He silently turned his head and continued flipping through the magazine in his hands, looking very serious and focused, but the subtle curve at the corner of his mouth revealed his cheerful mood.
The rest of the journey was peaceful, because no matter how Song Qingchi tried to strike up a conversation, Ji Xingzhu kept a cold face and didn’t say a single word, not even sparing him a glance.
After the plane landed, Ji Xingzhu, escorted by her family’s bodyguards, left without looking back, her high heels clicking sharply, leaving Song Qinghu with only a merciless view of her back—a clear sign that her anger hadn’t subsided yet.
Seeing this, Song Qingchi felt a twinge of regret—it seemed he had teased her too much.
He needed to find a way to cheer her up again.
·
There was quite a distance from the airport to the Ji family villa, and Ji Xingzhu dozed off in the car. By the time she finally got home, all she wanted was to rest properly. However, someone was already waiting for her early in the living room, thwarting her plan to catch up on sleep.
Wen Xuze sat on the living room sofa with a dark face, having waited for who knows how long. The moment he saw Ji Xingzhu enter, he abruptly stood up, pointed a finger at her, and roared angrily, “Ji Xingzhu, you’re utterly lawless!”
Ji Xingzhu was already annoyed, and now someone was running straight into her line of fire. She immediately tossed her suitcase aside and retorted coldly without backing down, “Who are you yelling at?!”
Seeing Ji Xingzhu defy him, her own father, like this, Wen Xuze’s anger flared even more. His body trembled slightly with rage as he demanded sternly, “Let me ask you, why didn’t you tell us beforehand that you were also participating in that dating show? And you agreed to lend the villa to Yajun to stay in—was it deliberately to embarrass her?!”
Wen Xuze had wanted to settle scores with Ji Xingzhu for a while. However, she had been out of town filming the show these past few days, and he couldn’t get to her, so he had to stew in his anger. Now that Ji Xingzhu was finally home, he immediately exploded.
Ji Xingzhu crossed her arms over her chest, rolled her eyes disdainfully, and sneered, “Yeah, I did it on purpose.”
She openly flaunted her maliciousness.
Wen Xuze was momentarily stunned, never expecting her to admit it so readily. Then came even greater fury. “And you have the nerve to admit it?!”
Ji Xingzhu laughed. “Wen Yajun had the nerve to show off using someone else’s villa, so why shouldn’t I have the nerve to admit it?”
Wen Xuze’s face turned ashen. He took a deep breath and said, “Fine, Yajun was also wrong in that matter. Let’s set that aside for now. I have another question for you.”
“Ji Xingzhu, how… how could you say in front of millions of viewers nationwide that I was a live-in son-in-law?” A deep sense of shame surfaced on Wen Xuze’s face as he gritted his teeth and demanded.
Ji Xingzhu blinked innocently, feigning ignorance. “Isn’t that the truth? Why can’t I say it?”
Wen Xuze choked for a moment, then said discontentedly, “Even if it’s the truth, you can’t just go around saying it! Ji Xingzhu, letting everyone know your father is a live-in son-in-law—aren’t you embarrassed by that?”
Ji Xingzhu curled her lip sarcastically. “I’m not embarrassed. The most embarrassing people are those who clearly benefited from being a live-in son-in-law but refuse to admit it.”
“Don’t you think so?”
With every word Ji Xingzhu spoke, Wen Xuze’s expression grew uglier. He even uncontrollably lunged towards Ji Xingzhu, raising his arm as if to strike her. Fortunately, the two bodyguards constantly by her side made him hesitate and stop in his tracks.
Wen Xuze stared intently at the daughter before him, his expression shifting unpredictably.
Being a live-in son-in-law was his most sensitive taboo, yet here it was being brought up repeatedly by his own daughter. Wen Xuze felt his dignity as a man and a father was trampled into dust, causing him deep humiliation.
He wished he could strangle this daughter. No, this daughter was named Ji, not Wen—he didn’t want to acknowledge her at all!
But, thinking of the vast Ji Corporation, of his still unsuccessful schemes, of his future that was about to turn around… Wen Xuze knew he had to endure this humiliation for a while longer.
So he took a few deep breaths and unexpectedly managed to forcefully suppress the anger on his face. He instinctively put on a loving, gentle smile—a mask he had worn for over twenty years, mastered to the point of being second nature, able to change his expression at will.
Wen Xuze tried hard to appear gentle. He let out a faint sigh, putting on an act of remorse, and said, “Xiaozhu, I’m sorry. Dad was too agitated just now. I didn’t scare you, did I?”
Ji Xingzhu stared at him coldly, saying nothing.
Wen Xuze stepped forward, attempting to put his arm around his daughter’s shoulder, but Ji Xingzhu dodged him with a look of disgust.
He was secretly furious inside, but dared not show it on his face. He forced a smile and said, “Xiaozhu, Dad is sincerely apologizing to you. Forgive me, okay?”
Ji Xingzhu rolled her eyes at him impatiently, couldn’t be bothered to listen to his nonsense any longer, and headed straight for the upstairs bedroom.
Wen Xuze followed her steps, chattering incessantly. He was deeply troubled by Ji Xingzhu’s remark about him “living off his wife’s money” and couldn’t resist trying to prove his capabilities in front of his daughter.
He said, “Xiaozhu, it’s true that I’m a live-in son-in-law to the Ji family, but I haven’t relied on them. I have my own company under my name!”
