The Villain’s Daughter is Four and a Half

Chapter 28 (Conclusion) Jiang Ruyi, watching her parents, who seemed newlywed in their affection, thought that having a little brother or sister was imminent. She wasn’t opposed to the idea, so she said, “It’s okay. Having a little brother or sister would be nice.” “If your dad has a son, he might not love you as much,” Zhou Linchuan said with a frown, but then his face relaxed into a smile, “But don’t worry, you have your brother—” Jiang Ruyi nodded, “Yeah.” She increasingly found Zhou Linchuan’s company comforting; her parents still treated her like a child. However, contrary to their expectations, her parents did not conceive soon after. Even after a very long time, Jiang Ruyi remained their only child. Zhou Linchuan’s wish to have Ruyi all to himself could not be realized. They could only continue their usual interactions. Jiang Ruyi grew up day by day. Until she was almost eight, she still thought about setting Zhou Linchuan up with someone, but it never happened. Zhou Linchuan declared himself a lifelong bachelor and indeed never married. At forty, Jiang Ruyi was fourteen, Jiang Boyuan thirty-six, and Xu Xiangying thirty-eight, still looking as beautiful as ever. At fifty, Jiang Ruyi was twenty-four, Jiang Boyuan forty-six, and Xu Xiangying forty-eight, still beautiful as flowers. Only Zhou Linchuan aged, while the rest of the family remained youthful and handsome. Time seemed to leave no mark on them. Zhou Linchuan began to understand something, but he never spoke of it. Jiang Boyuan and his wife planned to move away. Their unchanging appearance had started to draw attention. They needed to relocate and change identities. Jiang Ruyi stubbornly stayed behind. By now, she knew her parents’ secrets, and that she too was part of that secret. She would forever remain eighteen. Zhou Linchuan never married, had no children, and Jiang Ruyi truly became his daughter, accompanying him to the end of his life. Zhou Linchuan had made his will early, leaving all his assets to her. Jiang Ruyi inherited his company, and after his death, she donated most of the assets in his name, establishing over a hundred “Linchuan Primary Schools,” setting up “Linchuan Scholarships,” and supporting medical development in the country. His name lived on. They seemed to have no regrets. Zhou Linchuan passed away in front of her, on her third eighteenth birthday, at the age of seventy. He died with white hair, looking like an old man, while she remained forever young and beautiful. “You are an angel,” his voice was weak, his eyes reflecting the light of his final moments. Very charming. Jiang Ruyi’s smile was radiant, more beautiful than her mother Xu Xiangying: “Yes, I am an angel.” She leaned down, kissed his forehead, and said with a smile, “Brother, let me tell you a story.” Zhou Linchuan nodded, slightly curious, “Hmm? What story?” Jiang Ruyi looked serious, with a tender emotion in her eyes: “In the next life, an angel will come to love you.” It was like a wish, or a promise. Zhou Linchuan found it beautiful and slowly closed his eyes: “Okay.” At that moment, with a smile on his face, he left this world, which had been somewhat harsh to him, without regrets. He had loved only one woman in his life, unrequitedly, and cherished her memory forever. Fortunately, that woman left him with a girl who loved him the most. Jiang Ruyi continued to remain beautiful for a long, long time. She believed in reincarnation or rebirth, so she stubbornly continued to search for her Brother Zhou. One year, two years, countless years, she would keep searching forever. With so much time on her hands, there would surely come a moment of reunion.