Chapter 39: The Domineering Secretary Bai Yueguang 18 The End of the Second World
After the two reconciled, they spent some sweet time together, and soon it was Qiao Chi's birthday.
At the banquet, a noble and arrogant man was wearing a well-tailored suit, with a stern look on his face. The girl beside him had skin as white as snow and a gentle temperament. She was led in hand in hand, and the slender and bony hand held her tightly as if declaring sovereignty.
Many people turned to look, surprise in their eyes... Ji Hanlin had never been the kind of person who liked to bring a female companion to events, let alone something like this. He personally held her hand and brought her in. The two of them seemed to have a very good relationship and were very close.
Some people wanted to get close to Ji Hanlin, so they came forward to greet him. When the man introduced the girl beside him, he simply took her into his arms and said, "My fiancée, Wen Qianning."
Those who heard it paused slightly, unable to hide the shock and disbelief in their eyes.
No one had ever heard that President Ji was engaged, and no one had ever seen him bring a woman out in public. And now, someone he personally called his "fiancée"?!
Of course, there were women who claimed to be Mr. Ji's fiancée before, such as the one from the Gu family. But wasn't that quickly exposed? The truth was, no woman could get close to Ji Hanlin.
Qiao Chi came over, holding a wine glass, a hint of smile on his face, and jokingly said, "Brother Ji, sister-in-law, you two have finally reconciled."
Wen Qianning blinked and tilted her head to look at Qiao Chi. Before she could respond, she heard Ji Hanlin say, "Yeah."
Qiao Chi sighed and shook his head. He patted her shoulder with a serious look on his face, "Sister-in-law, you don't know how miserable Brother Ji was when you were away. He had a gloomy face every day. We didn't dare to talk to him at all, for fear that one careless move would..."
Before he could finish, he was interrupted by Ji Hanlin's cold eyes and quickly shut his mouth.
"Yes, yes! Sister-in-law, you two must stop quarreling." Yan Yang came over and made a face to join in.
Wen Qianning's eyes flickered slightly. She smiled and pulled Ji Hanlin's hand, her eyebrows curved: "...We won't quarrel anymore."
Qiao Chi smiled and shook his head, with ambiguous emotions hidden in his eyes. It was not that they were meddling, but that this man who had never failed in love really cared about her in his heart.
Lin Haozhe, who was not far away, kept looking towards them.
He was just casually looking around the crowd, but the moment Ji Hanlin walked in holding Wen Qianning's hand, his gaze seemed to be fixed on them.
The girl's eyebrows and eyes remained the same, as if nothing had changed, yet something had changed. The way she and Ji Hanlin held hands was so intimate that it could not be ignored.
Lin Haozhe was slightly stunned. He didn't expect Wen Qianning to be like this when she was with Ji Hanlin.
He knew very well what this woman was like in front of him. She was stubborn and always had a bad face towards him, as if she hated him to the extreme.
But now, she seemed like a different person in front of Ji Hanlin, intimate and dependent.
This change made him feel sorry.
It's a pity that he didn't really reach out to grab her at the beginning, but tested her with a playful mentality. It's a pity that the softness that he ignored and thought could be easily obtained is now in the arms of another man.
Originally, she was just being used as a tool to deal with Ji Hanlin, so he wasn't so jealous that he lost his composure, but complicated thoughts slowly sank in his heart... It was like seeing a piece of unpolished jade that was originally in his hand being polished into a dazzling gem by others.
There was a hint of emotion in Lin Haozhe's eyes.
Wen Qianning noticed Lin Haozhe not far away. When she saw this person, her heart skipped a beat.
I didn't expect him to come too.
But think about it, of course all the important people will be invited to Qiao Chi’s birthday party, and Lin Haozhe is no exception.
She withdrew her gaze and calmly turned her attention back to the man beside her. Ji Hanlin also noticed something and tightened his arms, clasping her waist.
Lin Haozhe walked over with a wine glass.
"Miss Wen, long time no see." He looked at her and smiled meaningfully.
Ji Hanlin paused and looked at Lin Haozhe: "What's the matter?"
Lin Haozhe's smile remained unchanged, as if he didn't hear the coldness in his tone. "Nothing, I just saw someone I know and wanted to chat for a while." He handed the wine glass to Wen Qianning, "Here, this is my apology for my previous disrespect."
