Another Day of Pretending for the Wealthy Couple - Chapter 65

The recording wasn’t particularly long, but the implicit acknowledgment of betrayal in those words was exceptionally clear.

There was more afterward, and the speaker hadn’t held back or altered their voice, as if laying their cards on the table to reveal their identity.

Moreover, it was delivered through Ji Ting’s hands, a masterful move that anticipated every step.

Zhong Yan found this almost provocative approach genuinely intriguing.

Previously, rumors had circulated that his wife Ji Tanyuan’s childhood friend was Shen Xiling, but now, out of nowhere, this Shen Xichen appeared, with unclear motives and no sense of boundaries.

If it was about business, then discuss business, what was the meaning behind that overly familiar tone?

Ji Ying’s mouth fell open. “No,” she said, “you’ve misunderstood the point, brother-in-law.”

Zhong Yan marveled at his own patience. Even under these circumstances, he still had the composure to engage in conversation. He replied unhurriedly, “The point? Your focus is on her first sentence, while mine is precisely on every word that followed.”

Ji Tanyuan hadn’t responded to the remark about what would happen if they divorced later. What was she thinking? Was she actually considering divorce?

Was she dismissing the Shen family’s words as nonsense, or was she tacitly agreeing?

The more Zhong Yan thought about it, the more agitated he became. “What do you want? To replace your sister as the mistress and have me support your father in seizing the Ji family’s assets? Or is your father aiming to become like Yu Jiang, disappearing without a trace?”

Ji Ying was taken aback, unable to form a response. “N-no, that’s not it. My father said he can give you what you want.”

Zhong Yan let out a cold laugh and tossed the voice recorder at her with a sharp flick. “Ji Ying, your family is truly a bunch of bastards. Can’t you use your brains?”

“Even if I wanted it, would you actually give it to me? Could you even deliver? It seems your father’s car accident scrambled his brains and his ass.”

“What a spectacular way to drag everyone down.”

Without waiting for the stunned Ji Ying to recover, Zhong Yan added coldly, “Get out. Don’t come here again. Don’t embarrass yourselves with these cheap tricks, I’m not falling for them.”

This was Ji Ying’s first time experiencing the crushing weight of authority unraveling. Compared to Zhong Yan’s controlled fury, her father’s temper seemed trivial.

There was no shouting, no overt outburst, but the intensity in his eyes and posture was terrifying enough.

She took a few steps back, turned, and fled.

Zhong Yan was no stranger to the bizarre dramas of wealthy families. In the past, he might even have found amusement in them. But now that such schemes were directed at him, it felt utterly repulsive.

Desire magnifies the worst of human nature, that saying held true.

He, too, was a practitioner of such tactics, willing to resort to any means necessary. But what he couldn’t tolerate was incompetence masquerading as cunning.

Zhong Yan raised a hand to massage his temples. Ying was not an eagle, Yuan was the eagle.

Even cranes couldn’t soar as high as eagles, and now, their very survival was uncertain.

The Shen family wanted to find Ji Zhihe, prop him up to take control of the Ji family, and kick Ji Tanyuan out of the line of succession. In doing so, the Ji family would fall back under the influence of the Shanghai faction.

It was all too easy to understand. If he were in their position, he might have gone even further, finding a fake Ji Zhihe, for instance.

A fake…

At this thought, Zhong Yan’s gaze sharpened.

Yu Jiang wasn’t the real Yu Jiang, so could Shen Xichen’s words in the recording be interpreted as a hint to follow his example?

Ji Zhihe wasn’t the real Ji Zhihe.

Zhong Yan straightened up, walked slowly behind his desk, and picked up his phone. “Hello, this is Zhong Yan.”

“I need you to look into someone for me: Ji Zhihe, the deceased eldest son of Ji Qing. Gather all available information, how he died, how he went missing, hospital records, everything.”

“Also, find out when Ji Madam Sheng Wan’s illness began.”

When Ji Tanyuan returned home from Shen Xichen’s place, it wasn’t particularly early.

