Chapter 20: The two of them have gotten a bit too into acting, performing anywhere, big or small.

Ji Tanyuan turned to look at the two people behind her. They were wearing black sleeveless dresses, with their hair down. Their chins were not sharp, and their faces were gentle, graceful, and dignified. Even their eyes did not have much hostility.

She had the same gentle demeanor as always, but she exuded an aura of unapproachability, which was even more pronounced now. Hao Jiajia knew she was unhappy today.

Hao Jiajia lowered her head. "It was Mr. Ji Ting who said it. He said you agreed, so we didn't say anything."

Ji Tanyuan chuckled speechlessly, "He said it, and then you believed him."

Ji Tanyuan walked forward, and Tang Xin took a deep breath. It was over. He and Hao Jiajia had both been negligent and hadn't verified the information immediately. Instead, they had easily believed others.

Oh no, I've made a huge mistake.

Tang Xin pressed the elevator button ahead, saying, "I'm sorry, it was my oversight."

Ji Tanyuan stepped into the elevator. "This is the last time. Go to the 37th floor."

She had more than just these two informants in the company; she had known about her uncle's actions for a long time, but what displeased her was that these two had been lax in their work over the past two months.

Tang Xin pressed 37, exhaled, and felt the chill of the company's air conditioning for the first time. Ji Tanyuan was not easily angered. Moreover, she had a very good temper and was easygoing, but when she got angry, it sent chills down your spine.

In the president's conference room on the 68th floor, Ji's president Lu Ke sat with Zhong Yan. He was not a member of the Ji family's relatives group, but was the highest-ranking manager hired by the board of directors.

The Ji family's main business is chip semiconductors. In addition, they are involved in some real estate and new energy businesses. He is the CEO of the chip microelectronics sector, which is also the pillar industry of the Ji family.

Lu Ke quickly heard what was happening downstairs. His eyes darkened for a moment, then he smiled and said, "Tan Yuan is here at the company. President Zhong, would you like to go and see her?"

Zhong Yan sat on the right side of the conference table, dressed in a black shirt and black suit pants. His handsome features and deep-set eyes softened from serious to gentle, revealing a nonchalant air. "No, she has her own things to do."

"Is Tan Yuan the vice president of the Ji family?" Zhong Yan then asked.

Lu Ke nodded, "Yes, it's Young Master Ji."

"Young Master Ji," Zhong Yan almost guessed the chaos within the Ji family. There were too many people with the surname Ji, which was why this situation had arisen.

Who is CEO Da Ji?

Lu Ke: "Ji Ting, CEO of Maosheng Real Estate, a subsidiary of the Ji family."

Ji Ting is Ji Tanyuan's uncle.

There are too many relatives causing trouble, and they are all directors. As an employee, Lu Ke is helpless to see a new group suffering from the same old problems as an old company. Too many "old ministers" are like a malignant tumor, and the chairman is too concerned about too many things, which greatly hinders the development.

“This is an internal issue for you, so it’s not appropriate for me to go. But President Lu, what you should do now is cooperate with Ji Tanyuan to remove the irrelevant people who are giving the group too much unprofessional guidance. First of all, you need to recognize her position. She is President Ji.”

Lu Ke narrowed his eyes and looked at Zhong Yan, "Perhaps she's not a professional either."

Zhong Yan tapped the table, crossed his legs, and leaned back. "She's the heir, and you're the professional. This kind of cooperation is simple and efficient, so why not?"

Lu Ke did not heed his advice, saying, "I would be very happy if Chairman Ji said that."

Zhong Yan did not delve deeper into the topic. The fact that the Ji family was being corrupted like this was not a bad thing for him. He could take over the company, Shuwei Electronics, and take advantage of their internal strife to seize their shares.

However, by then, his relationship with Ji Tanyuan might also come to an end.

As Lu Ke watched Zhong Yan being escorted away, he finally understood that their marriage was entirely based on self-interest. The meager affection they shared was nothing more than a simple suggestion, and that was it.

Lu Ke entered Ji Tanyuan's office, where the person was sitting in an office chair with an unusually serious expression.

Ji Tanyuan's fingers fell to the keyboard. "Now that we've weathered the crisis, it's time to settle accounts. I've already had someone gather evidence against my uncle."

Having weathered the crisis and miraculously survived, the Ji family began cleaning up the mess with Qinghe Real Estate as their first step.

