It was August, and it was hot outside, but Shen Zhai was situated at a higher elevation, so the temperature at night was somewhat lower, which meant the air conditioning throughout the estate was set a bit higher.
So Ji Huanlan was hot, and kept kicking off the blanket.
Shen Xi simply covered her stomach with a bit of it and lay back down.
But just as he was about to fall asleep a second time, his arm grew heavy.
There was some extra warmth beside him.
Shen Xi turned his head.
Ji Huanlan had rolled over, hugging his arm as she slept, with her left leg draped over his.
This sleeping posture was very much like riding a blanket.
The internet’s universally acknowledged most comfortable way to sleep.
Shen Xi closed his eyes. He didn’t push her away, letting her hold his arm as she slept.
That night.
Shen Xi barely slept at all. It was the first time someone had been pressed up against him, and he wasn’t used to it.
Early morning.
A light rain had started outside, and the sky was a hazy gray.
Ji Huanlan’s biological clock kicked in. When she woke and opened her eyes, she felt a trace of body heat.
Right in her arms!
It was an arm with strength and warmth.
Ji Huanlan’s gaze traveled upward.
Shen Xi was lying flat on his back, already awake. His left arm was held by her, and he was scrolling through his phone with his right hand.
He hadn’t left yet.
Ji Huanlan quickly withdrew her hand and touched the corner of her mouth.
Even the young miss was afraid of drooling in her sleep—that would completely ruin her elegant, graceful image.
Ji Huanlan took a deep breath. “Sorry.”
Shen Xi turned his head.
His morning appearance wasn’t as sharp and unapproachable as during the day. His hair was very short, neat and clean.
Putting down his phone, Shen Xi braced himself on the bed and sat up. “It’s fine.”
When he’d woken up, Ji Huanlan was still asleep. He’d tried to leave, but he hadn’t been able to.
Because the moment he pulled his arm away, the woman frowned.
For some reason, Shen Xi really hadn’t left.
The two of them didn’t speak again, each attending to their own business.
Guan Qi came to help Shen Xi change and wash up, while Ji Huanlan changed and went downstairs first.
They came down one after the other.
The housekeeper glanced at his watch. It was past 7:20. The master had gotten up this late for the first time.
“Master, Mistress.”
The two of them took their seats in the Xitulanya dining room.
There was another person here—the one called Shen Ran.
“Second Brother, Second Sister-in-Law.” He stood there respectfully, his features bright and sunny.
Shen Xi looked at him. “Something on your mind?”
“Came to give Second Brother and Second Sister-in-Law a wedding gift.”
“Have you eaten?”
Shen Ran shook his head. “No.”
“Join us.”
The three of them ate together. Ji Huanlan noticed that Shen Ran seemed a bit restrained.
She assumed it was because she was there, so after taking only one bite of toast, she stood up. “I’ll go first—”
Her wrist was pulled by someone. Ji Huanlan lowered her gaze.
Shen Xi’s voice was soft. “Eat your breakfast properly. Leave after you finish.”
Shen Ran noticed the exchange between the two and quickly averted his gaze.
Second Brother seemed to be… toward this Second Sister-in-Law…
Ji Huanlan sat back down.
At the table, the brothers chatted about some matters within the Shen family. Ji Huanlan gathered that Shen Ran was probably one of Shen Xi’s people, though whether their relationship was truly that close, she couldn’t tell.
After the meal, the two of them left together.
Two cars, heading in different directions.
“Chairman Ji, Tang Lan and Ji Yaoqing have returned to the Ji residence again,” Wang Huo reported.
Ji Huanlan was busy. “Mm.”
“This is A-Ling’s ashes.”
Wang Huo handed her a small transparent bottle.
A-Ling was dead.
She had survived, but A-Ling had died.
Ji Huanlan clenched the bottle in her hand.
Tang Lan and Ji Yaoqing—she would not let them off lightly.
But recently there had been too much on her plate at the company, and she hadn’t gotten around to it yet. Once today’s work was done, she’d have her hands free.
Today was Monday.
