Another Day of Pretending for the Wealthy Couple - Chapter 68

Zhong Yan hung up the phone and turned his head to look at her. “Ji Tanyuan, you’re so narcissistic.”

Ji Tanyuan pouted. “Takes one to know one.”

Zhong Yan bent down, one knee resting on the bed, and pulled her calf toward him. His other hand cupped the back of her head as he kissed her deeply.

The straps of the silk dress she had just put on slipped halfway down, revealing a tantalizing sight. Her smooth, delicate skin glowed with a pearly sheen, reminiscent of a lush white peony blooming amidst the moonlight-white silk of her nightgown.

His hand brushed against her skin, leaving faint red marks with the slightest pressure. Then, he lifted her into his arms and carried her toward the bathroom.

As Ji Tanyuan was picked up, she wrapped her arms around his neck and raised an eyebrow, as if to say, “See?”

Holding her with one arm under her knees, Zhong Yan used his free hand to grab a condom before saying, “Isn’t this fate?”

…

Ji Ying was fuming after being coldly dismissed by Zhong Yan. The man hadn’t spared her any face at all.

As soon as she got home, she threw herself into her mother’s arms and sobbed. Tian Ruomei patted her daughter’s back and comforted her, “It’s alright. If he doesn’t like you, it’s his loss. Besides, men always play hard to get at first. Trust me, they’re all the same.”

“They only behave when they’re six feet under.” A flicker of resentment passed through Tian Ruomei’s eyes as she spoke. Her husband was a prime example of this.

With too many illegitimate children and the Ji Group now under the control of the fourth branch, the family was plagued by internal strife and external threats. Her son stood to gain very little from the situation.

And now, with the recent car accident, Ji Tanyuan had shown herself to be utterly heartless, or perhaps this was all orchestrated by Sheng Wan. That sister-in-law of hers was nothing short of insane.

But they couldn’t touch her until they had control of the Ji Group. Still, this score was far from settled.

At this thought, Tian Ruomei closed her eyes, suppressing her anger. She had endured for so many years, what was a little more time?

After all, it was difficult for a woman to inherit the family business, and the pressure was immense.

She opened her eyes and looked at Ji Ying, her expression almost frenzied. “Yingying, you must trample Ji Tanyuan underfoot, understand?”

Ji Ying nodded blankly. “I understand.”

As they spoke, Ji Ying’s older brother came downstairs, putting on his coat as he headed out. Tian Ruomei watched him and asked, “Where are you going?”

Ji Ziqian replied without stopping, “Ji Tanyuan has gone to the company’s finance department.”

He had to go and see what she was up to. Ji Tanyuan was clearly up to no good.

Tian Ruomei froze. “She’s not stirring up trouble again, is she?”

She grabbed her son’s arm. “You must be careful. She’s as crazy as her mother. Don’t act impulsively, understand? The family ancestral rites are coming up soon. As the eldest grandson of the Ji family, you can’t afford any mishaps.”

Ji Ziqian’s expression darkened, but he paid no heed. “She’s relying on the Zhong family’s backing and the marriage alliance that saved the Ji Group to push us step by step into a corner. I won’t let her get away with this.”

Tian Ruomei feared his impulsiveness. “I know, I know, but now is not the time.”

“Mom, she’s already resorted to attempted murder! How is this not the time? She’s being so blatant about it. How much longer are you going to tolerate this?” Ji Ziqian retorted.

“The company I’m managing now is nothing compared to the vast Ji Group. She’s leaving us with no way out!”

The more Ji Ziqian spoke, the more resentful he became.

“It really is that once you’re married, your true colors start to show. If you ask me, it’s probably Zhong Yan stirring things up behind the scenes. Why should a married daughter still have a say in the Ji family? You should talk more with Dad, have him speak seriously with Fourth Uncle, and tell him not to let his daughter come to Shanghai so often.”

“Once you’re married into Yanjing, you should just stay in Yanjing!”

After saying this, Ji Ziqian left.

