Chapter 290 You must be familiar with the second young lady of the Shen family, right?

"Sister Ying!"

Jiang Ran stood at the door.

Upon seeing the situation inside, she immediately closed her eyes and tried to slip away.

However, Ji Ying called out, "Come back!"

Seeing Liang Yizhi's eyes gradually darken, Jiang Ran swallowed hard.

"Um...should I knock before I come in?"

"What is it? Speak!" Ji Ying said.

Jiang Ran composed herself. "I just received news that Shen Aizhu suddenly fell ill in prison, and they are applying for medical parole for her."

Ji Ying's face darkened even more than Liang Yizhi's.

"Is it Madam Shen who is unwilling to give up, or is it someone else who is unwilling to give up?"

Jiang Ran hasn't investigated this, so it's difficult for her to make a judgment.

"After Shen Aizhu went in, she lived in a single cell. Apart from not being able to move around freely or go online, her daily routine was actually more regular than outside."

Jiang Ran carefully chose her words, but the meaning was clear: Shen Aizhu's days inside were not bad.

Ji Ying sneered and looked at Liang Yizhi.

The man closed his eyes and took Ji Ying's slightly cool hand into his warm palm.

"I will ensure that this matter is handled fairly."

Ji Ying narrowed her eyes slightly.

“I don’t want procedural notarization; I want Shen Aizhu to receive the treatment of a serious offender.”

Upon hearing this, Liang Yizhi's brows furrowed almost imperceptibly, and he fell into a brief silence.

Jiang Ran, standing to the side, was slightly startled. She knew that Liang Yizhi held a high position and always acted in accordance with the rules and paid attention to boundaries, never easily abusing his power for personal gain.

She was about to say something to ease the tension when she saw Liang Yizhi raise his head, look at Ji Ying with deep eyes, and say sincerely, "Okay."

Ji Ying's lips moved, but she didn't reply.

In the evening, she and Jiang Ran went downstairs together, intending to go back to the courtyard to change their clothes before coming back.

Jiang Yu hesitated several times before speaking.

Ji Ying looked at the numbers on the elevator descending and said, "Just say what you have to say."

Jiang Ran took a deep breath. "Mr. Liang is in this position. If he acts too directly, he will inevitably give others something to criticize. There are quite a few people who have been eyeing him for years. The reason he has always remained as steady as Mount Tai is because he has been extremely cautious in every step he takes."

Ji Ying lowered her eyes. "You mean I'm holding him back?"

"Of course not."

As Jiang Ran finished speaking, the elevator doors opened.

At the main entrance of the inpatient department lobby, Pang Shijun's figure appeared through the glass door.

He was dressed in a dark suit, followed by a bodyguard, and strode confidently toward the elevator.

Ji Ying had considered the drawbacks of having Liang Yizhi take action, so she did not ask Liang Yizhi to act immediately.

Upon seeing the person walking this way, a hint of pleasure flashed in her eyes, and she gave a soft hum.

"Look, my best choice has arrived."

Jiang Ran, puzzled, followed her gaze...

"Mr. Ji, what a coincidence!"

When they were still more than ten meters apart, Pang Shijun greeted her.

Ji Ying smiled and said, "It is quite a coincidence. I didn't expect to meet Mr. Pang, who is so busy, here."

Pang Shijun clearly appreciated these words, his back straightening subtly, his tone carrying a hint of deliberate busyness.

"Alas, I'm swamped with official duties and family matters; I really have no choice in the matter."

Ji Ying nodded understandingly, "I'm going home, so I won't bother you anymore."

After saying that, he took Jiang Ran and left.

In fact, Pang Shijun came to visit Liang Yizhi, but he was more interested in Ji Ying.

Watching her retreating figure, Pang Shijun paused for two seconds, called out "President Ji," and chased after her.

"Do you have time for a drink?"

Ji Ying smiled slightly, "I only drink juice."

Pang Shijun smiled meaningfully, "If you're willing to do me the honor, anything is fine."

Pang Shijun found a members-only tea room far away from the hospital.

Jiang Ran observed the surrounding environment and thought to herself: How afraid must this person be of Mr. Liang finding out that he secretly met with someone else's wife in such a faraway place?