How close was she to Lin Haozhe? Wen Qianning thought to herself, it was neither right to accept nor to refuse. She could feel Ji Hanlin's hand tightening around her waist. The man must be in a bad mood at the moment.
"My fiancée doesn't drink." Ji Hanlin directly blocked it for her.
Lin Haozhe's smile paused for a moment, then he put it back on and said nonchalantly, "Fiancée? Well... congratulations to Miss Wen and President Ji."
"...Thank you." Wen Qianning pursed her lips and politely clinked her glass with Lin Haozhe.
Anyway, we will never see each other again.
Lin Haozhe took a step back, his gaze still fixed on her, a complex emotion that was difficult to conceal flashing in his eyes.
Wen Qianning felt that there was almost no extra communication between her and Lin Haozhe, but Ji Hanlin was still unhappy. His unhappiness was not immediately apparent, so she did not feel it at the banquet.
Until they returned home...
The girl, as soft as a boneless bone, leaned against the headboard, a trace of weariness in her eyes, but she didn't dare to look at the man sitting beside her. Her ankle was gently lifted by him, and she couldn't help but shiver when the cool metal slid across her skin.
"Ji Hanlin..." She called out softly, her voice soft and light, like a coquettish plea.
The man was not moved at all. He looked down at her fair and slender ankle, put the exquisitely crafted chain with a lock around her foot, and fastened it slowly.
It was a custom-made anklet, a thin metal chain that swayed gently with her movements, making a crisp sound.
Her face was a little red, because the existence of the anklet was a little too ambiguous. She tried to pull her leg back, but the next second, Ji Hanlin grabbed her ankle and dragged her back.
"Haven't we reconciled yet... I won't break up again, and I won't leave you again." Wen Qianning bit her lip and sobbed, trying to arouse the man's pity.
Ji Hanlin looked up at her with a slight smile on his lips, his gaze fell on the anklet again, unable to hide the possessive intent in his bones.
"What are you moving?" He said in a low voice, his fingers climbing up her calf inch by inch.
"I've also told you that if you dare to break up, I will really lock you up... lock you up by my side and not let you go anywhere."
As the man spoke, his hand slowly slid across her back and he held her in his arms.
"Ji Hanlin!" Her breathing was disordered and she couldn't help but let out a soft cry.
"Besides, you kept staring at Lin Haozhe tonight." His voice sounded extremely displeased.
What do you mean by staring at Lin Haozhe? She didn't do that at all. At most, she just glanced at him twice, and he didn't stare at her intentionally.
Wen Qianning was speechless. She wanted to say something, but before she could open her mouth again, the man bent down and kissed her.
The kisses fell on her lips, eyebrows, and collarbone... With a little punishment, his movements were not as restrained as before, but with some strong emotional outburst, wanting to confirm from every inch of her skin that she really belonged to him.
The girl's cheeks were burning hot, and the tears that were about to overflow from the corners of her eyes made her look even softer and more fragile. She was a little embarrassed and retracted her feet again, trying to avoid it, but Ji Hanlin held her knees and pressed her into his arms.
The chain on the ankle was pulled and swayed slightly, and another "rustling" sound was heard, which was particularly clear in the room.
I've wanted to do this to her for a long time.
Ji Hanlin looked down and could feel the delicate warmth in his palms around her feet. His gaze unconsciously fell on the junction of the chain and her skin. The chain was wrapped around her slender ankle, making her feet look even whiter and tenderer. The chain on it swayed gently with her movements.
It really suits her.
After an unknown amount of time, the only sound in the room was the faint sound of breathing. Wen Qianning had completely lost all strength and fell asleep in the quilt.
Ji Hanlin leaned over and pulled the quilt up for her.
Then he stood up and walked to the wine cabinet, opened the door, took out a bottle of red wine, and slowly poured it into the goblet.
The light reflected on the wine. He took a sip and the aroma of the wine spread in his mouth, but it was not as intoxicating as the taste just now.
He leaned on the sofa, his eyes looking over the rim of the cup and falling on the girl who was sleeping not far away. The scenes just now were still surging in his mind.
The man gently swirled the red wine in the glass, and the corners of his lips slowly curled up, as if he was savoring a feast that belonged to him and could not be shared with anyone else.
As a favored child who has been the center of attention since childhood, Ji Hanlin's life has been smooth sailing and he has never experienced any setbacks. People always rush to give him whatever he wants, and he has never known what loss is.
Until... after being dumped by Wen Qianning.
