Another Day of Pretending for the Wealthy Couple - Chapter 53

Shen Que fell silent for a moment before asking, “Are you sleepwalking?”

Zhongheng Group is perfectly fine. Why move anything?

Zhong Yan chuckled. “It’s the principle of not putting all your eggs in one basket.”

“Have the finance department organize the balance sheet and other data. Once I return from my business trip, I’ll start forming a team to revitalize existing assets and initiate asset swaps through investment funds.”

Shen Que said gravely, “If this is because of your wife, I advise you to think twice.”

Zhong Yan clicked his tongue. “I’ve thought three hundred times, President Shen. The Zhongheng system is tied to the Zhong family and carries the risk of a sudden collapse. Before that happens, I need to build another nest.”

“I’ll handle the business trip for you. Come up with a few solid plans.”

Shen Que: “What? You’re going for me?”

“Yes.”

“What’s gotten into you?” He was actually volunteering for a business trip.

Zhong Yan: “Ji Tanyuan finds me annoying. I don’t want to bother her anymore.”

Both fell silent. She was returning to Shanghai, and he was going on a business trip.

After a moment of silence, Shen Que still advised, “Marriage is like this. No matter how capable you are, when it comes to family matters, things are never clear-cut.”

Zhong Yan remembered that Shen Que was divorced. “Oh, really? So, you couldn’t sort it out and ended up divorced?”

The response was the sound of the call being disconnected.

Zhong Yan went on his business trip, and Ji Tanyuan also planned to return to Shanghai for a meeting.

She only arranged for Puppy to leave two days later.

But it was during those two days that something happened.

Just before Ji Tanyuan was about to leave, Old Master Zhong stopped her.

The autumn wind was chilly. She went to the fishing pond in the Zhong family’s backyard.

An elderly man was sitting there fishing, seemingly unaffected by the cold wind.

But Ji Tanyuan, with her delicate skin, felt her face stinging from the wind.

Her high heels clicked crisply on the ground as she stood behind the old man fishing and called out, “Grandfather.”

The old man grunted in response.

“Are you going to Shanghai?”

“I plan to return.”

Ji Tanyuan’s face was pale from the wind, devoid of any smile. Her hair was neatly styled in a low bun, giving her an elite and efficient appearance.

“Some things, A-Yan finds hard to say to you. Your mother-in-law has spoken, but you don’t listen. Still, you need to understand that you married into the Zhong family. You can’t use the status of Mrs. Zhong to benefit the Ji family without fulfilling your obligations.”

Ji Tanyuan smiled. “I think you’ve misunderstood. This is what I deserve, considering the price I’ve paid.”

The old man snorted coldly and tilted his chin upward. “See the fish in there? They can’t escape. Your father is a businessman, and his rise to wealth wouldn’t stand up to scrutiny. Choosing the Zhong family was the best way out. This way, you can get the merger price and comfortably remain as Mrs. Zhong.”

“Is that so? Even if they’re fish, they don’t belong to you.” Ji Tanyuan looked toward the fishpond.

She knew he wanted her to agree to sell some of the Ji family’s companies to maximize resource integration. But this would bring little benefit to her while greatly benefiting the Zhong family.

“Everyone in the Zhong family must unite. Are you burning the bridge after crossing it?”

Ji Tanyuan’s voice was cold. “Isn’t it you who wants to devour everything?”

Ji Tanyuan hadn’t expected it to happen so soon. Zidian Technology had just shown some results, and they were already baring their fangs.

Did Zhong Yan leave on purpose?

Old Master Zhong twirled his fishing line. “This is already considered mild. Do you want to go through the experience of nearing bankruptcy, having no way out, and being forcibly acquired?”

Ji Tanyuan lowered her head, smiled faintly, and spoke softly, “Indeed. Now that the Zhong family has entered the southern market, the Ji family is no longer needed. So, you can just acquire us whenever you want, right? To do this without regard for our marital ties, which of us is truly burning the bridge after crossing the river?”

Old Master Zhong hadn’t expected such assertiveness from someone usually so gentle.

“That’s why I say this is the best solution. Accept the merger, and your shares in Zhongheng will increase, possibly even matching A-Yan’s. This isn’t treating you unfairly.”

Ji Tanyuan was speechless. “My surname is Ji, Old Master Zhong. I entered this marriage alliance for the sake of the Ji Group. How could you forget the original intentions of our two families?”

After saying this, she truly didn’t want to stay any longer. When words don’t align, even half a sentence feels excessive. What a waste of time, such a detestable elderly couple.

