Chapter 6

Everyone stood there, dumbfounded, watching Tang Ruan’s series of actions, sinking into a state of self-doubt.

They might—

Have truly gone blind.

Ji Jing, too, was stunned by the person in front of him. The scent of her perfume filled his senses, making it almost overwhelming. Instinctively, he wanted to step back, trying to figure out if the woman in his arms was really the same wife who had been cold and distant to him, and who had been begging for a divorce every day.

Or was this another one of her methods to get a divorce??

Ji Jing furrowed his brows, looking at the woman still clinging to his chest. He wanted to speak: “You…”

Before he could even say it, Tang Ruan continued her world-class, yet awkward and over-the-top, performance.

“Do you not love me anymore?” She balled her little fists and softly pounded against his chest. She squeezed out tears, looking aggrieved as she added, “I heard from the receptionist that so many women come to see you every day. Have you fallen for someone else? You don’t love me anymore, do you?”

Ji Jing: “……”

He might still be dreaming, or hearing things. Maybe it was time to take his wife to see a psychiatrist.

“You used to say I was your one true love,” Tang Ruan continued crying, speaking between sobs. “I married you right after graduation. Are you starting to dislike me because I’m older now? I’m not as pretty as those younger girls?”

Having said that, Tang Ruan anxiously awaited Ji Jing’s reaction.

She hoped he would push her away, and she could conveniently fall to the floor to fake an injury. That would give her a chance to ask for medical compensation, which sounded like a very good idea.

Unfortunately, a full minute passed and Ji Jing didn’t react at all.

Tang Ruan, her head resting on his chest, furrowed her brow. Was she still not being dramatic enough?? After all, with the voice and the act she just put on, if she were a bystander, she’d probably want to slap the woman who was acting so coquettish.

Ugh, this was so sickening, even she could hardly stand it. Why wasn’t Ji Jing pushing her away? Why wasn’t he doing it?? Was it really true that men liked these kinds of clingy, unreasonable women??

Just as she was confused, Ji Jing suddenly shoved her away with force. Excited, Tang Ruan was ready to beam with joy, but the next second, her smile froze on her face.

In front of everyone in the lobby, Ji Jing grabbed her and pulled her into the elevator, pressing the button for the upper floor.

The elevator doors slowly closed, leaving curious gazes behind them.

–

Once they were gone, the crowd couldn’t hold back their discussions.

“What the hell… What did I just see?”

“Was that really our boss?”

“Yeah, it must be.”

“That woman, is she really his wife?”

Someone gulped and said, still in disbelief, “It has to be. Otherwise, based on our boss’s clean image and his refusal to be involved in rumors with women, why would he let her cling to him and take advantage of him like that?”

Exactly, to the onlookers, it looked like Tang Ruan was shamelessly taking advantage of Ji Jing.

One man passing by sighed, “If I had a wife who could act so sweet, I’d pamper her every day.”

Everyone else snorted, giving him a disdainful glance: “Too bad you don’t.”

“Boss is lucky.”

“I envy him too. That lady is so beautiful.”

…

Outside, the crowd was still chatting excitedly, but inside the elevator, things weren’t quite as pleasant.

As soon as they stepped inside, Tang Ruan instinctively took a step to the side. The hand Ji Jing had been holding was released.

She lowered her eyes and glanced at Ji Jing’s hand stuffed in his pocket. A faint smirk tugged at her lips. It seemed the author had been right—Ji Jing had no feelings for his wife. But the two of them couldn’t keep going like this. Based on the current situation, Tang Ruan didn’t know when Ji Jing would bring up divorce himself.

Quietly, she stood aside, lost in thought, not noticing Ji Jing’s changing expression.

Ji Jing, his hands still in his pockets, stood on one side of the elevator. Occasionally, he glanced at his wife’s expression through the reflection in the elevator mirror. Though he didn’t understand what she was trying to do, deep down, he knew—

The behavior his wife was displaying now was definitely not because she suddenly had feelings for him.

At least he was self-aware enough to know that.

Although he was excellent in every way, the feelings one person has for another don’t change overnight—they take time. They’d only been apart for five days, and now Tang Ruan was acting like this. Ji Jing had every reason to suspect that something was off with her, or maybe his suspicion about her mental state was correct.

In the elevator, neither of them spoke a word.

Finally, when the elevator reached Ji Jing’s office floor, they both stepped out, one after the other. Ning Ming, holding some documents and preparing to find Ji Jing for a signature, froze for a moment when he saw them. He quickly snapped back to his senses.

“Young Madam is here.”

Upon hearing this, Tang Ruan smiled.

She looked at the man in front of her. Ning Ming was Ji Jing’s assistant and essentially the leader of the company, always by the boss’s side, helping with various tasks. In the novel, Ning Ming had helped Ji Jing with many things, even transferring money to the female lead when they divorced.

Because of this, Tang Ruan felt an inexplicable fondness for him.

She smiled brightly at Ning Ming and greeted, “Hello, Assistant Ning.”

Ning Ming was taken aback, surprised to hear her address him. “I thought Young Madam might have forgotten about me.”

