Jing Zeyou only found out later that his grandmother had brought back a granddaughter.
By the time he learned of it, the girl had already gone abroad with his grandmother and had been raised overseas ever since.
Unlike Jing Zeqian, who was furious and resentful, Jing Zeyou didn’t see the girl’s arrival as a significant event.
From a young age, he knew he bore the responsibility for the Jing Family and Hengjing. As long as he didn’t acknowledge her, no one could take away what belonged to Jing Zejun.
In his youth, Jing Zeyou often visited his grandmother abroad with his father, yet he never once saw the girl, which surprised him.
His father had mentioned getting to know her, as so many years had passed, and calmness had eventually overcome anger. After all, the little girl was not at fault.
But his grandmother had always refused. Now, looking back, perhaps both they and Jing Yi should be grateful to her, as it might have prevented a much worse first meeting.
It was during the time of his grandmother’s passing that he first met Jing Yi.
At the time, she appeared well-behaved, fitting the image of an ‘adopted daughter’ perfectly—unassuming, obedient, and sensible.
However, he had come across records of her active achievements abroad, which suggested she was far from ordinary.
If he hadn’t heard her inner thoughts, he might have believed that.
That first meeting left a deep impression on him. She was visibly heartbroken, inside and out. After recovering slightly, she took a moment to silently admire his appearance.
When his father suggested bringing her back, Jing Zeyou was initially hesitant.
But Jing Yi was shrouded in too many mysteries, and someone like her was safer kept close.
Watching her lament her affluent yet lonely future on the plane, Jing Zeyou found it both amusing and guilt-inducing.
She genuinely didn’t want to return, but he couldn’t let someone like her remain unsupervised.
At the very least, he needed to figure out what had caused her transformation and why he could hear her thoughts.
Later, none of these questions were answered, and Jing Yi only grew more intriguing to him.
She had some peculiar hobbies, like sunbathing while fully covered, enjoying car racing, and practicing martial arts.
Though she always seemed detached, it was she who discovered his mother’s illness, Junjun’s danger, and even Zeqian’s troubles.
That incident had indeed angered him—both at Jing Zeqian and himself.
The Wang Family had always targeted Hengjing, and their focus on Jing Zeqian was ultimately because of him. He had underestimated their petty schemes, which had endangered his family.
Jing Zeyou valued his family deeply and would always stand in front of them when danger arose.
But one day, Jing Yi declared that she would be the one to shield them.
That was unacceptable. Even if he had brought her back with some intentions, none of them included putting her in harm’s way.
“Big brother, how do you know I don’t want to become the sharpest blade of the Jing Family?”
At that moment, Jing Zeyou felt both ashamed and awestruck.
When Jing Yi first arrived, they had never truly given her anything. Even their kindness was superficial. If she had remained aloof, he wouldn’t have felt this way.
But her heart was just too soft.
Because of this, he always wanted to protect her a little more.
Shen Huaichu wasn’t the ideal match. His sister deserved the best—someone who was considerate, capable, gentle, and deeply in love with her.
Jing Zeyou thought about it a lot but knew such a person might not exist. Even if they did, he would have to thoroughly investigate their motives.
Perhaps it was fate, but the two ended up together.
Soon, his fears came true, but before Shen Huaichu could find a solution, Jing Yi was involved in an accident.
That night, he stood outside the hospital room, looking at Jing Yi lying there, lifeless.
His heart was filled with fear and regret.
He overheard Shen Xi’s words: “If I had known you’d face so many troubles after returning, I would never have wished so eagerly to see you again.”
On that variety show, he had asked Jing Yi if she would still board the plane if she could do it all over again.
Jing Yi said she would.
The joy he felt then was matched only by the sorrow he felt now, standing outside her hospital room.
Their relationship had grown close so quickly, as if they were always meant to be family.
But if becoming family meant she would lie motionless in a hospital bed,
he wished he had never met her.
Perhaps the heavens heard their prayers and returned Jing Yi to them. They could no longer hear her inner thoughts, as if everything had returned to normal, and the weight on his heart finally lifted.
Later, Jing Yi became the champion of the Super Cup, standing in the place of the previous legend.
His little sister had grown up, step by step, to stand in a position bright enough to dazzle the world. Her love for racing had become a treasure she could boast about for a lifetime.
His little sister had indeed grown up, even knowing to propose in a significant setting.
He was a little displeased, though not as visibly as Jing Zeqian, but he was still deeply reluctant to let her go.
Even if she would only live a few steps away in a villa after marriage, it felt the same.
He had always found Jing Yi extraordinary. He prided himself on being someone who hid his emotions well, yet she seemed to sense them almost immediately.
That day, she lay outside the manor, sunbathing, still fully covered.
Another lounge chair was beside her, and when she saw him approaching, she wasn’t surprised at all, her voice lazy.
“Big brother, come on, I’ve been waiting for you to join me.”
He smiled and obediently lay down on the chair Jing Yi had prepared for him.
Jing Yi fell silent, and he thought she had really just called him over to sunbathe.
“Big brother, you know what? You’re the person I admire most in this world.”
Jing Zeyou was slightly taken aback, a smile tugging at his lips as he gazed at the warm, gentle sunlight. “Why bring this up so suddenly?”
Jing Yi’s voice remained lazy. “Because the person I admire most is incomparable to anyone else.”
“So, big brother, don’t act like I’m leaving the family, okay? That would make me really sad.”
At the time, he was both amused and exasperated. “Who said getting married means leaving the family? Whether you marry or not, you’re still a child of the Jing Family, my little sister.”
She seemed satisfied with this, the dimples on her cheeks deepening.
“It’s settled then. Even after I get married, I’m still going to cling to you all. You promised to take care of my affluent life for the rest of my days.”
“It’s settled.”
The sunlight that day was truly comforting, just like the first time he had sunbathed with Jing Yi.
Later, as Jing Yi had said, their relationship didn’t change much.
The only difference was that the family had grown a little larger.
