Chapter 35 His marriage, half-real and half-fake, was like a fishbone stuck in his throat; he couldn't bear to spit it out, nor dared to swallow it.

After the three left, only Wen Yi'an, Ji Tanyuan, Zhou Yanyu, and the old lady Jiang Qiufen remained at the dining table.

The old lady calmed down, then got a little tired, waved her hand, and got up to leave.

Ji Tanyuan couldn't help but tease, "Not a single one of them has the surname Zhong."

Zhou Yanyu put down her chopsticks and said, "Ji Tanyuan, I've discovered that you have a very rebellious streak."

Ji Tanyuan put down her water glass and laughed, "Wasn't Zhong Yan like this before I married into this family?"

Zhou Yanyu was stunned. Zhong Yan had acted the same way before their marriage. She suddenly realized that what she couldn't accept was that Zhong Yan treated his family this way for an outsider.

Ji Tanyuan: "So my mother keeps saying that I am a member of the Zhong family, but in her heart she has never really accepted it."

Zhou Yanyu choked, then shut her mouth and stopped talking. How could she possibly identify someone who had come from nowhere as a member of the Zhong family?

Ji Tanyuan picked up a shrimp, which Zhong Yan had just peeled for her, and said slowly:

"That's right. We'll just maintain the surface peace and not interfere too much in other matters. We shouldn't force genuine love between people. I also have a mother who is closer to me."

Ji Tanyuan still had a smile on her face, her eyebrows and eyes curved, as if the tense situation just now had not affected her mood at all.

Zhou Yanyu turned her head away, not wanting to look, her face stiff: "But you are the Zhong family's daughter-in-law."

“But she is also a daughter of the Ji family.” Zhong Yan, upstairs, said this in response to the old man’s warning.

The atmosphere upstairs was even more suffocating than downstairs.

Zhong Yan sat on the sofa, looking at the serious old man, "Grandpa, you've forgotten the true nature of my marriage. It's all about interests. Ji Tanyuan has connections with more than a dozen companies, some with indirect shareholdings and some with direct shareholdings. Most of them are related to the upstream and downstream of the chip production capacity of the two partner companies, forming a complete industrial chain."

The old man was silent for a moment, then said, "These things are not a reason for her to act willfully in the Zhong family. It's just a corporation; can't I find a replacement for it?"

“The Zhong family isn’t just about us; there are other elders of yours as well. Zhong Yan, you need to know when to stop being willful. Is it right for you to argue with your grandmother and mother for her sake?”

"This is my last warning to you. If this marriage alliance with the Ji family doesn't go smoothly, we'll find another way."

Zhong Yan was silent, closed his eyes briefly, then chuckled briefly, "Try another route?"

Zhong Yan looked up and said, "Grandpa, do you think the Ji family is just going to let us lead them by the nose?"

Zhong Fangqi lit a cigarette and, for the first time, did not scold his son at this moment. "Before the wedding, he entered the semiconductor market as quickly as possible. The Ji family's chip technology can bring real benefits to his company. That is the significance of Ayan's marriage. As for the rest, there is no need."

"Just Zhong Yan, you should know the status of your marriage with Tan Yuan. Don't let irrelevant feelings influence your decisions. Be prepared for the future acquisition of some semiconductor companies in the south by state-owned assets. Also, don't let the Ji family get too close to the Shen faction. Since you've chosen the Zhong family, don't try to please both sides."

"As for disciplining or disciplining the daughter-in-law, we'll see how things go."

The old man snorted coldly, "You all think we're old? But what your grandmother and I did wasn't for the sake of the Zhong family's reputation?"

“If we don’t teach now, our family will never be at peace,” he said.

Zhong Fangqi was also worried. He thought that the Zhong family would not have such trivial matters as conflicts between mother-in-law and daughter-in-law, but he did not expect that it would still happen, and that three generations of women would all be involved.

"Zhong Yan, you too, it's just a trip to the orphanage to get some sun, do you really have to make such a fuss?"

"Your grandma is right. She's not a child anymore. She's the Zhong family's daughter-in-law. Isn't it good that she paid the price for taking advantage of others?"

Zhong Yan lowered his eyes and remained silent. He did this simply because he couldn't stand his elders' thinking. He had stood up for his mother in the past, but no one paid attention, and his mother scolded him for being ignorant.

But Ji Tanyuan would stand by him; he gained a sense of recognition that was 20 years overdue in the Zhong family—that was the difference.

The old man and Mr. Zhong were used to Zhong Yan's indifference. When he didn't want to talk, he would ignore you no matter who you were, and when he wanted to talk, he would still be sarcastic no matter who you were.

