Chapter 1016: What remains of Love
Chapter 1016: What remains of Love
Grandfather Ji’s approval had brought a warmth to the study that none of them wanted to leave. He had insisted that they use the garden however they wished.
Without realizing it, morning had shifted to afternoon.
Grandfather Ji glanced out the window with a heartfelt smile.
"If you need anything, tell Housekeeper Hu," he said. "He’ll arrange it."
Yue Ling smiled.
"We don’t need anything extravagant, Yeye."
"That doesn’t mean you should settle for less."
Lu Tian chuckled.
"Don’t worry, Grandfather Ji. I’ll make sure she has everything she wants. And my mother is ready to help."
Grandfather Ji gave him a satisfied nod.
"Good."
Inu, who had settled at the old man’s feet, lifted his head at the sound of his voice.
Grandfather Ji reached down to rub the Samoyed’s ears.
"And you, little fellow, will have to behave yourself that day."
Inu wagged his tail.
Yue Ling laughed.
"I wouldn’t count on it."
Their conversation continued until footsteps sounded outside the study.
A moment later, Ji Jingxu appeared at the doorway.
"Jie?"
Yue Ling turned.
"Jingxu."
He looked between the three of them.
"Are you finished talking?"
Grandfather Ji raised an eyebrow.
"Why? Have we kept your sister from you for too long?"
Ji Jingxu grinned.
"A little."
"Then come in."
He entered and settled into the empty armchair, immediately joining their conversation.
When he learned that Yue Ling and Lu Tian wanted to hold their wedding in the garden, his face lit up.
"Really? Here?"
Yue Ling nodded.
"Mm."
"That’s great!"
He looked toward his grandfather.
"Does that mean we can decorate the whole garden?"
Grandfather Ji chuckled.
"Within reason."
Ji Jingxu’s grin widened.
Yue Ling narrowed her eyes.
"Don’t get any ideas."
"I haven’t said anything."
"That’s what worries me."
Lu Tian smiled as the siblings exchanged looks.
A few minutes later, Ji Jingxu glanced toward the window.
Snow still covered the garden, untouched in several places.
He looked down at Inu.
Then back at the window.
"I think Inu needs to go outside."
Yue Ling slowly turned toward him.
"Inu?"
"Yes. He’s been indoors all morning."
The Samoyed lifted his head at the mention of his name.
Ji Jingxu leaned forward.
"Right, Inu? Want to go play?"
Inu immediately stood. His tail began wagging.
Grandfather Ji laughed.
"It seems the two of you have already made up your minds."
Yue Ling shook her head.
"Just say you want to go outside."
Ji Jingxu grinned.
"That too."
The garden was bright beneath the winter sun.
Snow blanketed the lawns, hedges, and stone pathways, while the bare branches of the surrounding trees glistened with frost.
The moment Inu was released, he bounded into the snow.
His white coat nearly disappeared against the ground as he raced across the garden, kicking up powder with every stride.
Ji Jingxu followed at a considerably slower pace.
"Wait for me!"
Inu did not.
He circled a tree before rushing back toward him.
Yue Ling laughed.
"He’s not going to wait for you."
"I can see that!"
Gu Ting soon joined them. Having heard the commotion from the game room, he had to join.
Several soldiers stationed around the estate also approached after noticing the familiar Samoyed racing across the grounds.
"Young Miss! Mr. Lu!"
They greeted Yue Ling and Lu Tian respectfully.
Yue Ling smiled.
"Good morning."
One of the younger soldiers, Ye Fei, looked toward Inu.
"Well, look who’s back!"
Another laughed.
"King Inu!"
At the sound of his nickname, Inu turned with triumph.
His ears perked up.
"Your Majesty!"
Xue Yi, another soldier, called, crouching with his arms open.
Inu bounded toward him.
The young man barely managed to brace himself before the Samoyed pressed his large head against his chest.
Laughter broke out.
During his stay at Ji Mansion, Inu had earned quite a reputation among the soldiers.
He rarely acknowledged anyone unless he felt like it, refused to obey commands from people he did not particularly like, and had somehow managed to claim several of their favorite resting spots as his own.
Eventually, the older young soldier, Liangcai, had begun calling him King Inu.
