Another Day of Pretending for the Wealthy Couple - Chapter 31

Shen Xiling, the youngest son of the prominent southern Shen family, is now the captain of the Criminal Investigation Division at Shencheng Public Security Bureau.

This was Ji Tanyuan’s past, a presence akin to a white moonlight.

Zhong Yan hadn’t intended to ask. Why bother? He had planned to live in blissful ignorance.

But he couldn’t help himself. The words slipped out, and there was nothing he could do about it.

“Why are you suddenly asking about him?” Ji Tanyuan asked with a smile.

Zhong Yan replied, “Yes, I only care about your thoughts.”

The parts of you I can’t uncover, your heart.

“There’s nothing special between us. I’ve been abroad since I was twelve, how could there be any feelings?”

“But you come back every Spring Festival, don’t you?” Zhong Yan said.

Ji Tanyuan responded, “That doesn’t change anything. We have no connection.”

A faint smile tugged at Zhong Yan’s lips as he suddenly recalled something. “Then why does he call you Huanghuang?”

Ji Tanyuan let out a soft “ah.”

“It’s not a secret. It’s just a childhood nickname. Anyone can call me that. Some even call me Dahuang.”

“But I really dislike the name Dahuang, it sounds like a dog’s name.”

It didn’t match her elegant, ladylike demeanor at all.

Zhong Yan couldn’t hold back a chuckle.

“Ji Tanyuan, you’re quite easygoing in your social interactions.”

Ji Tanyuan hummed in agreement. “Some socializing is for work, some for enjoyment. Just like you said, you don’t think a relaxed BBQ is any less classy than golf. I feel the same way.”

“So, which social interactions are for work?” Zhong Yan asked.

“Like right now.” Ji Tanyuan replied.

Zhong Yan wasn’t offended. She simply didn’t like it, just as he disliked Ji Tanyuan’s low-quality social circle.

The art of managing a marriage: Seek common ground while reserving differences.

The car entered the estate, and Ji Tanyuan stepped out, followed by Zhong Yan.

Both were dressed casually. Ji Tanyuan wore a white short-sleeved shirt and black trousers made of flowing fabric, giving off a relaxed, lazy vibe.

Zhong Yan, as always, was in a white shirt and black trousers, his tall, slender frame complementing Ji Tanyuan’s as they walked inside.

The estate was a private property belonging to Cheng Gengxu.

As they walked, Ji Tanyuan asked, “Are you and Cheng Gengxu close?”

Zhong Yan nodded. “Along with Gu Beiming and Ling Bu from the military, the four of us grew up together.”

Ji Tanyuan remarked, “Ling Bu? Your names are quite interesting.”

Zhong Yan explained, “His original name was Ling Bubu, but he disliked it and changed it.”

As they entered, the butler saw them and opened his mouth as if to speak but ultimately said nothing.

Perhaps the only person who could reason with the master was Mr. Zhong.

In the main hall,

Cheng Gengxu sat on the sofa, his expression cold as he stared at a young woman.

Though Cheng Gengxu was seated and the girl was standing, visually he had to look up at her, but in terms of atmosphere, he was the one looking down, his presence overwhelmingly dominant.

The girl seemed utterly submissive, her head bowed as if she wished she could bury it in the ground.

Zhong Yan remarked, “Well, we’ve come at a bad time.”

Cheng Gengxu withdrew his gaze. “Go upstairs and change. You’re not going out tonight.”

The girl suddenly lifted her head. “This opportunity is very important.”

Cheng Gengxu said calmly, “No matter how important it is, I can cancel it with one phone call. To avoid unnecessary trouble, don’t make me angry.”

Ji Tanyuan and Zhong Yan, one tall and one shorter, stood by the entrance, watching the scene unfold.

“Is your friend into coercion?” Ji Tanyuan asked.

Zhong Yan leaned slightly toward his wife. “What makes you think it’s coercion?”

“He’s not letting her leave.”

Zhong Yan: “But this girl is quite obedient too.”

