"Would you be happy if I died?" Mu Cidian asked.
In the quiet villa, the question echoed coldly.
His voice sounded fine.
He was not so weak that he couldn’t speak.
Xin Zaozao said, "Too bad you’re not dead."
Too bad.
He was still alive.
Mu Cidian remained indifferent.
Remaining indifferent, dragging his steps, he walked towards his room.
Back in his bedroom, he closed the door behind him.
He lay on the bed, staring at the ceiling, not averting his gaze.
He didn’t need to guess the cause of tonight’s accident.
The large-scale personnel adjustnts at Xin Group undoubtedly ruffled so feathers, and so people needed to vent their emotions.
Naturally, he was their target.
He closed his eyes and fell asleep.
His mind was full of Xin Zaozao’s cold voice, the scene of her driving away from him...
In Xin Zaozao’s heart, there was not a shred of sympathy for him.
He placed his arm over his face.
Blood was everywhere.
For now, all he wanted to do was sleep.
Sleep, and he wouldn’t feel the physical pain. Sleep, and his heart would not ache.
...
The Xin Group’s personnel adjustnts made quite a stir in the business world.
Song Zhizhi was lying in bed, reading news about Xin Group.
Xin Zaozao had already begun to shift the company’s personnel, signaling that she was taking control of the company.
Faster than she had imagined!
But she wasn’t surprised. Xin Zaozao was always a legend during the years she was alive!
Song Zhizhi put down her phone and turned to get up from bed.
The person beside her embraced her, naturally burying his head in her back.
They were so close that Song Zhizhi’s face turned red.
"Mr. Ji Baijian, if you’re awake already, stop pretending to be asleep," Song Zhizhi said.
The person behind her, however, only nestled closer to her.
Song Zhizhi’s heart sped up a bit.
"When are you starting work?" Ji Baijian asked her.
"Next Monday," Song Zhizhi replied, "the day after tomorrow."
"Too soon," Ji Baijian murmured, clearly wishing that she could stay with him, wasting away the day.
Right.
These days at ho were truly decadent.
Other than eating and sleeping, Song Zhizhi felt like she was becoming lazy to her bones.
Song Zhizhi turned around to look at Ji Baijian.
The two of them were lying on the sa pillow, their distance intimate, their breaths intertwined.
Looking into each other’s eyes.
But it was Ji Baijian who averted his eyes first. "My lady, please stop staring at like that."
Song Zhizhi laughed.
Song Zhizhi said, "Let’s get up. Today I’ll take you out for a walk, walk around in our residential complex, breathe so fresh air. Don’t sleep in all day!"
"Thank you, my lady." Ji Baijian’s voice was exceptionally lodious.
Making Song Zhizhi’s heart flutter.
She composed herself, got out of bed, and freshened up, before going back to bed to tend to her husband.
In the past few days, having discarded their reservations, Ji Baijian too, stopped being obstinate and began to naturally enjoy Song Zhizhi’s care.
Song Zhizhi painstakingly helped him to sit down on the wheelchair, wheeled him to the bathroom, opened the toilet for him, then assisted him in standing up...
Song Zhizhi didn’t know how they had quickly reached this point of no pretentions.
After they were done freshening up, Song Zhizhi helped Ji Baijian down the stairs.
A servant was just about to deliver breakfast, placing it neatly on the dining table.
Song Zhizhi helped Ji Baijian sit down at the dining table.
Sumr had arrived in Jin City.
It was just past 8 a.m., but the outdoor sunlight was already too blinding to gaze at directly.
"Young Master, Young Madam." the servant greeted respectfully.
"Mhm." Ji Baijian responded.
"Master sends word saying he won’t be delivering lunch to you today. He invites you two to join him at the Ji Family mansion for lunch."
Song Zhizhi looked at Ji Baijian.
Ji Baijian asked the servant calmly, "What’s the occasion?"
"Master says that Young Master Bai’s engagent is imminent and that you two should join in the discussion." The servant answered.
It seems Ji Baijian’s father figured out that without a proper reason, he would not be able to lure his son from his careful seclusion.
"No need," Ji Baijian responded. "Go tell my father that they can discuss the matter on their own, it’s not necessary to consult ."
"I want to go back," Song Zhizhi suddenly said.
Ji Baijian raised an eyebrow.
"Xin Zaozao might be there. I’ve been cooped up in the house for too long. Seeing only you every day, I’m afraid I may start to feel stale."
"So, my lady is starting to grow tired of ." Ji Baijian summarized.
Song Zhizhi paused before explaining, "No, I ant that staying indoors for so long can make one feel stale."
"So my lady is tired of because she’s lost the novelty, hence feeling stale," Ji Baijian continued.
"Ji Baijian, what I an is that people need to get outside once in a while. Being ho all the ti isn’t good for one’s health..."
"So my lady thinks that seeing every day could stunt her physical developnt..."
"..."
The servant couldn’t help but giggle.
