After the old man left, Ji Han Zhuo directly pulled the girl onto his lap, examining her outfit from top to bottom.
The girl was wearing a smoky makeup look so intense that even her own mother might not recognize her—black eyeshadow, purplish-red lipstick, large gold hoop earrings on her earlobes, a short black skull-print T-shirt that barely covered her stomach, black leather jacket and pants, and chunky chain-adorned combat boots.
Quite the look, indeed.
It seemed some of the life assistants were no longer needed, allowing such clothes to appear in the wardrobe.
It wasn’t that he wouldn’t let her wear them—if she wanted to, he could prepare a few more sets in the manor’s wardrobe—but not at the company.
Jiang Xizhi felt flustered under Ji Han Zhuo’s intense gaze, yet she dared not move.
After a thorough inspection, Ji Han Zhuo’s eyes finally settled on Jiang Xizhi’s exposed waist. His large hand covered it, kneading the soft, delicate flesh before measuring it with his palm.
His two hands could almost fully grasp it—it felt quite nice, though it was too slender. What if it accidentally snapped in the future?
In the end, Jiang Xizhi wearing these clothes had only benefited Ji Han Zhuo.
“Don’t misunderstand, I just wanted to try a different style of dressing, not what you’re thinking,” Jiang Xizhi explained weakly, suppressing her trembling, even though she knew the explanation was useless.
Ji Han Zhuo didn’t respond, his hands continuing their movements as he scoffed softly. After a moment, he leisurely asked, “Oh? Are you sure you weren’t trying to make the old man dislike you?”
He hit the nail on the head.
Aside from Jiang Xizhi herself, no one understood her better than Ji Han Zhuo.
Jiang Xizhi felt a bit weary. It was truly impossible to have a conversation with someone of such high intelligence.
But she had no choice but to press on, forcing a smile as she said, “That’s not it at all, you’re overthinking it. My dress got wrinkled, so I just grabbed a random outfit from the wardrobe.”
“And this makeup? I never expected Xi Xi’s hands to be so skillful. When I asked you to accompany me to a banquet before, you weren’t like this,” Ji Han Zhuo shifted his hand to Jiang Xizhi’s face, pinching and kneading it, focusing on the thick layer of foundation she had applied.
Jiang Xizhi felt as though her face was being squeezed out of shape.
That dog of a man, always bringing up old grievances.
Ji Han Zhuo was referring to the last time he had asked her to accompany him to the Shen family’s company anniversary celebration. She had refused, using the excuse that she didn’t like wearing makeup and didn’t want to go.
Unless it was absolutely necessary, Ji Han Zhuo generally wouldn’t force Jiang Xizhi to do things she disliked, so he had agreed and attended the banquet alone.
“Well, I’m just trying out makeup now, so that next time you take me to a banquet, I’ll be more comfortable with it.”
Upon hearing this, Ji Han Zhuo increased the pressure of his grip.
“Stop pinching, it hurts. I was wrong, okay? I promise I won’t do this again.”
When under someone else’s roof, one must bow their head.
Ji Han Zhuo lightened his grip, his voice low and serious. “This is the last time. If you pull such tricks again, I won’t let you off lightly.”
“Mhm, I promise.”
“Go wash off the makeup and change your clothes.”
“Got it.” Jiang Xizhi practically sprinted into the lounge.
Ever since her first visit to Ji Han Zhuo’s company, he had instructed his assistant to prepare everything a girl might need. So, since there were cosmetics, the tools for removing makeup were naturally fully stocked as well.
After removing her makeup and stepping out of the bathroom, Jiang Xizhi immediately spotted the blue lace-trimmed dress laid out on the bed. Though reluctant, she pursed her lips and took the dress back into the bathroom.
Ji Han Zhuo was unusually stubborn. If he wanted her to wear a blue dress, she had to wear that style all day long.
When Jiang Xizhi emerged from the lounge, she had transformed back into a pure and beautiful fairy—bright-eyed with pearly teeth, dark hair cascading over her shoulders, and a soft, knee-length blue dress that made her look utterly charming. It was a world apart from her earlier non-mainstream appearance.
Ji Han Zhuo, seated on the sofa, beckoned her over with a wave of his hand.
