Chapter 199 In Young Master Zhong's eyes, his former father-in-law was no different from his biological father; he didn't really want to pay them any attention.
When Ji Tanyuan got off work, she returned to the villa and saw the car parked in front of the house.
Ji Tanyuan and Zhong Yan, who had rushed over, met at the door.
She gestured with her chin toward the cars. "Your parents are here."
Zhong Yan stepped forward and hummed in agreement.
"It wouldn't be good if you didn't come."
He was just waiting for them to come; if he had told them in advance, Zhong Fangqi would have been urging him every day.
But things are different now. He'll keep it a secret for now, and when Ji Tanyuan's pregnancy becomes undeniable, they'll come on their own.
Ji Tanyuan stopped walking and said to Zhong Yan:
“I just need my child to live with me. If your parents can accept that, that would be even better. I cannot accept my child growing up in the Zhong family’s environment. Zhong Yan, do you understand…”
"Perhaps your grandfather's education was successful, after all, your brother has indeed achieved success in the officialdom, but I am more inclined to believe that your brother is intelligent on his own."
“Ji Tanyuan,” Zhong Yan interrupted her.
His expression turned cold, then he glanced at her stomach and softened his tone: "Is it so hard to learn to trust me?"
"Do you think I'm waiting for them to compromise, so that you can each back down, we can remarry, and then I'll let you go back to Yanjing?"
Ji Tanyuan remained silent, then looked up, "It's not that I don't believe it at all."
Zhong Yan lowered his eyes to meet her gaze, and helped her up:
"There's no need. They won't rush you. Don't be anxious because of the Zhong family. The child is yours. Even if my grandparents threaten to kill themselves, they can't take him away."
"Go in."
Ji Tanyuan didn't understand what exactly meant by "unnecessary".
As she entered, she saw four parents sitting and chatting.
The atmosphere was pretty good.
Zhou Yanyu saw the two people at the door, and then saw Ji Tanyuan's belly, and stood up.
“Tan Yuan, we only found out now that Zhong Yan was pregnant, and he didn’t even tell the family.”
Ji Tanyuan smiled and said, "It's alright."
Ji Tanyuan then greeted Zhong Fangqi.
There were four people in total, all of them respectable and noble. The two middle-aged men were often in high positions and had a natural, calm and dignified aura. The two middle-aged women were dignified and elegant, and graceful and gentle.
Ji Tanyuan looked at this seemingly harmonious but fake scene and felt quite emotional.
Zhong Yan helped Ji Tanyuan sit down. Even though the two young people didn't show their childish side in front of their parents, they still acted like children.
Zhong Yan first asked the nanny to heat up a cup of milk for Ji Tanyuan and put a pillow under her head.
In comparison, Zhong Yan was the most relaxed here, with only Ji Tanyuan in his eyes and not caring much about the four adults.
In Mr. Zhong's eyes, his former father-in-law was no different from his biological father; he didn't really want to pay attention to either of them.
The former constantly wants his daughter to kick him so that the four of them, three generations, can live happily together. The latter, needless to say, has never been normal.
Zhong Fangqi said first, "We are late. It's not nice to say that we are having children for the Zhong family, but the children still have the blood of the Zhong family, and we can't completely ignore them. Tan Yuan, do you understand what your uncle means?"
Ji Tanyuan:
“I didn’t stop the child from calling you Grandpa, nor did I deny that the child’s father is Zhong Yan. It’s just that I am also an only child, and pregnancy is very hard. So, Uncle Zhong, can you understand a mother’s heart?”
"I'm sure you understand."
Zhong Fangqi fell silent upon hearing this, while Ji Tanyuan still held a grudge.
Zhong Fangqi looked at her stomach and softened his tone:
"I understand, so you want the child to have the surname Ji? Right?"
"Why not? Whether you're surnamed Ji or Zhong, you're half-Zhong family blood. If this can alleviate your worries, then yes."
This time it was Ji Tanyuan's turn to be surprised. She thought that Zhong Fangqi's domineering and autocratic nature would prevent the child from taking the mother's surname.
