Volume 1, Chapter 154: She stood in front of Liang Jinmo, shielding him with a protective stance.

It was Liang Zhengguo who first mentioned visiting Elder Liang to Liang Jinmo following the conclusion of the annual meeting.

This was the second time Liang Zhengguo had brought up the subject, expressing his hope that Liang Jinmo would take Xu Zhi to see the frail old man. The news of their engagement had dealt a devastating blow to him.

Liang Jinmo remained noncommittal, but when he raised the matter with Xu Zhi, she simply said, "Let's go."

Xu Zhi still harbored a soft spot for the elder. After all, many of her childhood memories were filled with him; he had been a kind and affectionate elder, much like her own grandfather. Furthermore, she had gradually come to realize that Liang Jinmo was carving out a place for himself within the Liang Corporation through his own merit. Since Elder Liang remained a pivotal member of the board, she hoped he might offer Liang Jinmo his support—or at the very least, stop being hostile toward him.

On this point, Liang Jinmo deferred to her judgment.

When the two arrived at the hospital room with nutritional supplements in hand, the elder’s initial reaction was one of surprise, which slowly gave way to a calm resignation. The engagement was already a done deal; in the eyes of the public, the two young people were already a permanent pair. What more could he say?

For the first time, he truly looked at Liang Jinmo. He was not entirely without guilt toward this grandson. Back when Gao Ying had acted like a persistent pest, showing up repeatedly to cause scenes and refusing to leave even after being offered money, he had already begun to despise that mother and son. Later, when Gao Ying became determined to force the boy into the Liang household—a move that led to constant fighting between Liang Zhengguo and Fu Wanwen, leaving the entire family in turmoil—he had been annoyed. Consequently, even after Liang Jinmo arrived at the Liang household and he became aware that the boy was being targeted by Fu Wanwen, he had chosen, like Liang Zhengguo, to turn a blind eye.

Now, this child had grown up. Standing there, holding Xu Zhi’s hand, he apologized: "Grandfather, I am sorry. Zhizhi and I made a decision on our own at the engagement ceremony without consulting you beforehand."

Xu Zhi quickly interjected, "Grandfather, it was my fault."

Elder Liang studied Liang Jinmo intently but said little to him, remaining silent for a long moment before abruptly saying, "Jinmo, would you mind leaving me alone to speak with Zhizhi for a moment?"

Xu Zhi was taken aback, but Liang Jinmo remained calm. He stood up immediately and said, "Then you two go ahead and talk."

Once Liang Jinmo had left the room, Elder Liang asked, "Zhizhi, are you truly with Jinmo of your own free will?"

Xu Zhi nodded. "Grandfather, I… I really like Brother Jinmo."

Elder Liang pressed, "It isn't because Muzhi left, and you’re just trying to spite him?"

Xu Zhi shook her head. "I actually liked Brother Jinmo a long time ago, but… certain things happened, which is why I agreed to get engaged to Liang Muzhi. When he left during the engagement, I was terrified… but thankfully, Brother Jinmo was there. I have come to realize that perhaps this is fate. Liang Muzhi and I were never meant to be together; forcing it would have been meaningless."

Now, she even felt that Liang Muzhi’s decision to go to Chen Jing that day had, in its own way, been a blessing in disguise. Perhaps that is the nature of fortune and misfortune: the terror of that day had become the catalyst for her own liberation.

Hearing this, Elder Liang sighed deeply. After a brief silence, he asked, "And… does Jinmo treat you well?"

"Of course he does," Xu Zhi said, her eyes brightening at the mention of him. "Grandfather, perhaps you haven't taken the time to truly understand him before. He is a truly wonderful and capable man. Sometimes I feel that I am not good enough for him; I feel so lucky to be with him."

Elder Liang finally seemed to find some peace. "As long as you are happy, that is all that matters. Otherwise, I would have no face to see your grandfather. By the way..."

He paused, glanced toward the door, and lowered his voice. "Actually, I have included shares for Jinmo in my will. It isn't much, but… I know he has suffered many grievances in this house, and this is my way of making amends. Now that he is working so well at the Liang Corporation and can take care of you, I hope he can have a good life with you. As for Muzhi… he has failed to make something of himself. His future will depend on his own fortune."

Xu Zhi pursed her lips, feeling a flicker of joy in her heart. She decided she would tell Liang Jinmo later that his grandfather had not been entirely indifferent to him after all and had, in fact, made plans for his grandson’s future.

They chatted for a few more minutes until the bedside call button rang. Xu Zhi answered it, and the nurse’s station asked for a family member to come over. Confused, she looked at the elder; since she was the only one in the room, she had no choice but to step out to see what was wrong.

The moment she left the room, a young nurse pulled her aside and whispered, "You need to go look—the family member who came to visit is fighting with someone in the elevator lobby!"

Elder Liang was in a VIP suite, and the staff were instructed to be extremely cautious with such patients. Fearing that the disturbance would upset the elder, the nurse hadn't dared to call out inside the room and had instead resorted to this method. Shocked, Xu Zhi could not imagine who would be fighting, but she followed the nurse to the elevator lobby nonetheless.

In the lobby, Liang Muzhi’s right arm was wrapped in bandages and a supportive sling. It was heavy and cumbersome, and even the slightest movement sent stabs of pain through him. Driven by resentment, he swung his left fist. Liang Jinmo easily dodged the first blow, and as for the second, Liang Jinmo caught his hand with a single palm.

They were locked in a stalemate when Xu Zhi rushed onto the scene. Without a word, she shoved Liang Muzhi aside.

Off-balance, Liang Muzhi stumbled back and collided with the wall. The impact itself wasn't severe, but the problem was his existing injury. He gasped as a sharp, piercing pain shot through his right arm.

Xu Zhi grabbed Liang Jinmo, looking him up and down with concern. "Are you alright? Did he hurt you?"

Liang Jinmo said nothing.

Liang Muzhi was practically a third-rate invalid at this point; hurting him was not an easy task. "I'm fine," Liang Jinmo said.

Relieved, Xu Zhi turned to look at Liang Muzhi.

Liang Muzhi leaned against the wall, cold sweat breaking out across his body. His vision was blurring, and he was beginning to experience ringing in his ears. When he met Xu Zhi’s gaze, he froze.

She was standing in front of Liang Jinmo in a protective stance, her eyes cold and sharp as blades as she looked at him.

"Liang Muzhi, are you insane? By what right do you go around hitting people?!"