Another Day of Pretending for the Wealthy Couple - Chapter 69

Ji Tanyuan stood up, looking at the person whose face was flushed red, whether from heat or anger, it was unclear.

Ji Ziqian took after his mother, with single eyelids and thin lips, giving him a somewhat fierce appearance. However, years of living in luxury had also imbued him with an air of arrogance.

But one couldn’t forget their roots just because they’d enjoyed good days for too long. Embezzling too much, if she didn’t step in now, others would soon seize the opportunity to strip Yunfang bare.

Ji Ziqian nodded repeatedly. “Fine, I’ll remember your words. I’ll report everything truthfully to the uncles. But from start to finish, you’ve never considered how your father, my fourth uncle, will fare in the family.”

Ji Tanyuan didn’t care. Hadn’t she lived happily without being in the family registry? If her father were expelled from the registry, she’d even applaud the decision, that way, they wouldn’t have to spend money every day on maintaining the ancestral hall.

She even thought about completely cutting off the parasitic burden of the Ji family after her father’s death. The family registry would open a new page, starting with her, Ji Tanyuan.

At this thought, Ji Tanyuan felt a flicker of anticipation. “I’d also like to see how Dad will react. Too bad I can’t enter the ancestral hall. Brother, please observe carefully for me when the time comes.”

With that, she draped her coat over her shoulders and left the conference room.

Just before stepping out, she turned back and softly reminded him, “Don’t forget to hand over the team. If you refuse to submit the internal accounts, that’s fine too, the professional managers will handle everything once they bring their team in. You just need to understand that if this doesn’t go smoothly, you’ll be the one facing trouble, not me.”

After leaving Yunfang Materials Company, Ji Tanyuan headed to the headquarters.

It was the year-end review meeting for Zidian Technology, and shareholders from both sides were expected to attend in full.

By the time Ji Tanyuan arrived, she was the last one. Twelve board members were seated in the conference room, chatting and laughing. The person at the head of the table stood out, the youngest among them.

He sat casually, head bowed as he reviewed documents. The blue light from the multimedia screen cast a glow on his handsome profile, softening his sharp features and lending him an almost illusory gentleness.

At a glance, he seemed refined and scholarly.

Hearing the door close, everyone turned to look and smiled. “CEO Ji, you’re here.”

Ji Tanyuan nodded. “My apologies for keeping everyone waiting.”

“Not at all, we arrived early.”

Zhong Yan looked up at the sound and saw Ji Tanyuan, her hair slightly disheveled from rushing, her face pale from the cold air, like lychee flesh freshly taken from the refrigerator. Zhong Yan thought she must be cold and wondered if she’d feel as cool to the touch as she looked.

He suppressed the urge to stare and spoke formally, “CEO Ji.”

Hearing him address her this way felt strange to Ji Tanyuan, it was the first time she’d heard Zhong Yan call her that.

Extremely proper. Ji Tanyuan nodded and responded politely, “CEO Zhong.”

The other shareholders: “…”

For heaven’s sake, we know you’re married! Why are you pretending to be strangers? One calling the other CEO Ji, the other CEO Zhong, anyone would think it’s your first meeting. Weren’t you calling each other ‘darling’ and ‘hubby’ at the dinner party just the other day?

Are you playing some kind of new role-playing game?

Ji Tanyuan wasn’t playing along, but Zhong Yan certainly was. Working with his wife while sitting on opposite sides of the conference table, this was a novel experience.

Noticing Zhong Yan’s playful antics, Ji Tanyuan shot him a glare as a silent warning.

Zhong Yan coughed, straightened up, and said, “If there are no further issues, let’s begin the meeting.”

…

Ji Ziqian was left alone in the conference room. Outside, the sky was overcast with dark clouds, while inside, the harsh glare of fluorescent lights cast a cold, piercing brightness. His face was stern as he stared at the documents on the table.

They were partial pricing lists from Zhida Energy, an upstream raw material supplier for Yunfang Materials Company. They were also the actual transaction prices between him and the supplier, 20% lower than the prices he had reported to headquarters.

So, she had uncovered it all. He closed his eyes for a moment, pulled out his phone from his pocket, and called the manager of Zhida Energy. The other party was full of apologies: “President Ji, I’m sorry. There are some things I just can’t keep hidden even if I want to. The head of the tax bureau called me and asked as a personal favor. If the tax department had launched a random inspection, it would have been over for me.”

“If I hadn’t spoken up, it wouldn’t just affect me, it would affect you too, don’t you think?”

Issues like shadow contracts and under-the-table agreements are easy to blow out of proportion. If there was a chance to downplay the matter, he had to seize it.

Ji Ziqian gritted his teeth. That Ji Tanyuan, no, she should be called Mrs. Zhong now. With an extra identity, she had gained another channel to make things difficult for him, hadn’t she?

Clenching his jaw, he said, “I understand.”

After hanging up, he slammed the documents onto the table. A4 papers scattered across the floor like falling snow. The more he thought about it, the angrier he became. In a fit of rage, he kicked a chair.

He left the company and went straight to the hospital where his father was staying. The entire floor had no other patients. As he entered the room, he saw his father’s mistress massaging his legs, while his own birth mother watched silently from the side. Coldly, he snapped at the crouching woman, “Get out.”

The young woman stood up and said softly to Ji Ting, “I’ll step out for now.”

Ji Ting grunted in acknowledgment. Only after she left did he turn to his son with a displeased expression. “Where did all this anger come from? Have you no respect? That’s your aunt-”

“Aunt? That woman is the same age as me, and you want me to call her aunt? Dad, have you lost your mind? Is this all you think about these days?”

“Ji Ziqian, if you’re here to cause trouble, get out.”

“Cause trouble? Ji Tanyuan just showed up at my company with evidence, forcing me to step down. Do you think I have a reason to be angry?”

Hearing this, both Ji Ting and Tian Ruomei looked up simultaneously. “What did you say?”

Ji Ziqian was seething. Ji Tanyuan was clearly leaving no room for survival. He took off his jacket and roared, “What else? Ji Tanyuan came with evidence of Yunfang’s shadow contracts with Zhida Energy, threatening me to step down from Yunfang’s management. She wants me to become a nobody living off a trust fund allowance!”

Ji Ting’s leg was still in a cast from a car accident that had also left him with a minor concussion. Now, hearing this news, he was so enraged he felt like he could die on the spot.

Tian Ruomei sneered, “So she’s really determined to drive us out.”

Ji Ting closed his eyes and called his assistant in. “Bring Ji Zhihe here. I want to see how our fourth child will react when she sees her own brother.”

“On the day of the family ancestral worship, inform Young Master Shen. Tell him to keep her safe, no mistakes.”