Another Day of Pretending for the Wealthy Couple - Chapter 41

Zhong Yan sat in his chair, observing Ji Ying. The girl was undeniably beautiful, with flawless makeup, but she lacked distinctiveness. And now, it seemed she was also short on brain cells.

Back when the two families were discussing the marriage alliance, Ji Tanyuan had been too busy to meet him, so Zhong Yan had first come across Ji Ying’s profile. At a glance, he hadn’t been interested. Ambition was a good thing, but he didn’t want the mental exhaustion. Besides, Ji Corporation belonged to Ji Qing, not Ji Ting.

So, when he saw Ji Tanyuan’s radiant, almost carefree smile, Zhong Yan had made his decision on the spot. Now, this was what a young lady of her stature should be like, her skin so delicate it seemed it might break at a touch, her smile gentle and poised, her looks impeccable, her taste refined, her education top-tier. The only thing missing was a sharp mind. Perfect.

Well, aside from her overly close ties with too many people in the entertainment industry. But then again, many heirs of wealthy families were like that. He understood.

It was only after spending a considerable amount of time with her that Zhong Yan truly grasped the profound meaning behind the sayings “Never judge a book by its cover” and “Hearsay is unreliable.”

Ji Tanyuan hadn’t even done anything drastic yet, but just look at how furious his family’s matriarch had become. If she ever decided to take real action, his father would probably be the one to suffer.

Ji Ying noticed that his attention had drifted. Seriously? Was she really that unnoticeable?

“Brother-in-law.” she called out tentatively.

Zhong Yan tilted his head, giving her a thorough once-over. His expression remained unreadable, and in the next moment, he said, “Is Ji Corporation something you can decide? Or is it something your father can decide?”

Ji Ying straightened her posture. “But Fourth Uncle listens to my father, and the group would never pass control to a daughter who’s married off.”

Zhong Yan raised an eyebrow, his demeanor relaxed. Before he could respond, Assistant Liang pushed the door open. “Boss.”

Zhong Yan looked up. “What is it?”

Assistant Liang reminded him, “Check your phone now. I’ve sent you the news page.”

Zhong Yan opened his phone to find a scandal about Ji Ting’s illegitimate child. No wonder she had told him this morning to have the PR team ready.

Zhong Yan ordered, “Prepare the PR team. Release what I discussed with you this morning.”

He snapped his phone shut and stood up to leave. Ji Ying insisted, “Believe me, we are your best choice.”

Zhong Yan glanced at her. “It’s actually good to have you holding her back.”

At least this way, he wouldn’t have to worry too much about Ji Tanyuan causing him trouble in Yanjing.

Assistant Liang couldn’t stand it any longer. Couldn’t she see that Zhong Yan was on the verge of losing his temper? He interjected, “Miss Ji, something has happened in your family.”

Ji Ying was stunned. She lowered her head to check her phone and saw messages of comfort from friends. A sense of foreboding washed over her.

Zhong Yan stood and left. Illegitimate children were a common occurrence in wealthy families, but that didn’t make it normal. He had the scandal taken down immediately. Ji Tanyuan might have exposed it, but he could remove it. Letting it gain too much traction was not an option.

After all, the Zhong and Ji families were still in-laws. If things escalated, none of them would have an easy time when they returned home.

Meanwhile, Ji Tanyuan sat on the sofa in the chairman’s office, massaging her temples as she endured her father’s reprimands.

Ji Qing’s voice was low and stern. “Ji Tanyuan, others might not know, but I know it was you. You’ve gone too far this time. How could you be so ungrateful? Your uncle’s family has done so much for us.”

After a moment of silence, Ji Tanyuan spoke. “Do you really believe he’ll find my brother? And even if he does, would that still be my brother? Tell me, Father, did Uncle’s family truly do us a favor, or is it you who owes them a debt of guilt?”

Ji Qing took out a cigarette, but upon seeing Ji Tanyuan, he stuffed it back into the pack, visibly agitated. “You want to kick him out of the Ji family board, and then what? Will he stop being a Ji? Qinghe Real Estate has grown into an incredibly complex entity from its humble beginnings. If you hand Qinghe entirely over to him, just dealing with the non-performing assets alone will be a nightmare.”

Ji Tanyuan kept her eyes closed but abruptly changed the subject. “Brother isn’t coming back.”

Ji Qing’s expression darkened, as if he couldn’t bear to hear those words, and he scolded her, “Ji Tanyuan, know your limits!”

