Another Day of Pretending for the Wealthy Couple - Chapter 26

Zhong Yan stepped out of the car and boarded the yacht, where several men were seated on white sofas. Some were dressed casually, while others in suits had just come from formal events, all chatting cheerfully in the spacious, luxurious yacht.

As Zhong Yan came aboard, the yacht started up and began cruising slowly along the Bund.

When those inside saw Zhong Yan enter, someone asked, “Why are you alone? You said you were bringing your wife, so we brought our girlfriends.”

The speaker was Lan Fengsheng, the heir of the Lan family in Nanjiang, who had met Ji Tanyuan while studying abroad. Both he and Zhong Yan knew the couple.

Zhong Yan replied indifferently, “She went back to her mother’s place.”

Lan Fengsheng clicked his tongue. “I was hoping to see Ji Huanghuang.”

Zhong Yan lifted his eyelids slightly and gave a mocking laugh. “You miss her?”

Lan Fengsheng exclaimed, “Oh, are you jealous? Well, you’ve got the wrong person.”

Zhong Yan gazed out the window at the towering buildings and their glittering lights, then slowly asked, “Then who should I be jealous of?”

Lan Fengsheng didn’t notice anything off about Zhong Yan’s mood, not that it was his fault. Zhong Yan always had this half-dead demeanor, not exactly lifeless but not fully alive either. He would sit quietly in the center, listening to others talk, occasionally joining in. Yet in such gatherings, it was often people like him who held the most power.

So, as usual, Lan Fengsheng started gossiping. He was talkative and sometimes tactless, especially after drinking and being half-drunk.

“You don’t know? Shen Xiling, the police officer and son of the Shen family who just got transferred to Shencheng.”

His father was the director of the Hujiang Public Security Department and also served as deputy mayor. Back when the Ji family faced troubles, the Shen family hadn’t lifted a finger to help. The relevant departments hadn’t planned to offer assistance either, as they all assumed it wasn’t worth the effort. They were waiting for this whale to fall and “benefit” the other fish.

Who would have thought the Zhong family from the capital would come to the rescue with a lifeline, a temporary reprieve?

Of course, it could also be the final straw that broke the Ji family. Lan Fengsheng had long known that Zhong Yan wanted to come to Hujiang to capitalize on the financial liberalization benefits. When the Zhong family arrived, it was like a shark entering the sea, leaving the other fish in Hujiang stunned.

That’s exactly how it felt, and Lan Fengsheng was no exception, though his family was in traditional real economy, so they were somewhat better off.

Lan Fengsheng looked at his friend. “Even though Ji Tanyuan was abroad back then, whenever she returned, she’d definitely meet up with Shen Xiling for meals. They were really close.”

Someone nearby kicked Lan Fengsheng. “You really can’t hold your liquor, can you? Shut up.”

Zhong Yan’s expression remained unchanged, but he suddenly recalled that brief encounter he had when he went to Shencheng.

At the time, he hadn’t felt anything, but now it was as if a needle had been pricking him all along.

Not painful, but uncomfortable.

Zhong Yan crossed his legs and said, “If they didn’t get together when they had such a good chance before, it’s even less likely now.”

Lan Fengsheng nodded. “Exactly. If you ask me, Ji Tanyuan is really something. I even thought about pursuing her back then, but the young lady wouldn’t give me the time of day.”

Zhong Yan looked up and asked softly, “And now?”

Under Zhong Yan’s gaze, eyes that seemed to carry the weight of a thousand pounds of ice and snow, freezing him stiff, Lan Fengsheng shuddered, let out a drunken burp, and stammered, “N-n-nothing now. I have a girlfriend.”

With that, he wrapped his arm around his girlfriend’s waist.

His girlfriend had originally been invited to keep Ji Tanyuan company, but since the main guest hadn’t shown up, she now ended up saving him.

As for Zhong Yan, he let out a cold laugh.

Even though he had known all along that she had many people around her, and even though Ji Tanyuan was now his wife, bearing his label…

But now, hearing face-to-face that so many people coveted her, he actually felt somewhat displeased.

He leaned forward, took a cigarette, and the attentive waiter immediately stepped up to light it.

“I thought you didn’t smoke?”

“Just half a cigarette.” Zhong Yan held the cigarette between two fingers and said nothing more.

…

Ji Tanyuan spent the entire evening with her mother.

The next day, she saw her father, who had made a special trip home.

Ji Qing was sitting on the sofa on the first floor. Hearing the sound, he looked up and saw Ji Tanyuan coming down the stairs.

He asked, “Where’s your mother?”

“Still sleeping.”

Hearing that his wife was still asleep, Ji Qing said, “You went a bit too far last night.”

Ji Tanyuan glanced at the busy servants in the kitchen and then sat down. “Then what should I have said, Dad? I think this was the best approach.”

“Huanghuang.” Ji Qing frowned disapprovingly.

“They are your family. Besides, internal strife will ultimately harm the group’s reputation if it gets out.”

Ji Tanyuan smoothed her hair and smiled faintly. “A damaged reputation is temporary, but profits will continue to grow steadily. Dad, the chip industry relies on technology, patents, and talent, not backdoor connections or drinking culture. Did they earn those patents by drinking?”

“Twenty years ago, seven out of ten of our country’s wealthiest people came from real estate, including your Qinghe Real Estate. Ten years ago, seven out of ten came from the internet and e-commerce, and your semiconductor chips were among them. Ten years from now, seven out of ten will likely come from electricity and energy, and our new energy ventures might be among them. What I don’t understand is, over these thirty years, you’ve managed to catch every wave of opportunity. So why do we still face crises like funding shortages, credibility issues, and near bankruptcy?”

“At the time, the crisis was too urgent to reflect on it, but afterward? Wasn’t the lesson clear enough? You’ve let Uncle and the others line their pockets for too long. Real collapse always starts from within.”

Ji Tanyuan took a deep breath. “You understand the logic perfectly well, but you still value them. That’s why you stayed silent and neutral last night, saying nothing. But I can’t afford to do that. I’ve even sacrificed my marriage, I can’t let it be in vain.”

By the end, her voice was choked with emotion. The Zhong family was a group of people she simply couldn’t adapt to, and she felt wronged. Last night, sleeping beside her mother, her mother had still held her close, but she knew, everything was different now.

Her sense of responsibility and protectiveness had overshadowed the security of hiding under her parents’ wings.

She had to hold things together. If the Ji Group fell, she would truly be finished.

Ji Qing felt uneasy too. If anyone was in a difficult position, it was him.

“Do whatever you think is necessary.”

“After all, the Ji Group will be yours someday. But Huanghuang, your uncles may be blinded by greed, there’s no need to drive them to the brink.”

Ji Tanyuan thought to herself, It’s too late. It’s already begun.

Her father had never received any extra affection from his birth family, yet he was the one who gave back the most, all because he’d been pushed to extremes by his three NPD brothers, developing a sense of loyalty.

Suddenly, Ji Tanyuan thought of Zhong Yan.