Chapter 20

Their circle wasn’t big. When Mr. Ji held a wedding, people naturally were curious about the background of his partner. Following the clues, they discovered that the star who became popular upon his debut last year is her son.

Having read the novel, Zhu Xinyue naturally understood what had happened back then. However, the Ji family’s public statement was that Ji Qingyuan was Mr. Ji’s stepson, and they didn’t disclose any blood ties. Nevertheless, Mr. Ji’s attitude indicated he valued Ji Qingyuan greatly.

On the day of the wedding, Zhu Xinyue wore a light green off-shoulder gown. The irregular hem reached just past her knees, hanging down to her calves. She had braided her long hair into a side twist, adorned with a pearl headband that matched the pearl belt around her waist, understated yet elegant.

This was probably Zhu Xinyue’s first time entering the upper-class social circle. At the wedding, she even saw politicians who should be in the news political section, as well as diplomats from certain countries. According to Zhu Shilang’s introduction, the blonde foreigner currently conversing with Ji Linyu was a nobleman from a certain country with a title.

Zhu Shilang had already told Zhu Xinyue early on to stay close to him and their father, smile if she didn’t understand, speak less to avoid mistakes.

Zhu Xinyue didn’t expect that attending a wedding would involve so much etiquette. She thought she was coming for a feast, so she didn’t have breakfast on purpose and ended up networking on an empty stomach.

“Brother, I’m going to freshen up.” Zhu Xinyue pointed to the direction of the ladies’ lounge.

“Mm. Go ahead.”

When Zhu Xinyue was touching up her makeup, there were two ladies discussing the wedding in a nearby compartment, near the makeup mirror and the various high-end cosmetics cabinets.

“The bride, who just got married, reportedly met him while she was serving dishes abroad, without much background, and her family in the south city sells vegetables.”

“No way? Then she’s really lucky. The original wife was from the Lu family.”

Zhu Xinyue was touching up her lipstick, afraid she might accidentally eat it during dinner later.

“It’s more than just luck, isn’t it? Look at the ceremony today and the guests he invited. Wasn’t it to let everyone know how much he values ​​his new wife and her son? Throughout the wedding, he never let his stepson leave his side.”

“Hey, I heard that Ji Qingyuan is his biological son. Is this true?”

“Isn’t that obvious enough?”

Zhu Xinyue leaned closer to the mirror, feeling that wiping off the lipstick made her look pale. She decided to apply a bit more, unsure when she would get to eat this meal.

“No wonder they had to wait until old Mr. Ji passed away before holding the wedding. With old Mr. Ji and the Lu family around, Ji Linyu can secure his position as the heir.”

“He’s not just the heir now; he’s already taken over Jinhuan Group.”

“Exactly. It’s only because Ji Linyu took over Jinhuan that his father had the chance to hold this wedding and let them, mother and son, enter the door. Otherwise, do you think the Lu family would agree?”

As Zhu Xinyue listened to their conversation, the footsteps gradually faded away. Looking at herself in the mirror, she recalled the enmity of the previous generation of the Ji family in the novel.

Ji Linyu’s mother was a prosecutor, and their family had been prominent in military and political circles for three generations. Her two brothers—one in the military, the other a diplomat abroad.

Soon after marrying father Ji, she gave birth to Ji Linyu. When Ji Linyu was four, someone hired a hitman and killed her in front of him, and she died on the spot.

Just a month after Ji Linyu’s mother’s death, father Ji met Ji Qingyuan’s mother overseas and quickly married her. Old Mr. Ji was so angry with his son that he broke two canes.

Not to mention how furious the Lu family was when they found out what father Ji had done.

His sister had died just a month ago, her son was only four years old, and the murderer had killed her in front of him.

As a husband and a father, father Ji seamlessly moved on to the next one.

If it weren’t for Ji Linyu’s young age, old Mr. Ji would have exiled his son to Africa.

Finally, old Mr. Ji stepped back, but he had one condition—want to enter the Ji family’s door? Fine, wait until this old man is in his coffin, and then you can enter the door.

Zhu Xinyue now realized that old Mr. Ji’s move was also considering the Lu family. As long as old Mr. Ji was ruthless enough, he was also giving an account to the Lu family.

