Another Day of Pretending for the Wealthy Couple - Chapter 42

Ji Ting’s face flushed red with anger. “What did you say?”

“Even if your surname is Zhong, you’re still a junior.”

Notified of the situation, Ji Qing and the CEO, Lu Ke, hurried over. Seeing the crowd gathered at Ji Tanyuan’s door, they frowned. “What’s everyone doing here?”

Zhong Yan looked up and saw Ji Qing at the front, with Lu Ke following behind.

Ji Qing noticed the seated man, whose presence overshadowed everyone else in the room, as if a king had descended upon them.

Even when his father-in-law arrived, Zhong Yan remained seated, as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

“Uncle Ji Ting, having too many illegitimate children doesn’t reflect well on your reputation. A tarnished personal character is also detrimental to the group’s development.”

“Tanyuan has already been considerate of family ties by merely proposing a division of assets. It was my suggestion.”

Zhong Yan lowered his gaze. “Having a director with questionable morals in a senior management position damages the company’s credibility, which naturally affects the cooperation between our two families.”

“If you don’t want others to know, don’t do it in the first place. Uncle, since you are not yet the head of the Ji family, you should obediently follow orders. Such behavior, which violates public order and morality, gives the board the right to address your managerial position for the sake of the group’s operations.”

“Tanyuan respects you, but you shouldn’t take that respect for granted.”

No one dared to refute Zhong Yan’s words. Ji Ting, wary of Zhong Yan’s status, turned to his fourth brother, Ji Qing.

Ji Qing remained silent.

Ji Ting nodded repeatedly. “Fine, fine. Fourth Brother, it seems your daughter and son-in-law are now in charge. You’ve retired, haven’t you? Just stand by and watch your own brother get cornered.”

“And here I was still thinking of you. What a waste.”

With that, he stormed off in a huff.

Ji Qing turned to Zhong Yan, whose expression remained calm. Zhong Yan smiled faintly. “Just stating the facts, Father.”

Zhong Yan stood up and moved closer to Ji Qing, lowering his voice so only the two of them could hear:

“Actually, the best solution would be to hire a professional manager, with neither Tanyuan nor Uncle participating. Don’t you agree?”

“My father also doesn’t want to see the Zhong family’s daughter-in-law overly involved in her maiden family’s affairs. Given his complicated position, he’s afraid Tanyuan is too young to handle things properly and might act impulsively, like today’s foolish move, which only harmed herself.”

Ji Qing nodded. “You’re right. Please convey my apologies to Minister Zhong. She didn’t mean any harm.”

Lu Ke, standing nearby, overheard the conversation. His eyes darkened as he sharply turned to look at Zhong Yan.

Zhong Yan’s maneuver wasn’t aimed at Ji Ting but at Ji Tanyuan. He didn’t want Ji Tanyuan involved in the Ji family’s decision-making.

By presenting a compromise in response to Chairman Ji’s dilemma, he subtly excluded Ji Tanyuan from returning to the Ji family’s operations.

If it were merely about protecting Mrs. Zhong’s reputation, that would be one thing. But what if his goal was to gradually marginalize Ji Tanyuan within the Ji family, turning her entirely into a member of the Zhong family, ultimately serving their interests?

Lu Ke didn’t dare dwell on the thought, hoping only that Ji Tanyuan would stay clear-headed and not fall into the trap.

After speaking, Zhong Yan exchanged a glance with Lu Ke before heading toward Ji Tanyuan’s office.

Ji Tanyuan and Yu Yanna had been eavesdropping by the door. Hearing footsteps, they straightened up in perfect sync.

Zhong Yan opened the door, his eyes immediately landing on Ji Tanyuan’s red-rimmed eyes. He let out a derisive laugh. “How pathetic.”

Yu Yanna greeted them. “I’ll take my leave now.”

Zhong Yan bent down, scrutinizing Ji Tanyuan’s face closely. “Feeling that wronged, are you?”

Ji Tanyuan pressed her lips together. “What are you doing here?”

Zhong Yan walked further into the room. “We’re returning to Yanjing tomorrow. You’re coming with me.”

Ji Tanyuan frowned, “But…”

“No buts.”

She thought to herself that the issues here couldn’t be resolved quickly, all while having to manage affairs in Beijing as well. It had become a luxury for her, who had long resided in Shanghai, to return after marriage.

That evening, Ji Tanyuan received a notice from the board of directors: all board members were relieved of their management positions, with full authority handed over to professional managers. From the CEO and CFO down to department heads, no shareholders from the board would be appointed. Meanwhile, the equity restructuring of Qinghe Real Estate, independent of the Ji family, continued.

This sweeping decision was, in a way, fair and impartial. Anyone related to the Ji family would now simply collect dividends, leaving professional matters to the professionals, even Ji Tanyuan, the sole legitimate heir, was no exception.

And now, it was uncertain whether she would remain the heir. Speculation began swirling outside about the succession of the Ji family. Some claimed the only daughter had been removed from the line of succession due to her marriage, with inheritance passing to a male cousin. Others suggested Ji Qing couldn’t possibly have only one daughter and must have a hidden son. There were even rumors that the family intended to rely entirely on a professional management team, moving away from hereditary succession.

Lying beside her mother, Ji Tanyuan felt a tumult of emotions. If only they would truly adopt a professional management approach, she thought. She nestled into her mother’s embrace, realizing that the sense of isolation had never changed, it had always been just her and her mother.

Closing her eyes, Ji Tanyuan asked, “Mom, I am your only child, right?”

Sheng Wan gently stroked her head and replied softly, “Yes, you are.”

Even if she weren’t, her mother would make sure she was.

…

On the day Ji Tanyuan returned to Beijing, she casually purchased a pink diamond worth 280 million. The 10.8-carat diamond, with its exceptional fire and brilliance, dazzled even without direct lighting. Only when she slipped it onto her finger did her mood lift slightly.

Zhong Yan didn’t comment, simply instructing his assistant to settle the payment. “In the future, when handling issues, don’t air the family’s dirty laundry in public.”

Ji Tanyuan withdrew her hand. “I disagree. Some things need to be exposed to be effective.”

Zhong Yan’s voice turned cold. “Then you must be prepared to bear the consequences.”

Ji Tanyuan smiled faintly. “It’s better than doing nothing at all.”

Watching her board the escalator, Zhong Yan sensed her unhappiness. This woman carried many burdens in her heart. Was she sentimental? It didn’t seem so, yet seeing her like this inexplicably unsettled him.

He took her hand. “Aren’t you preparing to establish a tech company in the upstream semiconductor industry?”

Ji Tanyuan wasn’t surprised he knew, Cheng Gengxu would have undoubtedly informed him. She nodded. “Yes, I’m preparing for it.”

“So, you don’t oppose me working. You just don’t want to see me return to the Ji family, right?”

Zhong Yan paused for a moment, speaking with uncharacteristic seriousness, “Tanyuan, many things are complicated.”

Ji Tanyuan smiled again. “I understand. I won’t come back often in the future.”