Her Young Master, who always stood high and mighty, when did he start acting cute and childish?
Song Zhizhi too was frustrated!
She always felt powerless in front of Ji Baijian.
Easily taken down by Ji Baijian’s witticisms.
Eventually, Ji Baijian agreed with Song Zhizhi’s suggestion. He changed into his outdoor clothes, and they went to the Ji Family mansion together.
When they arrived,
Laughter echoed through the hall.
It was Zhang Qingi’s uninhibited laughter, and Ji Baili’s playful words.
As Song Zhizhi, pushing Ji Baijian’s wheelchair, appeared in the mansion’s main hall, she saw Xin Zaozao sitting respectfully at Ji Baili’s side on the sofa, with Zhang Qingi and Ji Yunlei seated together, and Ji Baixin sulking on another sofa, engrossed in his phone, obviously feeling out of place.
Their arrival made Zhang Qingi overly enthusiastic, "Baijian, Zhizhi, you’re finally back! Your father has been waiting all morning..."
"Ahem." Ji Yunlei deliberately cleared his throat.
Zhang Qingi smiled and stopped herself from saying more.
Today, she appeared to be in high spirits.
Probably because her son had chosen a bride she had long approved of.
She had once regretted that her son wasn’t as fortunate as Ji Baijian, who had attracted Song Zhizhi from a well-connected and influential family, let alone Song Zhizhi’s intelligence and competence. But now, her son was engaged to Xin Zaozao, and she couldn’t have been more delighted. She had t Xin Zaozao before but didn’t rember much about she. However, when the engagent was announced, Xin Zaozao was formally invited to their ho for the first ti. Originally they had invited Xin Zaozao’s stepmother and stepbrother as well, but Xin Zaozao declined politely.
Zhang Qingi sensed the tension between Xin Zaozao and her stepmother, so she didn’t insist.
Recently she’d been overjoyed at the thought of Xin Zaozao’s vast family estate now belonging to Xin Zaozao, and her joy translated in her deanor.
Now that she saw Xin Zaozao, she liked her even more.
She didn’t expect Xin Zaozao to be so striking.
She hadn’t paid attention before, in her mory, Xin Zaozao should be ordinary. But considering Zaozao’s significant status, she did not care about her outward appearance. Seeing her today was quite a surprise. She wondered if Zaozao had deliberately dressed up. Sitting there, she seed more attractive than her daughter, of whom she was very proud.
She was neat and tidy, and particularly likable to elders!
Could such a girl hold her own in the business world?
Yes.
She couldn’t be better.
This would give her son the chance to assist her, and then take over the Xin Group.
From taking over the Xin Group to the Jihong Group, her son would beco the ultimate winner in life, and Ji Baijian would be trampled under his heel.
Such a perfect grand plan had been outlined in Zhang Qingi’s mind.
"What’s on your mind?" Ji Yunlei’s expression was sowhat cold.
Zhang Qingi snapped back to reality.
Having been too engrossed in her thoughts, she quickly recovered and turned to display a concerned face to Ji Baijian, "Baijian, are you feeling better? I see you’re still in a wheelchair."
"Much better," Ji Baijian responded indifferently.
Song Zhizhi also said, "He’s much better, but the doctor said that it takes one hundred days to heal a bone injury properly. He needs to rest well."
Saying this, she casually sat next to Xin Zaozao.
Xin Zaozao eased up a bit at Song Zhizhi’s arrival.
Even though she was escorted by Ji Baili to the Ji Family this morning, she had been on edge, having never t the parents like this before. It was a bit awkward.
Having Song Zhizhi around seed to relieve her greatly for so reason.
Song Zhizhi seed to sense Xin Zaozao’s mood too.
Not to ntion Xin Zaozao, she herself also felt a bit uncomfortable eting parents for the first ti.
"What were you talking about?" Song Zhizhi initiated a conversation to ease the atmosphere.
Zhang Qingi began, "We were talking about the engagent gift. We were just discussing this."
"There’s no need," Xin Zaozao hastily answered, "There’s no need, Mr. Ji, I an, Mr. Ji Baijian has already given great benefits before. We don’t need an engagent gift."
"Zaozao," Ji Baili took Xin Zaozao’s hand, "Call brother Ji instead of Mr. Ji. From now on, call brother."
Xin Zaozao blushed a bit.
"Not only from my brother, but from my sister-in-law, my sister, my father, and my mother, you’ll have to change your form of address," Ji Baili continued.
Xin Zaozao’s face turned redder.
Zhang Qingi liked Xin Zaozao more she saw her.
She laughed, "That’s right, Zaozao, we’re family now. Don’t be a stranger."
"Okay," Xin Zaozao nodded obediently and said seriously, "There really is no need for an engagent gift. Brother Ji has already given a lot earlier, and Uncle Ji has given great support in the golf resort developnt project. That’s enough."
Ji Baili burst into laughter when he heard Xin Zaozao change her form of address. His laughter brought spring warmth to the room.
