n

n

n

nTranslator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

nMu Jingzhe had been curious about what was inside for a long time. She had asked Ji Buwang, but the latter had refused to tell her anything. At that moment, she finally saw what was inside. Only now, Ji Buwang had left.

nMu Jingzhe gripped the ring tightly and got up to take the small set of dolls she had given him at first. She didn’t hesitate to spell the character ‘wei’.

nAfter she spelled out the word ‘wei’, the unopened box opened with a click, revealing the gift Ji Buwang had given her many years ago—the ring.

nUnsurprisingly, it was another white jade ring. However, this one was a little smaller. Judging by the size, this one was for her.

nMu Jingzhe picked up the ring and saw a note under it. When she unfolded it, she saw Ji Buwang’s handwriting.

n“Since you’re reading this note, it means that you’ve already opened the box. It also means that you’re thinking about our future1, Jingzhe. I hope that one day, this ring will be on your hand.”

nMu Jingzhe had tried so many times, but she had never thought of using the word ‘future’. She had never expected such a word to be the key.

nFor many years, Ji Buwang had wanted just this one thing—a future with her.

nHowever, they had no future, just like she had never been able to open this box.

n“The future, the future… It was actually the word ‘future’. You saw that I couldn’t open it, but you never gave me any hints… What if I never managed to open it?”

nLittle Bei was afraid that Mu Jingzhe would get hurt, so she picked up the broken doll fragments. As if in response to Mu Jingzhe’s words, at that moment, she picked up a note that had fallen beside her.

nThis note was also in Ji Buwang’s handwriting, as if it had been specifically written to answer her question. “If you didn’t open it, Jingzhe… it means that you don’t have me in your heart. But I have faith in you. You must have opened it, right?”

nMu Jingzhe gripped the ring tightly. No, she hadn’t opened it. She hadn’t opened it all this while. It was just like the relationship between her and Ji Buwang. They’d always missed each other by just a little bit.

nShe suddenly remembered the expression on his face when she had proposed to him and said that she would buy the proposal ring while he would buy the wedding rings. At the time, she hadn’t understood, but now, she suddenly did. Back then, he had looked at her like that because he had thought of the ring in the box, right?

nMu Jingzhe quickly realized that this pair of rings was a little different. This used to be the Ji Family’s tradition in the past. Their family used to keep some original jade stones, and every child would receive one after they were born. Usually, they would make a ring with that jade.

nThis ring would normally be worn during their wedding. Later on, when it wasn’t convenient to wear it anymore, one could put it away. When that person passed away, they would wear it for their burial. It was said that the Ji Family wanted to use this as evidence to recognize their own kin in the afterlife. It was also a form of blessing. They hoped that the fated ones could use this unique ring to reunite in the next life.

nJi Buwang had long determined Mu Jingzhe to be his lifelong partner, so he’d had a ring crafted from his jade stone for her. Previously, when Ji Buwang had wanted to buy a wedding ring, Old Master Ji had even asked him why he wouldn’t use this ring.

nThe reason was naturally because Mu Jingzhe hadn’t opened the box then. It was unknown if Ji Buwang was planning to buy a new one or if he’d wanted to remind Mu Jingzhe.

nNow, Mu Jingzhe had opened the box and gotten the ring, but everything had changed.

nJust like their supposed wedding day had turned into Ji Buwang’s cremation day.

nJi Buwang had been at the funeral home all this while, but he couldn’t stay there for too long. At first, this was done to let Mu Jingzhe bid him farewell, but now that Mu Jingzhe had seen him, his funeral had to be arranged.

nAfter Mu Jingzhe was discharged from the hospital, they started preparing for Ji Buwang’s funeral. Old Master Ji would bring Ji Buwang’s ashes back to the capital and bury them in the Ji Family’s ancestral grave, but the funeral could only be held there.

nWhen it came to weddings and funerals, one had to select an appropriate day. Originally, this was supposed to be a good day for Mu Jingzhe and Ji Buwang’s wedding, but now, it had become the best day for Ji Buwang’s funeral.

nThe day of the wedding had turned into a day for a funeral.

nLi Zhaodi and Old Master Ji had prepared everything, but the groom was missing.

nOld Master Ji didn’t blame Mu Jingzhe, but that day, Mu Jingzhe blamed herself for not registering their marriage in advance and even wanting to find a meaningful day to do so.

nIn the end, she hadn’t become Ji Buwang’s wife.

nMu Jingzhe couldn’t take this lying down. The sky was still bright when she found Li Zhaodi and Mu Teng. “Dad, Mom, can we move forward with the wedding?”

nLi Zhaodi and Mu Teng hadn’t slept well to begin with, so when they heard that, their heads hurt even more. “Jingzhe, Mommy knows that you’re sad, but without the groom, how can we still hold the wedding?”

n“Buwang is here. He hasn’t been burned yet. He’s still here.” After saying that, Mu Jingzhe saw the gazes of Li Zhaodi and Mu Teng and paused for a moment before apologizing. “I’m sorry, Dad, Mom. I’ve made you worry, but he’s really still here. Can you let me be willful for once? Just this once. I only want to be his wife.”

nBecause they hadn’t registered their marriage in advance, she was destined not to become Ji Buwang’s true widow for the rest of her life. She couldn’t be his widow legally anymore. In the end, she could only fight to become his wife based on a formality.

nLi Zhaodi felt like she couldn’t breathe. Could they hold a wedding now? That would make her daughter no different from someone who went through a wedding holding a memorial tablet. How could she agree to it?

nBut upon looking at Mu Jingzhe, she couldn’t bring herself to refuse.

nMu Jingzhe was actually so willful because she was certain that they wouldn’t refuse. “I’m sorry, Dad, Mom. I rely on the fact that you love me, but I… still want to marry Ji Buwang.

n“If nothing goes wrong, this will be my last wedding. This is it for the rest of my life. I only want to be Ji Buwang’s wife.”

nLi Zhaodi cried for a long time. Her heart ached terribly, but in the end, she didn’t object. “Since you can’t forget him, then go ahead and marry him.”

nMarrying him could be considered fulfilling her wish. Li Zhaodi didn’t want this to become Mu Jingzhe’s eternal regret.

nWho could forget someone like Ji Buwang?

nLi Zhaodi thought that perhaps it would be better for Mu Jingzhe if she had fewer regrets.

nMu Jingzhe had initially thought that Li Zhaodi would object. After all, she believed the fortune-teller’s words. But in the end, she didn’t object.

nAfter getting Li Zhaodi and Mu Teng’s approval, Mu Jingzhe went to look for Old Master Ji.

nOld Master Ji hadn’t expected Mu Jingzhe to say such a thing. “Hold the funeral after the wedding? No, no, I object.”

nThis definitely wouldn’t do. Buwang wouldn’t allow it either, as he was already a dead man.

n“Grandpa, please agree. I want to be his wife. We agreed to get married today. I don’t want to go back on my word. I want him to leave in his groom’s clothes.”

nOld Master Ji objected, but he couldn’t persuade Mu Jingzhe in the end.

nBecause Mu Jingzhe and Ji Buwang had sent out invitations early, many people knew about it. However, no one had expected that something would happen to the groom just before the wedding.

nTheir hearts ached for Mu Jingzhe and felt pity for Ji Buwang. Everyone in Great Eastern Village was very sad for Mu Jingzhe, but they didn’t know that Mu Jingzhe had already changed into the wedding dress she had specifically made for herself and was preparing to get married.

nAlthough Old Master Ji couldn’t stop Mu Jingzhe, he ultimately kept this matter under wraps and prevented more people from finding out about it.

n