Every time Ji Lingchen went to look for Xiaoyu, he would always have hope. However, in the end, he was always disappointed.
As more time passed, Old Master Ji said less and less about the matter. He would rather his second son think that his sister was still alive, so that his mental state would remain somewhat intact. If he lost his mental stability, then he would be like a walking corpse.
Old Master Ji had been enduring this for the sake of his sons. He had given his son hope, and taken on the despair himself.
This was also one of the reasons why he wanted his youngest son to start his own family. That way, once he was gone, his youngest son would not be alone. He would have a home. His eldest son was already a middle-aged man. It was time for him to learn the truth about these things. After he passed, his eldest son would be tasked with taking care of the graves of his wife and daughter.