Chapter 109: Ji Yunqi’s Inner Conflict
She ultimately had to live her own life. This time would be a final conclusion.
“So you want me to go back with you?”
“Naturally. My Gu family is considered a powerful force in Kyoto. Being the eldest daughter of the Gu family won’t treat you badly.” Gu Yunlan’s eyes held a complex mix of emotions.
There were things he couldn’t control; he could only follow orders. Taking Ji Yunqi back was his mission.
As for what would happen after bringing her back, he understood clearly. The Gu family placed great importance on reputation. Currently, the Gu family’s “eldest daughter” was, at best, average in appearance, not comparable to the young woman before him.
Right now, the Gu family was in an upward phase. To defeat competitors, they needed to find “allies.” Finding “allies” required bargaining chips and sincerity. As for this sincerity…
Thinking of these things, Gu Yunlan’s gaze towards Ji Yunqi was no longer as complex. As long as it could elevate the Gu family further, some freedom and…
He figured she would understand. At that time, she could also enjoy wealth and status, and perhaps even thank him.
…
“Okay, after some time. I have a lot going on in Rongcheng recently and don’t have time to go to Kyoto.”
Seeing that Ji Yunqi had agreed, Gu Yunlan was no longer anxious. After all, he had found the person, and she had agreed. He didn’t need to worry about her running away.
The matter wasn’t urgent. A little time to settle things might be good. He could also slack off a bit outside, couldn’t he?
“Alright, as you wish.”
…
After their conversation, Ji Yunqi was in a very bad mood. If it weren’t for her promise, she would absolutely not get involved with these so-called affluent families.
Of course, her father-in-law was an exception.
When Ji Yunqi returned to her son’s side, the family was already waiting for her in the living room.
The situation hadn’t reached that point yet, and her son’s wedding was just around the corner. Ji Yunqi didn’t want to discuss these troublesome matters and cause unnecessary worry.
Therefore, she didn’t proactively mention what had happened. This way, Ye Mingkong and the others would only think it was related to Jiang You and the like, not suspect anything else.
“You’re back. Have you eaten? Are you hungry?”
As soon as Ji Yunqi entered the house, Ye Mingkong came forward, his smile unable to be hidden.
Ji Yunqi knew this was her wife’s good mood after resolving a decades-old inner demon; she was genuinely happy for him.
Ultimately, the matter was left unresolved, and Ji Yunqi didn’t tell her family.
In her opinion, she only needed to meet them with Gu Yunlan after her son’s wedding and then return.
The entire matter could be resolved quickly and easily without anyone else’s intervention.
However, she wasn’t sure what the specifics would be then. She guessed there might be some special circumstances, but they should all be within the scope of resolution.
“Okay, okay, I need to talk to Dad for a bit. You go do what you need to do.”
“Alright then, you two have a good chat.” Ye Mingkong had chatted with Ye Ling for the entire afternoon. He knew full well that over the years, his husband had been secretly in contact with his father, and they must have many common topics.
He wasn’t interested in listening at this moment. Coincidentally, his mother said she wanted to go for a walk in the residential area, so Ye Mingkong was happy to accompany his mother.
…
After Ye Mingkong left, Ye Ling sat down next to Ji Yunqi. She now just wanted to ask about the situation in Kyoto. After all, wasn’t her father-in-law from Kyoto?
What was the use of searching online when she had readily available information from her father-in-law? Her father-in-law’s source of information would definitely be more accurate.
Ye Ling looked at Ji Yunqi beside him. He was very curious about this good son-in-law… no, now it should be good daughter-in-law, what she had been doing that afternoon.
She was acting so mysteriously. Although he was curious, he wouldn’t ask directly. If she could tell him, this daughter-in-law would naturally tell him.
If it wasn’t convenient for him to know, then asking would be futile. Ye Ling wouldn’t do anything that would lead to embarrassment.
“What’s wrong, daughter-in-law? Is there something you want to ask Dad?”
Hearing the words “daughter-in-law,” Ji Yunqi felt a strange feeling, but she couldn’t quite explain it. She was indeed considered a daughter-in-law now, but she still felt a little unaccustomed to it.
After all, Old Bidan used to call her a fine son-in-law~
However, these were not important for now. Whatever the address, it didn’t matter; they were all family anyway.
“Dad, I wanted to ask if you’ve heard of the Gu family in Kyoto?”
“The Gu family in Kyoto?”
Ye Ling couldn’t recall it immediately. Which family was this? Logically speaking, in Kyoto, he should know all the influential families.
Why was this family so unfamiliar?
Suddenly, Ye Ling seemed to remember something and looked up at Ji Yunqi, “Is it the Gu family whose patriarch is named Gu Ming?”