Ji Tanyuan opened her eyes. “Even if I say it ten thousand times, it won’t change the fact, he’s dead. It’s time to wake up from this dream.”

Ji Qing looked at her with disappointment. “Have you really become so consumed by profit that you’ve cast aside all family bonds? Huanghuang, your father taught you-”

“Dad!” Ji Tanyuan cut him off.

“You were the one who sent me off for that arranged marriage. And now you say I’m only after profit? Am I not your daughter?”

Tears welled in her eyes. “What about all the grievances I endured from that marriage? You accuse me of disregarding family ties, but when they formed cliques in the company and embezzled funds, I was the one who covered the losses. Why don’t you tell them to show some consideration for me?”

“While I’m here in meetings, Ji Ying is off begging Zhong Yan for collaboration. Why don’t you tell them to think about me for once?”

“I guess I deserve this, don’t I? I deserve to be caught in the middle and suffer from both sides.”

Ji Tanyuan wiped her tears. “To be honest, I despise those three brothers of yours. I absolutely loathe them.”

Ji Qing seemed unable to bear looking at her any longer and turned to gaze out the window.

Ji Tanyuan picked up her handbag. “Honestly, the grievances they’ve caused me are nothing compared to the 1% of what you’ve done to me and Mom.”

“Let me make this clear one last time: Ji Ting must leave the Ji Corporation. I will root out every one of his allies, no matter the cost. If it pains you, then stand aside. Otherwise, stand by my side, if you still consider me your daughter.”

Ji Qing was stunned. “Huanghuang, such ruthlessness, what will become of the Ji family clan?”

Ji Tanyuan replied, “Then start by rewriting the rules yourself. Those people aren’t worth it.”

“I disagree.” Ji Qing said from behind her.

Ji Tanyuan paused as she reached for the office door, her grip tightening on the handle, her back turned to her father.

Her vision blurred, the door seeming to warp before her eyes, but she stubbornly refused to let her tears fall. Yes, this kind of hurt struck far deeper than any outsider could inflict.

She had spent little time in the country before, living mostly abroad, and such family matters had never strained her relationship with her father. But now, in the face of his brothers, she realized their bond wasn’t as strong as she had thought.

Ji Qing sighed, his tone pleading. “When the company faces problems, I suffer more than you do. I’ve learned my lesson, which is why I agreed to your equity reforms. Your uncles aren’t professionals; they just need their dividends. There’s no need to drive them out entirely.”

Ji Tanyuan opened the door and left without looking back.

She went straight downstairs to her office, where Yu Yanna had been waiting for a while. “How did it go?”

Ji Tanyuan pressed her lips together. “Not well.”

Yu Yanna noticed Ji Tanyuan’s reddened eyes and asked, “Did you argue?”

Ji Tanyuan collapsed onto the sofa with a quiet “Mm.”

Yu Yanna went to the fridge, took out an ice pack, wrapped it in a paper towel, and gently pressed it against Ji Tanyuan’s eyes. “Boss Ji, forgive me for saying this, but right now, you really need to secure Chairman Ji’s support, no matter what.”

This wasn’t the time for stubbornness.

Ji Tanyuan closed her eyes. “He won’t stand by me. The best outcome is for him to remain neutral. How are things with PR?”

At that, Yu Yanna hesitated, unsure how to respond.

“Your husband, well, only your husband has that kind of capability. The news hadn’t even spread widely before it was taken down. Did you not coordinate with him? The speed was impressive, and he was quite proactive.”

Ji Tanyuan chuckled lightly, “Heh heh.”

Yu Yanna added, “But this way, our plan can’t proceed.”

As soon as she finished speaking, a commotion erupted outside the door, along with Ji Ting’s roar, “Make her get out here!”

Ji Tanyuan closed her eyes, listening to the cursing outside, and said, “My biggest regret is not knowing how to curse.”

Suddenly, the noise outside quieted down.

In the corridor outside Ji Tanyuan’s office, Ji Ting stood by the door, while Zhong Yan, who had arrived later, sat casually in an unknown employee’s chair.

“Uncle, I’ve already taken down your news. Why are you still blaming Tanyuan?”

Though Zhong Yan was seated, his calm and unhurried demeanor overpowered everyone standing. He was the only one sitting, toying with his sunglasses. “Five illegitimate children, all from different mothers. What, you dare to do it but not own up to it?”

At this point, Zhong Yan laughed. “When your daughter came to me offering herself, I should’ve said it’s a case of reproductive isolation. It’s not her fault, it’s her father’s, for being such a stud.”