The name had stayed.
"Still acting like he owns the place," Liangcai remarked.
"He does," Ji Jingxu replied.
Yue Ling laughed.
It was not long before Ye Fei gathered a handful of snow and tossed it toward Xue Yi.
The snowball struck his shoulder.
He turned.
"Oh, so that’s how it is?"
A second snowball flew.
Then a third.
Within moments, the quiet garden had become a battlefield.
Yue Ling stood near the edge of the lawn, watching Ji Jingxu and Gu Ting attempt to corner one of the soldiers.
Their plan lasted approximately three seconds.
A snowball struck Ji Jingxu’s back.
He spun around.
"Who did that?"
The person was nowhere in sight to blame, so he settled on the nearest soldier.
"You!"
The man raised both hands.
"Young Master, I didn’t do anything!"
Another snowball struck Ji Jingxu’s shoulder.
Gu Ting burst into laughter.
Ji Jingxu turned toward him.
"You’re laughing?"
Gu Ting immediately stepped back.
"Wait—"
Ji Jingxu unable to move his hands, looked at Inu.
Gu Ting saw the silent agreement between the human and beast. He didn’t stay and ran.
Yue Ling shook her head, smiling.
Beside her, Inu lowered his front legs into a playful bow. He wanted to help Ji Jingxu but still needed permission from his favorite human.
"Oh? You want to play too?"
She crouched and scooped up some loose snow.
Then she gently fluttered it over his head.
Inu shook himself.
Snow scattered everywhere.
Yue Ling laughed.
"Go!"
The Samoyed barked and chased after Gu Ting at the speed of lightning with Ji Jingxu tailing behind.
A short distance away, Grandfather Ji sat on a garden bench beneath the winter sunlight.
A thick coat covered his shoulders, and a blanket rested across his lap.
Lu Tian stood beside him, his hands tucked into the pockets of his coat.
Neither spoke for a while.
They simply watched.
Yue Ling was laughing as she gathered another handful of snow, only for Inu to leap forward and scatter it before she could toss it.
Ji Jingxu was attempting to hide because he could fight back the snowballs.
Gu Ting had joined the soldiers, his earlier reserve forgotten as he laughed along with them.
It was a rare sight.
A peaceful one.
Grandfather Ji watched his grandchildren with a tenderness that slowly gave way to sorrow.
"Take care of them."
Lu Tian turned toward him.
The old man’s gaze remained on Yue Ling.
She was crouched beside Inu, brushing snow from his ears while laughing at something one of the soldiers had said.
"I know you’ll take care of my granddaughter."
His voice was quiet.
Then he looked toward Ji Jingxu.
The boy had just narrowly avoided a snowball before ducking behind a tree.
"...But please watch over my grandson too."
Lu Tian followed his gaze.
Grandfather Ji’s hands tightened slightly over the blanket.
"He’s still young. There’s so much he has yet to learn."
He paused.
"Ah Ling will undoubtedly take care of him. She always has."
A faint smile touched his lips.
"But she’s his sister. There are things she can teach him and things she can protect him from, but there is only so much she can guide him through after I’m gone."
He swallowed with difficulty.
"I want him to have someone he can turn to. Someone who will correct him when he’s wrong, stand beside him when things become difficult, and teach him how to become a man who can stand on his own."
Grandfather Ji finally looked at Lu Tian.
"I ask you to guide him as an older brother would guide his younger brother."
His fingers clenched against the blanket.
"I hope that isn’t too much of me to ask."
Lu Tian’s eyes had been on Yue Ling throughout most of the conversation.
Now he looked toward Ji Jingxu.
The boy was laughing as Gu Ting tried to hide behind him from an incoming snowball.
For a moment, Lu Tian’s expression was unreadable.
Then he nodded.
"You have my word."
Grandfather Ji looked at him.
Lu Tian met his gaze.
"Jingxu is family. I’ll look after him."
The old man’s shoulders slowly relaxed.
"Thank you, Tian."
There was nothing elaborate about the promise.
But Grandfather Ji knew he could trust it.
He had seen enough of Lu Tian over the years to know that the lad did not give his word lightly.
