Jiang Yunli had not come looking for him yet.
His father's call reached Ji Nanxian first.
His father's furious scolding over the phone nearly burst Ji Nanxian's eardrums:
"Did everything I told you before you went there go in one ear and out the other?!"
His father's roar made Ji Nanxian's scalp prickle.
He finally remembered what his father had reminded him of over and over.
-He was supposed to please Shen Yunzhi and go along with her.
Although Ji Nanxian was unwilling, he knew that securing ties with the Jiang Family meant starting with Shen Yunzhi.
But the moment he saw Shen Yunzhi, he got angry.
Remembering how he had snapped at Shen Yunzhi for Jiang Yunli, Ji Nanxian felt a little guilty.
But he was, after all, a hot-blooded man.
Having to flatter a crazy woman like Shen Yunzhi in front of the woman he loved was already hard enough for him to accept.
Yet he did not dare defy his father, so he could only steel himself and say, "Shen Yunzhi went too far. You have no idea how she treated Yunli."
Most of what was online was just hearsay and speculation.
He had known Jiang Yunli for so many years. Of course he believed her.
He did not believe for a second that Jiang Yunli had been putting on an act, as people online claimed.
Although Jiang Yunli had shown poor judgment in hiring paid commenters, it was all because Shen Yunzhi used her status as the Jiang Family's eldest daughter to bully Jiang Yunli all day long.
Otherwise, how could someone as gentle and fragile as Jiang Yunli possibly have fought back?
The more Ji Nanxian thought about it, the angrier he grew. "Dad, the reason I helped Yunli on the show was because..."
His father slammed the table on the other end. "Shut up!"
The sound was so loud that Ji Nanxian winced.
He hurriedly moved the phone away from his ear.
His father was furious enough with Ji Nanxian to nearly burst a blood vessel.
Had Ji Nanxian really still not realized how serious this was?
If he secured Shen Yunzhi now, he could do whatever he wanted with Jiang Yunli later. Who would have nothing better to do than meddle in his affairs?
Ji Nanxian had little talent for business. Although the Jiang Family and the Ji Family were currently evenly matched in S City,
that did not mean things would stay that way.
If they did not firmly secure the Jiang Family as in-laws now,
with Ji Nanxian's brains, he could not even see what kind of woman Jiang Yunli was.
He would probably be swallowed whole by the Jiang Family in the future.
At that thought, his father sneered. "I've seen more of the world than you ever have. I don't need you going on in my ear about what Jiang Yunli is like."
His father could not be bothered to waste any more breath on Ji Nanxian.
If he could figure out for himself what was amiss in Jiang Yunli's scandal, then at least he had some brains.
His father said, "If I hear any more talk about you mistreating Yunzhi because of Jiang Yunli, I'll consider myself to have no son like you."
Ji Nanxian's eyes went wide. "Dad!"
He wanted to explain further, but his father said coldly, "You don't really think you're my only son, do you?"
Ji Nanxian: "???"
His father hung up as soon as he finished speaking.
Ji Nanxian was left frozen in place, his head ringing several times.
It was as though muffled thunder had rolled through it.
Wait...
What did his dad mean by that?!
He knew his parents' relationship was not particularly good. Theirs had been a business marriage to begin with, and each had their own fun.
But in all these years, he had never heard of any illegitimate children turning up.
Still, to be honest, illegitimate children were not exactly uncommon in their social class.
Ji Nanxian, who had always felt secure in his position, was utterly dumbfounded.
After hanging up, his father's blood pressure, which Ji Nanxian had sent soaring, still would not come down.
News of Jiang Yunli's scandal was everywhere.
That morning, his mother had gone shopping with other wealthy ladies and picked up some gossip—the netizen Lüelüelüe, who was in a lawsuit with Jiang Yunli's studio, was Tang Jianing of the Tang family in Capital City.
She and Shen Yunzhi's biological younger brother, Jiang Chi, had been childhood sweethearts and had always been close.
They would probably register their marriage as soon as they were old enough.
Now that Lüelüelüe was using her real identity to clear Shen Yunzhi's name, was Jiang Chi behind it, or was it the Jiang Family couple's wish?
Whichever it was, Ji Nanxian's father could no longer allow him to act recklessly.
Jiang Chi was very talented in business. He had been taken to all kinds of events since high school and had handled matters for his family with ease.
Even within their entire circle, he was considered an outstanding heir to a wealthy family.
Even his future wife was someone like Tang Jianing, whose family background matched his own.
He was nothing like Ji Nanxian, who could not get his priorities straight.
In the past, his father had stayed out of Ji Nanxian's mess with Jiang Yunli and let him do as he pleased.
That was also because the Jiang Family liked Jiang Yunli. Although Shen Yunzhi was their biological daughter, she was not well liked in the Jiang Family.
But now he could see it.
Jiang Yunli had a few petty schemes up her sleeve, but she was not capable of handling anything important.
Sooner or later, the Jiang Family couple would stop buying her act.
His father turned and called his secretary in.
"Freeze all of Ji Nanxian's cards. Don't let him use the family's connections to help Jiang Yunli."
"Understood."
Jiang Yunli found Ji Nanxian in tears.
"Nan Xian, I'm finished. Please help me."
This routine of Jiang Yunli's worked on Ji Nanxian every time.
Ji Nanxian had still been wondering whether what his father had said was true or merely meant to scare him.
Now that Jiang Yunli had said this, he could only pull himself together first and help her deal with the situation.
"Don't worry. I'll make a call and sort it out for you right now."
Seeing his response, Jiang Yunli quietly sighed with relief.
But the moment Ji Nanxian's call connected, an awkward voice came from the other end.
"Nan Xian, your father just called with instructions. No one at the company is allowed to get involved in Jiang Yunli's affairs."
Hearing the voice over the phone, Jiang Yunli nearly lost her footing.
She grabbed Ji Nanxian's hand in a panic and looked at him through tear-filled eyes.
If Ji Nanxian really refused to help her,
she truly would have no future in the entertainment industry.
The person on the other end was in charge of the Ji Family's relevant business division. The Ji Family owned a sizable entertainment company, one of the industry's giants in the country.
Jiang Yunli had debuted under that company.
Back then, because of Ji Nanxian, resources had been directed toward her. The other artists at the company had made a huge fuss, which had led to Ji Nanxian being reprimanded.
Later, to settle the matter, she had left and established her own studio.
In reality, it had merely been a cover. Most of her resources were still secretly diverted to her from the Ji Family by Ji Nanxian.
Whenever she had faced a PR crisis in the past, the Ji Family had handled it for her.
Hearing what the person on the phone said, Ji Nanxian understood his father's intentions.
But looking at Jiang Yunli's tearful face, he could only steel himself and say into the phone, "Uncle Wang, didn't you take a liking to a rosewood folding armchair in this round of auctions at Christie's Auction House? I'll bid on it for you. About this..."
"Hasn't your father told you yet?" Uncle Wang sounded rather surprised. "He's already frozen all the assets in your name."
Ji Nanxian: "..."
Before you continue