Another Day of Pretending for the Wealthy Couple - Chapter 27

On the yacht, Zhong Yan rubbed his temples.

He tossed his cards onto the table. “I have a headache. Tell everyone to leave. I need to sleep.”

“Bro, come on, it’s still early. You’re only 26, can’t even handle staying up late anymore?”

Zhong Yan toyed with a card, the ace of spades, twirling it skillfully between his fingers.

Soon, he played the card, ending the game with the ace of spades. “Boring. I’d rather sleep than waste time like this.”

Lan Fengsheng bit down on his cigarette. “Sleeping alone?”

Zhong Yan shot back, “Can’t you sleep by yourself?”

Lan Fengsheng chuckled. “I thought after getting married, you’d realize how great women are.”

Zhong Yan sneered. “Women? Not good. They’re infuriating.”

He stood up and walked to the deck. Wearing sunglasses, he gazed at the dark, heavy sea. It had been about three months since he first started living day in and day out with a woman. In just three months, she had already managed to affect his mood. Not good.

So, the next day,

Ji Tanyuan learned from Assistant Liang that Zhong Yan had gone to Hong Kong. He instructed her to stay in Shanghai for a couple of days before returning to Beijing on her own.

Ji Tanyuan took the dog leash from Assistant Liang and nodded. “Understood.”

Assistant Liang seemed to want to say more but hesitated. Ji Tanyuan turned and walked away, leading the dog.

Just like that, the two of them fell into an inexplicable cold war.

When Zhong Yan didn’t want to deal with someone, he could go half a month without meeting them. Ji Tanyuan stayed in Shanghai for two weeks, received three calls from Beijing, and only then hurried back.

She had been busy for two weeks and had lost weight. She put the reform of the group’s equity structure on the agenda, promoted Yu Yanna to lead the project team, and appointed Lu Ke, the CEO of the Ji Group, to oversee and sign off on the project. She also mobilized the group’s legal team and collaborated with an external large law firm to follow the project’s progress. Ji Tanyuan remained largely behind the scenes, keeping a low profile as she began delegating authority and cultivating her own team.

A professional and efficient team was far more reliable than one held together by blood ties.

By the time the Ji Group issued the announcement, Ji Tanyuan had already been back in Beijing for three days, while Zhong Yan was still in Hong Kong.

As soon as the announcement was released, it caused quite a stir in the financial world. The Ji Group’s stock experienced fluctuations, but contrary to the team’s predictions of a decline, it remained stable and even showed signs of improvement.

Some financial bloggers analyzed that the previously stagnant Ji Group had finally dared to step out of its clan-centered traditions and embrace change.

Shu Yun looked at her phone, stood up excitedly, and asked, “Did Zhong Yan help? Did he go to Shanghai to clean up the mess for the Ji family?”

“Since when does he meddle in other people’s affairs? Marrying an upstart was already beneath him, and now he’s helping her entire family?”

Gu Beiming poured tea for someone and then glanced at her. “Isn’t that normal? It’s his father-in-law’s family, after all.”

Shu Yun frowned and looked at the person sitting on the sofa. “Gu Beiming, you’ve been pouring cold water on me from the very beginning.”

“Ji Tanyuan isn’t close to you or me. She can’t even be bothered to greet us when we meet. Gu Beiming, why are you so eager to defend them? Zhong Yan hasn’t even said anything, and you’re already rushing to their side.”

Gu Beiming, pointed at like this, grew angry and laughed in exasperation. “Shu Yun, Miss Shu, do you think I’m defending her? If I didn’t know you, why the hell would I bother advising you to let it go? If you ask me, Ji Tanyuan has a pretty good temper. With someone like you hovering around, always thinking about being the other woman, how could she possibly greet you?”

Zhao Qingye frowned. “Beiming, that’s too much.”

Shu Yun’s face flushed bright red, and her eyes quickly welled up with tears. “Say that again.”

Gu Beiming: “After all these years, even a fool should have realized your unrequited feelings. Can’t you see the person involved is pretending not to know?”

“Rong Xi is your friend, of course she’d take your side and say things to comfort you. And when others egg you on to meddle in that married couple’s affairs, you actually play along? Shu Yun, you’re still too naive.” The moment he finished speaking, a cup of hot tea came flying his way.

