Chapter 4

Tang Ruan almost choked at Ji Jing’s words, wanting to kneel before him in exasperation.

This… this man must have watched too many primetime TV dramas. No, actually, not even primetime shows could be this…

Ridiculous.

But now wasn’t the time to laugh. She clutched Ji Jing’s shirt tightly, pretending to lean into his embrace, whining like she was filing a grievance.

The first thing she noticed as she leaned in was the faintly pleasant scent emanating from Ji Jing. It was clean and refreshing, like the aroma of certain essential oils she’d smelled before, but somehow more concentrated at this moment.

His embrace was warm, wrapping around her entirely, making her feel genuinely protected, like she was nestled in a safe haven.

Tang Ruan hesitated for a moment before mentally reciting a calming mantra to focus and continue her act.

–

Ji Jing held Tang Ruan securely in his arms, his sharp gaze locking onto the man opposite them.

As soon as he spoke, three tall men in black clothing, who looked quite menacing, stepped out from behind him. They were clearly bodyguards.

Dai Jun and his friends froze in unison. Just a moment ago, they’d been watching for entertainment, curious about how Dai Jun had managed to deceive such an oblivious rich heiress. But now, as the situation unfolded, they couldn’t quite make sense of it.

“Who are you?” Dai Jun narrowed his eyes in wariness as he scrutinized Ji Jing’s clean, elegant features.

Although he knew Ji Jing’s name, Dai Jun had never actually seen him in person. For people like him, who frequented bars and lived a world away from Ji Jing’s social circle, it was almost impossible to meet someone like him.

Ji Jing rarely appeared in public media. Most of his external affairs were handled by his assistants, and he seldom featured in financial magazines. Even when he did, he drew little attention. People tended to assume that the wealthiest individuals didn’t look particularly attractive.

Dai Jun had been one of those people. Otherwise, why would Tang Ruan want to run away with him?

Ji Jing gave Dai Jun a once-over, then let out a faint snort. “You’re not worthy of knowing my identity.”

He tilted his head slightly, gesturing to the bodyguards. “Throw him out.”

“Yes,” the three bodyguards replied in unison.

“Wait,” Tang Ruan suddenly interrupted, softly emerging from Ji Jing’s arms to stand beside him.

She smiled faintly, slipping her hand out of Ji Jing’s grasp. Then, in front of Dai Jun, she intertwined her fingers with Ji Jing’s. Looking directly at Dai Jun, she smiled and said, “This is my husband.”

Dai Jun: “…”

His face turned pale as he stared at Tang Ruan in disbelief. His voice trembled, “What do you mean?”

“Exactly what you think,” Tang Ruan replied with a light smile. “Before, I was just playing a game with you.”

Her tone grew sharper, her eyes showing a hint of disdain as she looked at him. “You think you’re the only one who knows how to put on an act? I can do it too. Sorry if my performance was slightly better. How was it? Convincing enough to fool you?” She chuckled. “You came to scam this so-called rich heiress, but I played along and scammed the scammer. Fair trade, don’t you think?”

“You…” Dai Jun stammered, stepping forward instinctively, but the bodyguards blocked his way.

Tang Ruan’s expression turned serious, and she spoke slowly, her tone icy: “Today, I’m here to make things clear. Sure, you put up with my spoiled heiress temperament for a while, but you also took plenty from me. Now, we’re even. I hope you never contact me again. Otherwise—”

She turned to Ji Jing with a sweet smile. “My husband will handle you. Right, darling?”

Ji Jing let out a cold snort, his expression icy. “If you dare bother my wife again, this will be your fate.”

With a loud crash, Ji Jing dropped a glass he had picked up at some point. It shattered into pieces on the floor.

–

Outside, the night wind had grown stronger and colder.

As she stepped out of the bar, Tang Ruan felt the breeze against her skin. She rubbed her arms, took a few steps, and couldn’t help but smile, her lips curling upward.

Ji Jing was simply—

Hilarious.

Thinking back to Dai Jun’s ashen face and terrified expression, she felt thoroughly entertained. Inviting Ji Jing to join in this act had been the right decision. She figured Dai Jun wouldn’t dare approach her again after tonight. With that, the metaphorical “green hat” she’d given Ji Jing could finally be removed, and the process of divorcing him could begin to move forward.

Tang Ruan’s ultimate goal was to make Ji Jing initiate the divorce.

From gossip and tabloids she’d read in the past, she knew that when men initiated divorces, they often ended up with less in the property division. She needed money—lots of it—and so she was determined to make Ji Jing take the first step.

If the “green hat” ploy didn’t work, she’d simply act in a way that made him unbearably annoyed. According to the book’s author, Ji Jing liked independent, strong-willed women. He despised women who were useless, overly delicate, obsessed with beauty, and overly reliant on others.

She—

was perfectly suited for the latter.

Being self-reliant and strong-willed was exhausting; being coquettish was much more her style. She had seen plenty of dramas before, and playing the part of a spoiled princess should come naturally.

