The Eldest Lady always wants to have a double O Relationship with her old enemy - Chapter 41

“Seeing her happy makes you uncontrollably joyful. Seeing her sad feels like a needle stabbing your chest. You worry about whether she’s cold or hot, want to prepare surprises for her. When she comes close, your heart races. Seeing her with someone else makes you jealous and unhappy—you want her eyes to see only you. You miss her when she’s not around, and even when she is, you still miss her. You want to hug her, kiss her, possess her.”

On her way back, Tang Yanzhao replayed Hua yan’s words in her mind.

The first part was very accurate, but the latter part—she didn’t feel any of that.

Tang Yanzhao didn’t enter the house immediately. Leaning against the wall, she sent a message to Hua yan: “You’re wrong. I don’t get jealous when she’s with others. I don’t want to kiss her or possess her.”

On the other side, Hua yan, presumably looking at her phone, replied instantly: “Are you sure?”

Tang Yanzhao’s fingers hovered above the keyboard for half a minute before replying: “Yes.”

“Tomorrow night there’s a concert at Chi Pavilion. Bring her along.”

Tang Yanzhao didn’t understand why Hua yan suddenly changed the topic and simply replied: “We’ll see.”

“If you want the answer, bring her.”

After this, Tang Yanzhao didn’t respond and stayed at the door for several minutes before finally entering. She walked over to the bed. Under the dim bedside lamp, Shen Jianxi’s sharp features looked softer; her tear-streaked “kitten-like” eyes weren’t as pitiful, though traces remained.

Tang Yanzhao pursed her lips, preparing to wash up, but as soon as she turned, her wrist was grabbed. She looked back to see Shen Jianxi lying on the bed, staring at her earnestly.

In that instant, under the warm yellow light, Shen Jianxi’s calm expression and her dark pupils reflecting the light and Tang Yanzhao made her heart skip two irregular beats.

Biting her lip, Tang Yanzhao sat back down on the bed. Shen Jianxi also sat up, loosening her grip.

“Where did you go?” she asked, her clear voice revealing she wasn’t just waking up.

“I went to see Hua yan,” Tang Yanzhao replied truthfully.

“What did you talk about?”

Tang Yanzhao didn’t want to reveal everything; after all, she herself hadn’t fully figured it out. But looking into Shen Jianxi’s eyes, she could never lie, so she remained silent.

Shen Jianxi grabbed her hand, gently kneading it. “Zhaozhao, can you tell me?”

Shen Jianxi had suspected something back at the restaurant, but Tang Yanzhao’s words—“just consider the past Tang Yanzhao dead”—had prevented her from asking. It would be like opening a fresh wound, revealing the bloody scars she had once healed.

But after today’s events, Shen Jianxi could no longer ignore it. The past Tang Yanzhao had certainly endured many unknown hardships, which likely related to the kidnapping incident in her previous life.

Originally, she thought the kidnapping was coincidental, targeting her purely for ransom. Tang Yanzhao was merely an innocent bystander with extraordinary talent, who happened to cross paths with the criminal’s gambling debts.

But reality proved otherwise. Tang Yanzhao’s talent was no accident. Hua yan controlled numerous businesses—from hotels to casinos—which shows the scale.

Tang Yanzhao’s connection with Hua yan was extraordinary, which meant the actions against her were likely tied to her own background. To be safe, Shen Jianxi had to ask.

“Please?” Shen Jianxi asked earnestly again.

Tang Yanzhao couldn’t resist the intensity in her gaze. She knew Shen Jianxi’s persistence—if she wanted an answer, she would not rest until she got it. Tang Yanzhao couldn’t hide the truth.

“Hua yan is indeed my sister, but we share only the same father. Our common father is Ji Zhong’an.”

The name Ji Zhong’an was influential not only in Ao City but even in the mainland, having built a fortune through gambling and later expanding into finance, technology, manufacturing, and more.

Originally, Ji Zhong’an was just a penniless young man. Then he met a wealthy overseas lady, and because of his looks, she supported him lavishly. He leveraged this support to gain capital, enter elite circles, and eventually dominate the business world.

Ji Zhong’an’s ambition was unrelenting. His early setbacks were merely temporary, and through strategic marriages and acquisitions, he expanded overseas.