Ji Tanyuan: “…”

Ji Tanyuan felt their perspectives didn’t quite align on some matters. Certain topics couldn’t be discussed deeply without sparking unnecessary conflicts. With Zhong Yan, there was no need to take everything so seriously, it was better to keep things vague.

Cheng Gengxu stood up, “You’re here? You came quite early.”

Zhong Yan took the gift, “It’s your birthday, shouldn’t we come early?”

Ji Tanyuan looked surprised, “Sorry, I didn’t know. I didn’t prepare-”

Cheng Gengxu smiled, “Didn’t you just give one?”

A project worth hundreds of millions.

He raised his hand to show the USB drive in his palm, implying that as a married couple, they were considered one entity.

Zhong Yan scoffed, “She’s got plenty of money.” His tone was neither warm nor cold.

Ji Tanyuan laughed twice, “Just joking.”

Cheng Gengxu smiled without responding. Zhong Yan walked forward while Ji Tanyuan glanced upstairs.

Noticing his gaze, Cheng Gengxu asked, “You know her?”

Ji Tanyuan nodded, “I saw her at a fashion show before. She’s a celebrity, who wouldn’t recognize her?”

He just hadn’t realized her backer was so influential. With such powerful financial support, she remained only a second-tier star. Zhang Zhang had once mentioned Xin Gan, talented, trending, with striking looks, but lacking promotional backing.

Gu Beiming arrived late, tossing a document to Cheng Gengxu. “Heard you have a woman now?”

Cheng Gengxu grunted in affirmation, “Met her a month ago.”

He turned to Ji Tanyuan, “I heard you’re quite close with Miss Zhang?”

“There was a magazine cover before, she got pushed out. It was the main cover of Yn Magazine.”

Hearing this, Ji Tanyuan closed his phone, “Alright.”

Xin Gan now belongs to someone else.

“But she doesn’t want to use personal connections…”

Ji Tanyuan was very accommodating, “Sure. Zhang Zhang once praised Miss Xin Gan’s talent. She’ll be happy to collaborate.”

“Thank you.”

“My pleasure.”

Listening to their exchange, Zhong Yan tilted his head and whispered to Ji Tanyuan, “So do you still think it’s forced?”

Ji Tanyuan lowered his voice, “Didn’t you hear? Xin Gan doesn’t want to use connections, and he knows it, yet he went behind her back anyway.”

Zhong Yan: “But she’ll resolve the crisis.”

Ji Tanyuan: “People must face the consequences of their choices. Everything should be based on personal willingness, whether the outcome is good or bad, they can’t blame others. But if someone else makes decisions for them, it benefits no one.”

Zhong Yan leaned back, looking at Ji Tanyuan, “How can you think that way?”

Ji Tanyuan bit into a lychee, thinking to himself, why do you care how I think?

“Then why did you agree earlier?”

Ji Tanyuan chuckled, “If I hadn’t, my best friend would lose her job.”

“I just see both sides of the issue. We’re observing from a god’s perspective. For two people to have a smooth relationship, they need to communicate their feelings. Life is lived for oneself, not for you or me to watch. What good does it do for me to understand his good intentions?”

Her hands were sticky with sweet lychee juice, so she stood up to wash them.

Zhong Yan grabbed her arm, amused, “You know so much about this.”

Ji Tanyuan bent over, a gentle smile spreading across her face as she softly uttered five words: “The onlooker sees most clearly.”

“And what about you? How’s life treating you?”

Ji Tanyuan raised an eyebrow, her long hair falling beside her face as she leaned forward, making her look even softer. “Couldn’t be better.”

Zhong Yan was shaken off, his gaze falling upon the lychee shells on the table. The remnants of lychee juice still glistened on them, translucent and sparkling, much like the spring-like tears that had welled in her eyes under the night sky.

He didn’t find Cheng Gengxu’s actions the least bit inappropriate.

It was only natural for people to go to any lengths for what they cherished, after all, results were what truly mattered.

If one does not strive for oneself, heaven and earth will conspire to destroy them.