51 51_

Toronto, Canada.

Ji Xia was busy with the final phase of her thesis. The study area was changed to literally a mini research lab than an actual library.

She had a lot of resources that she could look into and she didn't need to go out of the room to look for them. Sometimes when she needed reference, she would ask her brother to go to the state library and look for some books.

Even though Ji Ke Mu didn't have anything to do with her thesis, he was still a student who took double majors of both business and science. At the very least, he knew what she was researching about.

"Hephaestus, have you booked our plane tickets to Massachusetts?" Ji Xia suddenly asked. She was still typing on the keyboard with her right hand while having a reference book in her left.

Ji Ke Mu was sitting on the couch near her as he asked with his face lighting up "Why? You're about to finish?"

"Yeah. Just a bit more." she smiled.

Ji Ke Mu who was playing on his phone started to book for plane tickets for the two of them. They were going to Harvard first to see Ji Xia's professor regarding her thesis. Then, they could go back home to China within the same day.

"We don't have a lot to pack, right?" Ji Xia inquired. Her eyes were still on the screen. There was a numerous string of data on her computer.

"Nah, we don't. I'll help pack your things!" Ji Ke Mu was excited to go back. He even booked first class plane tickets for both of them.

It had been years since they were home. Ji Ke Mu had finished his degree earlier than Ji Xia. But he didn't want to go back home without his sister. So he waited for her to finish her studies while accompanying her in their penthouse in Canada.

A few years ago, they left their house because of their father's encouragement. Ji Ye Qiu wanted his children to have the qualifications better than Ji Haishan's. So that when the company fell to his hand one day, he could pass it on to his children.

But Ji Xia and Ji Ke Mu knew better, so both of them took a slightly different course rather than business study. Ji Xia was always interested in numerous string of data, she wanted to become a data scientist.

And Ji Ke Mu, he took double majors for both science and business. He wanted to have the qualifications to work alongside his elder cousin, not to take his place.

Even before they acquired their memories, Ji Xia and Ji Ke Mu had always loved Ji Haishan like a real family. They were two years younger than him and they met Ji Haishan when he was ten.

At that time, Ji Haishan's father married their aunt, who was also their father's older sister. That woman was very beautiful despite being older than Ji Ye Qiu. She also held a very strong position inside Ji Group.

However, she lived abroad because the patriarch ordered for her to manage the business overseas. She was tasked to expand their branches outside of China so that Ji Group could have a strong foundation in other countries.

But Ji Xia and Ji Ke Mu knew that that wasn't the real case.

That woman wasn't tasked with their overseas branches, she was practically expelled from setting foot back home. Expanding business overseas was just an excuse.

Even though Ji Xia and her brother was still young when that incident happened, they could still remember clearly like it was yesterday. They saw how Ji Haishan walked by the hallway with his feet and hands full of blood, creating red prints on the floor and the walls.

It was terrible.

Ji Haishan never smiled after that incident took place. And when Ji Xia went closer towards him in an attempt to give him support, he shoved her away until she fell and hit the table. Her hand had bled and until today, the scar still remained.

He didn't want to be close with any female after that. He loathed them. Ji Ke Mu was the only person closest to him.

*

A few hours later.

"Athena, I'm done packing up!" Ji Ke Mu shoved his head between the crack of the door. His teeth was showing and he looked super excited.

Ji Xia was resting with her eyes opened, still looking for any errors on the screen. When she heard him, she turned around and smiled.

"Hephaestus." she called.

"What?" he went inside the study and closed the door.

Ji Xia took a deep breath and added "Do you think he will be able to hug me like when we were younger?"

Ji Ke Mu raised his brow instinctively. He didn't expect her to ask such question.

"Are you still bothered by the past, Athena?" he carefully asked.

"No. That's not it." she shook her head.

Then she added "He should be fine now since she's there with him. But I'm worried about that woman."

Ji Ke Mu narrowed his eyes as he tried to not remember nasty stuff from the past. He didn't want to see that wretched woman anymore. The fact that she was their blood related aunt was making it worse.

"It's good that she's overseas. She'll never come back." he said, trying to convince Ji Xia.

"Are you sure that's the case, Hephaestus? What if she suddenly shows up? She can ruin our plan and the game's real purpose!"

Ji Ke Mu pursed his lips and said "Relax, Athena. We have our memories now! We won't let her get her own way-"

BANG!!

Ji Ke Mu's words suddenly halted mid-speech. There was a sudden collision between something unknown against their roof! The debris cleared up as Ji Xia looked behind Ji Ke Mu. She later gasped with shock in her eyes. There was a hole on the roof now.

"Harmonia?!"

Ji Ke Mu also turned around and his eyes widened.

"What the hell happened??"

There, they saw a figure of a woman whom they recognized. With her green hair and green eyes that would look so unnatural in this world, they saw Harmonia in her true form!