In her heart, was he really that kind of man? At least in this regard, she had a high opinion of him!

For some reason, a warm feeling surged in Lu Zongyue’s chest, as if her praise were a medal for the years he had fought in his career, a medal that made him feel elated.

He took a deep breath, trying not to appear too childishly excited. “Who else would you choose besides me?”

Since he had decided to leave the company shares to her after his death, he hoped she could support a successor capable of leading the company. But it was not appropriate to directly tell her about his plans; he could only guide her thoughts indirectly.

“Besides you?” She frowned, seeming to ponder a difficult question. After a while, she hesitantly replied, “Perhaps… I would choose the general manager!”

“Him?” Lu Zongyue was surprised. “Isn’t he too old?”

“Your father once told me that the general manager has been with him since the early days of his business and is completely loyal to the company. No one loves this company more than he does.” She paused, noticing that he didn’t seem to have a dismissive expression, so she boldly continued to express her opinion. “If he were the leader, he might lack innovation, but he is definitely capable of maintaining what has been built. Plus, you just said that although he’s older, he’s not like most elderly people who are stubborn; he is willing to give young people opportunities. So I think even if he has some shortcomings, he would find suitable talents to help him.”

“…You’re right; Uncle Liu is indeed that kind of person.”

Lu Zongyue was somewhat shocked, not expecting her opinion to align so closely with his. He had thought he would need to work hard to help her clarify her thoughts, but it seemed she was far more intelligent than he imagined.

What had been wrong with him before? Lu Zongyue couldn’t help but smile bitterly to himself, feeling like a merchant who failed to recognize a gem hidden under dust.

Zhong Xintian glanced at his complicated expression, then lowered her gaze. After a moment of hesitation, she softly said, “On the day I had the miscarriage, I happened to run into Uncle Liu. He drove me to the hospital.”

Hearing her suddenly bring up the topic of her miscarriage, Lu Zongyue’s gaze dimmed. But after thinking through her words, a sudden realization struck him. “You said it was Uncle Liu who took you to the hospital, so you were near the company that day?”

“Yeah.” She answered softly, her head bowed, revealing her fair and delicate neck. “I had just learned how to make braised beef rice and wanted to bring you a lunch box.”

So that was it; she had come specifically to bring him lunch that day.

Lu Zongyue felt a pang in his chest, struggling to breathe. He suddenly recalled the time he had gone to the market to inquire about Yuan Yuan, when the lady who had given him her address mentioned that Yuan Yuan was learning how to make beef noodles…

Braised beef rice, beef noodles—had she learned all these just for him? She knew he liked beef dishes, and to please him, she had worked hard to learn. She had been so dedicated to nurturing their relationship, while he…

Looking at the slender and delicate figure before him, Lu Zongyue felt an indescribable sense of guilt and heartache—she was really so thin; he had to make sure she gained some weight!

To carry out his plan of nourishing his ex-wife, Lu Zongyue would come to Hualien every other day. He listened to her advice and no longer drove along the Suhua Highway, leaving his beloved car outside her home and taking the train back and forth.

Every time he came to Hualien, he would insist that his health was weak and needed regular nourishment, dragging her to cook nourishing soup for him, watching her eat during all three meals, and wouldn’t let her put down her chopsticks until she finished two bowls of rice.

He didn’t know if it was because the portions increased at every meal or if the nourishing soups and supplements were too much, but Zhong Xintian’s complexion grew increasingly rosy, and she started gaining weight, putting on two to three kilograms in less than ten days.

Lu Zongyue was not satisfied with this result; he was still far from his set goal and needed to keep trying.

On this day, he was sitting in his Taipei office dealing with work, but his heart had already floated to Hualien, thinking about finding a well-known traditional Chinese medicine doctor recommended by a friend after work to get some prescriptions beneficial for women.

Just as he was lost in thought, a soft voice suddenly rang out behind him—

“Don’t get too lost in the warmth of your surroundings and forget about our deal.”

Lu Zongyue jolted, turning around to see a semi-transparent young boy floating on the windowsill, his features quite handsome, but his complexion pale as a ghost.

Well, this guy could indeed be considered a ghost; more precisely, he was the grim reaper responsible for ferrying souls to the underworld.

According to him, there were not just one but thousands of reapers in this world, some serving voluntarily and others under compulsion, just like a conscription system. He was serving a duty as a grim reaper.

“Oh, it’s you!” After recognizing the person, Lu Zongyue smiled.

This grim reaper, numbered 983 in Asia, seemed quite dissatisfied with his relaxed demeanor, his dark eyes radiating an extremely ominous light.

“Can’t you at least act a little frightened? I am a grim reaper.”

“So what?”

“You’re

 making me lose my authority.”

As Lu Zongyue was about to sip the herbal tea Zhong Xintian had specially made for him, he choked slightly and glanced helplessly at the self-righteous grim reaper boy.

To be honest, with this appearance of a seventeen or eighteen-year-old boy, not particularly strong or robust, he was just like anyone else, making it hard for him to feel any sense of awe.

Moreover, he had already been genuinely shocked the first time this boy reaper appeared; to be shocked again would make him seem too cowardly for a grown man.

However, since the other party was a reaper, he felt he should show some respect. “Don’t worry, the things I promised you are always on my mind. I’ve asked my accountant and lawyer to tally my assets, and I’ll prepare the half meant for you.”

“It’s not for me; it’s for the orphanage.” The boy corrected him in a soft voice.

Lu Zongyue couldn’t help but reveal a faint smile at the corner of his mouth as he pondered. “Is that orphanage really so important to you? Even as a reaper, you still can’t let it go?”

The boy turned his head to look out the window, his gaze distant, seemingly lost in a far-off memory. “That’s the place where I was raised. Those children are my brothers and sisters; they are my dear family.”

“Dear family…” Lu Zongyue mulled over those heavy words, suddenly feeling a dryness in his throat. After a long pause, he sighed. “You’re luckier than I am. After you died, you still have family to worry about, even willing to break the rules to protect them.”

“Don’t you have someone to worry about too?” The boy turned back to look at him, his voice ethereal as always. “If this matter is discovered, we both will be punished, at least unable to be reincarnated for several hundred years. But didn’t you agree to this deal for that woman?”

Round, round.

A gentle and serene face floated in his mind, filling Lu Zongyue with a mixture of sweetness and bitterness.

“We both have someone we want to protect,” the boy said softly, with a hint of sentiment.

After a moment of deep thought, Lu Zongyue suddenly smiled as if he had found clarity. “I should thank you. If it weren’t for you allowing my soul to float out and see everything, I might still be blinded to the truth.”

Before dying, having the chance to make amends for his mistakes—wasn’t he also quite lucky?