Grandpa Ju's deep bow brought a hush over the entire hall.
No one from the Ju family even thought about stepping up to say anything. They all knew perfectly well—Master Lin from Seacrest was not someone you wanted to provoke.
He was untouchable. Nightstar was untouchable. Moonshade was untouchable. Period.
After everything that happened, Allen Ju not only got his Third Young Master Ju title back, but was now officially named a third-generation successor to the family headship.
That new status left Allen Ju a little dazed, like he was dreaming.
Before all this, Allen Ju didn't have much ambition. He never wanted to fight anyone for the Ju family patriarch spot—he just wanted to live his own life quietly.
But now, Allen Ju couldn't refuse even if he wanted to. He could only feel the change in the Ju family's eyes: from wanting to kick him when he was down, to tripping over themselves to cozy up to him, all envy and flattery. His heart was a mess of emotions.
"Congrats, Allen." Gloria Rong took a deep breath, genuinely happy for him.
"Haha, talk about a turnaround! Allen, you really went from cocoon to butterfly this time! You gotta look after us from now on!" Leon Lu was so excited he didn't even try to hide it—he stepped up and gave Allen a huge bear hug.
Martin Wu grinned at Allen Ju, relieved—at least they hadn't lost Allen as a friend, and honestly, things turned out way better than he'd hoped.
From now on, Allen Ju was pretty much guaranteed to become a pillar of the Ju family.
Before, Allen Ju would've had to fight other Ju clan members for his place, but now all that hassle was gone. When he stepped out in the future, his status would be way higher.
And his friends—the ones who stuck with him—would get to bask in his spotlight too.
Selina Wu finally let out a breath of relief. Allen's problem was solved perfectly, but Evan Lin joining Moonshade still made her a little uneasy.
The group slowly started to disperse.
Allen Ju stayed behind to help clean up the Ju family ancestral hall. Before leaving, he made a point to thank Evan Lin personally.
"All I did was get you the opportunity. Whether you want to be patriarch or not, that's up to you—don't feel pressured about it at all."
Evan Lin finished speaking, and Allen Ju nodded seriously.
Allen Ju never cared much about being patriarch before, but now that Evan Lin had stepped up to fight for him, he actually felt a bit more determined—at least enough to give it a shot.
"The Ju family's strength might seem small to you, but trust me—if there's ever anything we can help with, just say the word."