“Ah, yes, yes, yes. Dad, have you heard of them?”
Ye Ling nodded, “I have. It’s a family that has only recently risen in the last twenty years. They are quite good among the new forces in Kyoto.”
“Why are you asking about this?”
“Uh… a friend mentioned it recently, so out of curiosity, I just asked.”
“I see.”
“Girl, for ordinary people, the Gu family is indeed a behemoth. It’s not an exaggeration to call them a wealthy family. This friend of yours… being able to interact with such people must not be simple~”
Ji Yunqi took Ye Ling’s words to heart. The Gu family was a wealthy family, so she couldn’t act too aggressively. Otherwise, it might be inconvenient for her father-in-law to rescue her.
It might even implicate everyone. It seemed she had to be extra careful.
However, she figured that since the Gu family was so large and prosperous, and they only wanted her back because she was a blood relative, they surely wouldn’t make things difficult for her.
It seemed she didn’t need to worry about anything.
“Okay, I understand. Dad, you and Mom can come back to our place tonight with me and my… uh… husband.”
Hearing Ji Yunqi’s words, Ye Ling couldn’t help but laugh. This child was really… I just called her daughter-in-law, and she immediately called her former wife “husband” in front of me.
But this was good. Since her body had undergone such a significant transformation, her mindset should also change.
On this point, Ye Ling and Ji Yunqi thought alike. Between men and women, it was often the strong who protected the weak, and the concept of strength or weakness was determined by the body.
Men’s bodies were stronger than women’s and should protect women.
Moreover, at this moment, his daughter-in-law, looking at her, was thin and fragile.
On the contrary, his role as his daughter, who had now become his son, looked very strong.
Honestly…
Every time Ye Ling saw the two of them standing together, he felt a bit strange, always having the misconception of abducting a minor.
However…
Going to their house, Ye Ling felt it was still inappropriate. After all, they were a couple, and now they were young. It would always be a bit inconvenient for this old couple to stay at the young couple’s house.
Besides, their hotel was booked for many days, and they were too lazy to cancel it. The hotel was also quite comfortable.
Resting at the hotel at night, strolling around during the day, and visiting Rongcheng University to tease those college students made life quite interesting. He found it quite good.
“No need. You two stay by yourselves. We’ll go back to the hotel. Don’t worry about us.”
Ji Yunqi was surprised. “How can that be? When the father-in-law visits the son-in-law’s house, how can he not be taken care of? It must be inconvenient for you and Mom at the hotel, so staying at home would be better.”
Ye Ling waved his hand. “No need. You child, why don’t you listen? I said no need, so no need.”
Seeing Ye Ling’s persistence, Ji Yunqi decided not to say anything more. Since her father-in-law had his own ideas, she didn’t need to inquire further.
At the age of sixty or seventy, it was the time to venture out. If not now, then there would be no time later to venture out~
…
Night…
Next to a roadside barbecue stall…
Ji Yunqi sat on a small stool, holding a skewer in her right hand and a beer in her left, cursing as she spoke about her unhappiness.
Jiang You sat opposite Ji Yunqi, listening quietly, like an audience member.
“Alright, alright. I know you have a lot going on recently, but once this period is over, won’t you be free as a bird? You can do whatever you want, right?”
Ji Yunqi swallowed the skewer in her hand and stopped eating. She felt uncomfortable.
“Is this meat spoiled? I feel a bit nauseous.”
Jiang You was slightly startled and quickly ate a skewer, but he couldn’t taste anything strange.
This roadside stall had been around for many years; there shouldn’t be any food safety issues.
After all, this was their livelihood. There shouldn’t be such a fatal problem, right?
“It might be because you’re in a bad mood recently. You’re probably too tired. You shouldn’t drink anymore. Your alcohol tolerance is already low. What if you get drunk after just a couple of beers?”
Ji Yunqi knew that what Jiang You said made sense, but she just wanted to drink. However, since she felt unwell now, she might as well not.
“Alas…”
“You know, are these Gu family members sick? The child has been lost for so many years, and they still want to find her and take her back.”
Jiang You didn’t know what to do at this moment. Should he try to persuade her?
But he couldn’t find any reason or excuse to persuade Ji Yunqi.
Should he agree with her?
What Ji Yunqi was saying was just venting her dissatisfaction. Agreeing with her now would be asking for trouble, wouldn’t it?
“Alas, forget it. Let’s just consider it a business trip. It’s just a small matter.”
Ji Yunqi harbored many things in her heart. She couldn’t tell her family, as it would cause them great worry. However, she could tell her good friend Jiang You.
