Chapter 118 What! How did I become your daughter?
In the darkness…
Ji Yunqi slowly opened her eyes, her gaze was calm and indifferent, showing no emotion.
Earlier, she had indeed curled up asleep on the chair, but the moment Xia Zijie picked her up, she had woken up.
However, due to some awkwardness, she had not opened her eyes and was pretending to sleep.
And earlier, she had heard everything Xia Zijie had said.
A strange feeling began to grow in her heart, Ji Yunqi didn’t know how to face Xia Zijie now.
Logically speaking, if someone had silently helped and protected her for decades, even a heart of stone should marry them.
But she had her own family, her own wife, children, and even one in her belly.
And all of this had already determined that she could not respond to Xia Zijie, and Xia Zijie could never get her response.
To be honest, Ji Yunqi had never felt so sinful before.
Xia Zijie made her feel a deep sense of guilt. In a sense, she, Ji Yunqi, had ruined Xia Zijie’s life. If he hadn’t been constantly thinking of her, Xia Zijie would have already had a very happy family.
But what could Ji Yunqi do? She could do nothing but watch all of this happen.
However, she should be with Xia Zijie for this period of time. She could take this opportunity to advise him, and perhaps help him step out of the darkness.
…
The next morning…
Ji Yunqi rested her cheek on her hand and sat at the dining table, watching Xia Zijie busy in the kitchen. She had many things she wanted to say.
This morning, she had woken up early as usual. She had originally wanted to make him breakfast, as she would probably have to trouble him a lot during this period.
Although Ji Yunqi knew that Xia Zijie liked her, this did not mean she could truly take advantage of this love and do whatever she pleased. This was not her life motto.
This was an unjust act, and it was an act that would be despised by others. If she really did that, what would be the difference between her and the gold diggers she despised before?
However, her intentions were good, but reality was cruel. Even though she had woken up early to prepare breakfast for Xia Zijie, he hadn’t woken up much earlier than her.
Ji Yunqi had just walked into the kitchen and before she could even see what was there, she was picked up and carried out of the kitchen.
He told her to just sit properly, saying that she was a pregnant woman and he would do such things himself.
Looking at his busy figure, Ji Yunqi couldn’t help but wonder.
If Xia Zijie had his own family, he would definitely be a good husband. It’s just a pity… his affections were placed on someone who could not respond to him.
This was perhaps the greatest sorrow…
“Xia Zijie…”
“Hmm? What’s wrong?” The big man in the apron in the kitchen turned his head to look at the little loli at the dining table, very curious, wondering what she wanted to say when she called him.
“Have you really not considered starting your own family?”
Facing Ji Yunqi’s question, Xiazijie simply smiled and said, “Perhaps I had this idea before… but now… it’s meaningless.”
“This…”
“You’ve placed your feelings on me, and I’m destined not to be able to respond. You don’t need to make things difficult for yourself.”
Ji Yunqi genuinely felt that Xia Zijie shouldn’t be infatuated with her for so long. She wasn’t a succubus; why was he so attracted to her?
“Okay, I’ve said it before, I know what I’m doing, don’t worry about me.”
Seeing that Xia Zijie was still so persistent, Ji Yunqi had no choice but to let him be. No matter how much she said, he probably wouldn’t listen.
After breakfast…
Xia Zijie looked at Ji Yunqi, “Do you want to stay here or go out for a walk with me?”
Ji Yunqi lowered her head and thought.
If she stayed here… it seemed a bit boring, especially since she had been confined for the past few days. She didn’t like staying indoors all the time.
If possible, it would be better to go out and see. Moreover, this was Kyoto, the capital of the country, and there were many cultural heritage sites worth seeing.
If she just stayed here, wouldn’t it be a waste of such a great opportunity?
Didn’t Old Bi Deng also say that she should treat this trip as a vacation and look around? Then she had even less reason to stay indoors.
But where could she go?
As an outsider, she wasn’t very familiar with Kyoto. Xia Zijie… she could ask him.
“I want to go out and walk around. Do you know any fun places in Kyoto?”
Xia Zijie looked at Ji Yunqi’s unconsciously pouting expression when she asked him, and he froze for a moment, but his unusual demeanor only lasted for an instant.
It was not noticed by Ji Yunqi.
“Cough, cough, that…”
“If you want to go out and play, of course, I can accompany you, but not today.”
“Ah?” Ji Yunqi’s mouth slightly parted, clearly not expecting Xia Zijie to say that.
Not today, then what else could it be? Is today not suitable?
