Another Day of Pretending for the Wealthy Couple - Chapter 30

When two intelligent individuals manage a marriage devoid of love, it tends to proceed more smoothly than one filled with affection.

Without emotional interference, both parties can sit down and rationally resolve any conflicts, free from the entanglement of favoritism.

After half a month of contemplation, Zhong Yan concluded that maintaining the status quo was the best course of action. He had been shortsighted before, genuinely believing Ji Tanyuan was incompetent. Now, upon reflection, he realized that from the very beginning, Ji Tanyuan had never concealed her expertise, yet she never corrected others’ misunderstandings either.

So, when Shu Yun mistakenly assumed she was a full-time housewife, she didn’t deny it.

Her status as the daughter-in-law of the Zhong family allowed her to seamlessly integrate into the elite circles of the capital’s political courtyard. As she had said, leveraging this identity to benefit her family was the true purpose of an arranged marriage.

Make the most of every resource.

Zhong Yan gently touched her face. She was not foolish; she had ideas and was clear-headed. Yet, he felt somewhat displeased.

Zhong Yan left the room and went downstairs. The first floor had already been restored to its pristine state.

The servants had left, but the dog…

Zhong Yan frowned. Where was the dog?

He inquired with the butler, Xi Qian, who was a dedicated property manager hired specifically for the household.

Xi Qian replied, “This is the usual time for walking the dog every day.”

“How long does it usually take?”

“Puppy is full of energy, so it takes about two to three hours.”

Zhong Yan let out a cold laugh. No wonder Ji Tanyuan had been so composed earlier, even worrying that he might not last two hours without getting exhausted.

Xi Qian asked, “Shall I prepare dinner for you and Madam?”

Zhong Yan replied, “No need. You can clock out for the day.”

“Understood. What about Puppy?”

Zhong Yan clicked his tongue in annoyance. There was still the dog to deal with. Now it wasn’t just the two of them; they had a permanent guest.

He rubbed his forehead and said, “Prepare dinner for the dog, then you can leave.”

He then asked, “Where does the dog sleep at night?”

Xi Qian answered, “With Madam.”

Zhong Yan paused his forehead-rubbing and looked up at the butler. “What did you say? Where? The master bedroom? On the bed?”

Xi Qian hesitated. “In the master bedroom.”

As for whether it slept on the bed, he didn’t know.

They weren’t allowed into the master bedroom, so how could they possibly know where the dog slept?

Seeing the master’s expression darken, Xi Qian quickly added, “Madam said Puppy feels insecure in a new environment, so she’ll accompany it for a few nights before arranging a permanent sleeping spot.”

Freshly satisfied, Zhong Yan was in an unusually accommodating mood.

“Set aside a separate area in the garden and have a designer build a doghouse there. From now on, Puppy is only allowed on the first floor and in the yard.”

Xi Qian acknowledged, “Understood. I will notify the relevant parties.”

Zhong Yan had returned home in the afternoon, around two or three o’clock. By the time Ji Tanyuan woke up, it was already six in the evening.

She lifted her hand and placed the back of it against her forehead, sighing.

The allure of a handsome man was truly misleading. The work she had planned to finish today would have to be postponed again.

She got up to fetch some water to drink.

With Zhong Yan back, she felt an inexplicable sense of relief.

It seemed she no longer had to face the Zhong family directly. While her grandmother-in-law and mother-in-law were manageable, Zhong Fangqi, Zhong Shuqing, and Zhong Jing, three generations of men, all in politics, were figures she deeply wary of.

They truly had the power to threaten her fundamental interests.

Ji Tanyuan held her water glass, took a sip, and felt a fire burning inside her.

Why this fire? It wasn’t anger, nor was it passion. It was an inexplicable restlessness.

She detested this feeling.

Stirring the filtered water, she noted it was just plain water, not even chilled.

Ji Tanyuan went downstairs to get some ice water, only to find Zhong Yan playing with the dog downstairs.

He was crouched by the sofa, trying to tie the dog’s fur into two big ears using a hair tie. The puppy kept shaking its head, refusing to cooperate. The man grew impatient and gave the dog’s head a light slap. “Behave. You’ve already taken my woman and my bed, even if you’re female, that’s not acceptable. Now you’re putting on airs?”

Ji Tanyuan was speechless for a moment.

Carrying her water glass, she descended the spiral staircase. “She didn’t sleep on the bed, she slept on the rug.”

Zhong Yan looked up and saw Ji Tanyuan in a white silk slip nightgown, her hair slightly disheveled as she came down for water.

She glanced around the kitchen island, looking down as if searching for something.

“The scoop is in the small drawer next to the ice maker.”

Hearing this, Ji Tanyuan paused briefly before pulling open the small drawer and taking out an ice scoop.

She dropped a few ice cubes into her glass.

After drinking a glass of water, the irritation in her heart eased a little.

Setting down the cup, she looked at the man and the dog in the distance. “Isn’t she adorable?”

Zhong Yan replied, “In my eyes, she’s no different from the koi in the pond.”

Ji Tanyuan pouted. “She’s very clingy and well-behaved. Maybe it’s because she’s getting older, she’s five now.”

“Besides, she’s a retired lab dog and not in the best health. She only chews things when she has pent-up energy.”

Zhong Yan gave a noncommittal hum. “I’ve already had someone build her a house in the yard.”

Ji Tanyuan frowned. “How can she stay in the yard? There’s an empty room right next to ours…”

Her voice trailed off under Zhong Yan’s gaze.

“Alright, the yard is fine too,” she quickly changed her tone.

Zhong Yan was both a neat freak and preferred quiet, hardly the ideal owner for a Beagle.

…

At seven in the evening, the two headed out. Ji Tanyuan wore a white T-shirt and black trousers, a simple, fresh outfit.

Her hair was loose, cascading down her back.

They got into the car, Zhong Yan had switched to a BUGATTI Centodieci, entirely black, poised like a sleek panther ready to pounce in the darkness.

Ji Tanyuan said, “I don’t like Miss Shu Yun. She’s not coming tonight, is she?”

Zhong Yan started the car. “No.”

“Can you tell me why you don’t like her?”

Ji Tanyuan replied, “She holds a lot of hostility toward me. It’s because you never responded to her advances, yet she blames me. It makes no sense.”

“Why does she act so high and mighty with me? I hate arguing, and I hate her.”

Zhong Yan said, “…She’s just a straightforward fool. She can’t cause any real trouble.”

“But there are people whispering in her ear, using her as a pawn. Just ignore her. If I liked her, I wouldn’t have married you.”

There were many things Zhong Yan pretended not to notice, but that didn’t mean he was blind to who was causing problems.

As long as they didn’t act out in front of him, he couldn’t be bothered to intervene.

Ji Tanyuan turned to look at Zhong Yan, who kept his eyes on the road as he drove.

She couldn’t help but feel that after his two-week absence, Zhong Yan had become even more inscrutable.

“Aren’t you going to ask me anything else?” Ji Tanyuan ventured.

Zhong Yan replied, “No.”

Ji Tanyuan had always thought Zhong Yan was enigmatic, but now she felt even more clueless about what went on in his mind.

“Just ask me something,” she urged.

Zhong Yan glanced at her. “Anything?”

Ji Tanyuan nodded. “Yes.”

“Alright. Do you and Shen Xiling actually have feelings for each other?”