“How could I forget?” Tang Ruan chuckled, “A handsome assistant like you? How could I possibly forget?”

Ji Jing, walking ahead, suddenly paused and turned to Ning Ming, his voice low and deep. “What is it you need?”

“This document is urgent and needs your signature.”

“Bring it to the office.”

“Okay.”

After signing the document, Ji Jing looked at the woman sitting on the sofa, smiling and resting her hand on her wrist. He paused for a moment and then said, “Prepare a glass of juice for her.”

“Alright.”

The person left, closing the door behind them, and the room returned to silence.

–

Ji Jing’s office reflected his personality—a sleek, minimalist design with an overall white color scheme. It was simple yet fashionable, and there was enough presence in the space, likely due to its ample size. There were large floor-to-ceiling windows on one side, offering a panoramic view of the city.

The Ji Group building was one of the tallest and most prominent structures in the city.

This was Tang Ruan’s first visit to Ji Jing’s company. She looked around and silently marveled at the stark contrast between the lives of the rich and the poor. The gap was truly immense.

Ji Jing sat behind his desk with his hands clasped together, observing her. He didn’t speak until Ning Ming brought in the juice and coffee.

Before Ji Jing could say anything, Tang Ruan spoke up first.

She took a sip of juice, her eyes lighting up, full of energy as she exclaimed, “Wow, husband, this juice is so delicious!”

Ji Jing: “……”

She then picked up her glass and walked over to sit directly across from Ji Jing, not taking her eyes off him, and blinked before asking, “Husband.”

Ji Jing coughed, holding up a hand as if to pause her.

He looked at Tang Ruan seriously and asked, “What have you been eating these days?”

“Ah?”

“Your medicine, did you take the wrong one at home?” Ji Jing looked at her with growing suspicion.

Tang Ruan almost choked, and for a moment, she wanted to slap him.

What does he mean by ‘taking the wrong medicine’? Does she look like someone who has taken the wrong medicine?!

She grumbled under her breath, glaring at Ji Jing, and in a deliberately exaggerated tone said, “You’re annoying.”

“Where do I look like I’ve taken the wrong medicine?”

Ji Jing said nothing, continuing to watch her performance. The way she acted—no normal person would behave like that.

Tang Ruan cleared her throat and seriously looked into Ji Jing’s eyes. She said earnestly, “I just suddenly feel that our previous way of getting along wasn’t quite right, and I want to change it.” She said this with a sense of righteousness, adding, “Isn’t this change a good thing?”

Ji Jing was momentarily speechless, not knowing how to respond.

The man who dominated the business world, who could usually control any situation, now found himself at a loss for words, silenced by this little woman.

As Tang Ruan had said, if they didn’t want to continue like this for the rest of their lives, a change was needed. However—

So far, Ji Jing still hadn’t figured out why his wife, who had been indifferent for half a year, was suddenly acting like this—so clingy and strange.

He wasn’t a fool. Though he didn’t understand what had caused her to change, Ji Jing thought—

Since she wanted to put on this performance, he might as well play along. He had a bit of free time lately anyway.

Who knows? If she genuinely wanted to change, it could be good for their marriage. And if not, there wouldn’t be much lost. The worst-case scenario would be returning to how things were before.

–

Ji Jing was the type of man who didn’t think about divorce after marriage. Even if he didn’t love Tang Ruan, he would remain loyal to his marriage. Infidelity was not something he would ever consider, as his upbringing didn’t allow for such behavior.

As his grandfather once said, he hoped the two of them could at least blend together a little, not necessarily in love, but at least as a couple who respected each other.

Thinking this, Ji Jing nodded at Tang Ruan and simply said, “It’s good.”

“Right?”

Tang Ruan raised an eyebrow and smiled, then looked down at her dress and gave him a flirtatious glance. “Do you think my dress is pretty?”

Ji Jing: “……”

He glanced at the woman in front of him. Tang Ruan was undeniably beautiful, something he’d always known. The dress she wore made her radiate vitality and grace. Though it was slightly different from what he’d imagined, it was indeed quite lovely.

“It’s nice.”

Tang Ruan made a small sound, slightly disappointed. “Just ‘nice’?”

For some reason, Ji Jing subconsciously wanted to correct himself and say that she looked very beautiful, but his rational mind stopped him.

Tang Ruan thought for a moment, resting her arm on the table, never breaking her gaze from Ji Jing. “Husband, are you busy today?”

Ji Jing paused. He still couldn’t quite get used to her calling him ‘husband’ so casually. After a brief hesitation, he nodded. “Not really. Do you need something?”

“Yes.”

“If you’re not too busy, would you come shopping with me?”

Worried about being rejected, Tang Ruan quickly added, “Today is the first day of our relationship transformation. Would you go shopping with your cute and charming wife?”

Ji Jing didn’t respond, waiting to see what else she would do.

Tang Ruan continued to act spoiled. She got up from her seat and walked over to Ji Jing’s side, half-squatting and snuggling up to his arm. She batted her eyes, looking at him with a pitiful expression. “Husband, please? Will you go shopping with your adorable wife?”

Ji Jing: “……”