Chapter 180: Ending

Chapter 180 The End

The Ye family's ancestral home plunged into utter chaos.

Invitations had already been sent out, and the guests for the banquet were all confirmed. Yet, the guest of honor—the groom of the engagement banquet—had vanished without a trace.

Upon hearing the servants' report, Elder Ye pushed his wheelchair to the third floor. Shi Lv's room was spotless, the bed neatly made, with no sign of occupancy.

The surveillance footage was thoroughly reviewed—Qiao Si scoured it frame by frame, while security guards searched every corner of the old mansion. Yet, no trace of Shi Lv was found.

He had disappeared right under Elder Ye's nose.

Having ruled with an iron fist for so many years, this was the first time someone had upended Elder Ye's plans.

The Song family from Nan City repeatedly called to discuss the banquet details. Though anxious, Elder Ye had no choice but to put on a front while secretly exhausting all means to locate Shi Lv—a man who’d vanished from the face of the earth.

As the engagement date drew nearer—ten days, five days, three days—rumors began spreading in Hai City. People gossiped that the old man was losing his grip and could no longer control the Ye family, that the newly recognized young master couldn’t care less about him and had no intention of going through with the marriage.

When these rumors reached the Song family, they immediately called to demand an explanation. Unable to provide one, Elder Ye saw the negotiations end in bitter disagreement.

Having been played for fools, the Song family refused to swallow the insult. They axed a previously agreed trade route, leaving no room for reconciliation.

When the news reached Elder Ye, a stab of pain lanced through his chest. Dizzy and disoriented, he suddenly coughed up a mouthful of blood.

Dark red blood dripped down the sleeve of his pajamas, splattering onto his wheelchair before staining the floor. Stunned, Elder Ye dabbed at the blood with trembling fingers and lifted them to his eyes.

In his younger years, he had been ruthless—his hands stained with countless lives, both openly and covertly. But now, as death’s shadow crept closer, his fingers shook uncontrollably. For the first time, Elder Ye realized just how terrified he was.

He was admitted to the hospital.

The elderly man, overwhelmed by rage, had ruptured a blood vessel. His condition was critical, and after days in the ICU, it seemed he was on death’s doorstep.

With the head of the family incapacitated, the Song family couldn't so much as reach the Ye household. The marriage arrangement naturally fell apart.

Thus, Liang Xu took control of the Ye family once again.

He remained gentle and composed, always wearing a polite smile, but his methods were shockingly ruthless. In the mere half-month that Elder Ye lay unconscious, his loyalists in the company were rooted out, every last one. The New Leaf Group had effectively become Liang Xu's domain, while Elder Ye was left utterly isolated.

He faded in and out of consciousness. On one occasion when he awoke, he heard movement beside his hospital bed.

With great effort, Elder Ye turned his filmy gaze and widened his eyes in disbelief.

An elegant, handsome man sat by his bedside, silver-framed glasses perched on his nose, a long chain dangling from them. His slender fingers held a small knife as he leisurely peeled an apple.

Liang Xu.

A tide of dread surged in Elder Ye's chest—something had gone terribly wrong.

Tubed and helpless, he weakly raised a trembling finger, his voice a ragged whisper, straining to form a few broken syllables.

Liang Xu smiled, all pleasant calm. He sliced a piece of apple and brought it to Elder Ye's lips, the tip of the knife a hair’s breadth from his lips.

"You're asking where Qiao Si is, and why I'm here, aren't you?"

Elder Ye glared at him, turning his head away from the apple, his throat working soundlessly.

Liang Xu spoke calmly. "You know exactly what he helped you with in the past. Crimes involving violence and the underworld always leave evidence. Now that I'm in charge, and New Leaf is a reputable company in the industry, such people can't remain in the Ye Corporation—it's bad for our image. So, I helped you take out the trash. I handed him over to the authorities along with the evidence. If you live long enough, you might even see the trial."

The old man on the bed suddenly raised a hand, claw-like hands fisting the sheets as he struggled to sit up, hissing through the ventilator.

"Are you asking if I killed Shi Lv to turn you against the Song family?" Liang Xu flicked the apple slice off the knife's edge and tossed the fruit knife onto the plate with a metallic clang, smiling. "No. Taking someone from the old residence is beyond my capability. Shi Lv wanted to leave on his own—he disdained the Ye family. Believe it or not."

Elder Ye, of course, didn’t believe it. Shi Lv was just an ordinary college student. Without the vast fortune of the Ye family, he was nothing. How could he have left voluntarily?

Liang Xu chuckled again. "When I met Qiao Si earlier, he told me you were still searching for Shi Lv, intending to drag him back to the ancestral hall to kneel and apologize, weren’t you?"

"......"

Liang Xu said calmly, "No need to look. He was never your son, nor does he owe any kneeling to the Ye ancestors."

Watching the old man’s breathing grow increasingly labored, his throat producing a wet, rattling sound, Liang Xu found it all rather dull. He stood and draped his coat over his shoulders. "Shi Lv has his own parents—a happy, loving family. He couldn’t care less about the Ye family’s paltry offerings. Pity you’ll never see him again, or you could’ve asked yourself whether a single drop of Ye blood runs in his veins."

