Chapter 420 Meeting
As the phone was dialed, Zhao Xiyue's heartbeat quickened as she listened to the regular "beep" sound.
Ji Wan frowned as she looked at the unfamiliar number bouncing on her phone screen. She was in no mood to answer anyone's call.
He just swiped his finger across and hung up.
But soon, the number rang again persistently.
Ji Wan took a deep breath, suppressed the irritation in his heart, answered the phone, and said in a cold voice: "Who is this?"
"Ms. Ji, it's me, Zhao Xiyue." The voice on the other end of the phone was hurried and barely noticeable. "I think you may have misunderstood me."
Ji Wan's expression didn't change, and his voice was still emotionless: "Miss Zhao, do you have any other advice?"
"The status I just mentioned is not what you think!" Zhao Xiyue spoke faster, trying to explain clearly, "I don't want you to divorce Chi Wenyan, nor do I want him to marry me."
Ji Wan's fingers holding the phone paused slightly.
Zhao Xiyue continued, "In the past two years, I actually had someone I loved very much. But he passed away unexpectedly."
Her voice deepened, choking with suppressed sobs, "This child is his posthumous child."
This sudden information caught Ji Wan off guard.
Posthumous child?
"My family situation is quite complicated. They will not allow this child to be born without any clear reason."
Zhao Xiyue's voice was filled with fatigue and helplessness. "This will have a huge impact on the Zhao family. I need to give this child an identity, one that will allow him to grow up safely. Chi Wenyan is the most suitable candidate."
Ji Wan was silent, digesting this information. So, this was the truth.
"What I mean is," Zhao Xiyue took a deep breath and finally put forward her real proposal.
"After the child is born, you can raise him in your name, and his household registration will be in the Chi family. To the outside world, he is your child. All the expenses of raising him and all other expenses will be borne by me. I will never disturb your lives, let alone use this as a threat. I just want... as long as he can be born safely and have an identity that is not subject to criticism."
She paused, a hint of pleading in her voice: "Ji Wan, I only want this. Use this to exchange Chi Wenyan for release, to clear his suspicion. This is my condition."
There was a brief silence on both ends of the line.
Ji Wan's fingertips unconsciously slid across the cold screen of his mobile phone, and Zhao Xiyue's pleading and tired voice was still echoing in his ears.
A posthumous child, raised under his name, and brought out by Chi Wenyan...
Each word was like a stone dropped into the lake of her heart, stirring up ripples. This proposal was absurd, yet it carried a realistic and cruel logic.
Zhao Xiyue is desperate and needs a status to protect her child; and she needs Chi Wenyan to return safely.
From a certain perspective, this deal is actually fair.
It wasn't that she and Chi Wenyan couldn't afford to raise another child. The Chi family's wealth and her own property were enough to provide the best possible life for this unborn child.
However, the existence of this child itself is a huge variable, a mark belonging to another woman and her deceased lover that will always stand between her and Chi Wenyan.
But Chi Wenyan, she couldn't just watch him being imprisoned.
Ji Wan closed his eyes, and when he opened them again, there was only clarity and determination in his eyes.
She was not a hesitant person. Since Zhao Xiyue gave the only solution, she would continue.
"Miss Zhao," her voice was calm, and it was impossible to tell whether she was happy or angry. "I agree to your terms."
On the other end of the phone, Zhao Xiyue's held breath suddenly relaxed. A huge surprise and relief instantly overwhelmed her, and her voice trembled: "Ms. Ji...you..."
"But I have my demands." Ji Wan interrupted her, his tone unquestionable, "First, Chi Wenyan must come out unscathed in the shortest possible time and completely clear all suspicions. No trouble can be left behind."
"Of course!" Zhao Xiyue responded immediately, her tone firm. "Since I proposed this deal, I will definitely make it happen. The Chi and Zhao families have joined forces, so they still have some power."
"Secondly," Ji Wan continued, "after the child is born, all legal documents must be complete to ensure that he is safely under the name of the Chi family. To the outside world, he is our child, and there can be no mistakes."
"No problem, I will handle all the formalities." Zhao Xiyue promised.
"Third, and most importantly," Ji Wan's voice turned a little colder, "you said you wouldn't disturb our lives, so you'd better keep your word. Apart from necessary matters concerning the child, I don't want you to appear too often in front of us, especially Chi Wenyan, for any reason."
Zhao Xiyue was silent for a moment, then whispered, "I understand. Ji Wan, thank you."
This thank you contains too many complex emotions, including gratitude, helplessness, and a subtle bitterness.
She exchanged her child's future for the vitality of the bloodline left by her lover, and also for the freedom of another man.
"I don't need your thanks," Ji Wan said indifferently, "I just want the results."
After hanging up the phone, Ji Wan stood there, looking at the dark night outside the window, feeling complicated.
She made a major decision, a decision that could completely change her future life. But for Chi Wenyan, she had no choice.
For the next two days, Ji Wan almost watched how Zhao Xiyue mobilized her energy.
Zhao Xiyue did not contact her too often, but the progress of Chi Wenyan's case continued to come through Lin Sen or other channels.
First, the direction of public opinion began to change, and some evidence unfavorable to Chi Wenyan was pointed out to be doubtful. Then, several key witnesses suddenly changed their statements. Then, the old man of the Zhao family, who had not been out for a long time, personally called the head of the relevant department.
Everything proceeded in an orderly manner with an unquestionable force.
Ji Wan had to admit that Zhao Xiyue was indeed a woman with her own abilities and courage.
She is not just a delicate young lady hiding under the protection of her family.
On the afternoon of the third day, Ji Wan unexpectedly received a call from Zhao Xiyue, asking her to meet him in a very private teahouse.
Ji Wan thought about it for a moment and then agreed. Some things needed to be discussed face to face.
In the teahouse's private room, the aroma of incense curled up.
Zhao Xiyue was wearing a loose beige long skirt, with a slightly bulging belly. Although her face was still a little pale, the gloom between her brows had dissipated a lot, adding a bit of calmness.
"Mr. Chi's matter has been basically resolved," Zhao Xiyue spoke first, handing Ji Wan a document. "This is the latest situation report. The relevant clarification announcement will be released soon."
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