Lin Xu had been holding her phone and smiling foolishly for some time, which caught Ji Tingyangâs attention. Moreover, she had been wearing that necklace around her neck for two to three days now.
You have to know that Lin Xuâs jewelry collection is quite extensive, and she wears different pieces each day, never repeating the same one the next day.
Yet she had been wearing this necklace for so long.
Ji Tingyang suddenly felt a hidden crisis brewing.
He glanced at Lin Xu, who was sitting on the sofa and happily looking at her phone, then quietly went over to sit beside her, attempting to peek at her phone without drawing attention.
Lin Xu seemed to sense something and immediately locked her phone screen.
She turned her head to meet Ji Tingyangâs eyes, and they looked at each other in silence.
ââ¦Mother, what are you looking at?â Ji Tingyang was the first to speak.
âNothing much, just some funny videos,â Lin Xu feigned nonchalance.
âLet me have a look,â Ji Tingyang reached out to take her phone.
âThey were just randomly found, I swiped past and canât find them anymore,â Lin Xu dodged to the side.
Ji Tingyangâs gaze instantly filled with suspicion.
Lin Xu laughed awkwardly, âIf you want to see, I can follow a few funny bloggers for you.â
âNo need,â Ji Tingyang wasnât actually interested in funny videos, his gaze fell back on the necklace around her neck, and he asked nonchalantly, âWhen did you buy this necklace? I donât recall seeing it before.â
âJust bought it a few days ago. You were at work when I went out, I saw it and liked it, so I bought it. Itâs so pretty that Iâve worn it for several days,â Lin Xuâs explanation seemed impeccable.
Ji Tingyang fell silent, still feeling that something was off.
Just as he was about to continue questioning, the butler came back from outside, âYoung Master, there is a visitor outside, claiming to be your cousin.â
Wu Yanghui?
Ji Tingyangâs facial expression became as cold as Ji Zeqiuâs had been before, instantly frosty.
Lin Xuâs face also slightly darkened.
She hadnât expected him to have the audacity to come knocking.
Seeing Ji Tingyangâs grim expression, the butler felt somewhat uneasy, âShould I⦠should I go and send him away?â
Looking into the young masterâs eyes that were cold enough to kill, the butler understood clearly.
This person definitely had a bad relationship with the Ji Family.
After the butler spoke, he waited a few seconds, and seeing Ji Tingyangâs silent agreement, he hurried out to send the visitor away.
Ji Tingyang was mostly a very reserved person, and now with his lips pressed tightly together, he looked even more intimidating, and the low pressure emanating from him was enough to make anyone shiver.
At this moment.
A small hand took hold of his cold palm, the warmth from the touch spreading through his palm like the warm sun on a winter day, gradually melting the ice within his body.
Ji Tingyang clasped Lin Xuâs hand in return, putting on an unconcerned facade, and said, âThere are always some people who come to claim kinship in order to get some money. That person is certainly no different; just chase him away.â
He didnât wish to talk about it, and Lin Xu didnât press him, pretending to be unaware as well.
She smiled, rubbing Ji Tingyangâs head with her other hand, âOur Tingyang is so rich now, naturally many people want to cozy up to him, you see, even I have to try to ingratiate myself with you.â
Ji Tingyangâs eyes flickered, and his ears turned red, âNo, thereâs no need to ingratiate, all my money is yoursâ¦â
The money he earned was meant for his mother to spend after all.
âSo thereâs no need to ingratiate, then next time I wonât bother making scallion pancakes for you,â Lin Xu nodded as if she just had a revelation.
Ji Tingyang was momentarily stunned; his usually calm and composed face suddenly filled with conflict and struggle.
He wanted to spend money on his mother, but he also wanted to eat scallion noodle soupâ¦
For a long while.
A âPfftâ of laughter rang in his ears, and Lin Xuâs face bloomed into a smile, âI was joking, you can eat as much as you want, Iâll cook it for you anytime.â
Hearing her say that, the conflicted look on Ji Tingyangâs face finally faded away, and he quietly breathed a sigh of relief.
In the midst of speaking, while Lin Xu wasnât paying attention, Ji Tingyang stealthily glanced towards the villaâs main gate.
After not seeing Wu Yanghui there, his tense nerves gradually relaxed.
Just when he thought the matter was over, Wu Yanghui came back the next day.
âMiss Lin, that person from yesterday came back, insisting on seeing the young master. Iâve told him the young master isnât home, but he wonât believe it. This time no matter how we tried to send him away, he wouldnât leave. What should we doâ¦â the butler said with a troubled look.
âThen bring over someone from property management with security, and say weâve been harassed by a stranger; have them drive the person away,â Lin Xu said.
âOkay,â the butler nodded.
A moment later, the butler returned, âMiss Lin, that man is still clinging to the gate, refusing to let go. Even the security guards couldnât drive him away. He keeps shouting loudly to see the young master, saying he will keep coming back tomorrow if he doesnât get to see him today.â
A surge of anger rose in Lin Xuâs chest as she started walking outside, and from afar, she could see Wu Yanghui with both hands clinging to the iron gate.
Security personnel were also struggling to deal with him.
Noticing Lin Xu, Wu Yanghuiâs eyes suddenly brightened as he called out to her loudly, âSister! Iâm your cousin, hurry and explain to these guards that weâre relatives, not any suspicious persons.â
Lin Xu walked over and asked through the iron gate, âWhat are you doing here?â
âWe havenât seen each other for so many years, I just wanted to come and see how you all are,â Wu Yanghui said with a sycophantic smile.
âIf youâre not going to explain, Iâm leaving.â
Lin Xu turned to walk away, and he became anxious.
âDonât go, sister, Iâll tell you!â
âOur familyâs snack company has recently run into some issues, and weâre trying to find some connections to expand our sales channels, but for some reason, every company weâve approached has rejected us.â
âThe Jiâs are now a well-known big company, and after all, we are relatives. Do you think you could ask Ji Tingyang to help us out?â@@novelbin@@
Wu Yanghui and his parents had recently been so worried about this issue that they were nearly pulling their hair out.
When Ji Tingyang had reclaimed his inheritance, their family had begged and pleaded, employing all sorts of methods, to secure a small company from Ji Tingyangâs hands.
The small company wasnât large scale, and although it couldnât compare to the Ji Group, it was enough to keep their familyâs economic status above average.
Lately, the food projects werenât going well, and the profits were poor; if they couldnât find new projects and capital soon, the company feared it wouldnât last another year or two before closing down.
At that point, not only would employing people become a problem, but they might not even be able to afford a fancy house.
The saying goes that itâs difficult to transition from luxury to frugality, and they couldnât bear such a drastic fall, desperately seeking partnership opportunities.
A few days ago, Wu Yanghui had finally managed to get in touch with Manager Qian. The two had come to an agreement, just waiting for the contract to be stamped; but the day before stamping, Manager Qian backed out.
Wu Yanghui immediately thought of Xie Changyan; it must have been because of the incident at the Flaming Lily Restaurant that had offended him.
âI remember youâre also familiar with Young Master Xie, could you please also plead with him on my behalf?â Wu Yanghui exclaimed as he leaned forward abruptly, his long arms reaching through the iron gate to grab Lin Xu.
Lin Xu stepped back several paces.
Yet his fingernails still managed to scratch a shallow bloody mark on the back of her pale hand.