"But I believe you're not that kind of person." She said with a look of utmost seriousness, afraid Ye Yi wouldn't believe her.
In the silence, Ye Yi let out a laugh, a smile that was half mocking, half sarcastic.
Then, he spoke slowly, "But what does that have to do with you? Miss Jing?"
Jing Yiyi felt a pang of sadness. She had told him he could call her Yiyi, but he never had.
"You think you know me well?"
He smirked sarcastically, "We have nothing to do with each other, yet Miss Jing is quite the busybody."
His words were like a thunderclap, waking Jing Yiyi up.
That's right, why should she care so much about Ye Yi's feelings?
At first, hadn't she disliked this arrogant, rude man?
But Ye Yi... he had never harmed her, had he? Not only had he not harmed her, but he had always helped her.
Jing Yiyi moved her lips, unable to speak.
Ye Yi didn't wait for her to speak. He got up and said, "Are you done? If you're done, you can leave. Don't disturb my rest."
His impatience instantly angered Jing Yiyi.
Jing Yiyi also stood up, and the grievances in her heart poured out, "Ye Yi! Why are you always unappreciative of good intentions! I came because I care about you!"
Ye Yi paused. Jing Yiyi's eyes were as red as a rabbit's.
Seeing the usually proud young lady so upset, it was clear she was genuinely wronged.
He lowered his gaze, his voice softening, "I don't need it. I don't need any of your good intentions. Leave."
Jing Yiyi didn't know where she found the courage. She had only one thought in her mind: she didn't want to be driven away.
She wanted to stay with Ye Yi.
So, she lunged forward and hugged Ye Yi's arm with all her might, lifting her bright face. She looked particularly stubborn, "I'm not leaving!"
Ye Yi was startled by her action, his eyebrows furrowed high, a flicker of disbelief in his eyes. "Jing Yiyi, are you sick? The dignified eldest daughter of the Jing family clinging to a man's arm at his home?"
"I... I'm not sick! I just want to stay with you, I don't want you to face this alone! If you... if you still kick me out, I'll cry!" she argued weakly, half-truth and half-lie.
Ye Yi laughed in exasperation, his tongue pressing against his jaw, a roguish smile on his face. "Fine, then cry."
Jing Yiyi froze, her fox-like eyes blinked, looking inexplicably cute. "Really, really cry?"
"Yes, really cry, and cry loudly."
"Jerk," she muttered under her breath.
"Let go," Ye Yi said, suppressing his anger.
"I'll let go if you don't kick me out," she immediately seized the opportunity.
"Miss Jing always manages to surprise me with her thick skin."
"Just tell me, yes or no?"
"Fine, I won't kick you out. Can you let go now?" he said with a stern face.
Jing Yiyi sheepishly let go. If Ye Yi hadn't intended to let go, she would have.
The usually cheerful person could also be quite frightening when angry!
She had been quite uneasy just now.
"I was just afraid you'd be sad. I didn't even attend the morning meeting. I rushed here as soon as I saw the message. I'm glad you're okay," Jing Yiyi said softly.
A rare hint of shyness appeared on her usually vibrant face.
Ye Yi didn't miss her expression. He narrowed his eyes and studied her, as if seeing her for the first time. "Jing Yiyi, what exactly do you mean by your feelings towards me?"
"I... what could I mean? I just consider you a friend! Friends should have each other's backs, right! Go through thick and thin!" Her voice grew louder, with a hint of bravado.
No... no, Jing Yiyi, what's wrong with you?
Why can't you tell him?
Don't you just like him?
Her eyebrows were almost tied in knots.
She hadn't understood her own feelings at first, but it wasn't until Ye Yi questioned her just now that she realized. She just liked Ye Yi, didn't she?
But why was it so difficult to say it in front of him?
Ye Yi didn't comment on her statement. He sat down again, crossed his legs, and said, "It's best if there's nothing. Sit down."
After all that commotion this morning, she had lost all her sleepiness.
Ye Yi took out his phone and asked her, "Have you eaten breakfast?"
The topic changed too quickly, and Jing Yiyi was stunned. "Huh? Uh-huh?"