"All those don’t count, they were just normal business transactions. Public matters are for the public, private matters are for the private. You can’t mix business and personal matters," Ji Yunlei said seriously, "We were good friends when your father was alive, and now that he’s gone, our family won’t mistreat you. We will still give you what you deserve."
"There’s really no need..."
"Accept it," Ji Baili answered directly, "If you don’t want it, give it to later. I never mind having too much money..."
"You naughty boy." Zhang Qingi gave a light smack to her son, her face was a mixture of disappointnt and indulgence.
"Mom, my wife is here, please show so respect, save my face."
"You’ll never grow up, I’m just hoping one day you’ll be half as capable as your big brother..."
"That old freak, my big brother..."
"Keep talking, keep talking!" Zhang Qingi continued to chastise Ji Baili, "You’re about to get married and you still have no filter..."
Xin Zaozao sat there watching the interaction between the mother and son.
Although Zhang Qingi was scolding her son, it wasn’t hard to see that she truly spoiled him, and the relationship between the two was very harmonious. anwhile, the relationship between Ji Baixin and her parents was not good at all, but thankfully it didn’t disrupt the general atmosphere of joy in the villa.
After the family had lunch, they each entertained themselves.
Ji Yunlei had the habit of taking a nap, so Zhang Qingi went back to the room with him.
Ji Baijian was not feeling well, so after Song Zhizhi took Ji Baijian to his room, she turned around and left.
"My wife certainly despises her husband..."
"Take your pitiful act elsewhere, I’m going to find Xin Zaozao."
"..."
Song Zhizhi left the room and headed downstairs.
In the hall, Xin Zaozao was present, sitting next to Ji Baili, who was peeling an apple for her, though the apple was already unrecognizable.
"Have so." Ji Baili gave the apple to Xin Zaozao.
"Thank you." Xin Zaozao took it.
"Still being polite with ? Be careful or I just might use this fruit knife to commit harakiri." Ji Baili joked.
Xin Zaozao couldn’t help but laugh.
She was always amused by Ji Baili. In his company, she seed to never have seen him unhappy. As if he could just laugh off whatever he had to face, and even with many things, he could act indifferent and just let them be.
In high society, in such a big consortium family, it was really rare to find soone who regarded fa and wealth so lightly!
She guessed that Ji Baili’s character had a lot to do with how he was raised in his family.
Although they were both from blended families, Ji Baili was indeed born into a traditional family.
And Ji Baili’s relationship with Ji Baijian was very close.
It seed natural for Ji Baili not to veer off his path while growing up!
Ji Baili put down the fruit knife, looked up and saw Song Zhizhi, casually asking, "Where’s my big brother, sister-in-law?"
"In the room."
"He just let you out here alone?" Ji Baili asked on purpose.
Song Zhizhi was a bit shy.
Ji Baili was the sa age as her but in fact was a bit older. His words made her uncomfortable.
Ji Baili wasn’t a man lacking empathy. He said, "You won chat. I’ll go back to my room."
As he was leaving, he seed a bit worried about Xin Zaozao. He told her, "If you get tired, co up and find . My room is always open."
Xin Zaozao blushed.
A lot.
Ji Baili left the hall with a nice smile.
Song Zhizhi looked at Xin Zaozao’s flushed cheeks. In fact, Ji Baixin was also in the hall.
She had her nose in her phone, chatting, paying little attention to others.
"Didn’t expect you and Ji Baili to get engaged so soon." Song Zhizhi laughed.
Xin Zaozao nodded.
She didn’t think it would be so quick either.
It’s next week.
The date for the engagent was chosen hastily and now it seed that nothing had been prepared yet.
"Let’s go for a walk outside." Song Zhizhi suggested, "The Ji family’s rear garden is huge."
"Okay."
Song Zhizhi and Xin Zaozao left the Ji family hall.
Ji Baixin seed to look up, saw them leaving without any emotion. As she was about to continue her chat, she saw Yin Qin walk in the door.
Yin Qin didn’t expect to see Ji Baixin as soon as he ca in.
He was only here to see Ji Baijian.
He had simply called Ji Baijian out of boredom, intending to hang out at his new place, but found out he had returned to the Ji family, so he naturally ca here.
Having grown up with Ji Baijian, he was very familiar with the Ji family, and felt no discomfort here, besides his relation with Ji Baixin.
On the contrary.
Now, because of Ji Baixin, he felt sowhat uncomfortable.
Ji Baixin gave Yin Qin a glance, put down her phone and stood up to leave.
Yin Qin pursed his lips.
He didn’t know what he did that made people so repulsive.
Saying it was his appearance, besides not having the enchanting looks of Ji Baijian, he wasn’t ugly either!
He couldn’t figure out what made people so disgusted with him.
Fortunately, Yin Qin was used to it.
He watched as Ji Baixin disappeared from sight before heading upstairs. He was really afraid of annoying Ji Baixin, fearing he would catch her eye.
Reviews
All reviews (0)