Zhong Fangqi took a sip of tea, looked up, glanced at his son, and then at Ji Tanyuan, who was still in shock.
“You are divorced. Legally and ethically, you naturally have custody of the child you gave birth to. This is indisputable. Therefore, the Zhong family should thank you.”
Zhong Yan lazily lifted one eyelid: "If my child doesn't want to go into politics, you can't force him, Dad."
Zhong Fangqi's face turned cold for a few seconds, and he was about to tell him to shut up.
But then he remembered where he was and said, "Of course, everything should be based on respecting the child's wishes. However, if he wants to go into politics, the parents can't stop him, can they? I'm talking about both men and women."
“Even if it’s a girl, if she wants to go into politics or the military, I, as her grandfather, will do everything I can to support her.”
Ji Tanyuan was shocked this time.
The contrast was so stark that she couldn't believe Zhong Fangqi had said those words.
That makes sense, though. She's no longer a member of the Zhong family, so naturally she has to be "polite." That's just how the Zhong family is—they're extremely polite and well-mannered towards outsiders.
But behind closed doors, they present a completely different face: domineering, autocratic, and greedy. This is their true nature, and the struggle for power requires these qualities.
A gentleman is more like a sheepskin, and their outward manners are more like a disguise, and also the arrogance of the powerful and wealthy.
Ji Tanyuan thought to herself, "She's the same way."
Ji Tanyuan replied, "The child is blessed to have grandparents like you and Auntie."
Zhong Fangqi breathed a sigh of relief, thinking that at his age, his son was no longer effective and he had to take matters into his own hands.
This is so damn annoying.
The six of them then had a meal, during which Zhou Yanyu gave the Zhong family's heirloom jade pendant to Ji Tanyuan, saying it was for the child.
His surname is Ji, and he is the eldest grandson of the Zhong family.
Ji Tanyuan was a little confused. She couldn't understand why Zhong Fangqi had regressed so much; it definitely wasn't out of "love" for Zhong Yan.
Ji Tanyuan and Zhong Yan went to see off the two elders. Zhong Fangqi still had work to do and could not stay in another province for an extended period of time.
Zhou Yanyu: "Don't feel pressured or worry. The old lady and the old man won't bother you."
After seeing the two off, Ji Tanyuan slowly walked to digest her food.
Ji Tanyuan didn't know the real situation in the inner workings of Beijing's elite circles, but she had a vague idea of it.
The fact that three generations of the Zhong family have held positions in the government is already a major taboo. If the next generation takes the surname Zhong, it is extremely likely that they will be subject to close scrutiny by the Party Committee and the Political and Legal Affairs Commission because it is easy to form a class solidification and interest group. They may even be prevented from taking important positions.
This is why many of the next generation in Beijing's elite circles do not take their father's surname, or use many aliases.
Zhong Fangqi readily accepted that the next generation would not bear the surname Zhong. He was always able to come up with countermeasures extremely quickly. He had already thought ten moves ahead of him in time for the opponent's next move. Ji Tanyuan sometimes had to admire the cunning of a politician.
Zhong Yan: "Don't worry, who knows what the future holds? It depends on what the little one likes and is good at. It's too early to talk about these things now."
"Don't think too far ahead about babies; take care of the present and let nature take its course."
Ji Tanyuan nodded and touched her belly. "It's unbelievable. I thought your father was here to threaten you."
Zhong Yan laughed, his eyes full of schadenfreude: "Now that you're carrying the only son of the Zhong family, who would dare to mess with you?"
"Don't be fooled by his constant work and career; he does have personal feelings too. This old-fashioned guy craves them, but he just won't say it."
“You should have taken the opportunity to extort some money from him. He’s going to visit Qing City soon. Ask him to arrange a company visit to the Jinglong Group factory. It would have been absolutely no bad thing for your company.”
Upon hearing this, Ji Tanyuan was speechless. "What kind of son is like you?"
After walking a few steps, Ji Tanyuan said again, "Why didn't you say so sooner?"
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