At the shareholders’ meeting, Third Uncle Ji, as expected, brought up her investment in Huarong.
“Huanlan, you can’t just throw that much money around on a whim. At the very least, you should have asked for our input.”
One shareholder spoke with a sour tone: “How come right after getting married, you’re already leaning outward?”
Most of these people were Tang Lan’s.
Tang Lan came from the Tang family and had a head on her shoulders—otherwise, she wouldn’t have kept her father on guard for so many years.
Second Uncle Ji, however, remained silent the whole time, just sipping his tea.
Third Uncle Ji spoke up again: “If you don’t know how to manage things, you can have your mother come in and you learn from the sidelines. The Ji family’s vast enterprise must not be ruined at your hands.”
Ji Huanlan let out a soft laugh. “How much did Tang Lan pay you to be such a loyal dog for her?”
“You—!” Third Uncle Ji’s face twisted.
The other troublemakers chimed in: “Ji Huanlan, is that how you talk to your elders?”
Ji Huanlan paid their accusations no mind. “Tang Lan is already divorced from my father. That makes her an outsider. Third Uncle, you’re helping an outsider so eagerly, even wanting an outsider to take over the company. What exactly are you plotting?”
Some of the neutral shareholders couldn’t help but glance at Third Uncle Ji.
Third Uncle Ji was a bit flustered. “I… I’m just afraid you’ll run the company into the ground. Your mother at least has experience.”
“Then wait until I actually run the company into the ground before you say anything.”
Third Uncle Ji tried to speak again, but Ji Huanlan cut him off first: “If I hear you mention someone else taking over the company one more time, I’ll have you thrown out.”
“You wouldn’t dare!” Third Uncle Ji stood up.
“Huo Huo.”
Wang Huo moved in directly.
“Ah!”
Third Uncle Ji was tossed out without any ceremony.
Everyone was stunned to see Wang Huo actually dare to throw Third Uncle Ji out.
This Ji Huanlan really didn’t play by the rules.
“When it comes to throwing my weight around as a senior, I can’t compete with any of you. But when it comes to… playing dirty and being unreasonable, I’m very good at that. If you have the ability, go ahead and take my shares and push me out of this position. If you don’t, then as long as my decisions follow proper procedure, I don’t want to hear any questioning. If it’s too much for you, you’re free to withdraw your shares—I’ll see you all off with a warm send-off.”
The woman asked with a smile: “I wonder, esteemed elders, did you all hear me clearly?”
No one said a word.
After a long moment, Second Uncle Ji said: “Heard clearly.”
The moment he spoke, the others frowned and answered reluctantly: “Heard clearly.”
“Heard clearly.”
Ji Huanlan seemed quite satisfied. “Then the meeting ends here.”
After the woman left, the meeting room fell into dead silence.
“Huo Huo, where’s the progress on those projects Third Uncle Ji is in charge of?”
“A small problem came up, so the projects are temporarily on hold. Originally, Third Uncle Ji wanted to apply for funding, but because you suddenly invested 7 billion, there was no money to give him. That’s why he’s been so anxious.”
If Third Uncle Ji’s project succeeded, it would have been almost a guaranteed profit with no loss.
They entered the elevator.
When the elevator doors reopened, Ji Huanlan said: “Since the projects are on hold, let them stay on hold for good.”
Wang Huo’s head shot up. “Chairman Ji…”
The woman smiled nonchalantly: “You can’t catch a wolf without risking the child.”
Wang Huo’s heart pounded with alarm.
After half a day of work, Ji Huanlan contacted some investment firm heads she knew from before and arranged to meet them in the afternoon.
They came from different countries and cities.
Huarong Group.
“President Shen, the missus has a business engagement today.”
Shen Xi looked up.
Guan Qi said, “Her secretary just contacted me.”
Shen Xi picked up his phone and found that Ji Huanlan had sent him a WeChat message, but he hadn’t seen it.
Ji Huanlan: I have a business engagement this afternoon, not sure when it’ll end. If it’s late, I won’t head back to the Ji residence first.
Shen Xi: Okay.
It seemed he truly listened to everything she said.