It was rare for the family of four to be sitting together when a phone suddenly rang.
Ji Mingyu was sitting close by and caught the sound of a gentle woman's voice coming from the phone, soft as melting sugar.
The smile on Ji Zhiyuan's face faded considerably, and his tone turned cold:
"Do you have any idea what time it is? Don't call me. I'll contact you when I have something for you."
Without waiting for a reply, he hung up.
Su Wanyun acted as if she'd heard nothing. She picked up her teacup, set it down, and turned naturally to the two children, her tone calm:
"Your eldest sister Mingyue is coming back. You need to get along with her, understood?"
Ji Mingyu nodded obediently.
But in her heart, she thought: things were about to get lively around here.
The book had made it perfectly clear—Ji Mingyue had no fondness whatsoever for the three of them—mother, daughter, and son.
Ji Mingyue believed Su Wanyun was the reason she couldn't stay and live in Nanshi, and even more, that Su Wanyun had stolen her mother's place.
Ji Mingyu rolled her eyes internally.
Was she out of her mind?
The reason she couldn't stay with her rich father was that her maternal grandparents had insisted on taking her away. And her mother Su Wanyun was even more innocent here, okay? Well, alright, maybe not that innocent.
After all, Su Wanyun really couldn't be called a good stepmother.
But the thing was, Su Wanyun had only met Ji Zhiyuan a full year after Ji Mingyue's mother died in childbirth. The marriage came after that too.
And she could still blame her for that?
Hearing Su Wanyun's words, Ji Zhiyuan frowned.
"Who says the younger ones should have to give way?" he said, displeased. "Don't listen to your mother. You all act as you normally would."
Then he raised his wrist and checked his watch.
"Something's come up at the company. I'm leaving."
Su Wanyun rose, picked up his jacket from beside her, and handed it over, her movements so natural it was as if she'd done it ten thousand times.
"Be careful on the road."
Ji Zhiyuan took the jacket and draped it over his shoulders, his gaze sweeping over Ji Mingxuan.
"Mingxuan, the Gangyun project," he said, his tone not heavy but carrying an authority that brooked no refusal. "Tomorrow morning, I want to see your proposal on my desk."
Ji Mingxuan nodded without another word.
As Ji Mingyu watched Ji Mingxuan turn to head upstairs, an idea suddenly popped into her head.
"Mingxuan, wait a moment."
Ji Mingxuan stopped mid-step and turned back to look at her, puzzled.
Instead of explaining right away, Ji Mingyu turned to Su Wanyun, her tone turning serious: "Mom, do you and Dad attend banquets together often?"
Su Wanyun was taken aback for a moment, but still gave it serious thought: "Not very often. After all, I have quite a few research projects to prepare for."
Ji Mingxuan came back, looking confused: "Sis, why are you asking that?"
Ji Mingyu leaned back on the sofa, tapping the armrest absently with her fingers.
"Isn't Ji Corporation facing a problem of transformation?" She paused. "Not just in terms of investment, but in how society as a whole views the Ji family."
Ji Mingxuan nodded.
That was indeed no secret. Ji Zhiyuan had mentioned it at home too—how to get the public to view Ji Corporation more favorably.
"I was thinking, what if we build a public persona for Dad? Make people feel that this aloof tycoon is really no different from ordinary people."
She looked at Ji Mingxuan.
"By closing that distance, wouldn't ordinary people be more accepting of us?"
Ji Mingxuan frowned. "Build a persona? What kind of persona?"
This thing is sometimes a double-edged sword—used well, it brings both fame and fortune, but once something goes wrong, the consequences…
Ji Mingyu's lips curved into a meaningful smile.
"The Ji family's devoted-husband persona."
The moment the words fell, the living room went silent for an instant.
Ji Mingxuan was stunned.
Su Wanyun was stunned too.
But Su Wanyun's reaction was quicker—she saw the benefits in it almost instantly.
This persona was brilliant.
For her—no, for all three of them, mother and children—it couldn't be better.
But she quickly calmed down, her tone carrying a hint of uncertainty: "The persona is good, but… will your father—will Ji Zhiyuan actually agree to it?"
Ji Mingxuan frowned at first, as if weighing something.
Then his brow slowly relaxed, and the corners of his mouth lifted bit by bit.
He looked at Ji Mingyu, a newfound respect in his eyes.
"Sis," he raised a finger, "you're the real mastermind here."
With that, he turned and strode up the stairs, taking them two or three at a time, heading straight for the study on the second floor.
Only then did Ji Mingyu answer Su Wanyun's earlier question.
"Whether Dad agrees," she said with certainty, "depends on the report Mingxuan prepares. Whether the data he presents is attractive enough."
Su Wanyun said nothing more.
She knew Ji Zhiyuan well. If the benefits were big enough, he would certainly be willing to build this persona in front of the public. Besides—
In his own mind, he probably already counted as a good husband and a good father among the wealthy circles.
The corner of Su Wanyun's mouth twitched almost imperceptibly, but she didn't say it out loud.
Second-floor study.
Ji Mingxuan sat in his chair, leaning back, the chair creaking softly.
His mind kept turning over the idea his sister had just proposed.
He had to admit—it was incredibly advantageous for him.
He needed to think about how to reflect it in the report.
Or maybe… it didn't need to be in the report at all.
He had already graduated and officially joined the company. He could gradually guide things in his day-to-day work. Push a little at a time, and hoist his father right up onto that pedestal.
Once he was up there, coming down would be difficult.
Downstairs.
Su Wanyun led Ji Mingyu through the living room toward the front courtyard.
Su Wanyun's steps were unhurried, her voice soft.
"Mingyu—"
"That persona you mentioned just now…" She glanced sideways at her daughter. "It wasn't just for the Ji family's sake, was it?"
Ji Mingyu neither denied it nor admitted it. She just smiled and took Su Wanyun's arm.
"Mom, I was just saying it off the top of my head."
Then, in a casual tone, she added,
"Mom, I realized today that I'm really not much like Dad at all."
Su Wanyun didn't even think before blurting out: "That's because you take after me."
Ji Mingyu glanced at her, eyes crinkling with a smile: "Then I'm truly lucky. If I looked like Dad, our family would be one great beauty short."
Su Wanyun was amused and gave her a light pat: "Your father isn't ugly. Doesn't your brother take after him more? Do you think he's not handsome?"
"Well, no, he is."
Ji Mingyu smiled, then her tone shifted, as if something had just occurred to her.
"Mom, how did you and Dad meet?"
She tilted her head, her voice full of curiosity.
"A university teacher and a famous wealthy businessman—it feels like you two were from completely different worlds."
Su Wanyun's steps paused slightly, then returned to normal.
"Nothing special."
"Back then, my mentor took me along to a project, and it just so happened that the person in charge of that project was your father."
"That's how we met."
Ji Mingyu blinked. "That's all there was to it?"
Su Wanyun smiled. "What else? I was just a university lecturer back then."
As for how a mere lecturer like her managed to get onto the project—well, of course, it was because she had put in more than enough effort.