Halfway out, Ji Tanyuan answered her phone. On the other end, Qi Fu was crying and shouting, sending an inexplicable wave of panic through her.

“Qi Fu, don’t panic. Tell me, what’s wrong?”

“Puppy was snatched away! What do I do? I can’t catch up!”

Ji Tanyuan staggered slightly but still reassured her, “It’s alright, are you hurt?”

She could hear the chaos on the other end. Sure enough, Qi Fu said, “My leg is injured too. I can’t move at all. I had no choice but to call you.”

“Take care of yourself first. Don’t worry.” Ji Tanyuan said.

Qi Fu’s voice, mixed with sobs and the sound of the wind, carried both guilt and fear. A pet from a family like this, she could never afford to compensate for it. “I’m sorry, I…”

“It’s fine. As long as you’re not hurt, make sure you’re safe first. Don’t worry about Puppy. I don’t blame you. There’s a tracking chip implanted in her.”

“Go to the hospital first.” Without waiting for a reply, Ji Tanyuan hung up. Her hand trembled slightly as she held the phone. It was so cold, even in her cashmere coat, the chill seeped through.

She opened the tracking app. The icon of her beautiful little dog was moving slowly across the map.

As long as it was moving, it was okay. Ji Tanyuan let out a sigh of relief.

It was no wonder she was overthinking. The recent threats were still vivid in her mind, the goosebumps on her back hadn’t yet subsided, and her racing heart rate was only slowly returning to normal.

A family like this truly wasn’t one ordinary people could climb into, its status was intimidatingly high.

She turned and headed back, just missing Zhong Jing on his return. Seeing Ji Tanyuan’s pale, cold face, Zhong Jing was taken aback for a moment.

Dressed in a long, Audrey Hepburn-style black coat cinched at the waist, buttoned up to her neck with a high collar, a few strands of hair blown by the wind fell across her forehead. The only splash of color was her red lips, composed, cold, and stern.

With a frosty expression, she walked toward Old Master Zhong.

Old Master Zhong wasn’t surprised by her return, as if he had expected her to come back.

“I used to think that since I’m young, I could just endure it. After all, you’re an elder, respected and esteemed in society, and I ought to show you respect. But after experiencing reality, I realize, I have manners, but you do not.”

At this, Ji Tanyuan let out a cold laugh, her expression icy as she looked down at him. “You’ve said so much to me, but honestly, none of it registers. All I can think is how the stale scent of decay on you is even stronger than that of an emperor from the Qing Dynasty.”

She took a few steps forward, knelt down, and gripped the fishing rod, her voice soft but sharp. “I truly don’t know how to argue, but facing you, there’s one thing I still want to say.”

“Old Master Zhong, ‘To live long without virtue is to become a thief.’ That phrase was tailor-made for people like you.”

“You want to warn me through a dog? You want to show me how easily you can make people around me disappear? But you’ve forgotten, we are now ‘family.’ If conflicts arise, it becomes a family scandal.”

As soon as she finished speaking, the hand gripping the fishing rod gave a sharp tug toward the pond. Ji Tanyuan stood up abruptly and shoved the old man, sending him tumbling into the water.

She took a few steps back to avoid the splashing water.

Her cold eyes watched the struggling figure in the pond, like a beautiful but deadly ghost.

Almost immediately, another figure leaped into the pond.

Without even a glance, she turned and walked away.

Just like that, Ji Tanyuan had pushed the old man into the pond and left, smoothly and without a hitch.

The Zhong family was busy trying to rescue him.

At the hospital, the doctor came out and said, “He has a lung infection and will need long-term rest.”

Zhong Fangqi’s face was grim. “Where is Ji Tanyuan?”

Zhong Jing pressed his lips together, silently hoping Zhong Yan would return soon.

Zhong Jing explained, “She went to look for her dog. Grandfather had someone take Tanyuan’s dog away as a warning, but he never intended to harm it. Tanyuan might have misunderstood.”

Zhong Fangqi took a deep breath. “For a dog? She tried to kill Grandfather over a dog?”

“Maybe she was just too angry. Besides, one of the servants got injured while chasing the dog.”

Zhong Fangqi’s face flushed and then paled. “Has your grandfather lost his mind?”

Then he remembered something else. “What about the surveillance footage?”

It couldn’t fall into the wrong hands, this kind of scandal must not get out, but they couldn’t afford to have no evidence either.

Just then, the butler entered with a few others, bowing his head as he reported, “We were too late. Young Master Zhong Yan’s people hacked into the system and deleted the surveillance footage.”