Old Master Ju's voice rang out slowly.
When these words reached the ears of others, their meaning was completely different.
Ju Chi's lips curled up, and Wu Shilan, Wu Zhanjun, Rong Yue, and the others all turned to look at Ju Xing'an.
Hearing Old Master Ju's words, Ju Xing'an, even though he had long been prepared, couldn't help but tremble. His face grew even paler and more sickly.
After being the Ju family's Third Young Master for so long, now with a single sentence, he's been cast down to the mortal world. The crucial thing is, Ju Xing'an hasn't just lost the protection of the family—he might never be able to enter the Ju household again, never again be one of them.
What he's lost isn't just vast wealth and a bright future—he's lost his own home.
"Are you saying you want to hand Ju Xing'an over to us Nightstar?"
Night Spring had been simmering with anger, but upon hearing Old Master Ju's words, he was stunned.
Before coming here, Night Spring had already made thorough preparations.
The Ju family was powerful. Just their chief steward alone had unfathomable cultivation.
Nightstar was formidable too, but to make absolutely sure nothing went wrong today, they'd mobilized all four—Spring, Summer, Autumn, and Winter.
But as soon as they entered the Ju family ancestral hall and saw Ju Xing'an kneeling on the floor—clearly for a long time—and then heard Old Master Ju's words, they were all stunned.
Even Night Summer and the others hadn't expected Old Master Ju to so decisively throw out his most favored grandson.
With the Ju family's influence, if they really wanted to smooth things over, it wouldn't be a problem.
"Young people make mistakes—they should bear the consequences themselves."
Old Master Ju nodded. "Before you arrived, I already asked Ju Xing'an for his opinion."
"He'd rather give up everything our Ju family has for the sake of an outsider friend. To him, maybe that's friendship or loyalty—but to me, it's outright rebellion."
With every word Old Master Ju spoke, Ju Xing'an, kneeling there, trembled slightly.
His back was straight as he knelt, but his feelings were a tangled mess.
"That's right. Ju Xing'an caused this mess himself, so he should take responsibility. There's no reason to drag the whole Ju family down with him."
Ju Chi quickly stepped forward and said, "He can only represent his own attitude and position—Ju Xing'an's stance has nothing to do with the rest of us Ju family members."
"If you Nightstar folks want trouble, just go after him. Our Ju family won't get involved in this mess!"
As Ju Chi spoke, Wu Shilan, Wu Zhanjun, and the others felt a mix of emotions.
Rong Yue pursed her lips. Seeing Ju Xing'an, who was always calm and dignified, now so disheveled, her feelings were complicated.
"Hey, what's with you? Weren't you always working hard and doing whatever was needed for Xing'an before?"
Lu Zi'ang shouted at Ju Chi from across the room.
"Yeah, but that was before."
Ju Chi glanced at him. "Back then, I was working hard for the Ju family's Third Young Master, not for Ju Xing'an."
"Now that Ju Xing'an isn't the Third Young Master anymore, things are obviously different."
Ju Chi smiled. When he said this, there wasn't a hint of shame—just pure schadenfreude.
Now that Ju Xing'an had fallen from grace, Ju Chi was determined to seize the chance to stomp him down completely.
Otherwise, how could he compete for the position of Third Young Master?
Besides, Ju Chi knew that Old Master Ju was cold on the outside but warm inside—deep down, he probably still favored Ju Xing'an. Right now, he was just bowing to circumstance.
So Ju Chi had to find a way to make it official as fast as possible that Ju Xing'an was stripped of his identity as Third Young Master.
"Thick-skinned, much?"
Rong Yue couldn't help but say it.
Ju Chi didn't care at all. Instead, he looked straight at Ju Xing'an.
"Xing'an, hurry up and kowtow to your grandpa and admit your mistake!"
Ju Xing'an's mother, tears in her eyes, still tried to persuade him.
But Ju Xing'an didn't react at all. He sniffed, took a deep breath, straightened his back, looked at Old Master Ju, then knelt forward and respectfully kowtowed three times to him.
"So he's giving in now?"
"Wasn't Ju Xing'an just super stubborn a minute ago?"
"Isn't it a bit late to admit defeat and apologize now?"
Several Ju family members watched Ju Xing'an kowtow, their faces full of ridicule.
Even Old Master Ju's brows furrowed ever so slightly.
He stared coldly at Ju Xing'an as he kowtowed, saying nothing. Beside him, the chief steward's expression stayed unchanged.
"So you've finally come around?"
Old Master Ju squinted at Ju Xing'an, still towering over him.
"Three kowtows—one to my parents, one to my grandfather, and the last to the ancestors in the Ju family hall."
After the three kowtows, Ju Xing'an slowly raised his head. His face was pale, but his eyes burned with stubborn resolve.
As soon as he said that, everyone who thought Ju Xing'an was just admitting defeat suddenly changed their expressions.
Old Master Ju was momentarily stunned, and the icy look in his eyes softened quite a bit.
"The friend I, Ju Xing'an, chose—if he made mistakes, then I share the blame."
Ju Xing'an braced himself on the floor, his body wavering.
He tried to stand, but his knees were badly injured from kneeling so long. His body swayed, and he could barely get up.
After three attempts, he finally managed to stand, though he was still unsteady.
"I was reckless before—I shouldn't have dragged the Ju family or my other friends into this."
As he said this, Ju Xing'an looked at Rong Yue and the others and managed a bow to them.
"Xing'an..." Rong Yue bit her lip, feeling heartbroken.
"Why put yourself through this..." Lu Zi'ang sighed, clenching his fists, his feelings complicated.
The other friends who used to hang out with Ju Xing'an felt pretty awful seeing him like this.
After finishing his speech, Ju Xing'an took a deep breath, turned around, and looked at Spring, Summer, Autumn, Winter, and the others standing behind him.
All the Nightstar people stood there, watching him.
They looked at the former Ju family's Third Young Master before them.
Even though Nightstar's people had come here angry, after seeing Ju Xing'an so calm and decisive—cutting ties with the Ju family without hesitation—even Night Spring couldn't help but gain a bit of respect for him.
"Everything before was my fault. If you've got any anger, take it out on me."
"Is it now? Should I go with you right now?"