Another Day of Pretending for the Wealthy Couple - Chapter 1

Ji Tanyuan had been married for two months, transforming from the eldest daughter of the Ji family into the daughter-in-law of the prestigious Zhong family in the capital.

She went from being the heiress of a tech tycoon to the wife of a high-ranking official’s son, from a Shanghai socialite to a young matron in Beijing.

The union of North and South, the merging of old and new, it was hailed as a perfect match in their circles. Everyone who met her praised her for marrying well.

But in the eyes of the Zhong family, she was nothing more than an upstart.

Today was the day the upstart daughter-in-law was being taught the rules.

At the weekly family dinner, Ji Tanyuan was criticized for wearing a short skirt.

The Zhong family matriarch, her husband’s grandmother, was dressed in a modern-style Chinese jacket made of gray-black gambiered gauze, embroidered with cloud patterns. Her white hair was meticulously styled, and her expression was stern.

“Tanyuan, family dinners require appropriate attire. Don’t dress so casually next time.”

Ji Tanyuan glanced down at her skirt. It wasn’t actually short, it was a black, waist-cinching cocktail dress that ended just five centimeters above her knees. The fabric was soft, the pleats crisp, and it looked perfectly formal.

She then looked at her sister-in-law’s outfit, a traditional, flat-cut cheongsam. Sensing her gaze, the sister-in-law looked up and gave a gentle smile, radiating an aura of stunning elegance and authority.

But then, her sister-in-law stood up, took a teacup, and knelt.

Ah…

She knelt…

She knelt before the old lady and said, “Grandmother, please have some tea.”

Witnessing this, Ji Tanyuan didn’t know what expression to wear. Why would she do that? Why kneel?

The old lady smiled with satisfaction. “You see, Yi’an sets a fine example. Tanyuan, you are now a member of the Zhong family. Your every word and action reflects on the family’s reputation. Let go of the youthful habits you used to indulge in. At home, you need only defer to A-Yan.”

Ji Tanyuan watched as a servant handed her a celadon teacup, an obviously expensive piece. She did not take it.

She didn’t want to kneel. She had married into a prestigious family, not a royal palace.

Instantly, the atmosphere in the room turned icy.

Ji Tanyuan’s mother-in-law looked at her and reminded her, “Tanyuan, remember who you are now.”

“Even if this is an arranged marriage, it’s a legally registered union with a public ceremony. You are a legitimate member of the Zhong family. Have you not read the family rulebook?”

Ji Tanyuan lowered her eyes. Rulebook? What was that?

Ji Tanyuan possessed a delicate, translucent beauty unique to the Jiangnan region, with features as elegant as a painting and a gentle, refined demeanor. Yet, her spine remained as straight and upright as bamboo.

Zhong Yan’s mother came from a scholarly family and quite liked her. Understanding that she was still adjusting, she interceded with the old lady, “She might not be used to it yet. Perhaps we can do this another time. I’ll have A-Yan talk to her.”

Setting rules, asserting dominance, testing obedience, the Zhong family was truly… reminiscent of the Qing Dynasty’s Empress Dowager.

“Once you enter the Zhong family, you abide by the Zhong family’s rules.” She finally understood why Zhong Yan had suddenly said those words to her the night before.

The teasing, almost mocking look in his eyes, he had anticipated this day all along.

“No, what is there to get used to? Offering tea and paying respects, does that require getting used to?” the old lady said sternly.

Wen Yi’an, the wife of the eldest grandson, Zhong Jing, sat back down and gently advised, “Tanyuan, this is just a formality. It’s only once a week. Grandmother is already being very considerate toward us.”

The servant thrust the teacup forward again. Ji Tanyuan took a deep breath. It didn’t matter. The Ji family needed the Zhong family’s influence now. Everything came at a price. Marrying up meant swallowing needles, this was her price to pay.

At the corner of the stairs, the man glanced twice before turning to leave, just as he ran into his elder brother Zhong Jing coming down. Zhong Jing took a look at the scene downstairs and said to his brother, “Weren’t you the one who hated these rules the most? Are you really going to let your newlywed wife face them alone?”

