Another Day of Pretending for the Wealthy Couple - Chapter 45

Zhong Yan entered the room and sat directly beside Ji Tanyuan.

He advised the elderly lady, “Try to be more open-minded and stop worrying so much. Shouldn’t this be the time for you to enjoy life?”

“How can I possibly rest easy?”

Wen Yi’an brought over a glass of water and casually asked, “Tanyuan, I heard you recently started a film production company?”

Ji Tanyuan hummed in acknowledgment. “Would you like to become a star, sister-in-law?”

Wen Yi’an chuckled. “How could I possibly do that?”

Zhou Yanyu’s voice was stern. “Tanyuan, did you not listen to what I said?”

Ji Tanyuan replied, “Zhongheng’s ventures also include investments in the arts. Why is it acceptable for him but not for me?”

Zhong Yan frowned. “She’s not a housewife, Mom, and neither are you. Can we stop wrapping everything in the pretense of the Zhong family’s reputation? Isn’t it exhausting?”

As the saying goes, what mothers-in-law find hardest to bear is when their sons suddenly stop taking their side.

This kind of conflict isn’t limited by social status, it happens everywhere, from rural villages to the elite circles of the capital.

Even in the Zhong family, where patriarchal authority was most deeply entrenched, such situations arose.

Zhong Yan’s stance felt like a blow to Zhou Yanyu, akin to her youngest son, who had always defended her, now siding with someone else against her.

Her voice trembled as she asked, “Are you contradicting me for her sake?”

Ji Tanyuan could sense Zhou Yanyu’s anger and sorrow, anyone present could. Zhong Fangqi stepped in, “Enough! This bickering is endless. Zhong Yan, apologize to your mother.”

Zhong Yan remained silent. He hadn’t done anything wrong, why should he apologize?

Ji Tanyuan tugged at his sleeve but said nothing. Speaking up now would only provoke Zhou Yanyu further, adding fuel to the fire.

Yet she didn’t urge him to apologize either, instead leaning quietly against him.

This family atmosphere was even more intimidating than her own.

Nearby, Wen Yi’an observed the scene, growing more convinced with each probing remark that Ji Tanyuan was truly fortunate.

In the Zhong family, no one was genuinely happy, each had their own agenda. Only Zhong Yan seemed like an outsider, forced into family affairs through a marriage of convenience, yet he carried himself with such defiance.

No wonder Ji Tanyuan remained so composed. With Zhong Yan shielding her, she had no need to confront anyone directly.

Wen Yi’an picked up her teacup and retreated to the kitchen.

Seeing that Zhong Yan remained silent, Zhong Fangqi spoke again. Zhong Yan took Ji Tanyuan’s hand and stood. “There’s no need. My mother doesn’t need my apology, just as she doesn’t need my defense. But Tanyuan does.”

[“Just as she doesn’t need my defense”], the words struck Zhou Yanyu like a sharp slap to the face, leaving her momentarily dazed.

Zhong Yan had acted this way before. He had stood up for her, urged her to prioritize herself, and shielded her from conflicts. But she had always pulled him aside, scolded him, and sent him away. Deep down, she appreciated his support, yet she had to maintain the dignity expected of an elder.

Because of this, the elderly lady had never favored Zhong Yan, and the old master saw him as too rebellious, constantly suppressing him.

Zhou Yanyu lowered her gaze, shook off her husband’s supportive hand, and left, heading upstairs.

Suddenly, she felt uncertain about what she had accomplished in the past thirty years of effort.

Ji Tanyuan watched Zhong Yan’s expression. Seated in the passenger seat, she didn’t dare speak.

But she felt she had to say something.

And so, the following conversation unfolded between Ms. Ji and Mr. Zhong.

“Every family has its own cross to bear, so don’t be too upset. The mother-in-law and daughter-in-law conflicts still fall on me, they can’t be shifted elsewhere.”

Zhong Yan: “You’re quite philosophical about it.”

Ji Tanyuan took the ring and bracelet from the car’s storage compartment. Under the cabin light, they refracted various rays of light, bursting across her fingers. As she adjusted the ring, she said:

“I thought about it before getting married. I even watched soap operas with mother-in-law plots to comfort myself, how bad could it be compared to TV? Those characters live just fine, and sometimes even get happy endings.”

Zhong Yan was indeed distracted by her few words and couldn’t help asking: “And reality? What’s it like experiencing it firsthand?”

Ji Tanyuan sighed with an air of worldly wisdom, “Reality… well, it really can’t be compared to TV dramas. Those soap opera families aren’t like yours, and the husbands are different too. You’re better than those male leads.”

At least when conflicts arise, he would stand by her to some extent.

Zhong Yan clicked his tongue, “Such high praise, now I feel pressured.”

After saying this, he casually asked: “If I didn’t stand by your side today, if I didn’t speak up for you, what would you do?”

Ji Tanyuan went “Oh,” then said, “What could I do? Endure it, of course. It’s not like I could actually argue with your mother. It’s nothing serious anyway, just talk. I wouldn’t really take it to heart.”

“What if she investigated your company and made it impossible for it to operate?”

Ji Tanyuan’s hand, which had been fiddling with the ring, stilled. She wasn’t sure of Zhong Yan’s true intention in asking this, whether he was merely discussing the scenario or using it to probe her attitude, to see how she would react if future conflicts of interest arose and his father used his power to trouble the Ji family.

Pursing her lips, Ji Tanyuan smiled and said, “I would get angry.”

“But you all wouldn’t take my anger seriously.” she added.

Zhong Yan took her hand, clasping it in his. “We wouldn’t.”

His hand was cold, his knuckles distinct as they covered hers. Ah, the plain diamond wedding ring.

Ji Tanyuan looked down at their hands and, surprisingly, found a hint of tender warmth in the scene.

When Ji Tanyuan returned to the villa, she saw Puppy waiting for her on the sofa.

She walked over and picked up the dog. “Did you miss Mommy, my good baby?”

Zhong Yan entered behind her. The pet nanny, Qi Fu, stood up. “I’ll head back now.”

Ji Tanyuan smiled and nodded. “Thank you for your hard work.”

Qi Fu shook her head. “Not at all. Puppy is very well-behaved.”

Hearing this, Zhong Yan scoffed. “Are you telling jokes?”

Qi Fu laughed awkwardly. “Among beagles, he’s considered well-behaved.”

After saying this, Qi Fu hurried away. Speaking with these wealthy people always made her feel an intimidating distance, even though they were perfectly polite.

Ji Tanyuan held the dog. “Our Puppy is the best-behaved, right?”

“He’s the best-behaved little butt-dog.” As she spoke, she leaned in to kiss the dog.

The next second, the back of her neck was grabbed. “If you get a mouthful of dog hair, how am I supposed to kiss you?”

Before Ji Tanyuan could process his words, the man cupped the back of her neck, lifting her face as he bent down to kiss her.

The puppy tried to nuzzle closer but was pushed away by Zhong Yan.

He picked her up, leaving the dog downstairs.

Puppy, alone on the lower floor, began barking and destroying the house. When the master was home, it didn’t dare go upstairs.

Zhong Yan pressed her against the door, his hand moving up her back to pull down the zipper of her dress. The dress fell to the floor with a whisper.