Although they were no different from sworn brothers, confiding in such a close male friend was ultimately different.
It was also a way to vent her accumulated negative emotions over this period.
Perhaps due to having too much on her plate, Ji Yunqi’s emotions had been fluctuating greatly recently. Even her usually proud calm state of mind was on the verge of being broken.
She clearly used to have a very calm state of mind, capable of remaining unfazed even if the sky fell.
Could it be… that this body just had a temper?
Ji Yunqi didn’t know, but adjusting her mindset was the real thing.
“Speaking of which, are you really not going to tell your family?”
Ji Yunqi shook her head, “I’ll talk about it after Chengyun gets married. I’m just going to Kyoto to meet them, not to genuinely acknowledge them. This is the limit of what I can do, fulfilling my promise.”
Jiang You knew Ji Yunqi’s personality and naturally wouldn’t stop her. However, he kept a watchful eye. If Ji Yunqi encountered any special circumstances, he could inform her family.
This way, at least her safety could be guaranteed.
“Alright. Remember to get some good rest recently. If you really feel unwell, go to the hospital. Don’t try to tough it out alone.”
Ji Yunqi let out a cold laugh, then looked at Jiang You with disdain. “Do I need you to tell me? Don’t I know it myself?”
Seeing Ji Yunqi’s rosy cheeks, Jiang You knew something had gone wrong. Why was this person drunk again? Although she wasn’t completely drunk, she was close.
“Alright, alright, let’s go home, let’s go home.”
“Let’s go, let’s go home. I’m going to see my wife and see if she’s happy today, hehe~”
…
Taking Ji Yunqi, who was a bit unsteady on her feet, from Jiang You’s hands, he brought her back to the room.
At this moment, Ji Yunqi wasn’t completely drunk, just a little groggy.
“Wife, are you happy seeing Old Bidan today?”
“Huh? Old Bidan?” Ye Mingkong was stunned at first, then realized that “Old Bidan” was referring to his father, Ye Ling.
Did this loli husband always call his father-in-law that in his heart?
He didn’t know before, but now that he was a bit tipsy, he dared to blurt it out.
“Who are you calling Old Bidan?”
Ji Yunqi opened her confused eyes, not quite understanding what Ye Mingkong was saying. “Old Bidan is Old Bidan. Who else could it be? It’s definitely my father-in-law.”
Ye Mingkong found it a bit amusing. If his father saw this scene, there would likely be a fierce argument between father-in-law and son-in-law.
“Yes, of course, I’m happy. By the way, why did Dad show up here?”
This was something Ye Mingkong was very curious about. Although he knew it was a plan by his husband and son, he didn’t know the specifics. He was quite curious now.
Why did his husband and son suddenly think of having a chat with his father to resolve their conflicts?
In the past few decades, they hadn’t had this thought, so why did they have this idea now?
Ji Yunqi’s face was flushed. She leaned into Ye Mingkong’s embrace and nuzzled her head against his chest.
Actually, she didn’t know why she was doing this. She just felt that smelling Ye Mingkong’s scent made her feel very comfortable. If only… that would be even better!
“Husband, I’m asking you.”
“Ah? What, what?” Ji Yunqi was so focused on smelling that she didn’t pay attention. But her state shouldn’t be seen by her wife, right? Wouldn’t she be ridiculed by her wife if she was seen in this state, which was like being in heat?
“I asked, why did you suddenly think of having Dad chat with me to resolve our conflict?”
“It’s nothing really. It’s just that a while ago, I suddenly thought that when our son gets married, elders are needed to be on the stage.”
“Our current situation is obviously not suitable, but our son can’t be without family behind him, right? So I thought of having Old Bidan come to support our son. After all, he’s his maternal grandson, and he definitely won’t ignore him.”
Hearing this, Ye Mingkong roughly understood what his husband was thinking. This was also prompted by their son’s wedding.
“After that, I chatted with Old Bidan. He expressed his strong desire to meet you, but our situation is special, so I never gave him a clear answer and kept delaying it. So he came over in advance.”
“And then, you know the rest.”
“Phew…”
“So that’s how it is.”
He hadn’t expected that behind the scenes, his husband and son had done so much for him. He was truly… a good husband.
“Husband, thank you.”
Ji Yunqi didn’t reply, just quietly leaned into Ye Mingkong’s embrace, sniffing his scent.
After a while, she couldn’t help but fall asleep…
Ye Mingkong gently placed the cute little person in his arms on the bed, took off her clothes, covered her with the blanket, and then lay down himself, embracing the tiny Ji Yunqi.
Why hadn’t he felt this way before?
Now he felt it quite clearly. His loli husband’s body was too small, really like a child’s. But it didn’t matter; no matter what his husband became, he would still love him.
