Having lived two lifetimes, this was still the first time Jiang Sui had ever attended such a grand Funeral.
In her previous life, she had gone back to the Old Home to attend her grandfather’s burial, and at that time, plenty of villagers and neighbors from the countryside came as well, but compared to now, it simply didn’t measure up.
As soon as she arrived at the Jin Family residence, Jiang Sui could already see a crowd of parked cars nearby, a clear sign of how lively it would be inside.
Just walking into the courtyard, she saw many strangers dressed in formal wear talking in small groups, almost as if the place was about to be packed to the brim.
“So many people.” Chen Yunze couldn’t help but comment.
“Young Master, should I hold your hand? That way you won’t get lost.” Jiang Sui said as she extended her hand to him.
Lu Yunze merely rolled his eyes. Jiang Sui didn’t insist on forcing him, she just wanted to tease him a bit before going over to talk to Luo Yao and Li Zhiya.
On the subject, both A-Yun and Zhili were wearing gorgeous formal clothes, attending the event as guests. Jiang Sui, on the other hand, was still in her Maid outfit for work; if it weren’t for Luo Yao insisting on bringing a personal Maid, she’d have had to sneak in herself.
She could still tease A-Yun now, but once Miss Yao returned, she’d have no more chance.
“This courtyard is nearly overflowing. If it were the Young Master’s manor, there would definitely be a lot more space.”
“That’s true.” Lu Yunze nodded slightly, “But then, wouldn’t you all be even busier running errands?”
“Young Master really is so considerate.”
After saying that, Jiang Sui continued observing her surroundings.
The head of the Qian Family died so suddenly, which was quite unexpected. According to the plot of her previous life’s novel, there shouldn’t have been such a development.
Was it because of my interference that more and more unexpected things keep happening?
Who knows what else might occur in the future? The plan is progressing, but there are more and more uncontrollable variables.
Will I still be able to successfully win over A-Yun’s group when the time comes?
Whenever she realized that things she thought were under her control might slip away, Jiang Sui couldn’t help but feel irritable. Even the conversation and laughter all around her sounded grating to her ears.
Luckily, someone came over to greet Chen Yunze and invited him aside for a chat.
Lu Yunze didn’t accept right away. Instead, he looked down at the little Maid beside him:
“Wait here for me, don’t wander off. If anyone tries to approach you or strike up a conversation, have them come ask me first, understand?”
His tone didn’t sound like he was joking.
Seeing Lu Yunze so serious outside of a fight, Jiang Sui was genuinely surprised.
“Young Master, are you worried about me?”
“You’re my family’s Maid—if you got abducted, wouldn’t that be embarrassing?”
Even though he said that, Lu Yunze’s expression didn’t look like he cared about the Jin Family’s face.
Jiang Sui gave a gentle smile, folded her hands in front of her, and bowed slightly.
“Understood. As long as it’s Young Master’s order, I will definitely obey.”
Straightening her back, Jiang Sui kept her gaze fixed on A-Yun as he walked away. He followed that guest over to a crowded table, and upon arriving, a small cheer broke out from the group.
It didn’t seem like a trap, but Jiang Sui couldn’t see any hint of unease on his face.
Because she’d seen his tense expression so often, she almost forgot that Lu Yunze was an adult—not a child who needed her to handle everything.
Suddenly, she felt as though her own little boy had grown up.
“In the end, all the variables in this mess started because of me.”
Jiang Sui let out a wry chuckle, and the gloom in her heart dissipated.
The Funeral proceeded according to plan. The guests in the courtyard were ushered inside the mansion, and thanks to the advance preparations, everyone finally had a seat.
After waiting outside for so long, it was finally time for the Grand Banquet.
As for mourning Jin Huancheng, even though Jiang Sui tried to eavesdrop on their conversations, it was clear that most of these guests had shown up uninvited—not for Jin Huancheng’s sake, but for their own interests.
Taking advantage of this chance to get in with the Jin Family, hoping for a slice of the pie.
Their sincerity wasn’t even half of Jiang Sui’s; at least she genuinely cared about the cause of Jin Huancheng’s death.
Lu Yunze was the same—after sitting down, he spent his time talking to people from the surrounding families. Outwardly, it seemed like normal conversation, but he was actually probing for the real cause of Jin Huancheng’s death.
Yet, most people had only just learned of the Funeral and only found out that Jin Huancheng had “ascended to heaven”; asking them yielded no useful information.
However, there was one thing that did pique Jiang Sui’s curiosity.
