The next day.
Ji Tingyang walked toward his study as usual and started todayâs work.
Ever since Lin Xu had been reborn, he had not been seen going out to work at Jiâs, and his work had also been transferred and brought to his study by his secretary.
Initially, it was to keep an eye on Wen Li and prevent her from sneaking out, but over time, he had grown accustomed to it.
Lin Xu felt that staying at home all day, even a normal person would get sick of it.
She needed to find a way to get him back to a normal life, starting with going out to work.
So, during lunch, Lin Xu suddenly sighed deeply.
âWhatâs wrong?â Ji Tingyang asked, âIs the food not to your liking?â
It seemed as if she just needed to nod, and he would immediately have the food on the table removed and replaced.
Lin Xu shook her head, her expression still melancholic, âI just watched a TV drama, there was a scene where a mother was sending her child to and from school, and it suddenly reminded me that I hardly ever did that for you. I feel somewhat guilty.â
When Xiao Tingyang was in preschool, she would occasionally do it, but more often it was her husband. Every day before going to work at the company, he would first drop Xiao Tingyang off at preschool and pick him up after work.
Later, when Xiao Tingyang started first grade, it shifted to the family driver doing the drop-offs and pickups. Lin Xu had even less opportunity to do so before she crossed into the future, twenty years later.
As for the twenty years when she wasnât present, no one took care of their commuting anymore. At merely seven or eight years old, Xiao Tingyang took on the role of a responsible older brother, taking public buses to drop Xiao Zeqiu at the preschool before switching buses to go to school himself.
Later, as his sister grew and also started school, he would be responsible for dropping both off.
Ji Tingyang also remembered this, and said indifferently, âIt doesnât matter, itâs all in the past.â
âHow can that be!â Lin Xu said, still upset.
Ji Tingyang wanted to continue to console her, but then he saw a bright idea light up in her eyes, and she made a suggestion.
âHow about this, Iâll drop you off and pick you up from work!â
He paused for a moment.
âNow that you have graduated too, since I canât re-experience sending you to school, the only choice left is to drive you to and from work as a form of compensation. Get ready now, Iâll take you to the company at two!â Lin Xu urged.
âIâ¦â Ji Tingyang hesitated, but seeing her excited, he swallowed his words back, âOkay.â
Lin Xu was determined and efficient.
As if afraid he would change his mind, the moment it was time, she immediately dragged him into the car.
The location of the Ji Group was still the same as before, but over the many years, many aspects of its setup had changed.
The mixed feelings in Lin Xuâs heart were fleeting. She followed Ji Tingyang out of the car and meticulously reminded him at the door:
âIâll wander nearby. Call me when you get off work, and Iâll come pick you up. Make sure to work hard.â
âIâm not a child,â Ji Tingyang said helplessly.
âIn a motherâs eyes, youâre always a child.â These words, which Lin Xuâs mother used to say to her, were now spoken by her to Ji Tingyang.
Yet, looking at the youthful cheek that wasnât much older than his, Ji Tingyang felt it somewhat strange.
The president who hadnât been to the company for over two years suddenly appeared, startling the staff. The relaxed posture of slacking off the previous second was immediately replaced by a strict readiness, as they worked diligently.
Only then did Ji Tingyang realize how lax each department had become at his arrival, no wonder the workload he had to handle was increasing and the efficiency was worse than in previous years.
He snorted coldly.
Just two hours ago, Ji Tingyang was reluctant to go to the office, but the next second, he initiated a major internal overhaul.
Suddenly, the company was filled with sighs and complaints.
Meanwhile, Lin Xu was leisurely tasting coffee in a café.
Thinking of Ji Zeqiu still enclosed in the filming crew, she felt better and sent many instructions to her agent to take good care of Ji Zeqiu.
After more than ten minutes, the other party perfunctorily replied with a âokay,â not knowing if they had read the message completely.
âHiss, are you blind? This clothing is very expensive. Can you afford to compensate it? Where is your manager? I want to make a complaint about you!â
A voice full of curses rose nearby.
Lin Xu looked up and saw a customer quarreling with a waiter.
The waiter hadnât held the cup steady, and coffee had spilled out, staining the clothes inside a paper bag that the customer carried.
Just by seeing the logo of a high-end brand printed on the paper bag, she knew the price must be steep.
The waiter bent down and apologized to the customer, âIâm sorry, Iâm sorry, I wasnât holding it steady, itâs all my fault. Iâll clean it up for you right nowâ¦â
âClean? Not all clothes can be washed, do you realize that because of what you did, I now donât have a gown to wear to tonightâs banquet!â the customer, on the verge of a breakdown, demanded to see the manager for compensation again.
âIâll definitely clean it well, taking it to dry cleaning is also possible, please donât complain about meâ¦â the waiter said, his expression conflicted.
If he received one complaint, two hundred yuan would be deducted from his salary, which effectively meant working for free for two days.
As the dispute remained unresolved, a girl suddenly pulled the waiter behind her and protected him, âXiao Yu, why do you even apologize! Itâs just a piece of clothing. How much can it be worth?â
The girl showed disdain.
âSince it isnât worth much, then compensate one hundred thousand yuan,â the customer pulled out the invoice to prevent them from thinking she was extorting them.
âI thought it would be much more than that, itâs just one hundred thousand yuan,â the girl pulled out her phone, scanned the customerâs QR code, and in a few seconds, she transferred one hundred thousand yuan.
Having received the compensation, the customer did no longer cared, sized up Xiao Yu and the girl once more before leaving, and clicked her tongue as she said, âNowadays, young girls start keeping kept men.â
Xiao Yuâs expression abruptly changed, and he looked at the girl with a cold gaze, âI donât need your help, and Iâll pay you back that one hundred thousand yuan later.â
âBut if I hadnât helped you, she would have complained about you,â the girl hurriedly said, âand besides, one hundred thousand yuan means nothing to me, itâs okay if you donât pay it back.â
âCanât you stop bothering me?â Xiao Yu said to the girl who followed closely by his side.
Lin Xu watched for a few minutes, withdrew her gaze, and clicked her tongue as she shook her head.
The boyâs attitude towards the girl was so poor, she really didnât understand why the girl kept pursuing it.
But that was ultimately someone elseâs private affair, Lin Xu just sighed, and soon put the matter out of her mind.
ââ
Ji Group.
Ji Tingyang occasionally looked at his watch, his expression impatient.
The secretary beside him, sweating profusely, worriedly muttered to himself about why the director hadnât brought the annual financial report yet. President Ji was so anxious that he checked the time every two minutes.
Every time Ji Tingyang looked at his watch, the secretary felt as if his life span was shortening by a few minutes.
âPresident Ji, here are this yearâs financial reports.â
Under continuous prompting by the secretary, the director finally arrived.
However, Ji Tingyang didnât even look at it, picked up his coat from the back of the chair, and took the report as well, âWorking hours have ended, Iâll look at it when I get home.â
âAh?â The secretary glanced at the time.
Just on the dot, exactly six oâclock.
Ji Tingyangâs sudden appearance and the ensuing shake-up had prepared them all for overtime. Could the president really just leave on time?