The car moved steadily and slowly toward the Ji Family Manor. The afternoon sunlight spilled over the vehicle, refracting into a faint halo.
In the front seats, the Old Butler and the driver inadvertently caught sight of the heartwarming scene in the back seat through the rearview mirror, and their faces unconsciously broke into relieved smiles.
It would be no exaggeration to say that within the entire Ji Family, the Old Butler was the person who understood Ji Li and Ji Zhou best—bar none.
Even the head of the Ji Family, Ji Huaiqing, could not compare to the Old Butler in terms of understanding the two children.
The Ji Family’s business empire was too vast, a colossal pillar supporting the livelihoods of thousands of families.
Their industries crisscrossed and spanned various sectors, with countless people relying on the Ji Family’s enterprises to make ends meet.
Under such an enormous commercial system, as the helmsman, Ji Huaiqing bore a burden as heavy as a mountain, forcing him to devote the vast majority of his time and energy to the family business.
Moreover, Ji Huaiqing was not a warm person by nature; one could even say he was relatively aloof.
The two children held more reverence than affection for Ji Huaiqing. Though they undoubtedly yearned to be close to him, their awe kept them from easily approaching.
Thus, Ye Shuang speculated that the children’s occasional mischievousness stemmed from inner insecurity.
After all, the Old Butler was just a butler. He could not provide the parental love Ji Li and Ji Zhou needed. No matter how dearly he cherished the two little ones, he could never replace the presence of parents.
Now, seeing Ye Shuang’s arrival and her genuine, motherly care and affection for Ji Li and Ji Zhou, the Old Butler’s heart swelled with relief.
In a child’s growth, the role of a mother is irreplaceable.
It is a gentle protection, a delicate care that a father or anyone else simply cannot provide.
Speaking of mothers…
The Old Butler thought of Ji Li and Ji Zhou’s birth mother—that beautiful, naive, yet crazily obsessive girl—and sighed inwardly, overwhelmed with complex emotions.
Once infatuation takes hold, it often plunges one into an abyss of ruin… Truly, one must guard against being ruled by love.
At the top of a renowned commercial skyscraper abroad, in the core of this building, the place that controlled countless commercial lifelines—
The CEO office of the Ji Corporation.
Lin He stood outside the CEO’s office, his heart tangled in knots.
His feet seemed nailed to the floor, his expression shifting like a master of face-changing. Each time he raised his hand to knock, he unconsciously withdrew it the next moment.
Finally, he took a deep breath, mustering all his courage, and gently knocked on the door that appeared ordinary yet seemed to conceal a terrifying monster.
“Come in.”
A low, indifferent voice came from inside the office.
The voice was like the deepest note of a cello played late at night—rich yet carrying a chill that made one shiver, as if it could instantly freeze the surrounding air.
Lin He instinctively exhaled, trying to suppress the inexplicable tension rising within him.
He reached out, grasped the doorknob, and slowly pushed the door open.
To be honest, he had been by the side of the Ji Family head for over ten years, yet even so, the awe that welled up from the depths of his heart when facing the family head had never diminished.
Sometimes, he couldn’t help but admire the courage of those beautiful women who dared to approach the family head on their own initiative.
The icy chill emanating from the family head was like an Arctic glacier, making it impossible for anyone to get close. Yet they weren’t afraid of being frozen stiff by this cold aura.
Truly admirable!
As the door opened, Lin He’s eyes fell upon the spacious and bright CEO office.
A massive floor-to-ceiling window occupied an entire wall of the office, through which the bright moonlight now poured unreservedly.
Behind the desk, Ji Huaiqing lounged lazily in a soft leather chair.
He held a document in his hand, reading with such focus that nothing from the outside world seemed able to disturb him.
The room temperature was perfectly regulated. He wore only a snow-white shirt, sitting with his back to the moonlight.
The cool moonlight outlined his upright figure, yet it also made him appear like an emotionless deity, radiating an intense aura of detachment and indifference.
Even without doing anything, this aura brought tremendous pressure to Lin He.
Lin He found himself unconsciously breathing more lightly, even worrying that slightly heavier breaths might disturb the family head.
The words he had carefully prepared in his mind instantly stuck in his throat when he met Ji Huaiqing’s icy gaze, refusing to come out.
This pause made Ji Huaiqing, who had been flipping through documents, slightly pause his movements.
He slowly set down the document in his hand and raised his head. His dark eyes, deep as the night sky, locked coldly and sharply onto Lin He at the door.
His thin lips parted, each word seeming to carry shards of ice:
“What is it.”
“!”
Lin He shuddered as if struck by an electric current, feeling like he had swallowed tons of mint in one gulp—the chill instantly piercing from head to toe.
His mind became incredibly clear in that moment, clearer than ever before.
He hurried forward several quick steps to the desk, respectfully placing the documents in his hand on the table as he said:
“Family Head, these are the documents that require urgent processing.”
“Hmm.”
Ji Huaiqing responded indifferently, reaching out to take the documents.
He slightly lowered his eyelids, his cold gaze falling on the documents as he began carefully examining them.
His hands were distinctively bony, slender yet powerful, as if meticulously carved by the finest artists.
Yet these nearly perfect hands controlled immense power capable of turning clouds and rain with a mere gesture.
After carefully verifying every detail and key data in the documents, Ji Huaiqing curled his slender fingers and lightly tapped the desk, his voice deep and cold:
“Anything else?”
He had keenly detected that Lin He seemed to have more to say.
A momentary blankness flashed across Lin He’s face, though he quickly composed his expression.
Hesitating slightly, his eyes revealing a trace of conflict, he began: “It’s about the Madam and the young masters…”
But then he suddenly closed his mouth again.
Ji Huaiqing slightly raised an eyebrow, his gaze slowly withdrawing from the materials in his hand as he picked up another document.
Not the slightest change showed between his brows—his expression remained as indifferent as ever, yet the aura around him inexplicably grew colder by a degree.
As the most senior secretary by Ji Huaiqing’s side, Lin He was also very tempted to call the police at this moment—he genuinely couldn’t decipher the family head’s intentions!!
He couldn’t help but recall that the family head and that lady seemed to have come together only through an arranged family marriage, without any profound emotional bond.
Moreover, after the wedding, when the lady fainted and required emergency care due to the Ye family’s underhanded maneuvers, the family head showed no reaction whatsoever—even departing on a business trip that very night.