In my memory, in the days after Wen Qianning left, the dim private room was filled with scattered wine glasses, and the air was filled with depression and silence.
Under the light, the man's face was expressionless, but there was a hint of fatigue in his eyes. He said nothing, but just drank his wine sip by sip.
Qiao Chi sat nearby, looking at his lost expression, feeling a bit restless. He had always known Ji Hanlin to be the type of person who didn't easily show his emotions. He was a low-key person, hiding his emotions behind a calm, almost indifferent face.
But at this moment, that kind of calmness makes people feel inexplicably cold in their hearts.
He watched Ji Hanlin raise his glass again, unable to bear it any longer, and finally reached out to stop him.
"Brother Ji, stop drinking." He sighed, his tone heavy, revealing an unbearable reluctance. "Why torture yourself like this?"
Ji Hanlin didn't respond, but just stared at the wine glass that was taken away and pursed his lips.
Qiao Chi put the wine glass on the table, turned his head to look at Yan Yang beside him, and winked at him frantically, meaning that he should hurry up and persuade Ji Hanlin. Yan Yang just watched quietly without saying a word.
In fact, they all knew what was bothering Ji Hanlin, and they also knew that other people's persuasion might be in vain... There were some things that no one could persuade Ji Hanlin about except herself.
He has always been calm and rational, but only in front of that person would he become less like himself.
Qiao Chi withdrew his gaze and sighed softly.
"Han Lin." Yan Yang opened his mouth and finally spoke, his tone unhurried, "I believe you always know what you want."
"You've always been the type to take what you want. If you can't let go...why not, just go after it."
He would definitely chase her, but the young master of the Ji family, who had always been a master strategist, felt this kind of erratic uncertainty for the first time, and his mood became complicated.
Previously, he had never bothered to find out about Wen Qianning. Although he wanted to know everything about her, he would rather she tell him in person. If there was something she didn't want to tell him, it meant she didn't want him to know, and he would respect her space.
But now, he was eager to know the reason behind all this.
When Wen Qianning's information was spread out one by one and clearly placed in front of him, Ji Hanlin sat in the chair with his eyelashes drooping, and did not move for a long time.
Now the answer was right in front of him, clear at a glance, yet it made him feel an indescribable bitterness.
It turned out that she didn't leave for no reason, it was just... she needed some money so badly, but she didn't want to get it from him.
She could endure being in huge debt and having no future, but refused to say a word to him. She was afraid that he would think she was after his money, that she was trying to get close to him, and that she would rather leave than bow her head and beg for his mercy?
Ji Hanlin closed his eyes, not understanding. He could give her as much as 30 million as she wanted, so why didn't she want to tell him about her difficulties?
What did she think of him? A lover? A financial sponsor?
Or... I never believed him at all.
He lowered his head, his throat felt dry and he couldn't utter a word. The feeling that had been heavy in his heart for a long time was finally torn open at this moment.
At that time, he hesitated, wondering if he needed to give the two of them some time apart to think things over...
Obviously, after considering the separation for a while, he simply couldn't let go of this woman and missed her even more.
*
Wen Qianning was very melancholy. She didn't know why the task of promoting the development of the male and female protagonists was so difficult, while the remedial tasks could always be completed easily.
She didn't want to go back to work at Ji's anymore. After getting back together with Ji Hanlin, she felt that there was no need for her to appear at Ji's anymore. Not only was it difficult to avoid suspicion, but she also had to endure the employees' ambiguous and gossipy gazes every day. In private, she might even be called "President's Wife"...
Just imagining this scene was unbearable, she didn't like this feeling.
So, Wen Qianning began planning something new: she rented a small studio and began to build her own design team. She didn't rely on Ji Hanlin's investment, and even though she knew that resources would flow to her endlessly if she just asked, she said nothing.
After hearing about Wen Qianning's idea, Jian Yi expressed her strong support and wanted to join. She needed an independent identity with decision-making power and was willing to take risks, and this happened to be a very good opportunity.
For the heroine, instead of being a bystander, Jian Yi would rather personally participate in building a brand that she can lead and have independent ideas.
Wen Qianning was naturally very happy about her joining... Although Jian Yi had always worked for Ji's company in the original plot and there was no such thing as job-hopping, it didn't matter anymore since the plot has become so distorted now.
-----------------------
The author has something to say: The second world is over~ Comment to send red envelopes to the babies [poor]
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