“It’s like this, after all, I haven’t been back for long, and I need to go to the group to resolve some matters today, otherwise, those guys might bother us, so… accompany me to the company today.”
Ji Yunqi agreed after thinking for a moment.
Anyway, she had nothing to do now. It would be good to follow Xia Zijie to the company and take a look. She could consider it as relaxing, and she also wanted to see how Xia Zijie would resolve all this.
However, Ji Yunqi thought of another point: in what capacity should she go?
“Then, in what capacity should I go?”
Xia Zijie was reserved about this and didn’t tell Ji Yunqi directly.
“No rush, you’ll know when the time comes.”
Xia Zijie’s mysterious behavior made Ji Yunqi a little scared. Wouldn’t this guy say she was his partner?
That would be too much!
After all, to outsiders, Xia Zijie, an old man in his forties, might not be a good match for herself, an 18-year-old girl…
However, Ji Yunqi couldn’t be bothered to think about it anymore. Anyway, no one in Kyoto knew her, so it didn’t matter even if this guy really said that.
It wouldn’t be her who would be scolded later; it would be him, calling him an old cow eating tender grass.
“Okay… fine…”
…
As the two arrived at the company…
Looking at the building in front of them, Ji Yunqi showed an expression of disbelief…
This TM… the entire block of buildings?
In Rongcheng, the company where her son was located was not nearly as extravagant as this…
“What’s wrong? Are you shocked? Kyoto is not like other cities; it’s the political and financial center. It’s normal for the groups here to be larger and more numerous than in other cities.”
“Uh… okay…”
Ji Yunqi sighed slightly. Congratulations, you successfully showed off your wealth to me. It would be a lie to say she wasn’t envious, but she had nothing to say.
This was what he had worked hard for; it had nothing to do with her.
“Follow me, I’ll take you to see the Xia Family Group.”
Ji Yunqi didn’t run around anymore and obediently followed behind Xia Zijie.
Ji Yunqi was wearing a green dress and had her hair tied up in a bun. She looked like a cute little sister next door.
At this moment, Ji Yunqi, following behind Xia Zijie, looked like… a father and daughter…
However, Ji Yunqi hadn’t noticed any of this at all. She was just simply bothered.
Because Xiazijie was too tall, the height difference between them was quite significant. Her head could barely reach someone’s chest. Before, she had to wear… shoes with insoles to barely reach his chin…
This also meant that even though Xia Zijie had intentionally slowed down to wait for Ji Yunqi, she still had to take several steps to keep up with him.
And this problem was not only when she stood with Xia Zijie, but also with her wife, son, and even Jiang You and the others!
She always had to walk faster to keep up with them…
When the two reached the company entrance, the welcoming staff at the door wanted to ask them what they were here for, but as soon as they saw Xia Zijie’s face.
The professional fake smile instantly turned into flattery.
“Boss, you’re here, welcome boss~”
“Hmm, good morning.”
Xia Zijie was always kind to his people, otherwise, so many people would not be willing to follow him.
Over the years, after being saved by Ji Yunqi, he had completely awakened.
Since then, he had indeed helped many people and discovered the talent of some of them. These people had naturally been cultivated by him and had quietly entered the company.
Working with him from the inside, they had replaced the entire core of the group within a few years.
This was also one of Xia Zijie’s methods of controlling the Xia Family Group. Such people were like maggot-ridden bones, gradually eroding the Xia Family Group until it completely fell into Xia Zijie’s control.
However, the group was still very large. Even Xia Zijie could not completely replace all the staff, but the core members had been completely replaced.
The remaining were just some grassroots staff.
Of course, if these people were willing to respect him, he would naturally treat them well. Conversely… don’t blame him for being ruthless…
Not only the employees of the company but also those old guys on the board of directors were the same. Xia Zijie always had leverage over them.
However, they were still senior figures, and it was not good to fall out with them. Therefore, except for Xia Yuan and others, other directors had a good relationship with Xia Zijie, and they were all willing to withdraw from the core of power and live a peaceful retired life by collecting dividends.
…
Xia Zijie led Ji Yunqi all the way upstairs until they reached the elevator…
At this time, it was the peak period for work, and many employees also arrived at this time.
However, under Xia Zijie’s control, the atmosphere within the group was quite good. Perhaps some people had grudges in private.
Maybe many of them never saw the boss in a year, but they could all guarantee that they could recognize the boss when he appeared, ensuring that they would not do anything unreasonable.