Ji Ying had originally booked a private room, but she insisted on staying in the lobby.

She chose a window seat because she wanted to see the street view of Beijing.

Pang Shijun half-jokingly probed, "Are you afraid that Liang Yizhi will suddenly check up on you, and then you won't be able to explain yourself?"

Ji Ying looked up at him, a polite smile on her lips.

"Shouldn't married people have a basic sense of boundaries?"

Pang Shijun was momentarily speechless at her words, then chuckled dryly, "President Ji really likes to joke."

He then reluctantly sat down opposite Ji Ying, a hint of helplessness on his face.

"I'm sure President Ji is familiar with us. The Pang family is very powerful in Beijing, which may not be a good thing. Look at me, every day when I open my eyes, I have more than 100 things to deal with. And my uncle thinks highly of me and has been working hard to cultivate me. The burden on my shoulders is very heavy."

Ji Ying took a sip of chrysanthemum tea and smiled lightly, "Aren't all the burdens we bear ourselves? With Mr. Pang's current status, he can lie down anytime he wants to relax."

"You can't say that. People always have to shoulder their responsibilities. The Pang family's business empire is vast, but it also has many people to support. After your uncle talked to you last time, he reflected deeply. For a tech researcher like you who is focused on technology, if we still use the power plays and tactics of the industry to discuss cooperation, it would indeed seem neither sincere nor respectful."

Pang Shijun adopted a very humble attitude.

"I know that mere profit is unlikely to sway you. But I still hope you can see our Pang family's determination to promote technological progress in China. Of course, we will provide absolute guarantees regarding the terms of cooperation and respect."

Ji Ying gently swirled the chrysanthemum in her cup, her eyes calm and undisturbed.

“Mr. Pang has made a very good impression on me, so I won’t beat around the bush. I’m currently too busy to deal with cooperation. Like right now, that Shen Aizhu, who should be in prison reflecting on her actions and enjoying the treatment of a serious offender, is instead eating and drinking well and even trying to come out to annoy me.”

She sighed softly and shook her head.

“If even an incarcerated prisoner can receive such ‘care,’ it’s hard to have any hope for future cooperation in such an environment.”

Pang Shijun paused almost imperceptibly in the teacup he was holding.

He wasn't oblivious to the deeper meaning in her words, but Shen Aizhu... he had just spoken to the prison to get her released on bail.

Ji Ying's words implied to Pang Shijun that "if we want to cooperate, we must first clean house."

As he was carefully choosing his words, trying to find a balance, a group of people walked past their seats.

"Shijun!"

Grandpa Xu paused, somewhat surprised.

However, when his gaze fell on Ji Ying, his face darkened slightly.

Pang Shijun stood up. "Old Xu, it's been a long time."

"What are you doing...?"

Grandpa Xu had a prejudice against Ji Ying.

Pang Shijun quickly introduced, "This is Ms. Ji Ying, the Vice President of Technology at QingSui Power. We are just discussing some work-related matters."

"Qingsui Power? Vice President?"

A barely perceptible hint of surprise flashed in Old Master Xu's eyes.

His previous understanding of Ji Ying was limited to some one-sided impressions. Although Xu Zhaoheng told him that Ji Ying was a very capable woman, he did not believe it at all.

What can an orphan who hasn't received a good education possibly achieve?

Even Pang Shijun treated her with humility, so she really has some skills.

"Zhaoheng said he hasn't seen you for a while. You two should go out for a drink sometime."

After saying that, Mr. Xu hurriedly left to cover up his embarrassment.

Ji Ying glanced at Old Master Xu's back, picked up her teacup, and asked with feigned curiosity, "Mr. Pang, you have such a wide network of connections. Not only are you acquainted with the Shen family, but you're also connected with the Xu family... You must be familiar with the second young lady of the Shen family, right?"

Pang Shijun's heart skipped a beat, and he quickly denied it.

"We're not very close. I've only had some necessary dealings with the Shen family in recent years, and I barely exchange more than two words with Miss Shen herself over the course of a year."

Ji Ying was just about to bring the teacup to her lips when his words drew her attention.

The fragmented clues in her mind were pieced together, sending a chill down her spine.