And in truth, this was not the first time he had entrusted his granddaughter’s safety to him.
A distant memory surfaced.
Yue Ling had been a little girl then, visiting with her parents. Whenever Lu Tian was also at the mansion, the boy would follow her around whenever he was not occupied with training.
If she went into the garden, he followed.
If she wandered toward the greenhouse, he was never far behind.
If she sat somewhere reading, he would quietly settle nearby.
Grandfather Ji had once teased him for behaving like her personal guard.
A small laugh escaped the old man.
Lu Tian glanced at him.
"Something amusing?"
Grandfather Ji shook his head.
"Just remembering something."
He looked toward Yue Ling.
"You used to follow her everywhere when you were young."
Lu Tian raised an eyebrow.
"Did I?"
"Like a little guard."
The old man chuckled.
"Although you looked more like a lost puppy."
Lu Tian’s lips curved faintly. He had met his wife a long time ago. How could he forget?
Grandfather Ji smiled at the memory.
Perhaps the years they had spent apart had allowed those childhood moments to fade.
Perhaps neither remembered just how often they had sought each other’s company.
But he remembered.
And seeing them together now, he could not help thinking that some things had never truly changed.
The quiet between them lasted only a short while before Lu Tian’s phone rang.
He retrieved it from his pocket.
Xu Long.
"Excuse me, I need to take this."
Grandfather Ji nodded.
"Go ahead."
Lu Tian stepped away to answer the call.
He stopped near the garden path, far enough to speak privately but close enough to keep Yue Ling within sight.
"Speak."
Meanwhile, Yue Ling noticed him leaving her grandfather’s side. She looked toward the bench.
Grandfather Ji was sitting quietly, watching the others play.
She patted Inu’s head.
"Go find Jingxu."
Inu immediately bounded away.
Yue Ling brushed the snow from her gloves and walked toward her grandfather.
A cold breeze swept across the garden.
She shivered.
Her first instinct was to tell him that he had been outside long enough.
But she stopped herself.
She had promised.
He wanted to spend his remaining time enjoying the things he loved, not being confined indoors because everyone was afraid of what might happen.
She could not take that away from him.
Yue Ling sat beside him and reached for his hand.
"Yeye, can I ask you something?"
Grandfather Ji arched a brow.
Then he laughed.
"If you’re about to ask me to go inside, save your breath. I’m staying out here with the rest of you."
Yue Ling stared at him.
"How did you know?"
"Because I know my granddaughter."
She laughed and leaned her head against his shoulder.
"I did think about it."
"Of course you did."
"But I gave you my word. So I won’t ask."
Grandfather Ji smiled.
"That’s right."
They sat together, watching the others play.
Inu was running circles around Ji Jingxu when he suddenly changed direction and charged toward Gu Ting.
The young man barely had time to react.
"Inu—!"
The Samoyed pounced.
Gu Ting fell backward into the snow.
A burst of laughter rose from the garden.
Ji Jingxu bent forward, laughing so hard he had to hold his side.
Gu Ting lay in the snow, staring up at Inu, who stood over him with his tail wagging proudly.
Yue Ling laughed softly.
For a moment, everything felt wonderfully ordinary.
Then she lifted her head from her grandfather’s shoulder.
"Yeye."
"Hm?"
"Do you still have my mother’s wedding dress?"
Grandfather Ji went still.
The question was simple.
Yet it stirred an ache so deep in his chest that he could not immediately answer.
He lowered his gaze toward their joined hands.
Then a small, tender smile appeared on his face.
"Of course I do."
He gently squeezed her hand.
"How could I not?"
After his daughter and son-in-law passed away, Old Han had struggled with what to do with their belongings.
He had wanted to preserve their memories for Yue Ling.
But there was only so much he could leave untouched.
Their home had remained filled with reminders of the two people who would never return.
Their photographs.
Their books.
Their favorite belongings.
And their clothes.
For a long time, no one had been able to bring themselves to put them away.
Especially because of little Yue Ling.
There had been days when the child would disappear from sight, sending the household searching through the rooms.
More often than not, they would find her inside her parents’ closet.
Curled on the floor.
Wrapped in one of her father’s coats or her mother’s favorite shirts.
Sometimes she would be asleep.