That’s why Ji Qingyuan and his mother had been in Nancheng for so many years.

Zhu Xinyue remembered that in the original owner’s memory, they had planned to travel together to another province for graduation. However, Ji Qingyuan refused, saying that his mother wouldn’t let him leave South City before he went to college.

So it seems that it wasn’t that his mother wouldn’t let him leave, but they couldn’t.

Ji Qingyuan had always thought that the Ji family had found them, but in reality, it should be considered that the Ji family had kept them indirectly imprisoned in South City.

Ji Qingyuan didn’t know these things, but Ji Linyu did.

Zhu Xinyue thought to herself that it was no wonder that in the novel, Ji Linyu was always so obedient to his younger brother. It was probably to make up for Ji Qingyuan’s inability to leave South City and return to the Ji family for more than ten years.

She walked out of the lounge and saw Zhu Shilang talking to Ji Linyu, so she walked over.

“She’s back.” Zhu Shilang’s eyes glanced over Ji Linyu’s shoulder and looked at Zhao Xinyue. “I was just talking to Linyu about you.”

Ji Linyu turned around and saw Zhu Xinyue walking towards him, her eyes slightly sparkling, and she put down the champagne glass in her hand.

Today, she was wearing the dress they had bought together, a light green skirt swaying, her slender legs straight, stepping on a pair of shallow flat shoes. When she saw him, she smiled, her footsteps light and brisk as she walked to Zhu Shilang’s side, face to face with Ji Linyu, blinking at him.

“Talking bad about me?”

Zhu Shilang waved his hands repeatedly, jokingly, “How dare I say anything bad about you? Afraid you’ll run away from home again.”

Zhu Xinyue raised her eyebrows.

“Talking about your real purpose in coming to Tianze City,” Ji Linyu answered her question.

Zhu Xinyue clenched her palm and immediately turned her head to look at Zhu Shilang.

She had explained it yesterday.

Zhu Shilang felt that if the person she liked was the younger son of the Ji family, it was considered a good match. Even if the younger son didn’t succeed, with his brother Ji Linyu there, she wouldn’t be wronged.

So he was happy to see it happen and even willing to match her with Ji Qingyuan.

But Zhu Xinyue told him decisively that she had changed her mind and no longer liked Ji Qingyuan.

Zhu Shilang didn’t quite understand these “kids.” He felt that their “love” was like playing around, liking one person one moment and another the next, so he temporarily accepted her explanation.

“I didn’t say anything. If you don’t believe me, ask Linyu.” Zhu Shilang, under Zhu Xinyue’s piercing gaze, leisurely picked up his champagne glass and left.

Zhu Xinyue watched Zhu Shilang leave, but her heart was drumming, wanting to ask, but not daring to ask.

“I heard from Shilang, you didn’t have breakfast.” But the first person to speak was Ji Linyu.

Zhu Xinyue turned around, but saw him take out a chocolate ball from his pocket, wrapped in purple foil, the same brand as the overly sweet chocolate ball he had given her that day.

At the wedding, the male guests were all in formal wear, and Ji Linyu was no exception. His broad shoulders and narrow waist gave him a perfect proportion, his fitted suit neatly pressed without a single wrinkle, yet he could pull out a chocolate ball from his pocket. Zhu Xinyue couldn’t help but smile.

Did he have a pocket in another dimension specifically for storing chocolates like that?

Seeing her smile, Ji Linyu’s lips curled slightly.

When he asked about the brand of chocolate ball, his friend teased him.

But as long as she liked it.

Zhu Xinyue took the sweet chocolate ball from his palm without opening the tin foil package. She smiled and said thank you: “Thank you, Brother Linyu.”

They were in the midst of conversation when they heard a familiar voice.

“Brother, Zhu Xinyue.” Ji Qingyuan approached them, standing beside Zhu Xinyue, facing Ji Linyu. 

“What are you guys talking about?”

Ji Qingyuan had a hearty smile on his face as he rested his hand on Zhu Xinyue’s shoulder.

Zhi Xinyue frowned and promptly pushed away his hand from her shoulder without hesitation, her tone slightly warning, “Ji Qingyuan.”

Ji Qingyuan immediately raised both hands in surrender, laughing, “Alright, alright. You don’t like physical contact with the opposite sex, I get it. It’s just a habit, I’ll change from today, okay?”