Just as she was contemplating this, a familiar voice suddenly came from behind:
“Not bad acting.”

Tang Ruan: “…”

She turned to look at the man who had followed her out and furrowed her brow. “President Ji, your acting is even better. Where did you Google those lines?”

Ji Jing froze and gave her a cold glance. “Do I need Google?”

“Not Google?” Tang Ruan feigned surprise, her eyes darting mischievously. In an overly sweet tone, she said, “Wow, President Ji is amazing!”

…?

…??

…???

Ji Jing felt a shiver run down his spine at her voice, as if she’d completely lost her mind. He instinctively stepped back, putting some distance between them, his expression filled with disdain and suspicion that his wife might have gone crazy.

“Are you… traumatized?”

Tang Ruan paused, frowned, and said, “No.”

She rubbed her arms as if brushing off the awkwardness, then added, “Thanks for helping today, President Ji. If there’s nothing else, I’ll head home first.”

“I’ll send you.”

She glanced at herself, then at the car parked nearby, and nodded. “Thanks.”

They were still legally married, after all. It wasn’t a big deal for him to give her a ride.

Once in the car, Tang Ruan finally felt warmer. The two remained silent throughout the ride until they reached the house. Ji Jing called out to her as she was about to leave the car.

“What was all that about today?”

Tang Ruan froze for a moment, then looked at him with a faint smile. “Nothing much. Just what you saw.” She gestured vaguely. “Even though we don’t have feelings for each other, I wouldn’t cheat while married.”

She spoke earnestly, “I have at least that much decency.” Her smile deepened, and the way her eyes curved under her perfectly applied makeup made Ji Jing momentarily distracted. “Good night.”

Without waiting for his response, Tang Ruan turned and walked away.

Ji Jing watched her retreating figure, his brows furrowed in thought. After two minutes of standing there, he finally drove away.

–

The streetlights along the road were bright, spaced evenly apart. Ji Jing rolled his window down slightly, letting the cold wind rush in to clear his mind.

He couldn’t figure out what Tang Ruan was trying to do. A while ago, she was clamoring for a divorce. Just when he decided to agree, she suddenly changed her mind and even cut ties with her lover. Ji Jing couldn’t tell if Tang Ruan was putting on a show for him or if she was serious, but tonight—

Her actions seemed deliberate, like she genuinely wanted a clean break.

As he mulled over the events, his phone rang. It was Qi Hao.

Ji Jing glanced at the screen and answered, “What is it?”

“What were you asking me earlier? Something about acting and lines?” Qi Hao sounded puzzled. He had barely said a few words before Ji Jing had hung up earlier, and it wasn’t until now that he managed to reconnect.

At the mention of this, Ji Jing felt a surge of irritation. Reflecting on the absurd lines he had delivered at the bar, he finally understood why Tang Ruan had looked at him with such a complicated expression while in his arms.

“What script did you give me?”

When Tang Ruan had asked him to play the role of a loving husband to fend off someone, Ji Jing had no experience with such a scenario. He even went as far as calling Qi Hao, a friend in the entertainment industry, for advice on what to say if someone was harassing his wife.

And thus, he ended up delivering those cringe-worthy lines.

Qi Hao replied, “Just… standard drama lines.”

“From one of your productions?”

“Yeah.” Qi Hao sounded proud. “What do you think? Pretty good, huh? I’ve got my eye on a few other projects too…”

Before he could finish, Ji Jing cut him off with a cold chuckle. “No wonder your latest dramas are tanking in ratings.”

Qi Hao: “…?”

After hanging up, Ji Jing sat in silence for a moment before calling someone else. With that done, he drove home under the night sky. Whatever changes his wife was going through, he was determined to uncover the truth one day.

–

After dealing with Dai Jun, Tang Ruan was in an excellent mood and slept soundly that night.

When she woke up the next morning, she accepted that she wasn’t going back to her original life. She vaguely recalled having a dream but couldn’t remember what it was.

Rubbing her temples, she picked up her phone.

To her surprise, Dai Jun hadn’t given up yet and was still sending her all sorts of emotional messages, even trying to explain what she had overheard at the bar. Tang Ruan snorted, blocked his number and WeChat, and finally enjoyed some peace and quiet.

After leisurely brushing her teeth and eating breakfast, she began seriously considering how to “act out” her next move.

Recalling the storyline, Tang Ruan remembered that Ji Jing disliked discussing personal matters at work. In his eyes, work was work, and personal life was personal life. Public displays of affection at the office were especially off-limits.

So—

Tang Ruan smirked, deciding to poke the tiger.

Author’s Note:
Author: How do you know President Ji doesn’t secretly like it?~
President Ji: My wife just wants my attention.
Tang Ruan: …??? Speak clearly. I’m just trying to push you to divorce me.
President Ji: If I can’t stand it, I have ways to resolve that.
Tang Ruan: …? …???