"No!" she said immediately after reacting. httpδ:/m.kuAisugg.nět
In reality, she had already eaten breakfast. She wouldn't neglect her body while working.
But she felt she could still eat a little more!
"I've already ordered. You can pick it up later." He closed the food delivery app and opened a game, leaving her with that one sentence.
"No problem!"
...
As soon as Ji Zhixiu stepped off the plane, he saw Alice and the driver waiting for him.
Before he could ask, Alice handed him an iPad. "Mr. Ji, please take a look."
My goodness, who would have thought Mr. Ji had a brother?
Not to mention anything else, they really did look somewhat alike.
She mused inwardly.
Ji Zhixiu took the tablet and bent down to get into the car.
Only then did he lower his head to look at the tablet, his voice extremely cold, with a hint of anger. "The stock price dropped?"
Alice quickly turned from the passenger seat and handed him her phone, displaying an entertainment news article. "Mr. Ji, take a look at this..."
She then said cautiously, "Mr. Ji, the shareholders are all waiting for you to return to the company for a meeting."
Ji Zhixiu's eyebrows slightly raised, his gaze scanning the keywords.
Finally, his eyes landed on the photo in the phone. He calmly replied, "Take me to the company first."
"Oh, and Madam also called me. She asked me to tell you that you should go back to the old residence after you finish your work."
"Alright."
His reaction was calm, showing no excessive emotion.
Alice silently breathed a sigh of relief. No matter what, as long as Mr. Ji was back, that was all that mattered.
"So, this trending topic, do we need to do anything about it?" Alice asked.
Ji Zhixiu's eyebrows furrowed slightly, and he coldly instructed, "Find out who is behind this entertainment account. Don't worry about anything else."
"Understood."
Conference room.
"Why isn't Mr. Ji back yet?"
"The secretarial department has already sent someone to pick him up. Mr. Ji will be here as soon as he gets off the plane."
"If you ask me, they should have these trending topics removed and sue those accounts spreading nonsense!"
"What does Mr. Ji having a brother have to do with them?"
"Yes, and even less to do with us. No matter what, I only support Mr. Ji."
"Of course, the bloodline of illegitimate children is impure."
"He's here, he's here! Mr. Ji is here!"
Someone sitting by the door peeked out and reported.
Everyone immediately straightened up, and the large office fell silent.
A man walked in with long strides.
His sharp jawline was as cold as ice, and there wasn't a trace of a smile on his face. His eyes were cold, and his thin lips were pursed into a straight line.
His posture was tall and upright, and his silver-grey suit exuded a cold, unapproachable aura.
He took his seat at the head of the table.
"Mr. Ji, you're finally back."
"We've been waiting for your decision on this matter."
Ji Zhixiu waved his hand, signaling for quiet. His eyes swept over everyone below him. His voice was deep and full of power, reaching everyone's ears.
"I know. First, let the company's official Weibo draft a statement to pursue responsibility. Don't worry about the stock price. I'm back."
"Then there's nothing to worry about."
"We're all at ease now that Mr. Ji is back."
"That's good, that's good. You must investigate this matter thoroughly; it caused us significant losses."
Everyone chattered.
Fan Cheng bowed slightly and whispered, "Madam just called again. She asked you to bring the young madam back with you."
Ji Zhixiu turned his head and replied, "Alright."
He glanced at his watch, then stood up. "You're dismissed. Go back to your work."
He walked out of the office, his pace quickening. "The item is with you, right?"
Fan Cheng nodded. "Yes, President. I'll get it for you when we get in the car."
...
Jiang Mian sat on the sofa, hugging her knees, and continuously refreshed Weibo's trending topics.
Only when she saw the popularity gradually decreasing did she let out a sigh of relief.
"Young Madam, won't you eat something? You haven't eaten all morning," Aunt Song urged.
Jiang Mian shook her head, hugging her dried fish tightly. "Thank you, Aunt Song, I'm not hungry."
She truly didn't feel hungry at all right now.
"Even if you're not hungry, you should eat something. Young Master specifically told us to take good care of you."
"He... did he say that?" Jiang Mian was taken aback.
