Only then did Ji Xiangnian shift his gaze to the information on the phone on his desk.
Assistant Zheng continued explaining, "Chairman, something seems a little off. Should we have someone look into it?"
The chairman and his wife had only been married for so long, yet someone had already arranged for her to film the same scene as Ji Xiangchen, a scene involving romantic feelings. Anyone with eyes could see that something was a little off.
Ji Xiangnian kept his gaze steady. After a moment's thought, he said evenly, "No need. Ji Xiangchen is already in his twenties, not his teens. You can leave now."
"All right." Assistant Zheng felt that something was wrong. Very wrong.
Who in the company didn't know that their boss valued his family above all else?
Never mind Ji Xiangchen appearing on a variety show-their boss wanted to know exactly how many times Ji Xiangchen, Ji Xiangyi, and Ji Xiangzhou took a dump every day.
Of course, that might have been a little exaggerated, but things really were that terrifying. He personally arranged everything for his younger siblings and wouldn't let them resist. If he told them to go east and they dared go west, he would break their damn legs.
That was how much of a control freak their boss was when it came to his younger siblings.
So, as far as he knew, the three younger siblings of the Ji Family all privately called their boss a dictator.
Now their boss was actually leaving his younger siblings alone. Strange, strange, utterly strange.
Assistant Zheng looked up at the sun outside the window. It hadn't risen in the west, either.
So did men really undergo a drastic change in temperament after getting married?
Of course, not all men underwent a drastic change in temperament after getting married.
The assistant left.
Ji Xiangnian poured himself a glass of water. He casually swirled the glass, looking at the clear water, and seemed to recall something, his features cold and stern.
The assistant had brought up Xiangchen.
Ji Xiangnian once again remembered that night.
That night, he had called all three of them home and told them he was going to marry Fang Ning.
As their eldest brother, he hoped to receive his younger siblings' blessings. Even if they didn't give him their blessings, he still hoped to hear what they thought about him marrying Fang Ning.
But the result was this: Xiangchen remained silent, Xiangyi said nothing, and Xiangzhou was indifferent.
Their reaction like that.
It forced him to reflect on whether he had been too much of a failure as an older brother.
When their parents died in a car accident, the twins, Xiangchen and Xiangyi, had not yet turned ten, and Xiangzhou was still a baby in swaddling clothes.
He had only been eighteen himself, so he hadn't known what to do for the three of them, either.
Apart from material things, there were only more material things.
He had given them the best material comforts, sent them to the best high schools, and provided tens of thousands a month for living expenses at university. He had also decided their career paths for them.
But Xiangchen was rebellious and insisted on entering the entertainment industry.
He believed he had already done well enough.
But what happened that day forced him to consider whether he had been too inadequate as an older brother.
He was getting married, and none of the three was willing to offer even a word of blessing.
No, that shouldn't be it. There should be another reason.
Could it be that they didn't like having Fang Ning, who was even younger than they were, as their sister-in-law?
As for Fang Ning, Ji Xiangnian knew he didn't have much feeling for her.
Fang Ning's mother and his own mother had been close friends.
Every time they met, they would talk about becoming in-laws through their children, but Fang Ning's mother had been unable to conceive.
Fang Ning hadn't been born until he was ten.
At her one-month celebration, she cried no matter who held her. His mother had told him to try holding Fang Ning.
The little baby stopped crying.
Ignoring the issue of their age difference, Fang Ning's mother had laughed and told his mother to settle the marriage arrangement.
In the end, fate had played tricks on them. His parents died in a car accident, and Fang Ning's mother also passed away from illness.
Their two families had lost touch just like that.
A few months earlier, Fang Rong had come to see him, hoping he would marry Fang Ning.
He wanted to silence that group of uncles, and Fang Ning also seemed to want to use him to escape the home where she had a stepmother.
They had talked and signed a contract, setting a three-year term during which neither would interfere with the other.
He was willing to pay Fang Ning several million a month for living expenses.
Fang Ning only needed to play the role of his wife when he needed her to, helping him fend off those people outside.
Each got what they needed.
Of course, he hoped their relationship would be purely financial, with no need for romance.
Giving Fang Ning several million a month was no hardship for him, and he was willing to do it.
Money was all he could give. As for affection, he was sorry, but he couldn't satisfy that need.
Because the young girl wasn't his ideal choice for a wife.
The wife he wanted was intellectual, perfect, and elegant, someone who could get along harmoniously with Xiangchen, Xiangyi, and Xiangzhou.
Speaking of those three.
Lost in thought, Ji Xiangnian began tapping his long, attractive fingers against the desktop.
After a moment, he picked up his phone and called Ji Xiangchen. The phone rang for several seconds, then stopped.
The second time, the call connected, but was immediately hung up.
Looking at the disconnected call, Ji Xiangnian shook his head slightly.
It seemed Xiangchen was still angry about him making him join the company.
After thinking for a moment, Ji Xiangnian entered a dozen or so digits on his phone.
This time, the phone rang for only a few seconds before the other end picked up.
Ji Xiangnian spoke slowly. "Hello, Fang Ning. It's me."
Chapter 8
That night, Fang Ning chatted with her agent about appearing on a variety show while wearing a facial mask.
By the time they finished talking, it was past one, almost two.
Fang Ning felt her eyelids fighting to stay open. She washed her face, then lay down in bed to sleep.
She had finally managed to grow sleepy and was drowsy, almost asleep, when the phone on her bedside table began ringing relentlessly.
Woken by the noise, Fang Ning reached for her phone with a dark expression. Looking at it, she saw that the incoming number was international.