Tragically, the wealthy lady died young of acute brain cancer, and Ji Zhong’an never remarried, supposedly for her memory.

If the story ended there, it would seem inspiring—a tale of love and success. But reality was far harsher.

Shen Jianxi held Tang Yanzhao’s hand, listening quietly.

“My mother met him overseas during the first year of his expansion. At that time, his reputation wasn’t established, so he recruited overseas talent—including my mother. That résumé started her nightmare.”

It was laughable—a young CEO personally reviewing resumes? Fictional coincidences indeed. Shen Jianxi could guess the truth: a young, frustrated man, once dependent, now in power, would relish controlling others’ lives, especially young, talented, and beautiful women.

Tang Xuan (Tang Yanzhao’s mother) wasn’t the first, and she wouldn’t be the last.

“When the lady was bedridden, Ji Zhong’an was overseas at a critical stage. Even if problems arose, the lady couldn’t act. Ji Zhong’an was clever; he could prioritize and conceal any marital discord to protect the company’s interests.”

“Later, my mother gave birth to me. Ji Zhong’an, under the pretense of concern, had her stay in a villa, closely monitored by guards. What seemed like protection was really surveillance.”

This was the part Shen Jianxi already knew. Tang Yanzhao’s birth location coincided with Shen Jianxi’s mother’s villa; seeing Tang Xuan rarely was due to this surveillance.

“The company grew, the lady’s condition worsened, and eventually, Ji Zhong’an returned to handle affairs. Within a week, he had my mother and me brought back to Ao City, living in an outside house.”

Tang Yanzhao laughed softly. “Do you know why he didn’t bring us home? Not concern, but because there was no room.”

“…Such a simple, unpretentious reason.”

Seeing Tang Yanzhao smile, Shen Jianxi felt her chest ache. She suddenly wondered, “But Hua yan is nearly ten years older than you?”

Tang Yanzhao smirked meaningfully. Shen Jianxi instantly understood. Ji Zhong’an’s nature was unfaithful; he couldn’t simply be a devoted husband.

“Also, he had a principle: only the strong deserve the Ji surname. He valued talent; since I lacked it, I was a disgrace. I wasn’t fit to bear the surname or enter the Ji family.”

“Actually, he wasn’t wrong. My birth was a mistake—outside ethics, a burden my mother could never escape. If I hadn’t been born, she might have only been slandered ignorantly, but with me, she couldn’t escape Ji Zhong’an’s oppression. His power ensured everyone assumed my mother was greedy, even if punished, she’d beg for mercy, which he enjoyed. So he intensified the humiliation.”

She continued, eyes full of hatred: “He cut off my mother’s income and all support, forcing her into destitution. But she never submitted. Even if she had to do menial jobs or pick trash, she refused to bow.”

Tang Yanzhao’s struggles were intertwined with her mother’s. Over the years, she endured not only public scorn but also malicious competition.

“But dignity is worthless in reality. To survive, I disguised myself under a new identity, and with Hua yan’s help, used what I hated most to gain survival capital in the casinos.”

Shen Jianxi blinked; tears fell onto Tang Yanzhao’s hand, burning hot.

“Which is why the bounty Hua yan mentioned at the restaurant was about this,” Tang Yanzhao said. She used her finger to wipe the tears away.

“But if… if I hadn’t accepted you, what would you have done?” Shen Jianxi’s face wore a cold smile.

“You accepted me, didn’t you?”

“I mean if… in the previous life.”

Shen Jianxi sobbed, her breathing shaking. “You would have fallen into a quagmire again. Because of Ji Zhong’an, you wouldn’t dare show yourselves. Even small risks to your future were forbidden; you’d hide in shadows, seeking warmth only from each other.”

“No,” Tang Yanzhao denied.

Shen Jianxi’s heart trembled. “Zhaozhao, I’m sorry… I’m so sorry…”

Seeing the truth laid bare, all Shen Jianxi could perceive was blood and pain.

So the kidnapping in the previous life wasn’t accidental, right?

Because of Ji Zhong’an’s creed and ruthless competition, once Tang Yanzhao’s special identity “X” was revealed, her threat level surged. To protect his power, he had to eliminate the risk, regardless of Tang Yanzhao’s intentions.

So… who was this person?

Ji Chen?

Support The Eldest Lady always wants to have a double O Relationship with her old enemy