The body had been directly pulled over by 66, adapted with localized modifications. Even the glands and pheromones were temporary implants—poorly done at that—which was why Shi Lv had acted like a fool early on, unable to distinguish perfume from pheromones.

The old man on the hospital bed was reduced to skin and bones, his flesh withered like a desiccated corpse. He stared blankly at Liang Xu, his gaze hollow yet venomous.

But Liang Xu said nothing more. With one last glance at the man who had ground him down for years, he turned and left the ward without hesitation, as though casting off a painful past.

Qiao Si was in prison. Elder Ye could no longer hide the past misdeeds. Once the trial concluded, if he hadn’t yet died, he too would face imprisonment.

Strangely, despite years of scheming, now that he had seized control of New Leaf Group's reins and was free from others’ influence, Liang Xu felt little of the triumph he’d expected.

In the system’s original plot, Liang Xu had known the predetermined ending. In that far crueler world, his spirit had teetered on the brink of collapse. He'd gouged out his own glands, suffered severe aftereffects, and had only three years left to live. That version of him had been far more desperate, far more deranged—he would have ripped out Elder Ye’s oxygen tube and personally sent the man who’d tormented him for years to his grave.

But the Liang Xu of now had no need for such things.

During those darkest years, his sole obsession had been to overthrow Elder Ye and reclaim his freedom. That obsession had carried him through endless days and nights. He’d imagined the old man’s death countless times in sleepless reveries. Yet now, the man who had once been the lifelong specter of his life seemed nothing more than a passerby—brushed away like inconsequential dust on his clothes. There was no need to linger in hatred.

After all, he had something—someone—far more important now. Someone waiting for him in another world.

In the end, Elder Ye passed away before the trial could begin.

Liang Xu swiftly handled the asset distribution.

New Leaf Group was entrusted to trusted shareholders. Elder Ye’s wealth was inherited by Liang Xu, then distributed—to orphanages, senior homes, rural schools, and a significant portion donated to pheromone research institutions.

Perhaps, with advancing technology, all genders could one day be freed from the shackles of pheromones.

Then, he boarded a flight abroad.

He carried no luggage, traveling alone. For the sake of 66’s plot, Liang Xu chose the same flight he’d taken in the original storyline—the one where he’d fled the country after gouging out his glands.

The difference was, in that story, he’d been tormented, fleeing in panic with nothing but hatred in his heart. Now, as the plane crossed the same sea at the same time, Liang Xu rested his chin on his hand, gazing down at the land and ocean beneath the clouds. In the stratosphere's azure expanse, his only thought was: "Where should Shi Lv and I go for our honeymoon?"

Shi Lv had mentioned a few modern vacation spots, and Liang Xu was intrigued. They’d been together so long yet never traveled. He’d make up for it now.

*

In another world, Shi Lv was also waiting for a call.

Liang Xu wasn’t from this world. 66 had sent him over without fixing his location or identity, so Shi Lv could only wait for him to come—there was no way to seek him out.

He returned to his old dorm, had a long phone call with his parents, then opened his laptop and reviewed the completed thesis on his desk. After some preparation, he headed out for his thesis defense.

After so much time, he’d mostly forgotten his physics coursework. Grad school wasn't feasible, so he considered switching to finance instead.

Having spent so long by Liang Xu’s side, Shi Lv had picked up quite a bit through osmosis.

He flipped open his books and began studying. Though the material had never been covered in his classes, it came surprisingly easy to him.

Being separated from his lover during the height of their romance was tough. Especially when his roommate and girlfriend were all lovey-dovey, teasing Shi Lv about why he wasn’t dating anyone. Each time, Shi Lv said with a straight face, "Actually, I am."

And it's an absolutely amazing one.

His roommate patted his shoulder, teasingly worried he might be imagining things: "When did this happen? Not in your dreams, was it?"

Shi Lv couldn't care less about responding.

He thought to himself, "Just wait till Liang Xu comes back. I’ll make sure to show him off to you."

How could he not show off such an outstanding and handsome boyfriend?

The days that followed were quiet and ordinary. Shi Lv smoothly completed his thesis defense, got into his dream school, and began studying under his advisor. Life was busy yet fulfilling.

Finance students always had tons of internship options, with many starting applications as early as their first year of grad school. Shi Lv followed the trend and applied to a few places.

Though he submitted applications, he didn’t hold much hope. His resume was practically blank—no relevant experience to speak of. Even though he had once been the CEO of New Leaf Group in his past life, that wasn’t something he could include.

Unexpectedly, a company did call him in for an interview.

The company was mid-sized, a decent position for an intern. Shi Lv got himself ready and put on a suit.

As usual, the interview was a group interview. Shi Lv printed out his resume, took a two-hour bus ride, and arrived at the company building.

HR showed him upstairs to the meeting room. When Shi Lv pushed the door open, his breath caught.

At the center of the room sat a man wearing silver-framed glasses.

The man looked aristocratic, with refined, scholarly features. Dressed in a satin suit, a silver chain dangled from his glasses, swaying with every slight movement and casting delicate glimmers of light. When his deep amber eyes met Shi Lv’s, they were full of warmth.

"Please hand me your resume, student."