…
Time flew by…
Soon it was the eve of the wedding…
At this moment, looking at his daughter-in-law, Zhang Xinrou, in a bright red wedding dress, he felt an indescribable feeling.
It was as if her own daughter was getting married, or rather, over the years, she had long since considered Zhang Xinrou as half her child.
Looking at Zhang Xinrou wearing the bright red wedding dress, her heart was filled with relief and blessings.
“Look, doesn’t my daughter look beautiful in her wedding dress?” Luo Yao sat to the side, resting her chin on her hand, her gaze never leaving Zhang Xinrou.
Zhang Xinrou was her everything, her only. Now she only had her daughter as the person she cared about. Now that her daughter was getting married, she was very happy.
After all, the person her daughter was marrying was someone she genuinely loved, not some stranger she didn’t know or was unfamiliar with.
Luo Yao never wanted her daughter to marry someone she didn’t quite know or like, like herself. In the past, Luo Yao had no choice, but her daughter Zhang Xinrou had a choice.
This was the difference between the two of them, mother and daughter.
“Yes, very beautiful.”
Zhang Xinrou, dressed in a red wedding dress, looked at the two elders staring at her with blushing cheeks. Although she was usually thick-skinned, being stared at by elders like this made her feel shy.
“Dad, Mom, can you stop staring at me like that?”
The address of “Dad, Mom” made Ji Yunqi and Luo Yao both momentarily stunned. While the address wasn’t wrong, calling them both like this at this moment… could easily cause misunderstandings.
“She looks very beautiful. My daughter-in-law should be like this.”
“Yes, yes. My daughter should be beautiful when she gets married.”
“Uh…”
…
After trying on the wedding dress, Ji Yunqi and Luo Yao took Zhang Xinrou home.
Of course, this home referred to Luo Yao’s house. Ji Yunqi also went along. As per their prior agreement, Ji Yunqi would act as Zhang Xinrou’s maternal family and escort her to the wedding.
After all, on Luo Yao’s side… there were no longer many relatives who would attend Zhang Xinrou’s wedding. Her son’s side still had many people. Zhang Xinrou had grown up under Ji Yunqi’s watch, and she was willing to do this.
This time, she would personally hand over her daughter-in-law to her son.
However, perhaps the only regret was that she wouldn’t be able to have her son serve her tea. She used to look forward to it, but it seemed she wouldn’t be able to see it now.
But it didn’t matter. As long as her son and daughter-in-law successfully got married, nothing else was a problem.
…
After returning to the house, Ji Yunqi sat on the sofa, showing no intention of being polite to Luo Yao. After all, they would be in-laws later.
Why worry so much?
However, as soon as her bottom touched the sofa, Ji Yunqi felt a wave of sleepiness wash over her.
Looking at Luo Yao, who was preparing to cook, Ji Yunqi decided not to push herself this time. If she was tired, she should rest.
“Luo Yao.”
“What is it?”
Looking at Ji Yunqi curled up on the sofa, Luo Yao felt her mood improve considerably. Such a tiny thing, so cute~
“I’m going to sleep for a bit. Call me when it’s time to eat. I’m so tired.”
“Okay, you sleep then.”
Luo Yao had seen how tired Ji Yunqi had been recently. The wedding dress for their daughter was designed by her and Ji Yunqi together, and they had rushed to complete it day and night.
Although it wasn’t entirely original, it had taken countless efforts. It was normal for Ji Yunqi, with her weak body, to feel tired easily.
Zhang Xinrou, after changing back into her casual home clothes, came out of her room and saw Ji Yunqi curled up on the sofa.
Seeing her “father-in-law” looking so cute, Zhang Xinrou couldn’t help but want to take a closer look.
In the past, at home, she had always respected Ji Yunqi due to spending too much time with Ji Chengyun, and had never carefully observed this father-in-law.
Even her impression was still based on her past image: a kind, approachable, middle-aged uncle.
And now, the middle-aged uncle in her memory was so tiredly curled up on the sofa, sleeping, looking very cute.
She glanced at Luo Yao in the kitchen, making sure her mother wouldn’t notice, Zhang Xinrou finally thought it over carefully and reached out her hand to gently touch Ji Yunqi’s cheek.
It was bouncy and had a nice feel!
However, her skin seemed a bit dry and cracked. It was probably because she was too tired recently and didn’t get enough rest or proper care. But it was understandable, after all, her father-in-law used to be a man.
It was quite normal for men not to pay attention to self-care. In the future, after she got married, she would take good care of her father-in-law’s skin.
She aimed to make her father-in-law a cute loli as soon as possible.
…