Ji Xingzhu paused mid-step, utterly shocked by Wen Xuze’s shamelessness. “You mean the company under your name that relied on Ji Corporation’s investment in its early stages and still receives support from Ji Corporation to this day?”
Was there a single part of him that didn’t come from the Ji family? How dare he claim he hadn’t relied on them? Setting up a facade of virtue after acting shamelessly!
Wen Xuze’s face darkened, displeased. “Shengxiong is a company I founded with my own hands. Ji Corporation’s role in it was minimal. The vast majority of it relies on my ability to keep this company afloat!”
“And do you know how well Shengxiong has developed over the years? In a few more years, it’s possible for Shengxiong to surpass Ji Corporation!” Wen Xuze rambled on, bragging without restraint, the smugness on his face barely concealed. “So, even though your father has this somewhat unsavory identity as a live-in son-in-law, I am, after all, the chairman of a company. I’m very capable…”
Ji Xingzhu had only wanted to get to her bedroom to rest, but Wen Xuze was so oblivious he kept going on and on. Unable to bear it any longer, she simply slammed the bag in her hand into his face. “Shut up!”
Wen Xuze was stunned by the bag flying into his face. When he came to his senses, he jumped up in anger again. “Ji Xingzhu, how dare you hit your own father? You’re being utterly unfilial!”
Ji Xingzhu glared at him with sharp eyes, warning him word by word, “I want to sleep. Try bothering me again and see what happens?!”
Wen Xuze had initially wanted to seize on Ji Xingzhu’s disrespect towards an elder to make a scene, but when he accidentally met her gaze, he was momentarily stunned.
In his memory, although this daughter Ji Xingzhu was spoiled, willful, and quite unruly, she was still quite close to him, this ‘loving father’.
Since when did her eyes hold not a trace of warmth when looking at him, only complete coldness and disgust?
Ji Xingzhu’s look wasn’t that of a daughter looking at her father, but of someone looking at an enemy.
Wen Xuze felt a flutter of panic inside. If he wanted to completely control the Ji Corporation, Ji Xingzhu was the most crucial piece. And now…
Before he could figure out a solution, Ji Xingzhu had already turned and gone into her room, slamming the bedroom door shut with a bang.
Wen Xuze stared fixedly at her closed door, his expression dark and uncertain.
Back in her room, Ji Xingzhu forced herself to take a shower and then lay on the bed, ready to sleep. However, not long after, she sat up abruptly in bed, as if startled awake from an illness.
Her black hair was tousled messily, her red lips slightly pursed, and she stared blankly ahead with a gloomy look in her eyes.
Her unusual behavior worried 999, who asked with concern, “Host, what’s wrong?”
Ji Xingzhu was silent for a moment, then suddenly snorted coldly, “That scumbag Wen Xuze actually dared to boast about his crappy company called Shengxiong, and even had the nerve to say he never relied on the Ji family!”
“The more I think about it, the angrier I get! I can’t sleep at all!”
The cannon fodder system: “…So what do we do? Do you want me to play you a lullaby?”
Ji Xingzhu frowned in thought for a moment, then suddenly her eyes lit up, and she smiled mischievously. “Hmph, he’s so proud of that crappy company of his, isn’t he? I’ll just bankrupt it for him, and see if he can still laugh then!”
The cannon fodder system was stunned. “Huh? That… Host, I’m not doubting you, but currently, you’re just a good-for-nothing young lady. You have no access to the Ji Corporation’s power, nor have you cultivated any forces of your own. I’m afraid you’ll have a hard time dealing with Wen Xuze.”
Ji Xingzhu raised an eyebrow, her tone suddenly becoming light and cheerful. “No problem, I have a helper!”
Just as the cannon fodder system was about to ask who her helper was, Ji Xingzhu urged it to go online and communicate with Song Qingchi.
The familiar feeling of weightlessness came over her. When Ji Xingzhu opened her eyes again, she found herself in a boxing training gym.
Specifically, Song Qingchi was practicing boxing in the gym.
He was wearing shorts and a vest, sparring with a coach. His honey-colored skin was glistening with sweat, and his solid muscles tensed with every movement. The air was filled with a humid, fiery hormone-charged atmosphere.
Ji Xingzhu was in no mood to appreciate his nearly perfect physique right now. As soon as she came online, she quickly spoke up to assert her presence: “Host! Got a job for you!”
Song Qingchi’s expression shifted slightly, and he executed a neat finishing move. He smiled and signaled to the coach that he needed a rest, then walked to the side, tilting his head back to drink water while asking in his mind, “What’s wrong?”
Song Qingchi was quite surprised. She had been so angry she wouldn’t even talk to him right after getting off the plane; had she calmed down this quickly?
Ji Xingzhu cleared her throat lightly and said seriously, “The first task I assigned—participating in the dating show—you completed very well. Now you’re famous, a lot of people like you. You’ve taken the first step towards success!”
“Now, I’m going to issue you the second task—acquire other companies to strengthen yourself, and grow through real business warfare!”
“As for the target you need to acquire, I’ve already picked one out for you. It’s a company called Shengxiong. Host, you need to bankrupt this company as soon as possible. Good luck!”
Song Qingchi: “…”
He wondered, was he going to be used as a tool again? Why did he smell a conspiracy…
The cannon fodder system 999: “…” Wistfully lighting a cigarette.jpg