Lu Ke nodded. "Your biggest problem is still with your family. Your uncles have been rooted in the group for many years and have their own people in the shadows. They might unite to cause you trouble."

Ji Tanyuan smiled and said, "You'll have to go through this sooner or later. Stay away from me for a while and don't let those jerks make things difficult for you because of me, or affect the company's project progress."

Internal strife shouldn't affect making money.

Ji Tanyuan added, "You just need to manage the cooperation with the Zhong family well. Replace the upstream and downstream partners with those we are familiar with, especially in terms of the raw material supply chain."

Lu Ke found it somewhat amusing, "You and your husband are on guard against each other."

Ji Tanyuan raised an eyebrow. "Hey, you're wrong about that. Even brothers keep clear accounts. We're just not forgetting the true nature of this marriage alliance, prioritizing our own interests."

————

At six o'clock in the evening, Zhong Yan was going to have dinner with Ji Tanyuan and her family, so he came to pick up Ji Tanyuan.

Downstairs at the building, a Rolls-Royce Cullinan was parked on the side of the road, looking very sleek.

Zhong Yan sat in the back seat, his handsome face looking out the window at the building, his eyes revealing no emotion. He suddenly said:

"Liang Zhufu, do you believe men also have a sixth sense?"

Assistant Liang was used to being called on; his boss often acted erratically and in a cryptic manner. He replied, "Xin, have you discovered something?"

"I always felt that my wife's family was quite troublesome, which was both a blessing and a curse."

Assistant Liang: "Then we've met our match."

What does this have to do with your sixth sense? You're still so neurotic.

"And your family is just as good, yet you're still looking down on them," Assistant Liang thought to himself, his face expressionless.

Zhong Yan said, "When we got married, her uncles gave me the feeling of a thug who suddenly became rich, while her father gave me the feeling of a refined scholar. It felt like they weren't born to the same mother."

Assistant Liang opened his phone and, as if chatting casually, said, "I also think it might not be true. In those days, many children in rural areas couldn't afford to be raised and were lost or trafficked."

"Go and find a way to get a paternity test done," Zhong Yan ordered, kicking the seat in front of him with his toe.

Assistant Liang choked. He should have known better than to say less. Now he not only had to worry about Zhong Yan's family, but also about his father-in-law's family?

When Zhong Yan received no response, he kicked Liao again: "Did you hear me clearly? If you don't want to go, you can let Chu He go instead."

Chu He is Zhong Yan's bodyguard. Last time he angered Zhong Yan, he was sent to dig potatoes at the Zhong family farm.

"Then give him a chance to redeem himself and let him go," Assistant Liang quickly said.

“But boss, didn’t you say we shouldn’t meddle in other people’s business?” Assistant Liang said deliberately.

He thought Zhong Yan would once again contradict him by saying, "Is my wife someone else?"

Who knew that Zhong Yan would casually say, "Know yourself and know your enemy, and you will never be defeated."

“Lu Ke is exceptionally capable. If Ji Tanyuan recruited him from abroad, then Ji Tanyuan’s troops are all quite formidable.”

No sooner had the words left his mouth than a beautiful scene appeared before him.

His wife, wearing high heels and a black long dress with a cinched waist that accentuated her slender figure and defined curves, had long, soft, wavy hair that reached her waist and shone like black silk.

Wearing sunglasses that covered half her face, her red lips were bright red.

Zhong Yan opened the car door, and Ji Tanyuan saw him and immediately smiled, her dimples appearing. Her temperament changed drastically, from indifferent and aloof to sweet and charming.

She went to greet him, her voice pleasant, like a refreshing lemonade in the humid summer heat—neither too cold nor too sweet, just the right amount of comforting.

"Have you been waiting long?"

Zhong Yan put his arm around her and smoothed her hair, which had become a little messy from walking. The fragrance was intoxicating, and her soft cheeks were fair and smooth. Her inherent noble and delicate temperament was even more obvious after returning to Shanghai.

She felt a sense of belonging here.

But there's no way around it; that's how marriage is—leaving this home for another.

He kissed her forehead. "No, I just arrived."

Assistant Liang, who had opened the car door in advance to wait for his wife, was now useless and stood aside, somewhat numb as he watched the good-looking couple.

Hey, you two are getting a bit too dramatic, acting out scenes wherever you want.