Ji Tanyuan listened to the financial director’s report in the company, somewhat absentmindedly.

Her eyes were fixed unblinkingly on the screen, appearing very focused. A pen was held between her fingers, lightly tapping the desk without making a sound.

The financial director’s back was drenched in cold sweat, nearly soaking through his shirt.

Ji Tanyuan could sense the employee’s nervousness and let out a light laugh. “Is it interesting to explain a fake financial statement?”

At this, the financial director nearly dropped to his knees.

Ji Tanyuan’s expression shifted instantly. “Bring out the internal accounts.”

The financial director swallowed hard, just as he was thinking of an excuse, the glass door of the conference room was pushed open.

Ji Ziqian walked in with a beaming smile. “Huanghuang, what brings you here?”

As he approached, Ji Tanyuan, seated at the head of the table, smiled faintly. “It’s been a while, Big Brother.”

Ji Tanyuan was wearing a black base-layer knit sweater and a high-waisted beige wool skirt. She sat behind the conference table, casually swiveling her chair without standing up.

Even though she was seated, visually in a lower position, in the conference room, it was usually the boss who sat while the employees stood.

Ji Ziqian suppressed his frustration and forced a smile. “It has been a while. Why did you come to this company without telling me?”

“That’s an interesting question. Do I need to report to anyone when I visit my own company? You do know that Yunfang is part of the Ji Group, right?”

“Of course, it’s part of the Ji Group. By the way, where is your husband, Mr. Zhong?” Ji Ziqian deliberately emphasized the surname “Zhong,” as if reminding her that her status was no longer as straightforward as before.

Ji Tanyuan acted as if she hadn’t heard and casually tilted her chin. “These accounts don’t seem right, do they?”

Ji Ziqian frowned. “Huanghuang, there are some things you don’t understand. Why are you deliberately picking a fight?”

Ji Tanyuan propped her chin on her hand and blinked. “Brother, then what does it mean to understand?”

“If I recall correctly, the quoted price for silicon raw materials is much lower than the cost price you reported. Are you playing the middleman to profit from the price difference?”

Ji Ziqian’s face stiffened. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

Ji Tanyuan smiled but said nothing. Yunfang Materials was primarily responsible for the midstream deep processing of organic silicon, sourcing raw materials from upstream suppliers and supplying downstream chip manufacturing and battery energy encapsulation.

Ji Ziqian was profiting massively as the middleman. She was now taking the time to calculate everything step by step, aiming to fully control the semiconductor and new energy sectors and place her own people in key positions.

Thinking of this, she said, “It’s the end of the year. We all want to have a good New Year, don’t you agree, Big Brother?”

With that, she took a stack of documents from her assistant and placed them in front of Ji Ziqian. This was the last bit of dignity she was leaving him.

“After this, I will have someone take over the management of Yunfang Materials and its overall business layout. In the future, the group will adopt a professional management team approach, moving away from the model of family members holding key positions. We will fully implement a de-family management structure.”

“Ji Tanyuan! What are you saying?” he exclaimed in shock.

Ji Tanyuan looked up with utmost seriousness. “I know, and I want the Ji family to thrive in the long run.”

After she finished speaking, Ji Ziqian let out an angry laugh, his eyes narrowing into a gloomy expression. “You’ve said so much, but who agreed to it?”

Ji Tanyuan replied with a hint of amusement, “You’re not thinking of having those useless uncles raise their hands at the ancestral hall ceremony in half a month to vote on whether they approve of my decision, are you?”

She found it somewhat laughable, people always gravitate toward where the benefits lie. No wonder they were so willing to hide behind the clan and refuse to step out. Once they stepped out, the benefits would disappear.

Thinking this, she chuckled lightly. “But the Ji family doesn’t operate based on surnames, it operates on shares and the law.”

“They can decide who gets into the family registry, but I can decide whether to distribute dividends to them or continue funding the foundation. Why don’t you just tell the uncles that when the time comes?”

Ji Ziqian’s eyes widened in shock. “Ji Tanyuan, how can you say something like that?”