As she approached, he picked up a red velvet box beside him, opened it, and took out a bracelet glowing with a reddish hue. He then pulled Jiang Xizhi’s wrist toward him and slipped the bracelet onto it.
“This is from Grandpa. Wear it properly.” Jiang Xizhi knew it was blood jade—priceless and rare. Even across the entire capital, few pieces of such fine quality could be found. She also understood what accepting this bracelet symbolized.
She couldn’t bear such a responsibility.
“Can I put it away for now? It’s too precious. What if it gets damaged?”
Ji Han Zhuo had been admiring her wrist adorned with the jade bracelet, but upon hearing her words, he immediately looked up and refused. “No. If I tell you to wear it, wear it properly.”
Once she wore this jade bracelet, in life she would be his person, and in death, his ghost.
“But I don’t want to wear it. It’s too cumbersome. I’ve never worn anything like this before. It’s uncomfortable and rubs against my wrist. If you want me to wear something, give me something lighter. I promise I’ll wear it every day, even when I shower.”
After saying this, Jiang Xizhi wrapped her arms around Ji Han Zhuo’s shoulders and began to plead. “Please agree to this. I really don’t want to wear this.”
Ji Han Zhuo loved it most when she acted coquettishly. Besides, her swaying was making him a bit dizzy, so he nodded and agreed.
Jiang Xizhi immediately extended her wrist toward him in a flattering manner, blinking her almond-shaped eyes at him, signaling for him to help remove the bracelet.
Ji Han Zhuo helplessly pinched her cheek, took off the bracelet, and placed it back into the box. Then, he tucked the box into Jiang Xizhi’s arms.
“Grandpa gave this to you. Take good care of it.”
“Alright.”
Though she agreed verbally, Jiang Xizhi thought to herself that she would lock this hot potato in Ji Han Zhuo’s safe as soon as she got home. That way, it wouldn’t really be her responsibility to keep it safe.
After sitting beside Ji Han Zhuo for a while longer, Jiang Xizhi remembered her plans and asked, “How about we go shopping tomorrow to pick out a bracelet? I want you to choose it yourself. Is that okay? It’s been so long since I’ve been out.”
It would also be a perfect opportunity to buy a few more outfits—killing two birds with one stone.
Go out? A faint glint flashed in Ji Han Zhuo’s eyes as he looked up and met Jiang Xizhi’s gaze, staring intently as if trying to discern something from her expression.
Jiang Xizhi felt a bit nervous. Why was this dog man so vigilant? But she pretended to be completely unfazed and met his gaze. What was there to fear? She just wanted to take the chance to buy a few outfits.
“Come with me. Besides, it’s been so long since I’ve gone shopping.”
Ji Han Zhuo thought for a moment before finally agreeing. “Alright, I’ll clear my schedule for tomorrow.”
“Actually, it doesn’t have to be tomorrow. If you’re busy tomorrow, the day after is fine too. It’s the weekend.”
“As you wish.”
“You’re the best. Alright, go handle your work. I’ll watch some more TV.”
Actually, besides suspecting Jiang Xizhi, Ji Han Zhuo had been pondering another question: how exactly does one go shopping?
Yes, no need to question it. For a favored son of heaven like Ji Han Zhuo, every aspect of his life—clothing, food, housing, and transportation—was arranged for him. He had never truly experienced shopping.
After Ji Han Zhuo went to handle his work, Jiang Xizhi completely collapsed onto the sofa. Talking to Ji Han Zhuo was really exhausting; if she wasn’t careful, she might even lose her life. She truly had it tough.
Because Jiang Xizhi was there, Ji Han Zhuo quickly finished dealing with his emails and left work with her before five o’clock.
Ji Han Zhuo was very casual about his work. Since the company was his, he could leave whenever he wanted.
But even with Ji Han Zhuo’s sporadic work style—working hard for three days and slacking off for two—J·T Company was still managed exceptionally well under his leadership.
According to Chen Zhan’s calculations, their Master Ji wasn’t slacking off; he was just highly efficient. What took ordinary people two days to complete, Master Ji could finish in half a day. There was no helping it—it was a matter of talent. Some people were simply born for this line of work.