"They're all such a handful," the old man said angrily. "From childhood to adulthood, have I raised a grandson or an ancestor?"

When Zhong Yan came downstairs, he saw Ji Tanyuan sitting on the sofa playing on her phone. Ji Tanyuan seemed to be in a rather happy mood.

He strolled over and stood behind her. No wonder she was happy; her sales associate had sent her a brand new bag.

"They're gone."

Ji Tanyuan looked up and smiled, "The meeting's over?"

Zhong Yan hummed in agreement.

"What are you saying?"

Zhong Yan said "Oh," and then added, "It was a constructive topic centered on the interests of the Zhong family, and it also offered critical suggestions on how to mediate family conflicts."

"Tell me about it?"

"There's no need. Even if I told you, you'd just agree on the surface but then complain to me later."

Ji Tanyuan turned off her phone. "Fine, I'm not listening anymore."

As Zhong Yan walked out, he said, "A new bag again?"

Ji Tanyuan followed up, "That's right, but this time it only cost 2 million, and I also bought you a tie and cufflinks."

Zhong Yan chuckled, "Tie is an accessory."

Ji Tanyuan pouted, "Even matching orders cost money."

Wen Yi-an, who was sitting in the restaurant, listened to their entire conversation.

Her hands clenched under the table, and she closed her eyes. They could freely discuss bags worth 2 million, and Zhong Yan could speak up for Ji Tanyuan without hesitation. She had never experienced any of these things.

She wouldn't be so upset if it were anyone else, but it just so happens to be her brother-in-law's family.

The contrast is too obvious.

However, Zhong Jing's profession dictates that she cannot be too flamboyant or willful.

Wen Yi'an rubbed her hair. She knew she was getting stuck in a rut, but she didn't know what to do.

Zhong Jing went downstairs and into the restaurant, where he saw Wen Yi'an sitting there in a daze.

She had deep-set eyes and a stunningly beautiful, aloof face, but her eyes lacked any luster, as if a layer of gray had been sprinkled over her bright features.

He stepped forward and put his arm around her shoulder: "Shall we go home?"

Wen Yi'an snapped out of her daze, looked up at her husband who was looking down at her, and smiled somewhat awkwardly. It was much better than their old home.

She could only comfort herself by comparing her past suffering at her parents' home; otherwise, she couldn't bear it and worried that complaining would annoy him.

The sweetness she felt when she was dating Zhong Jing faded amidst the friction after marriage; the love didn't disappear, but rather transformed into other feelings.

The interplay of dependence, inertia, and resentment bound the two together like a twisted rope.

Wen Yi'an looked at Ji Tanyuan walking outside, so she still hoped that the couple could continue to have such a good relationship.

On the way back

Ji Tanyuan swiped her phone and glanced at the message Zhang Zhang had sent.

He casually asked, "What is the relationship between Mr. Cheng and Ms. Xin?"

Zhong Yan tapped the steering wheel: "You should see this a lot in the entertainment industry, it's that kind of relationship."

Sugar daddy and mistress.

Ji Tanyuan: "It's not that simple, Miss Xin seems unwilling."

Zhong Yan hummed in agreement, "I don't know."

He then turned to look at her: "What's wrong?"

Ji Tanyuan put down her phone. "It's just that Xin Gan went to Hujiang to shoot a cover, and it seems she had a fight with Cheng Gengxu."

"Cheng Gengxu took the person away, but the cover still needs to be shot. After all, the publicity and investment promotion have been done, so he asked me if I could release Xin Gan first to finish shooting the cover."

Zhong Yan: "..."

Zhong Yan smiled and said, "I can't interfere in this matter; it's their private affair."

Then Ji Tanyuan looked down and fiddled with her phone: "Then let's talk about things you can control. Don't agree to help Rongxi if she asks for your help later."

Zhong Yan: "The reason."

Ji Tanyuan said "Oh," and added, "If she wants to profit from this turmoil in the Ji family, she'll have to rely on her own abilities."

Zhong Yan's heart skipped a beat. "You know everything? You've been pretending to be stupid all along?"

Ji Tanyuan found it somewhat amusing. "Is it that hard to guess? When did I ever pretend to be stupid?"

Zhong Yan suddenly wanted to ask her if she knew what the Zhong family was thinking.

If you knew, Ji Tanyuan was the most skilled at feigning a respectable demeanor.

Perhaps she had been preparing for a complete breakdown in relations all along.

Zhong Yan gritted his teeth, suddenly feeling somewhat annoyed.

His marriage, which was half genuine and half fake, was like a fishbone stuck in his throat; he couldn't bear to spit it out, nor dared to swallow it.