and gently shook Mrs. Jiang's arm, snapping her out of her daze.
Mrs. Jiang blinked, her thoughts still tangled in her father's dying words and Jiang Xianyu's haunting presence. She quickly masked her expression, forcing a stiff smile.
"Nothing… it's nothing," she muttered, avoiding eye contact. "Just a little tired."
But her heart was anything but calm.
Before anyone could press further, Jiang Weichen spoke, his voice filled with rare tenderness.
He pulled out a sleek black card from his wallet and extended it to the girl still kneeling beside him.
"Xianyu," he said gently, "this is my supplementary card. Use it however you like. Buy what you need, what you want. You've suffered too much these past years… and I wasn't there to protect you."
Jiang Xianyu looked up, stunned for a moment.
The card trembled in her hand as she took it slowly, her throat tightening.
This was the father she remembered— kind, steady, the only person in the Jiang family who had ever shown her genuine love.
"Thank you… Dad."
Just as warmth began to settle in the room, Jiang Xianyu's fingers still brushing the edge of the black card, her eyes shimmering with gratitude—
A soft, almost sulky voice broke the silence.
"Dad… you've never given me your card to spend." Jiang Yuxin stood with her arms folded, her tone light but edged with grievance."Isn't that a little unfair? You're being… partial to Sister."
The room stiffened.
The brief joy that had flickered between Jiang Weichen and Jiang Xianyu faded, replaced by a prickling tension.
Jiang Xianyu slowly looked up, the card still loosely held in her hand.
Jiang Weichen's smile thinned. His brows creased ever so slightly— not in guilt, but in disappointment.
"Yuxin," he said calmly, "you've never lacked anything in this house. What you wanted, you received without even needing to ask."
He turned his gaze back to Xianyu, voice steady with affection.
"But Xianyu… came back to a family that treated her like a stranger. All I'm doing now is making up for the years I lost with her. That's not favoritism. That's responsibility."
Jiang Yuxin's lips pressed into a thin line.