Another Day of Pretending for the Wealthy Couple - Chapter 29

The housekeeper stood up from behind the sofa. Zhong Yan frowned at the unfamiliar girl before him. “Who are you?”

The girl, still dazed from his sudden outburst, stammered, “I’m Puppy’s nanny.”

Zhong Yan glanced down at the beagle circling his feet. Hiring a nanny for a dog, Ji Tanyuan was certainly something else.

Qi Fu was a professional pet nanny, a veterinary school graduate specializing in dog care when owners were away. With extensive experience and an excellent reputation among pet owners, her agency had assigned her to what they called a “major client.”

Initially, she had been apprehensive when she learned the client lived in Yulong Guanzhi, fearing the owners might be overly demanding. But before she could inquire further, the family’s steward revealed the dog was a beagle and immediately doubled her salary.

When Qi Fu first met Ji Tanyuan, she thought, No wonder she owns a beagle, she’s gentle, beautiful, and poised. Now, seeing the man before her, there was no doubt he was handsome, tall, with deep-set eyes and an imposing presence. He didn’t seem like a man kept by a wealthy woman but rather a magnate who could support one.

He was likely the “sir” the steward had mentioned.

“Hello.” she greeted.

Zhong Yan nudged the dog aside with his foot and replied indifferently, “Not really.”

“Where’s the madam?”

“She’s upstairs.”

“Have someone clean up this mess. The house shouldn’t be this disorderly in the future.”

Zhong Yan went upstairs. Finding the bedroom empty, he headed to the study. There, seated before a computer screen, was a woman in a white dress, wearing headphones. Her fair, soft skin seemed to glow in the light of the monitor.

She looked up, meeting his gaze directly. Ji Tanyuan removed her headphones. “You’re back?”

Zhong Yan closed the door, took off his suit jacket, and strode toward the desk. Ji Tanyuan had her legs curled up on the chair. As he approached, she started to lower her feet, but he spun the chair, stopping her. Leaning down, he placed his hands on the armrests, trapping her between him and the chair, leaving no room for retreat.

“Let me ask you, were you the one leading your group’s equity reform?” he demanded.

Ji Tanyuan avoided a direct answer. “Why do you ask?”

Zhong Yan smirked. “You saw the family rules yesterday, didn’t you? When Father asked if you were busy with company matters, you said yes, correct?”

It suddenly dawned on her. One of the family rules forbade frequent contact with her natal family, emphasizing that the family’s interests must always come first.

She had violated it.

Ji Tanyuan lowered her head and chuckled softly before lifting her eyes to meet his. Her gaze was steady and unwavering, devoid of any warmth or gentleness, replaced instead by the cold, resolute demeanor of a business professional.

“Zhong Yan, it seems you people are always contradicting yourselves. I agreed to this marriage for cooperation, to secure the Ji family’s interests, not for love.”

“Back then, you insisted that a Zhong marriage couldn’t be a mere formality, it had to be a real partnership. I agreed to try. But now you’re restricting my social interactions and meddling in everything, as if I’ve gained some enormous advantage. I didn’t beg for this marriage, it was a mutual agreement.”

She had been patient, showing respect to the elders and refraining from harsh words in their presence. How could they push her like this, again and again?

Zhong Yan lowered his head. “Do you regret it?”

Ji Tanyuan pressed her lips together.

“Regretting marrying me, is that it?” Zhong Yan pressed.

Ji Tanyuan replied, “No. Because of you, the Ji family has managed to recover.”

Zhong Yan’s voice was low, “Fine, as long as you don’t regret it. Then let me ask you, do you know why I agreed to this marriage alliance?”

Ji Tanyuan kept her head lowered.

Zhong Yan continued, “Because I want the southern market and raw material channels in the chip industry. See, you’ve achieved your goal, so why are you now preventing me from achieving mine?”

Ji Tanyuan replied, “What you want is to devour everything. I have to ensure the Ji family’s interests aren’t harmed. How could I burn the bridge after crossing it?”

What I fear is that you’ll burn the bridge after crossing it and kick the Ji family out.

“I don’t agree to state-owned assets entering our project. I only accept your Zhongheng.”

