Chapter 310 - 309: Marriage Registration

"Look at this fine son you’ve raised!" Old Madam Ji shouted as she chased after him on her Long Feather Bird.

She needed to know why Ji Shiyin had suddenly lost control.

The Ji Family was xenophobic. Mai Yue was an outsider, not a member of the clan, so Ji Shiyin couldn’t possibly have failed to understand his priorities.

Old Madam Ji was convinced there had to be another reason.

Ji Heyan followed, silent and worried.

This whole scene his own son had caused had left him completely baffled.

’Surely Ji Shiyin hasn’t gone mad just because Mai Yue died, has he?’

’If Ji Shiyin really cared that much about his mother, Mai Yue, why would he have sent her to a remote place like the Imperial Capital Star Border District?’

What Old Madam Ji couldn’t understand, Ji Heyan couldn’t understand either.

’Could it be that sending Mai Yue to that dump was really just to protect her?’

The more Ji Heyan thought about it, the angrier he became. ’What did Ji Shiyin take him for!’

’Mai Yue was his partner. He never hit her or swore at her. All he asked was for her to show some filial piety to his parents. What was there to complain about?’

The matter of the succession had just been settled, and Ji Heyan hadn’t yet realized the gravity of the situation.

He still saw himself as Old Madam Ji’s pride and joy, determined to vindicate himself for the past when he had been looked down upon and unable to fulfill his filial duties.

...

When Pei Yin and Jian Yu arrived at the Ji Family estate, Ji Shiyin was standing at the entrance, his eyes downcast, cradling a chubby Little Flying Bear in his arms.

A morbidly fragile air clung to him, making him look like a puppy temporarily abandoned by its owner.

He looked pitiful. Not only was his face pale, but there were also faint, dark circles under his eyes.

"Ji Shiyin!" Pei Yin yelled, scooping up Jian Yu as they landed in a frustrated huff.

He set Jian Yu down and rushed forward. "How did you end up in this sorry state?!"

Ji Shiyin raised his eyes.

His gaze swept past Pei Yin and landed on Jian Yu. His eyes instantly reddened. "What are you two doing here?"

The spread of Pei Yin’s anger suddenly halted. ’A faint smile one second, red-rimmed eyes the next. How does he do that?’

Jian Yu used Instant Teleportation, appearing right in front of him and meeting his reddened eyes.

Dressed in black pants and a white shirt, he looked so frail his clothes seemed to weigh him down. Up close, he gave off the delicate impression of a willow swaying in the wind.

At eighteen, he had no vitality, and his face was utterly haggard.

Ji Shiyin pursed his lips into a smile. "Jian Yu."

’Can’t deny it,’ she thought, ’a handsome young man with red eyes is quite a sight.’

Jian Yu, who had been about to step back, paused.

’This was a man she had slept with.’

’She had even copied Si Xu by patting his butt and commenting on how firm it was.’

Jian Yu’s ears turned red. Maintaining a cool expression, she opened her arms, her voice softening with a coaxing note. "Do you want a hug?"

Ji Shiyin bent down and wrapped his arms around her.

"Master finally has someone to comfort him."

The Little Flying Bear began to play the pity card.

It conveniently flew up and settled on Jian Yu’s shoulder, speaking in a childlike voice. "Master says he doesn’t want to let go. That’s why Master’s problems over here are almost solved."

The Little Flying Bear kissed Jian Yu’s earlobe. "Babe, can you give Master another chance?"

Jian Yu blinked, baffled.

’I don’t think I ever rejected Ji Shiyin, did I?’

’At most, I thought he was too eager, that his motives were mixed with self-interest. Compared to the others...’

’His intentions weren’t as pure, it’s true.’

Ji Shiyin gently pushed Jian Yu away, shyly pursing his lips.

A little distance opened up between them.

The Little Flying Bear grew a bit larger, wrapped its arms tightly around Jian Yu’s neck, and tears began to PLIP-PLOP from its round, black eyes.

The cool tears landing on her warm neck jolted Jian Yu back to her senses.