Yu Jiang… dead?

Back then, the acquisition by Tianzheng Group had gone smoothly. She hadn’t paid much attention to the follow-up, only recalling the subtle negotiations at the dinner table about whether to raise the price or not.

The housekeeper, seeing the young mistress return, brought out freshly made pastries and afternoon tea, covering the entire table.

“I knew you’d be back, so I made your favorite desserts.”

The housekeeper’s words snapped Ji Tanyuan out of her daze. She looked down at the colorful macarons, strawberry milkshake, grape juice, small cakes, and pastries, and smiled. “Thank you, Auntie. I’ve missed your flavors.”

Pleased by the compliment, the housekeeper replied, “Then I’ll pass the recipe to your pastry chef in Beijing another day.”

“Alright.”

As the two chatted, a sound came from the entrance.

The housekeeper glanced over and saw a tall man approaching. His presence felt somewhat stark against the soft, cozy interior design of the home.

He seemed out of place, yet not entirely incongruous. His demeanor wasn’t cold; in fact, it carried a grounded, lazy nonchalance.

Not wanting to disturb the two, the housekeeper excused herself and retreated to the restroom.

Ji Tanyuan continued eating without looking up, casually remarking, “You’re back?”

Zhong Yan hummed in response, walked closer, and stood in front of her, looking down. “Don’t you have anything to say to me?”

Ji Tanyuan paused, the spoon still in her mouth, and looked up at him. “Don’t you have anything to ask?”

Zhong Yan placed a hand on the back of her chair, leaned in, and loosely enveloped her in his arms. His voice was low and husky, his posture intimate.

“Darling, care to explain your relationship with the Shen family?”

Ji Tanyuan chuckled. “Didn’t you hear? Shen Xiling and I have always been innocent. I’m not close to the Shen family, in fact, we have a grudge.”

Zhong Yan stared at her and asked, “Hear what?”

Ji Tanyuan let out a soft “ah.”

“I thought the voice recorder would end up with you. Didn’t it? Or was that line not in it?”

Zhong Yan straightened up, his expression turning cold. “Are you and Shen Xichen playing me for a fool? Or was it tacit understanding?”

Zhong Yan didn’t know how to describe his feelings. Shen Xiling alone was enough to irritate him, and now Shen Xichen had joined the fray. “You seem to attract quite a few admirers.”

Ji Tanyuan frowned. “If you’re drawing that conclusion from the two Shen brothers, you’re wrong. I’m really not close to either of them.”

Zhong Yan’s attention shifted. “Oh? Then where are these admirers of yours?”

“There aren’t any.”

Zhong Yan reached out and pinched her cheek. “What about me?”

Ji Tanyuan snorted with laughter. “So full of yourself. At most, you’re a sunflower.”

Zhong Yan: “…”

“Then how did you guess someone gave me the voice recorder?”

Ji Tanyuan took a sip of juice and cleared her throat. “Because you’re holding it. Shen Xichen left it on the table earlier, I saw it.”

Otherwise, she wouldn’t have suddenly declared her innocence regarding Shen Xiling. She was making her stance clear. No matter what happened in the future, at least this point couldn’t be used against her.

Zhong Yan nodded and tossed the voice recorder onto the table.

“The waters of the Huangpu River are truly strange, nurturing all sorts of messy people.”

He sat down across from her, watching as Ji Tanyuan, dressed in soft white loungewear with her hair in a bun, seemed to brighten up again, her mood lifted by the desserts.

Suddenly, he forgot all about the so-called “serious matters” and drifted into reminiscing about other things.

He recalled the time in Yanjing when Ji Tanyuan, dressed in a skirt like a princess, twirled down the spiral staircase to show off her outfit. It was no surprise that many people liked her.

Anyone who spent time with her would inevitably be drawn to her, so it was natural she had many friends.

Zhong Yan couldn’t help but ask, “Before getting married, did you ever imagine what your husband would be like?”