Another Day of Pretending for the Wealthy Couple - Chapter 6

The next day,

Ji Tanyuan groaned, her eyes still closed, but her hips ached first.

With her narrow pelvis, having her legs wrapped around the man’s waist last night felt no different from doing prolonged yoga. Her lower back wasn’t sore, but her hips ached fiercely.

Ji Tanyuan kept her eyes shut, feeling irritated.

Especially since she had to meet her mother-in-law today.

Zhong Yan had long left for the company, and the servants had prepared breakfast for her.

Ji Tanyuan’s breakfast consisted of a hot Americano, a few shrimp, a slice of toast, and a side of vegetable salad.

As she ate, she glanced down at her phone, scrolling through the financial news about Tongji High-Tech’s successful $2 billion financing from Convolution Capital.

She swiped past it, but what surprised her about the matter was that Zhong Yan hadn’t mentioned a single word about it.

She chewed slowly, then left the crust of the toast on the plate and stood up to leave.

The housekeeper glanced at the plate, disapproval evident in her expression. “Does Madam not like the crust? I’ll instruct the kitchen to prepare it differently next time.”

“No need. If I require it, I’ll let you know.”

“But this is wasteful.” Ji Tanyuan paused mid-step on the stairs at these words.

“Alright.”

“Then next time, I won’t serve you bread with crust. Is that acceptable?”

“No.”

The housekeeper frowned. “Madam.”

Resting her hand on the stair railing, Ji Tanyuan looked down at the housekeeper. “If you keep nagging, I’ll start to think the salary I pay you is a waste.”

The housekeeper fell silent. She had been assigned from the Zhong family’s main residence and had been specifically instructed by the elderly madam to observe the nature of this granddaughter-in-law. It seemed now that all the talk of her being virtuous and gentle was just an act. In just two short months, her true colors had already surfaced.

Ji Tanyuan paid no mind to the matter, but little did she know trouble would arrive that evening.

At the time, Ji Tanyuan was dining with her mother-in-law, Zhou Yanyu. Having been the lady of the Zhong family for 30 years, Zhou Yanyu was accustomed to flattery and a life of privilege. Though she appeared amiable, it was merely a facade.

A political wife could neither be too affable nor too aloof. Striking the right balance gave her an aura of authority at first glance.

The essence of leadership was dominance and decisiveness. No matter how approachable she seemed, it was merely a disguise. If you mistook her for easygoing, you had already lost.

Their social circles differed from those of wealthy matrons, they kept a low profile whenever possible, using subtlety to assert superiority.

They boasted about connections with elder statesmen or visits to restricted historical sites, the kind of privileges money couldn’t buy, but they could effortlessly access.

This was far more enigmatic than the limited-edition bags and jewelry flaunted in Ji Tanyuan’s social circle.

Naturally, as a typical target of such displays, Ji Tanyuan found herself subjected to another performance today.

The northern and southern social circles had always been divided and subtly competitive, especially since Ji Tanyuan was a precious daughter who had married into the family from afar. She had already experienced this once among Zhong Yan’s friends, but she hadn’t expected to endure it again at this tea party.

It was exclusion.

This exclusion, however, was different from the usual kind. She had married into the Zhong family, an elite lineage, so others dared not openly mock her. Yet, as a second-generation heiress, her family hadn’t even reached the third generation of wealth.

In this setting, being a second-generation heiress held little weight, there was no “elder statesman” to speak of.

And so, the ladies began their veiled sarcasm, as if trying to use Ji Tanyuan’s background to subtly undermine the Zhong family, yet not daring to go too far, occasionally tossing in a few compliments.

The result was an atmosphere of harmony tinged with palpable strangeness.

One of the ladies asked, “Hey, Tanyuan, are you the only daughter in your family?”

Ji Tanyuan nodded, “Yes.”

The speaker was Shu Yun’s mother, an administrative director at a university, whose husband worked in the Ministry of Education. She smiled and said, “Being an only daughter is nice, but why did you marry so far away?”

Ji Tanyuan smiled shyly, “Because I like Zhong Yan.”

“You’re quite lucky to have married him so easily. We actually thought Shu Yun would end up with A-Yan.” another lady remarked.

Zhou Yanyu’s smile faded slightly. “I wasn’t aware of that.”

Seeing Zhong Yan’s biological mother speak up, the others’ expressions shifted. Shu Yun’s mother lightly tapped the person who had just spoken and said, “What are you talking about? They just grew up together.” After chiding her, she turned to Ji Tanyuan to explain, “Don’t misunderstand, Tanyuan. They were merely childhood friends.”

Ji Tanyuan shook her head. “I won’t.”

Zhou Yanyu glanced at Ji Tanyuan and said, “Alright, let’s not tease her anymore.”

Ji Tanyuan sat on the sofa, wearing a simple white dress, pearl earrings, and her hair styled in a low bun, showcasing her elegant bone structure and facial features.

Her lips were distinctive, not the thin, smiling lips favored by modern beauty standards, but slightly fuller and sensual. Her eyes were peach-blossom-shaped, giving her a gentle and intellectual aura rather than a sharp or critical one.

At first glance, she seemed flawless, but her family background was lacking. What use was money? A merchant’s reputation wasn’t exactly prestigious, and in these circles, wealth alone didn’t carry much weight.

After the gathering ended, Zhou Yanyu and Ji Tanyuan walked out together. “We’ll continue to hold charity events regularly from now on. You should participate, don’t just attend auctions and fashion shows. Also, cut back on contact with your wealthy friends from Shanghai, at least while you’re in Beijing.”

“…” Ji Tanyuan felt stifled. This was overstepping. If they were comparing recklessness, it was a case of the pot calling the kettle black.

Still, she nodded. “Mother-in-law”, what a detestable term. Just because she called her “Mom” didn’t mean she was actually her mother.

Her own mother…

Thinking of her mother, Ji Tanyuan lowered her gaze, unwilling to dwell on it.

“Now, come with me to see your grandmother.”

Mentioning this made Zhou Yanyu a little angry. The other day, Zhong Yan had brought his wife along, infuriated everyone, and then left without a care, leaving a mess behind. She had been forced to endure the old woman’s endless nagging, it was utterly exhausting. If Ji Tanyuan didn’t go and apologize soon, she would be the next one to lose her mind.

“Zhong Yan is willful, and you are too? You should go and apologize to the elder.”

Ji Tanyuan felt somewhat wronged. “Zhong Yan is three years older than me.”

Zhou Yanyu was taken aback. “Is that the same? He’s not as considerate. As a woman, shouldn’t you understand? And why compare yourself to him in terms of willfulness?”

“The grandmother dotes on her grandson. Do you think she’ll dote on you the same way?”

Ji Tanyuan muttered, “But she can scold me as if she were my own grandmother.”

When it came to lecturing and making things difficult, she could pull rank and treat her like a junior in the family. But when it came to affection, she’d say Ji Tanyuan was an outsider. Such double standards.

Zhou Yanyu turned around, her bag slung over her arm, and looked at Ji Tanyuan expressionlessly. Ji Tanyuan raised her hand and dragged her finger from the right corner of her mouth to the left.

Ji Tanyuan felt that having a good relationship with one’s mother-in-law was a blessing earned in a past life, even greater luck than marrying a good husband.

She was truly unfortunate in this lifetime, having to deal with two “mothers-in-law.”