At this moment, Xia Zijie held Ji Yunqi’s hand and stood in the crowd. Those around them instinctively made way for the two of them.
Feeling the scrutinizing gazes from all around, Ji Yunqi did not feel any malice, but simply saw intense curiosity in their eyes.
Even… some female employees’ eyes started to light up!
Hey, hey, hey, that one, you’re almost drooling. If you were a man, it would be understandable, but aren’t you a girl?
At this moment, Ji Yunqi was even more curious about how Xia Zijie had described her to his subordinates.
In the eyes of these employees, what was her identity?
The elevator descended…
“Boss and Miss, you go first. Hehe, we’ll wait for the next one.”
In the large elevator that could accommodate more than ten people, no one would crowd into the same elevator with Xia Zijie and Ji Yunqi, even though Xia Zijie was usually friendly to them.
“Okay then, we’ll leave first.”
…
In the elevator…
Ji Yunqi’s face was flushed red. She finally understood how this guy had described her to the employees!
Miss…
God TM Miss!
This guy actually told his subordinates that she was his daughter. This… this is simply a humiliation…
“You know, you told them I’m your daughter?”
Xia Zijie looked down at the blushing person with a smile, “Why, don’t I look like it?”
“We… this…”
Ji Yunqi had no way to refute. With their current age, state, and appearance, saying they were father and daughter… there was really no problem…
Forget it, it doesn’t matter. Anyway, she had mentally prepared herself in advance, and she had expected this situation.
“It’s okay… let it be…”
Ji Yunqi had given up struggling. It seemed everyone had already accepted this viewpoint, and even if she wanted to explain, it would be useless.
Moreover, this could also be considered her identity in Kyoto. Later, those Gu family members would probably still come to trouble her. With this identity, it would be easier for Xia Zijie to protect her.
Otherwise, the Gu family could use the excuse of being their blood relative to gain moral high ground.
If she had no other special relationship with Xia Zijie, he would be in a difficult position. This way… although it was a little awkward, it was acceptable.
As the elevator ascended, the two soon arrived at Xia Zijie’s office.
As the office door was pushed open, the scene inside was different from what Ji Yunqi had imagined. She thought that for such a large group, the office of the esteemed boss would have to be very luxurious.
However, the furnishings were similar to her son’s office in Rongcheng, which was divided into the three classic areas of work, reception, and rest.
Although it seemed rich, in reality, for such large groups, it was still rather ordinary, or rather… a little simple.
But given Xiazijie’s personality, this layout was quite reasonable. After all, what suited him best was the best.
…
“This office layout of yours is so similar to my son’s office~”
Xia Zijie sat at his desk and looked at Ji Yunqi, “He designed it for me.”
“Pfft…”
Ji Yunqi, who had just taken a sip of water, spat it out instantly. How did she not know about this?
“Curious?”
Ji Yunqi nodded, “Of course. When did you two become so close that he designed your office for you?”
“It’s nothing, really. Over the years, on holidays, I’ve given him red envelopes, but I just asked him not to tell you.”
“I’ve always communicated with Chengyun a lot, I just pretended not to be very familiar with you in front of you.”
“This… unfilial son!”
Ji Yunqi started to have a headache again. She knew it. Where did this kid get so much pocket money to go out with female classmates every day? She had always thought it was because she gave him quite a lot of pocket money.
Who knew, who knew, it turned out someone was secretly sponsoring him!
“Don’t be angry either. As an elder, it’s natural for me to give the child some red envelopes.”
“Okay, okay, whatever you say.” Ji Yunqi was now purely speaking out of anger.
However, she suddenly seemed to remember something, touched her stomach, and looked at Xia Zijie warily.
She hadn’t been able to keep an eye on the older one, so she had to keep a close eye on the younger one, lest she be taken advantage of under her nose again.
Just as Ji Yunqi and Xia Zijie had just sat down, uninvited guests had already arrived…
Outside the office, Gu Ming, Xia Yuan, and Xia Lei had arrived.
However, Xia Yuan and Xia Lei’s eyes showed obvious fear, as if facing Xia Zijie was something extremely terrifying.
On the contrary, Gu Ming, as an outsider, was somewhat calmer but equally looked as if facing a formidable enemy.
Facing the three of them, Ji Yunqi subconsciously felt a sense of disgust. But she thought about it, these guys treated her like an object, these scoundrels…
How could she possibly have a good impression of them?
Ji Yunqi noticed the three of them, and they also noticed Ji Yunqi. However, Ji Yunqi was obviously unwilling to interact with them, so she immediately turned her head away.