Shu Yun threw the teacup to the ground. “I don’t understand, what does my business have to do with you? Who asked for your opinion? You don’t understand emotions at all. How can you even call yourself my friend when you lack basic empathy?” After shouting through her tears, she stormed out.

Just then, Rong Xi and Wen Yi’an, who had just arrived, collided with Shu Yun at the door. “What’s wrong? Why so rushed?”

Rong Xi glanced down and saw Shu Yun’s tear-streaked face. “Why are you crying?”

Wen Yi’an also looked over in surprise. “What happened?”

Shu Yun lowered her head, wiping her face. “It’s nothing.”

Wen Yi’an sighed. “Is it because of Zhong Yan again?”

Gu Beiming grabbed his coat and left. “Shu Yun, from now on, I won’t waste another word trying to advise you. Just don’t come crying to me later.”

Rong Xi stepped forward and took Shu Yun’s hand. “Why limit yourself to one person? What’s so great about Zhong Yan? There are plenty of men in the world, why cling to him?”

Wen Yi’an even wanted to say, “What’s so great about marriage anyway?”

“Don’t be upset. A-Jing said their marriage won’t last. Why not just wait it out?”

Hearing this, Shu Yun looked up at Wen Yi’an. Rong Xi, who was pouring water, and Zhao Qingye, who was about to chase after Shu Yun, both paused and turned to Wen Yi’an.

Not wanting to say too much, Wen Yi’an simply remarked, “Have you forgotten? Theirs is a marriage of convenience. A marriage of convenience is all about interests. If it’s destined to fail, it means it will eventually collapse due to uneven distribution of benefits.

Rong Xi and Zhao Qingye exchanged a glance, then smiled faintly. Rong Xi placed a cup of water in front of Shu Yun.

“Have some water. Beiming means well. Think about it, if those two actually develop feelings and don’t divorce, what will you do then?”

Shu Yun pressed her lips together. “I’d be resentful. I’ve chased after him for twenty years without ever seeing him glance my way.”

Nearly a fifth of her life, her purest youthful affections, had all been devoted to him, yet it led to nothing. Who wouldn’t feel bitter?

Wen Yi’an felt a pang of sympathy. She wanted to say, “If you really married him, your notion of true love would be utterly shattered by his family elders.”

High-society families have countless rules, it’s true. Unless you adapt and numb yourself, you can’t lead a peaceful life.

Rong Xi smiled. “Then watch and wait. Don’t be sad.”

Rong Xi took a sip of water. The Ji Group was gradually recovering from its slump and beginning to purge accumulated issues.

But that wouldn’t do, she still had her eye on acquiring Ji Group’s Qinghe Real Estate. Only if the marriage ran into trouble and the group declined could she swoop in and buy it at a low price.

Rong Xi added, “Anyway, their collaboration is going smoothly. Zhong Yan is even personally helping Ji Tanyuan with the group’s troubles now. Stay out of it for the time being.”

Shu Yun hung her head without responding. What if the collaboration hits a snag?

She would make one last effort. If she couldn’t have him, then no one else would either.

She had spent her youth pining for Zhong Yan. Even if she couldn’t have him, she would leave an indelible mark on his life, make him truly see her, just once.

…

Monday Morning

Zhong Yan hadn’t returned to Yanjing, but Ji Tanyuan was back, she still had to go to the old residence for a meal.

When Ji Tanyuan arrived at the Zhong family home, it was exactly seven o’clock.

Even earlier than clocking in for work.

During the meal, Zhong’s father asked, “Have you been busy with company matters lately?”

Ji Tanyuan replied, “Yes.”

Ever since Ji Tanyuan appeared, Old Lady Zhong had worn a displeased expression. “Tanyuan, there should have been a family codex. A-Yan didn’t give it to you back then, but I’ll give it to you now.”

“Every member of the Zhong family must abide by it.”

Ji Tanyuan set down her spoon, wiped the corner of her mouth, and smiled. “Of course, Grandmother. I will strictly follow the family codex.”

Holding the family codex, Ji Tanyuan initially had no intention of opening it, after all, it was perfectly normal for a family to have its own rules.

But if Zhong Yan had deliberately withheld it, that alone made it worth her curiosity.

Before opening it, Ji Tanyuan took a deep breath.

The battle of feudal clan ideologies between the Zhong and Ji families was about to begin.