Other times, she would simply sit there quietly, holding the fabric against her.
Grandfather Ji remembered asking her about it once.
’Why do you like sitting here, Ah Ling?’
The little girl had looked up at him with those familiar bluish-green eyes.
’Because I miss Mommy and Daddy.’
His heart had nearly broken.
She had lowered her gaze toward the sleeves wrapped around her small body.
’When I put their clothes around me, it feels like they’re hugging me.’
Her tiny fingers had tightened around the fabric.
’It’s not the same... but it feels like they’re still here.’
Grandfather Ji had been unable to speak.
He had simply knelt beside her and gathered her into his arms.
Even now, years later, he could remember the way she had clung to him.
As Yue Ling grew older, the habit gradually faded.
Eventually, Old Han decided it was time to put the clothes away.
He understood why.
The memories would remain, but the family could not leave everything untouched forever.
Grandfather Ji had flown to City Z to help.
They had spent hours sorting through the belongings, carefully folding each garment and placing it into storage.
Then he saw the wedding dress.
It hung inside a protective garment cover, preserved with the same care his daughter had given it after her wedding.
Old Han had unzipped the cover.
And Grandfather Ji had broken down.
He remembered clutching the dress against his chest, his knees nearly giving way as he sobbed.
Because it had belonged to his daughter.
And it was the dress his wife worked so hard to make come to life.
His wife who spent endless days and nights sitting by her sewing machine.
His wife who had later watched their daughter wear the same dress when she married Han Min Joon.
And now their daughter was gone.
For a long time, Grandfather Ji had been unable to let go of the fabric.
When he finally found his voice, he asked Old Han if he could take the dress back to Imperial.
He wanted to preserve it.
To keep one more piece of his daughter.
And perhaps, one day, when Yue Ling was ready to marry, he could offer it to her.
Old Han had agreed.
So Grandfather Ji had brought the dress home.
And a few years after his daughter left this world, his wife followed after.
He had the dress professionally preserved and carefully stored, where it had remained all these years.
Waiting.
"Yeye?"
Yue Ling’s voice brought him back to the present.
Grandfather Ji blinked.
She had lifted her head and was looking at him with concern.
"Are you alright?"
He smiled.
"Of course."
His gaze softened.
"I brought the dress back from City Z after your parents passed away."
Yue Ling listened quietly.
"Your mother designed the dress, and your grandmother brought her vision to life."
He looked toward the snow-covered garden.
"It isn’t a designer dress and I know you are a well-known designer who is capable of creating your own, but I had always hoped that one day, you might want to wear it too."
Yue Ling’s fingers tightened around his.
Her eyes glistened.
"Can I see it?"
Grandfather Ji turned toward her.
"Of course, my child."
He smiled, though his own eyes had grown misty.
"It’s yours."
Yue Ling lowered her head onto his shoulder again.
For a while, she said nothing.
Then, very softly, she whispered.
"I want to wear it when I marry Tian."
Grandfather Ji closed his eyes. His hand gently covered hers.
The thought of seeing his granddaughter in that dress, standing in the same garden where his wife and daughter had once exchanged their vows, filled him with an emotion too overwhelming to name.
Three generations.
One garden.
And a love that had endured even after the people who first carried it were gone.
His wife may not have worn the dress, but it was the same as being called hers, having poured all her love into it.
He turned his head and pressed a gentle kiss against Yue Ling’s hair.
"Then we can go look at it before you leave."
She smiled against his shoulder.
"Thank you, Yeye."
Grandfather Ji looked out at the garden.
Ji Jingxu was laughing again, Gu Ting was attempting to brush snow from his coat, and Inu was happily racing between the soldiers.
Farther away, Lu Tian stood near the path, still speaking on the phone, his gaze occasionally returning to his wife.
Grandfather Ji watched them all.
For the first time in a long while, the future did not seem entirely shadowed by what he would leave behind.
There were still moments he could give them.
Memories they could carry.
And perhaps, if time were kind, he would be there to watch his granddaughter walk through the garden in her grandmother and mother’s wedding dress.
His fingers tightened gently around Yue Ling’s hand.
’Please,’ he thought.
’Let me have enough time for that.’