In response, they could only look at Xia Zijie.
“You’re here?”
Xia Zijie did not invite them, but he knew that the three of them would definitely come to find him. This was because this was the only opportunity for Xia Yuan and the others, and also the only opportunity for the Gu family to advance further.
So, they had to come!
“Why are you here? What do you want?”
Xia Zijie also got out of his office chair and came to Ji Yunqi’s side, sitting down and separating them all.
Gu Ming, as an outsider, was not very aware of Xia Zijie’s abilities. “Mr. Xia, I think it must be inconvenient for my daughter to live by your side, right?”
“Oh? Your daughter? How come I don’t know?”
“You…” Gu Ming really wanted to curse, but he still held back. Impatience spoils great plans.
“Mr. Xia, we have a paternity test between us!”
When Ji Yunqi heard these four words, her mood was still a bit chaotic. She really didn’t want to be associated with these scumbags, even if it was just a negligible blood relationship…
“Then ask her, does she recognize you?”
Then all four of them looked at Ji Yunqi, waiting for her answer.
Ji Yunqi just gave Gu Ming a cold look: “I don’t recognize you!”
“Why don’t you recognize me?” Gu Ming’s emotions were agitated, and he stood up directly, his eyes fixed on Ji Yunqi.
However, such an imposing manner did not scare Ji Yunqi at all.
“Mr. Xia, I’ve never called you father, and why are you so fierce? If you scare me and my unborn child, you’ll go to jail~”
“You…”
“Hm?”
Facing the double pressure from Ji Yunqi and Xia Zijie, Gu Ming had no choice but to sit down and talk properly.
Ji Yunqi was right. At this moment, if anything happened to her and the child, the responsibility would indeed fall on him. If Ji Yunqi insisted, he would be in big trouble.
Moreover, Xia Zijie was watching menacingly. Although he had never seen Xia Zijie’s prowess firsthand, he had heard Xia Yuan mention it. It was best not to provoke him if possible.
“Even so, it’s probably not appropriate for Mr. Xia to live with her, an unmarried pregnant woman?”
Ji Yunqi originally only felt disgusted with Gu Ming, but as soon as these words came out, her gaze instantly changed. She was now looking at an idiot, a piece of trash.
Gu Ming’s meaning was clearly threatening Xia Zijie, implying that he, an old man, was harboring ill intentions by living with a young and beautiful girl?
“On what grounds? On the grounds that she is my adopted daughter!”
As soon as these words were uttered, the scene suddenly fell silent, and even Ji Yunqi almost couldn’t hold back.
Even though she was mentally prepared beforehand, it still made her feel very awkward when Xia Zijie actually said it.
“What? Adopted daughter?”
Gu Ming’s brain had completely stopped working. He really didn’t expect this to happen.
He had been wondering why Xia Zijie and Ji Yunqi shouldn’t have any relationship, but if that was the case, then everything would be explained.
Gu Ming’s reaction was within Xia Zijie’s expectations. He had lived in Rongcheng for so many years.
Whether it was his connections or his power, they were beyond Gu Ming’s imagination.
The Gu family was just a family in Kyoto, and their influence did not reach Rongcheng, which was a thousand miles away.
Xia Zijie didn’t even need to go through some procedures in Rongcheng to impersonate, he just needed to cover it up a bit, and Gu Ming would have no recourse.
If Ji Yunqi had no background or identity before, Gu Ming could naturally act wantonly by relying on his identity as her biological father. But now it was different.
Ji Yunqi had an identity and background, and she was no longer an ordinary person who could be manipulated by anyone without any backing. With Xia Zijie as her support, anyone would have to consider it carefully!
If anyone had malicious intentions, they would surely be punished.
Not to mention many others, even in Kyoto, apart from the truly important figures in Kyoto, no one could snatch a person from Xia Zijie.
Gu Ming clenched his fist. He knew very well that if Ji Yunqi was determined not to go with him, then he would be helpless today…
But if he gave up like this, he was unwilling!
He had no more time, but with Xia Zijie protecting her, he had no way.
Now, all his schemes had been blocked…
No! He still had a chance!
“Alright, if that’s the case, then I won’t disturb you. Goodbye.”
With that, Gu Ming stopped pestering and left decisively.
Although Xia Yuan and Xia Lei were also very unwilling, they were helpless and could only escape in embarrassment.
However, Ji Yunqi’s subconscious mind did not think that things were over. They probably had backup plans, but she didn’t know what they were.
She would need to be more careful in the future.
…
