Another Day of Pretending for the Wealthy Couple - Chapter 75

When Ji Tanyuan was eleven years old, Sheng Wan accidentally learned that the doctor who had delivered her child was under investigation for embezzlement and bribery amounting to 1 billion yuan. For some reason, an absurd thought surfaced in her mind, could it be related to her childbirth back then? During her pregnancy checkups, she was told she was carrying a single child, yet she ended up giving birth to twins, all handled by that same doctor.

At that moment, a seed of doubt was planted in Sheng Wan’s heart.

Returning home, she looked at her two children. Ji Tanyuan was growing more and more beautiful, her eyes seemingly able to speak, her features strikingly reminiscent of Sheng Wan’s own childhood. Meanwhile, Ji Zhihe resembled Ji Qing more…

This suspicion left Sheng Wan restless and uneasy. She needed to verify the truth quickly, to give herself closure.

On the day she received the paternity test results, Sheng Wan broke down in tears inside her home. The son she had raised for ten years was not biologically hers. The child she had lovingly cared for all those years did not belong to her.

Her inner turmoil and pain, upon discovering that Ji Zhihe was not her biological child, felt like a cruel joke. Her daughter had been forced to share love with an outsider. Her daughter, who should have been the sole heir of the Ji family, now had to compete with an illegitimate child.

A suffocating, nauseating resentment festered within her. Even crying aloud brought no relief. Her heart ached unbearably, not only from the disgust of realizing the son she adored might be illegitimate, but also from the guilt of her own negligence, which had subjected her daughter to an unfair situation.

When Sheng Wan learned the truth, she did not immediately confront Ji Qing. Her priority was to ensure her daughter faced not even the slightest threat. Whatever problems the adults had brought upon the children, it was up to the adults to resolve them.

She no longer cared whether Ji Qing knew that Ji Zhihe was not their son, it was meaningless now.

Pretending to remain in the dark, she took large doses of medication to keep her emotions in check. It was during this period that Sheng Wan’s mental state deteriorated under the strain of psychological torment and drug overdose.

Her memories of that time were hazy. Doped on medication, she drifted through a fog, unable to see the sky above or the ground below, with only her husband’s face remaining clear. That face was still as handsome as ever. In his thirties, successful in his career, he was at the peak of his vitality and charm. Even the slight furrow of his brow carried an air of elegance.

Dressed impeccably in a white shirt, he had clearly just returned from a banquet, the scent of red wine lingering on him. Sheng Wan thought to herself, she was the only one trapped in this misery, only her.

Ji Qing held his wife close, gently stroking her back. “Next month, I’ll take you to Europe. The environment there will be better for your mental health.”

“As for the children, let’s not leave them with the Ji family. We won’t let them have too much contact in the future. How about having them stay with their aunt for a while?”

Sheng Wan’s expression remained unchanged. She wasn’t surprised that he had noticed her psychological struggles, no amount of medication could hide it from him.

“Ji Qing, do you remember why you named Tanyuan ‘Yuan’? You hoped she would be like an eagle, right?”

Ji Qing hummed in acknowledgment. “Why bring up Huanghuang all of a sudden? If you can’t bear to be apart from her, we can take her with us.”

“Let’s not bring her.”

She raised her hand and gently touched his brow. “If you had to choose between me and your elder brother, who would you pick?”

“Sheng Wan,” he sighed deeply.

“I promise you’ll never have to see him again, alright? He won’t bother you anymore.”

Sheng Wan smiled faintly, “If Huanghuang gets married in the future, I definitely won’t let her marry into a family like yours.”

She thought for a moment, actually, not marrying at all might be just fine.

Once Sheng Wan made a decision, she wouldn’t discuss it with anyone. Once an idea took root, she had to act on it; otherwise, it would linger in her mind relentlessly.

Even if it meant killing someone…

Even if it meant coldly watching the child she raised fall into the water, she had to ensure Ji Tanyuanan returned to her original identity.

Her only child.

This child’s existence was a constant thorn in her side. Only the dead are truly silent, they don’t fight or compete.

She feared she might soften in the future, feared that Ji Qing might grow to love his son more. That would be unfair to Ji Tanyuanan. Better to strike first, to resolve it while no one was paying attention.

Even Ji Qing’s existence had become a burden to her.

Sheng Wan woke up and saw her daughter sitting nearby, eyes closed as if dozing.

When Ji Tanyuanan opened her eyes, she met her mother’s gentle gaze. Choking back a sob, she said, “What are you doing?”

“You scared me to death, do you know that?”

Ji Tanyuanan finally broke down in tears. “How can you still be so impulsive?”

Sheng Wan raised her hand to wipe away her daughter’s tears. “Silly, this is a matter between us parents. It has nothing to do with you.”

“It’s just that I’m tired of this endless situation. I’d rather end it all together.”

“Mom!” Ji Tanyuanan cried out sharply. Though people often joked about risking their lives, her mother was the type who truly meant it, ready to throw everything away without a second thought.

This time, she had genuinely intended to fight to the death. With someone like her mother, one must never encourage such recklessness. Others might talk big but still weigh the consequences, her mother, however, paid no mind to the fallout.

Ji Tanyuanan stood up and went to call the doctor.

While the doctor examined her mother, she went to another hospital room.

After checking on her mom, it was time to see her dad. At the tail end of her 23rd year, on the eve of her 24th birthday, her zodiac year, Ji Tanyuanan had already embarked on the tumultuous journey it foretold.

Great fortune or great calamity.

She sat by her father’s bedside. “You’re awake.”

Ji Qing coughed twice, his thoracic spine aching, the taste of blood in his throat. Gritting through the pain, he spoke hoarsely, “How’s your mother?”

“Her leg is fractured.”

“Luckily, the bushes cushioned the impact, or you both wouldn’t have made it.”

Ji Qing closed his eyes. “Huanghuang.”

Ji Tanyuanan smoothed her hair. A single night had left her looking haggard, her eyes still red-rimmed. She hummed in response.

“You might not have an older brother.”

Ji Tanyuanan looked at her father, whose eyes remained shut. She hadn’t noticed when half his hair had turned gray. The accident had left him pale, his lips colorless.

He explained weakly, “Some things are complicated, but I never cheated.”

He had no idea when a supposed illegitimate child had appeared. By the time he learned that Ji Zhihe was rumored to be his illegitimate son, the boy had already gone missing, lost to the waters, never to be found.

Ji Tanyuanan lowered her head. “I don’t want to know, Dad. You should be talking to Mom about this.”

“From the very beginning, I’ve said the Ji family assets are yours. If Ji Zhihe truly shares my blood, I’ll leave with nothing, all the shares will go to you.”

Ji Tanyuanan looked up, stunned.

Ji Qing kept his eyes closed. “I’ve never been with another woman, so an illegitimate child is impossible. If this is someone’s scheme, I won’t let them succeed.”

The reason he was so excited about finding Ji Zhihe was to clear his own name and to tell Sheng Wan that he would never cheat.

“You should say that to Mom.”

“Your mother only wishes I were dead.”

Over the years, it had been difficult for him to even get close to his wife. Their peaceful coexistence was only possible thanks to their daughter.

Ji Tanyuanan: “…”

She lowered her head to look at her phone, a message from Lu Ke: “Qinghe Real Estate has been named by regulators for financial fraud.”

Rong Xi chose this moment to stir up trouble.

How could it be such a coincidence, adding fuel to the fire while the Ji family was in turmoil?