It wasn’t until the Funeral was about to begin that news of Jin Huancheng’s death started to spread widely. Why was it kept secret until now?
Jiang Sui was still pondering this when a chair suddenly appeared beside her.
“Have a seat.” Chen Yunze gestured with his hand.
“Young Master, is this really okay?” Jiang Sui didn’t immediately accept his kindness. Instead, she asked, “You’re a guest, I’m a Maid. Our statuses aren’t the same.”
At this moment, Luo Yao was still off expanding her own social network, so this was entirely Chen Yunze’s doing.
“Honestly, if you weren’t so suspicious, you’d have more good luck.” Chen Yunze sighed helplessly.
“Fate, I guess. Just joking.” Jiang Sui said as she sat down on the chair A-Yun had saved for her. Now she was right by his side.
But that wasn’t enough. Before her seat had even warmed up, Jiang Sui scooted closer to Lu Yunze’s side two or three times, until she could feel his body warmth.
Even if Miss Yao came back, she had nothing to worry about—she’d just say the venue was too crowded, and that guests didn’t like strangers getting too close.
A Funeral was supposed to be a solemn affair, but for some reason, the atmosphere today only made Jiang Sui feel even more relaxed.
The deceased was Jin Huancheng, head of a major family, but of all the family members present, there weren’t more than a handful. One of them was even Li Zhiya, who claimed to be his daughter.
To set the mood, they’d hired a professional team to play instruments and wail in mourning.
You really had to hand it to the professionals—paid to do the job, they cried loud enough to shake the heavens, putting even real family members to shame with their dedication.
After the Funeral, it was time for the Grand Banquet, and everyone, half-starved by then, eagerly began to eat.
Just as Jiang Sui thought this Funeral would end in boring fashion, Li Zhiya once again took the stage.
She tested the microphone in her hand to make sure it worked, then began to speak:
“Sorry to take up a bit of everyone’s time. Besides the Funeral, there’s something very important I need to announce today.”
Li Zhiya had just been one of the people sobbing the hardest. The tear stains on her face hadn’t even dried, and her voice was still thick with weeping.
“Before the Old Master passed away, he had already made preparations. From today onward, I will take his place as the next Master of the Jin Family, carrying on his work and making our family greater than ever!”
As soon as she finished, a hush fell over the crowd, followed by an outburst—whether of booing or applause, it was hard to tell.
Amid the commotion, Li Zhiya began showing a series of slides, sharing touching stories about her and Jin Huancheng, her expressions as sincere and genuine as could be.
“So, she’s inheriting the position of Master?” Chen Yunze couldn’t help but whisper.
“Doesn’t the Jin Family have anyone else more suitable?” Luo Yao also frowned.
Meanwhile, Jiang Sui kept staring at Li Zhiya’s face, as if trying to spot something suspicious.
But really, even without thinking too hard, it was obvious what was going on here.
While Li Zhiya was giving her speech on stage, none of the so-called Qian Family members stepped up. In fact, there wasn’t a single one to be seen.
Looks like they’d prepared thoroughly for this moment, and there was no need to question the authenticity of her “succession” at all.
From now on, it wouldn’t be strange if the whole Qian Family was renamed the Li Family.
But this had nothing to do with Jiang Sui. She didn’t care what Li Zhiya said on stage, and simply took a sip of hot soup.
The Funeral had suddenly become the Succession Ceremony. The atmosphere at the venue immediately grew lively.
No one stayed confined to their seats anymore. Instead, people stood up and began networking widely. Even if they couldn’t get close to the new Master Li Zhiya, there were still plenty of other big shots to connect with.
Of course, there were also people who remained aloof throughout, like A-Yun.
After getting up, he picked up his drink and made his way to a quiet spot.
“So stuffy.”
It was cold outside, but with so many people, the place was hot and stifling. Even though it was mealtime, he was soon covered in sweat.
At this time of year, catching a natural breeze in the courtyard with a chilled drink in hand and enjoying this small piece of the world was pure bliss.
“But why did Jin Huancheng suddenly die, just like that?”
Lu Yunze still had this question on his mind, but for now, there were no clues. Li Zhiya’s official reason was a sudden severe illness—a peaceful passing.
“Whatever. As long as nothing comes after me.”
Lu Yunze had just finished his drink and was about to go back inside for more when he saw another person step into the courtyard.
If it was Luo Yao or Jiang Sui, Chen Yunze wouldn’t have batted an eye. But it was Li Zhiya.
The moment she saw Lu Yunze alone, her demeanor changed dramatically.