Zhong Yan let out an indifferent “Oh” and replied, “Isn’t that the purpose of a marriage alliance? It’s all for the family’s sake.”

At this, he raised an eyebrow and smiled. “Of course, she has to abide by the family’s rules.”

He turned to look at Ji Tanyuan, but the next moment, she suddenly covered her mouth, threw down her teacup, and rushed toward the bathroom.

Zhong Yan narrowed his eyes slightly. He remembered taking precautions.

Downstairs, chaos ensued. The old lady, shedding her impatience, stood up, leaned on the table, and peered in the direction of the bathroom. “What’s going on?” she asked.

“Could it be… she’s pregnant?”

Her stern expression instantly vanished, replaced by a beaming smile as she repeatedly exclaimed, “Good, good, good! Quickly arrange a car to the hospital or call the family doctor.”

Zhong Yan’s expression remained cold. He turned on his heel, descended the stairs, pushed through the crowd, and opened the bathroom door.

He stepped inside, closing the door behind him, shutting out everything outside.

Ji Tanyuan was bent over, gripping the edge of the sink so tightly her knuckles turned white. Since childhood, she had never endured such humiliation. Now, because of this marriage, she had to kneel and serve tea, every single week. This kind of rule, with its blatant gender bias, disgusted her.

It wasn’t pregnancy making her nauseous; it was the sheer revulsion at the thought of having to kneel in obeisance every week from now on. Even if the family was the prestigious Zhong family, she couldn’t accept it. Ji Tanyuan had married far from home, and with her father under immense pressure due to company issues, she didn’t dare complain. The pain of marrying into a higher status was something she had to swallow, but it hurt.

“Zhong Yan, you never told me about this before,” she said.

Zhong Yan leaned against the door, reached out, and patted her back. “Feeling wronged? If I had told you, would you still have married me?”

He added, “But then again, a modern-educated wealthy young lady like you would naturally struggle with these outdated feudal remnants. To be honest, I can’t stand them either.”

Any normal person would find it repulsive, unfortunately, the Zhong family had no normal people.

Zhong Yan sighed with a hint of regret. “But what can we do? I still want to play the part of the filial son and virtuous grandson.”

Tears welled up in Ji Tanyuan’s eyes from the strain of vomiting. “But I can’t accept this,” she insisted.

Her accusing gaze was enough to soften anyone’s heart, but Zhong Yan felt irritated and covered her eyes with his hand.

“Did I marry a troublemaker?” he asked.

Ji Tanyuan gritted her teeth. A troublemaker? What about the benefits? The Zhong family had used the marriage alliance with the Ji family to dismantle the political and business landscape in Haicheng, why wasn’t that mentioned?

“Do you want a divorce?” Ji Tanyuan asked.

Zhong Yan let out a light scoff. How naive of the young lady to think divorce was that simple.

“Go ask your father if he’d agree. Your family’s funding chain is broken, and you haven’t even overcome the credibility crisis yet, my dear wife.”

“I’m asking you,” she pressed.

“Me? I’ll be honest with you, I never wanted this marriage either. If it weren’t for-”

He cut himself off abruptly, as if the words had served as a sudden reminder. This was a mutually beneficial alliance.

A marriage alliance was, after all, the second most effective method for expanding a family business, right after blood ties. Short-term, cross-regional credibility challenges could only be mitigated through relationships like kinship or marriage.

They had entered this union for profit, and in the future, they would part ways for the same reason.

At least for now, the Zhong family’s goals had not been met. They couldn’t divorce, they still had to play the role of the loving couple.

He felt a tickle in his palm, Ji Tanyuan’s eyelashes. She was nervous. Was she afraid he would divorce her?

Listening to the urgent calls outside the door, Zhong Yan looked down at the person whose eyes he had covered, still so obedient. Her forehead was full, her cheeks flawless, and even her expression was just right, so perfect it seemed artificial.

She was like a marriage tool mass-produced by a finishing school for socialites, unaware of power struggles, brainwashed into sacrificing everything for the family’s benefit, yet not the true beneficiary.

He sighed. “Who told you to be my wife?”