She lifted her chin and blinked her big eyes a couple of times. "I thought we were already official."

Ji Shiyin couldn’t resist hugging her again. He turned his head and buried his face in her shoulder, two small dimples appearing on his cheeks.

’He had wanted to deal with the Ji Family’s affairs for a long time now.’

’Jian Yu’s appearance and Mai Yue’s death were merely the fuse.’

’As for those incidents, Ji Heyan had always managed to smooth things over by blaming them on conflicts between a mother-in-law and her daughter-in-law.’

’But Ji Shiyin was no longer willing to stand by and watch Old Madam Ji and his uncle’s family live in peace.’

’He admitted his feelings toward Ji Heyan were complicated. He couldn’t bring himself to move against him—not yet. Besides, he wanted to make Ji Heyan regret his actions.’

’But regret what, exactly? Ji Shiyin himself didn’t even know.’

’Perhaps one day, when he saw the man in a pathetic state, he would be able to send him on his way without a second thought.’

Pei Yin crossed his arms. He had been about to offer to go inside and help Ji Shiyin get some payback, but the guy only had eyes for his precious treasure.

Ji Shiyin looked down at Jian Yu, a handsome smile playing on his lips.

Pei Yin forcibly pulled them apart and asked in a rapid-fire burst, "The word outside is that your mother’s gone and you’re planning to voluntarily leave the clan. Is that true? Do you need my help? If it’s a hassle, I can call over Ling Gou and the others to back you up."

Ji Shiyin looked up, his voice gentle. "No need. I’ve already handled it. It’s just that my mother just passed away... Jian Yu, we may have to postpone getting our marriage certificate for a while."

Ji Heyan, who had just caught up, happened to hear that exact sentence.

His expression changed drastically. "Marriage certificate? Who are you getting a marriage certificate with?!"

Old Madam Ji appeared in mid-air. "Hmph. So much talk about not caring for the Family Head position, about only wanting justice for that woman, Mai Yue. But in the end—"

She paused dramatically, glancing down condescendingly at Jian Yu. "Alright, that’s enough of a scene. Come back now. If you want to marry her, then marry her. I won’t stop you. There’s no need to defy us over a woman and make yourself a public laughingstock."

Old Madam Ji clutched her chest, her ugly sneer directed at Jian Yu.

"You shameless vixen. All you know how to do is sow discord. You haven’t even married into the family, and you’ve already turned brother against brother and father against son. You must be very proud of yourself, hmm?"

"Don’t think that just because I’m allowing you to be the Family Head’s wife, you can walk all over me. The Ji Family places great importance on the clan. A woman like you is only good for whispering poison in a man’s ear at night."

"For so many years, the family has given Ji Shiyin the best of everything, painstakingly cultivating him and providing for his every need, all so he could bring benefits to the clan. If I weren’t so soft-hearted, I would never allow him to marry a little bitch like you."

Pei Yin’s eyes narrowed. He was so furious he forgot he could even fly.

He started cursing, "You old hag! You old bitch, get down here!"

Ji Shiyin pursed his lips. "I’m sorry. I didn’t handle this well."

Jian Yu’s brow furrowed.

’Sorry? Hugging me won’t do any good either.’

Ji Shiyin shot the Little Flying Bear a look.

The Little Flying Bear flew up and delivered a slap, followed by a butt-slam.

A shriek rang out as Old Madam Ji and her bird came tumbling out of the sky.

Ji Heyan was actually a bit afraid of Old Madam Ji. He cowered, not daring to speak a single word in Ji Shiyin’s defense.

Besides, he was still lost in a daze, reeling from the confusion of his son disowning him.

A moment ago, when he saw Old Madam Ji had the upper hand, he’d even felt a sense of satisfaction at her tirade, as if she were venting his own frustrations for him.

Now, seeing Old Madam Ji fall, he regretted not playing peacemaker, which had led to his mother being injured by his son’s Soul Beast.

He ran over to help Granny Ji up, his face a mask of misery. "I’ve been unfilial," he lamented, blaming himself. "It’s all my fault. I didn’t raise him right."