I only accept your Zhongheng.

Zhong Yan paused, a rare hesitation.

“Is Lu Ke your person?”

Ji Tanyuan lowered her head. “Didn’t you guess? I poached Lu Ke from Duan Huaixu’s team.”

She hadn’t planned to hide it, such things couldn’t be concealed. A little attention to the New York side would reveal it.

“I didn’t guess you poached him from Duan Huaixu. Didn’t you say he was just a friend?”

“He really is just a friend.”

Zhong Yan didn’t believe her but didn’t press further. There was a subconscious feeling that their relationship should stop at not disliking each other. Going further and developing deeper feelings would be dangerous.

Such a marriage could last long, and the act would be more convincing.

Zhong Yan laughed and ruffled her hair. “I promise you, there won’t be a third major shareholder in our joint venture company.”

Ji Tanyuan hummed in agreement. Even if someone wanted to join, they’d have to get past her first.

Zhong Yan stood up. “Now, let’s talk about family matters. What’s the deal with the dog?”

Ji Tanyuan stayed curled up in her chair, not moving, and said slowly, “Not yet. You haven’t explained what you meant earlier. I can’t possibly not participate in the Ji Group’s work. In the future, I’ll even use the resources available to me as Mrs. Zhong to favor the Ji family. I won’t really abide by that family rule.”

Zhong Yan hummed. “If they ask you again, just say it’s nothing. Favoring the Ji family with resources is what you deserve from this marriage alliance. I’ll handle it.”

Ji Tanyuan breathed a sigh of relief. Thankfully, he was a reasonable person.

After speaking, Zhong Yan looked down at her. “Now, can you tell me why you brought the dog home? Didn’t I say you couldn’t bring dogs home?”

“It’s not over. Why didn’t you call me for half a month? Yesterday, I went to the family banquet alone and got criticized by your mother. You went to the Bund for a gathering late at night without a word, but when I attend an evening gathering, I get criticized. Why?”

Ji Tanyuan had endless grievances, and who else could she vent them to but Zhong Yan?

Zhong Yan raised an eyebrow. “So, if I don’t call you, you won’t call me either?”

Ji Tanyuan was displeased. “You’re the one acting strangely. Why should I humiliate myself?”

Zhong Yan said, “Alright, I’ll take the initiative to contact you from now on. As for what you mentioned earlier, it’s because I’m the biological child, and you’re the one who joined halfway. That’s the difference. Since you don’t listen to them anyway, just treat it as nonsense.”

Ji Tanyuan couldn’t cut ties with her old friends, so he’d just have someone keep an eye on her. As long as it didn’t spread widely, it didn’t matter.

Zhong Yan asked, “So, you want to keep the puppy at home, right?”

He picked her up, sat down himself, and lifted her skirt.

Ji Tanyuan was stunned. One moment, she had been sitting properly in her chair, and the next, her skirt was being pulled up.

Zhong Yan: “If the puppy doesn’t disturb us in the next two hours, I’ll agree to keep it. If she bothers me, have it moved to another house.”

Ji Tanyuan shivered slightly, the strap slipping off her shoulder to reveal snow-white skin that was not gaunt but rather plump and smooth as if glazed with honey, exuding an alluring charm.

“Has anyone ever told you how sexually captivating you are?” The man murmured against her collarbone, his words muffled as though he were savoring a piece of candy.

Her features weren’t conventionally perfect by mainstream standards, but they were undeniably sensual, gentle yet reserved, relaxed yet measured, elusive in their allure, languid and unrestrained.

Ji Tanyuan arched her neck with a soft hum and politely returned the compliment: “You too.”

The desire that came with shedding formal attire, the hormones, they were the most potent pheromones, guiding one toward pleasure.

With her other hand resting on the desk, her pale arm glistening faintly with moisture, Ji Tanyuan reached out and pressed the computer’s power button.

The screen went dark, shutting down the proposal for Qinghe Asset’s non-performing asset disposal and cash-out exit plan.

Afterward,

Zhong Yan carried her to the bedroom. Before leaving, he glanced at the computer and let out a silent chuckle.

Seemingly laid bare before each other, yet never truly transparent.

How intriguing.