"Of course. The first time Young Master brought you back to the villa, he called me the night before and told me several of your favorite dishes. That's how I knew what you liked to eat," Aunt Song said with a smile.
She had seen it all.
Young Master doted on Young Madam the most.
A faint sadness welled up in Jiang Mian's heart. Unknowingly, she and A Xiu had been married for several years, and she couldn't imagine life without him anymore.
She nuzzled the dried fish and finally broke into a smile. "Then I'll eat a little."
"Alright, I've made white fungus and lotus seed soup for you today, and banana bread. I'll go get it now."
As soon as Aunt Song left.
Jiang Mian heard movement at the main gate of the villa.
She put down the dried fish, threw on her shoes haphazardly, and walked out.
It must be A Xiu who had returned!
She rushed out.
As soon as she stepped out of the living room, she saw the man in front of her.
Still some distance away, she saw his eyebrows knit together, and he said with concern, "Don't run."
Jiang Mian didn't listen. She ran faster, straight into the man's embrace, her hands wrapping around his waist.
Her voice was filled with longing and concern: "A Xiu! Are you alright?"
Jiang Mian smelled the faint scent of cedar on Ji Zhixiu, a scent that was reassuring.
She buried her head in Ji Zhixiu's chest, holding him tightly.
Ji Zhixiu looked down, his heart filled to the brim.
The moment he saw her, all his fatigue vanished.
"I... I saw those trending gossip articles. I was so worried about you. I called you, but no one answered. I sent messages, but you didn't reply. You also ignored me..."
The young girl's grievances were evident.
Ji Zhixiu sighed inwardly. He gently turned her shoulders, their eyes meeting. "Didn't I ask Fan Cheng to leave you a message saying I was on a business trip?"
"Then why didn't you tell me yourself?" Jiang Mian sniffled, her red nose looking particularly pitiable.
She hadn't felt wronged at first, but after Ji Zhixiu said that, the grievances in her heart became overwhelming.
"It's my fault. I didn't answer the phone or reply to messages because I had just landed and hadn't turned my phone on yet. I went to the company for a meeting first. After the meeting, I came to find you, okay?" Ji Zhixiu coaxed her in a low voice, his tone so soft it could drip with water.
Jiang Mian pursed her lips, feeling a little embarrassed about being unreasonable. "Then... are you okay? Don't be sad. I'm here with you."
"Sad about what?" Ji Zhixiu put his arm around her and walked towards the sofa.
"What they said online was very unpleasant," Jiang Mian pouted, her lips sticking out high.
"I don't care," he said indifferently.
"Then you don't care about that nominal brother of yours either?" Jiang Mian asked softly.
"He's just a stranger to me. Why should I care?" Ji Zhixiu's tone was casual.
He didn't care about this so-called brother.
Nor did he take this brother seriously.
This matter didn't affect his emotions much.
Even if this mother and son wanted to return to fight for the family fortune, they would need the capability.
He was the one in charge of the Ji Corporation.
He now had enough power to protect his family.
A heavy stone in Jiang Mian's heart was lifted. It was good that he wasn't sad.
"Open it and see, do you like it?" He held Jiang Mian's waist and sat down, letting her sit on his lap.
He conjured a square red velvet gift box out of nowhere and presented it to her. Jiang Mian was surprised and delighted. "Where did this come from? I didn't see it just now."
Ji Zhixiu kissed her hair. "A surprise. You can open it when you want."
Jiang Mian's eyes curved into crescents. With anticipation, she untied the ribbon and lifted the lid.
"A sweater?" Jiang Mian unfolded the garment.
Ji Zhixiu had chosen a loose-knit sweater, primarily red with Christmas colors as accents. It was very cute and festive.
The fluffy texture felt very comfortable.
"Yes, do you like it? I think it suits you well."
Jiang Mian nodded seriously. "I like it. I'll try it on now."
"No, what season is it now?" Ji Zhixiu pinched her cheek. "As long as you like it, that's enough. You can wear it when it gets cold."
"Okay," Jiang Mian carefully put it away. "I'm glad you're okay."
"You worried for me. Mom wants us to go back to the old residence."
Jiang Mian's movements paused almost imperceptibly. "Now?"