Another Day of Pretending for the Wealthy Couple - Chapter 7

Money must still bow to power.

Ji Tanyuan had patience, her patience was still quite ample. Wasn’t this just a battle against a seventy-year-old woman?

Playing the quail wasn’t something she hadn’t done before. A little impatience could spoil great plans.

But she couldn’t hold back.

Ji Tanyuan stared expressionlessly at the crusts of toast in front of her.

She lifted her gaze to the stern-faced old woman. How sinister, had she time-traveled from ancient times?

Was she playing palace intrigue, using a matron as a spy to keep watch?

Zhou Yanyu frowned, looking at the toast crusts on the plate. “Mom, what’s this?”

The old woman pursed her lips. “Ask your daughter-in-law.”

“Zhang Sao merely asked if she liked them or not, and she stabbed her in the heart with a soft knife. Zhang Sao has served in this household longer than A-Yan has been alive.”

Ji Tanyuan couldn’t stand the word “served.”

“She gets paid for it.”

The old woman sneered, “Do you think just because you pay someone, you can bully them as you please? Is that how your family’s company operates too? Exploiting the proletariat at will?”

That was quite an accusation. Ji Tanyuan stopped smiling, leaned back, and looked up at the teary-eyed maid. “Auntie Zhang? Did I bully you? To be honest, Auntie Zhang, at your age, you might have the will but not the strength. If you’re tired, why not retire? I can hire someone else.”

“No wonder Zhong Yan doesn’t allow live-in servants. If they did live in, even our intimate moments might end up recorded in the daily logs and reported to you.”

Zhou Yanyu coughed twice, choking. Ji Tanyuan really had no filter. She remembered her as gentle and obedient when she first married into the family, had she been influenced by Zhong Yan?

Ji Tanyuan’s soft-spoken words thoroughly angered the two elders. Jiang Qiufen’s mouth twisted slightly, and Zhou Yanyu, alarmed, quickly ordered someone to fetch medicine and demanded Ji Tanyuan apologize.

Ji Tanyuan stood up. “Grandmother, are you alright? I spoke too harshly. If I was wrong, please be magnanimous and don’t hold it against someone of my generation.”

“In the future, I will learn from Mom how to be a proper Zhong family daughter-in-law.”

Zhang Sao said, “Madam, why get so upset over me? The young mistress is right. I am old and should retire.”

The old woman, still catching her breath, leaned back on the sofa. Ever since Ji Tanyuan refused to serve tea and incited Zhong Yan to defy her, she had known, this woman was brought in to be her nemesis. Outwardly gentle and obedient, but in reality, spoiled and sharp-tongued.

She would not rest in peace until she had disciplined Ji Tanyuan properly.

The old woman waved her hand. “Take Zhang Sao back. If you truly wish to change, listen to Zhang Sao from now on. Let her teach you how to be a humble and courteous wife.”

Ji Tanyuan straightened up and nodded. “Alright.”

Zhang Sao, as if entrusted with a great mission, looked solemn, almost as if she were vowing to fulfill a military order. “Madam, don’t worry. I wouldn’t call it lecturing, I’m just an employee. But I will offer appropriate advice.”

Zhou Yanyu watched them leave, then looked down at the old woman and rubbed her temples. Her mother-in-law was becoming more and more difficult, but as long as she wasn’t the target, it was fine.

…

Zhong Yan returned home three days later. He had been away for meetings, working nonstop, and only managed to leave early today.

When he arrived, the house was unusually quiet.

Auntie Zhang, seeing Zhong Yan return, smiled wearily and stepped forward to take his coat. “Young master, you’re back?”

Zhong Yan noticed her pallor. “Are you unwell?”

Aunt Zhang’s smile stiffened slightly. “Young Master, I wanted to ask how Qian Xiaobo has been doing lately.”

Qian Xiaobo was Aunt Zhang’s son, a small-time manager at a subsidiary of the Zhongheng Group. With a decent salary and a mother who had worked for the Zhong family for years, he lived quite comfortably in Beijing.

Zhong Yan raised an eyebrow. How would he know? So he replied casually, “He’s doing fine.”

What could possibly go wrong? At most, the Zhong family was just throwing him a bone out of respect for the old lady. He wasn’t involved in any core business anyway.

But Aunt Zhang didn’t know that. Two days ago, Ji Tanyuan had shown her a file detailing her son’s reckless behavior, which had frightened her badly.

She was terrified the Zhong family would find out. To her surprise, Ji Tanyuan said she didn’t care about the Zhong family, she only cared about what she would say to the old lady in the future.

To be honest, that day, Ji Tanyuan had been cold and sharp, perfectly embodying the demeanor of a privileged young lady who bullied the weak, feared the strong, and deceived those above her. Aunt Zhang, who had just started to hold her head high, was completely taken aback.

Ji Tanyuan even watched as Aunt Zhang called her son, Qian Xiaobo, to verify the details. She made it clear, word by word, that the Zhong family would not cover for him. The old lady might, but if it truly affected the family’s interests, Mr. Zhong, the head of the household, would never allow it.

Did Aunt Zhang dare to complain? Of course not. Not only did she not dare, but she also had to keep it a secret. She told the old lady that the young mistress was diligently learning the family’s social etiquette and had stopped being extravagant or exploiting her.

Aunt Zhang thought about returning to the old lady’s side. She didn’t care about the triple salary anymore, staying here was too nerve-wracking. The young mistress might seem gentle on the surface, but her methods were anything but simple.

After all, she couldn’t retire. If she did, she would lose her connection to the Zhong family.

Unfortunately, Ji Tanyuan wouldn’t allow it, saying that if Aunt Zhang left, the old lady would just send someone else, and she’d have to train that person all over again, too much trouble.

Finally, when Zhong Yan returned, Aunt Zhang nervously rubbed her hands. Zhong Yan noticed her unease. “Auntie, do you have something to ask me? Are you having trouble getting along with Tanyuan?”

Aunt Zhang waved her hand. “No, it’s just that I feel a bit overwhelmed, afraid I’m not taking good care of the young mistress.”

Zhong Yan dismissed her concerns. “Don’t worry, she has a good temper.”

Aunt Zhang pressed her lips together. “Yes, she does.”

Zhong Yan didn’t probe further. “Please arrange for the staff to clock out. I’ll take her out for dinner tonight.”

Zhong Yan pushed the door open. The curtains in the room were drawn, and Ji Tanyuan lay asleep in the middle of the bed, wearing an eye mask.

He rolled up his shirt sleeves to his elbows, revealing his narrow waist, broad shoulders, and long legs. Standing by the bed, he gazed down at the figure on the bed, his expression unreadable.

Then, he knelt on the bed with one leg, leaned over, and gently smoothed her hair.

The eye mask covered her eyes, leaving only the elegant and delicate lower half of her face visible. Her sensual lips looked even more enticing, tempting him to kiss her.

Black hair, red lips…

He traced her beautiful lips with his thumb.

“Ji Tanyuan, I ran into your childhood sweetheart on my trip to Shencheng.”

It irked him that he had to learn his wife’s childhood nickname from that guy.

Ji Tanyuan was woken by his kiss. She reached up to remove the eye mask but was stopped.

“Keep it on.” he said, his voice hoarse.

Then she felt someone kiss her eyes through the silk mask. “So beautiful.”

Especially when she lay in bed, head tilted back.

Absolutely stunning.

He called you Huanghuang. So your childhood name is Huanghuang.

From the poem “Great Brightness”: “The wilderness is vast, the sandalwood chariot gleams brightly.”

Sandalwood’s brilliance, radiant, dazzling, magnificent.

It truly suits you.