Chapter 208 - The Struggle of an Heir (1/2)

Being the Young Miss of the Xiong family and being the official heir of the Xiong Empire had a great difference.

The first one meant being a member of the main family which held a lot of privileges. As a titled Young Miss, Xiong Zhi could exploit all the benefits the surname Xiong could offer.

However, it was entirely different with being the official heir of the whole Xiong Empire. Not only would she be respected by the whole Xiong family, but she would also hold immense authority way more than when she was simply the Young Miss.

When she was just a Young Miss, she could not decide any major decisions in her life nor could she join the Xiong Empire's business. She might own a share, but as a tool meant to continue the line and give birth to an heir for the Xiong family, her title was more like a vase for display.

Gaining the official heir title symbolized becoming the owner of that place.

This was really unbelievable.

The Xiong family was not like the Tang family which only had females in their lineage, thus, resulting to their heirs being the women of the clan. In the Xiong family, there was no lack of men in other branches, and following the basic tradition of the country, the Xiong family heir should be male. That was why Xiong Zhi's mother was not given the title as the official heir. Her father was instead married into the Xiong family in hopes that the couple would give birth to a baby boy, which would then be titled as the official heir.

However, their child, Xiong Zhi, ended up being a girl. Furthermore, she had no siblings as her parents died early. So, the hope of giving birth to an heir fell to her shoulders. This was the reason why in the past, Guan Gao Huan was chosen by Old Xiong and Master Guan to be married into the Xiong family. With Xiong Zhi's and Guan Gao Huan's marriage, the two families would have an unbreakable alliance wherein both would not lose anything but gain only benefits instead.

One family needed an heir while the other had an expendable heir to give.

It was give and take.

However, before the appointed time of their marriage arrived, Old Xiong died, leaving the Xiong Empire in a mess. Then, tragedy befell onto her.

But now, she was finally given the official heir title of the Xiong Empire. Everything could change. Perhaps, if Xiong Zhi had failed to fulfill the deal with her grandfather, she would have no other choice but to marry Guan Gao Huan, as he was originally the man that her grandfather had chosen.

But from the beginning, since the day she had proposed that deal to her grandfather, Xiong Zhi had set her mind that she would never marry Gao Huan, no matter if she lost or won. That was why she asked for four years' time, for assurance.

With this assurance, in case her grandfather followed the same fate he had in the past life, even if he ended up dead by the time she turned eighteen, with the title of an official heir, Xiong Zhi could go against her original fate.

She would be able to control her shares. She could buy shares even though she was not yet twenty-three, and she could make decisions for the whole Empire. She would be able to decide over her whole life's matters.

Old Xiong might have put a big responsibility on her, but Xiong Zhi was not daunted by that. She eagerly anticipated the power she would gain to overcome her fate.

From all the gifts she had received today, this one was the greatest and the most valuable to her.

She was left dumbfounded with this pleasant surprise.

Someone started to clap, and the rest of the people began to wake up from their daze and clapped as well.

The visitors were still shocked. It was the first time in the history of the Xiong family that a female descendant was titled as the official heir.

Xiong Zhi steadied her heart and calmly walked to her grandfather. She bowed.

”I can't thank you enough, grandfather.”

”Mhm, Zhi'er. There are still quite a few things though that you need to uphold if you want to be a proper heir for the Xiong Empire.”

Xiong Zhi nodded. She knew that. There would be a lot of sacrifices for someone to deserve that title. But Xiong Zhi, who was fully prepared for what was about to come, did not mind that. In two years, in no less than two years, the Xiong Empire would be a total mess.

Remembering those troubled nights, Xiong Zhi stared at her grandfather who was smiling at her. Old Xiong's smile was warm; however, Xiong Zhi could not return that warm smile. Because from the very beginning, from the time she woke up to this second life, she had treated this old man as good as dead. She thought, he was about to die anyway.

She had grieved for him. She had watched him turn to ashes.

A pang of pain emerged in her heart. Even if she did not want to admit it, he was still her grandfather, and with her grandfather thoughtfully doing things for her today, Xiong Zhi felt more sorrowful. For once, her grandfather acted like a real grandfather to her.

For once, maybe even just for today, she could call him intimately.