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Biodata
| Feature | Details |
|---|---|
| Name | Ji family (纪氏) |
| Affiliation | Ji Group |
| Occupation/Role | Wealthy business family; Ji Guowei and Lin Meishu jointly founded Ji Group 46 50 |
| Status | Fractured following the exposure of the switched-at-birth scheme and Lin Meishu’s divorce from Ji Guowei 49 50 |
| First Appearance | Chapter 37 |
Background / History
The Ji family is a wealthy Shenzhen business family living in the same mountainside villa district as the Chu family. Lin Meishu, then known as Mrs. Ji, and Ji Guowei built Ji Group together; although she later withdrew from day-to-day management, she retained shares and influence among its shareholders. 40 46
Thirty-three years before the main story, Ji Guowei’s mistress, actress Qiu Baizhen, bribed hospital staff to exchange newborns. Lin Meishu’s biological daughter was abandoned, while Qiu’s son, Ji Peng, was raised as the Ji family heir. Ji Guowei knew of and accepted the substitution because he wanted a son to inherit the business. 38 49
Ji Peng knew his true parentage from childhood and secretly maintained contact with Qiu Baizhen while preserving the image of a devoted son before Lin Meishu. He planned to obtain Lin Meishu’s shares, secure control of Ji Group, and replace her with Qiu. 39 46 47
Exposure of the Switch
Chu Xiyue gradually led Lin Meishu to question Ji Peng’s infertility, blood type, and resemblance to Qiu Baizhen. Lin Meishu hired a private investigator, obtained DNA evidence, and confirmed that Ji Peng was neither her biological son nor Ji Guowei’s biological son. 46 47 48 49
Lin Meishu then collected evidence of the hospital switch and reported Qiu Baizhen to the police. Qiu was arrested on human-trafficking charges. 49
The family scandal became public after Lin Meishu sought a divorce from Ji Guowei. Their asset and share division destabilized Ji Group, while online discussion identified Ji Peng as the child who had taken the family’s biological daughter’s place. 50
Members
| Member | Position within the family | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Lin Meishu | Former Mrs. Ji; Ji Group co-founder and shareholder | Raised Ji Peng for over thirty years without knowing he was not her son. Divorced Ji Guowei and left the Ji household. 48 49 50 |
| Ji Guowei | Ji Group chairman; Lin Meishu’s former husband | Cooperated with the newborn exchange and later prioritized Ji Peng’s position and the company over Lin Meishu’s lost daughter. 38 49 50 |
| Ji Peng | Raised as the Ji family heir | Qiu Baizhen’s biological son; not biologically related to either Lin Meishu or Ji Guowei. He concealed his origins to preserve his status. 43 49 |
| Mo Xiang | Ji Peng’s wife | Lin Meishu’s biological daughter, unknowingly brought back into the Ji household through marriage after growing up in an orphanage. 38 39 |
Major Family Scandal
- Switched-at-birth scheme — Qiu Baizhen exchanged her son for Lin Meishu’s newborn daughter with Ji Guowei’s knowledge; the legitimate daughter was abandoned and later grew up in an orphanage. 38 49
- False heir — Ji Peng was raised as Lin Meishu’s son and positioned within Ji Group, despite being unrelated by blood to either Ji parent. 47 49
- Hidden daughter-in-law identity — Mo Xiang, whom Lin Meishu had mistreated for years because of her orphan background, was revealed to be her biological daughter. 38 51
- Inheritance conflict — Ji Peng endured Lin Meishu’s hostility because her shares and corporate influence were essential to his intended control of Ji Group. 46 47
- Corporate fallout — The divorce and resulting redistribution of assets caused Ji Group’s stock price to fall and turned the family’s private betrayal into a public scandal. 50
Relationships
- Lin Meishu — Former matriarch and co-founder of Ji Group; divorced Ji Guowei after uncovering the decades-long deception. 49 50
- Ji Guowei — Former patriarch; enabled the child exchange and defended Ji Peng even after the truth emerged. 38 49
- Ji Peng — Former presumed heir; secretly Qiu Baizhen’s son and an outsider to the Ji bloodline. 48 49
- Mo Xiang — Ji Peng’s wife and Lin Meishu’s biological daughter; initially treated as an unwelcome daughter-in-law before the truth came out. 38 51
- Qiu Baizhen — Ji Guowei’s longtime mistress and Ji Peng’s biological mother; orchestrated the baby switch and was arrested after Lin Meishu reported her. 43 49
- Chu family — Business and social rivals of the Ji family; the two families live nearby, and Chu Xiyue played a central role in bringing the Ji secret to light. 37 46 48