Zhu Xinyue stared at his overly handsome face, feeling he was doing it on purpose, but she couldn’t find evidence.

Ji Qingyuan rarely wore formal attire in front of Zhu Xinyue. Today, he was dressed like a little prince, his bangs combed back, revealing a smooth and clean forehead. He resembled his mother greatly, especially his eyes, a translucent light brown, sparkling with starlight. His nose was high, lips rosy and teeth white, in the prime of his youth, possessing peak attractiveness that would earn compliments from anyone who saw him.

No wonder some initially thought he was just a decorative handsome man with average acting skills when he first entered the industry.

“Chocolate? Didn’t you say you don’t like eating chocolate? You said it would make you fat.” Ji Qingyuan noticed the chocolate in her hand.

The smile at the corner of Ji Linyu’s mouth faded, he pursed his lips and slipped his hand back into his pocket.

Zhu Xinyue immediately unwrapped the foil packaging, taking a bite of the chocolate ball in front of them.

“Who said I don’t like eating chocolate?” 

Seeing her eat chocolate, Ji Qingyuan couldn’t help but squint, seeming choked, and frowned, “You don’t have to force yourself to eat something you don’t like just to go against me.”

“Not at all!” Zhu Xinyue was just surprised by the taste.

Ji Linyu watched their casual interaction, his hand in his pocket slightly curled, unable to express his complex emotions, just feeling a bit subtle.

“What do you like to eat?” Ji Linyu turned to Zhu Xinyue, asking her.

Before Zhu Xinyue could speak, Ji Qingyuan confidently answered, “She likes fruits, but doesn’t like peeling or pitting them herself. Lychee, peach, apple—she loves strawberries and cherries the most.”

Zhu Xinyue pursed her lips, staring at Ji Qingyuan for a while.

He actually knew what the original owner liked to eat. She thought he didn’t care.

Ji Qingyuan received her unexpected gaze, raised his eyebrows proudly, and said to his brother, “We grew up together. She is a spoiled child. She even needs people to peel lychees and feed them to her.”

His tone was intimate and familiar, a few words could imagine how close they used to be, probably he was the one who peeled lychees for her.

Moreover, when they call each other, they both call each other by their full names.

Ji Linyu frowned.

“Ji Qingyuan, people grow up, preferences will change,” Zhu Xinyue did not say that Ji Qingyuan was wrong, but seriously looked at Ji Linyu, looking into his ink-colored eyes, and told him.

“Now I like sweets, but I don’t like them too sweet.”

When life is too bitter, she will eat something sweet to comfort herself.

Ji Linyu looked at the half-piece of chocolate left in her hand, “Is this too sweet?”

Zhu Xinyue raised the half-piece of chocolate ball with his words, “Yes, it is indeed a bit.”

Unexpectedly, Ji Linyu took a step closer, clasped her wrist, and then, in this posture, leaned over and bit the remaining half of the chocolate ball.

Like a slow motion, when Ji Linyu leaned over slightly and lowered his head, Zhu Xinyue had not reacted yet and just stared at him in a daze.

From this angle, you can see his curled and slightly long eyelashes, his straight nose, his clean-cut facial contours, and his mature and handsome facial features.

His warm nose breath touched her palm skin, itchy, maybe it was an illusion, his move seemed to be kissing her fingertips, sacred and reverent.

Zhu Xinyue’s breath was about to stop.

Ji Linyu’s movements were too natural, as if he just wanted to test the sweetness level she could accept, without any other thoughts.

Even Ji Qingyuan is a little unsure of what his brother meant, always feeling strange, and feeling that he should not use the ordinary man’s mind to figure out his brother’s intentions.

Ji Linyu stood upright, let go of Zhu Xinyue’s wrist, slowly tasting the chocolate, but his eyes were still staring straight at her.

Zhu Xinyue’s ears were hot when he looked at her, and her eyes were bright and blinking, and her breathing rate became faster, stammering and asking, “How… how is it?”

Ji Linyu swallowed the half-piece of chocolate, looked at her slightly red earlobe, raised his lips and said:

“Too sweet.”

For a moment, I didn’t know if he was talking about chocolate or her standing in front of him.