Lu Raomei then said, seemingly out of kindness, "But it has nothing to do with you. Who told her to have a crush on you for three years and only now confessing to you?"
Fang Bai asked in surprise, "Three years?"
Lu Raomei thought Fang Bai was asking her for a more precise time, so she shrugged and said dismissively, "Who knows? Maybe longer."
When Ji Yuning returned home in the evening, the aroma of food wafted out as soon as she opened the door.
She changed her shoes and stepped out of the entryway, immediately spotting the back of someone chopping vegetables in the kitchen.
A light blue fitted long dress perfectly showcased the lines of her back, waist, and hips, while her long legs were hidden beneath the dress. The apron straps tied into a bow at her waist hung lazily over her tailbone.
As if hearing the noise, the other person didn't turn around, but said softly, "The food will be ready soon."
Things I never dared to dream of before are now appearing before my eyes like a painting.
The more turbulent her inner thoughts were, the more the opposite she showed, replying softly, "Mm."
His voice was low and monosyllabic, and no emotion could be discerned, as if he were in a bad mood.
Fang Bai stopped chopping vegetables and turned to look behind her, wanting to ask Ji Yuning what had happened, but before she could turn around, two hands wrapped around her waist.
Ji Yuning buried her head in Fang Bai's neck and shoulder.
Stray hairs brushed against Fang Bai's skin, causing a slight itch.
Ji Yuning loved holding Fang Bai like this; it made her feel a sense of belonging, and she would never get tired of it, no matter how many times she did it.
Fang Bai felt the warmth pressed against his back. The slightly intimate act made Fang Bai's lips move as if he wanted to speak, but he heard Lu Raomei's words in his ears.
Ji Yuning has liked her for three years, or perhaps more than three years.
Thinking of this, a strange emotion welled up in his heart, leaving Fang Bai speechless.
The delicate fragrance emanating from Fang Bai wafted into Ji Yuning's nostrils, and she murmured softly, "So fragrant."
Fang Bai snapped out of her daze at the sound and asked, "Are you hungry?"
Ji Yuning nodded in agreement with Fang Bai's words: "Yes, Auntie's cooking smells so good."
Ji Yuning rested her chin on Fang Bai's shoulder, her voice close to her ear, clear and sharp, making her ears go numb.
Fang Bai straightened her back unnaturally, thinking that this would push Ji Yuning away, but to little avail. The hand around her waist showed no sign of being pulled away, so she could only say, "Go wash your hands, we'll be eating soon."
"Okay." Ji Yuning obediently replied, but did not let go of her hand.
When Fang Bai asked, Ji Yuning said, "I'll wash later. Right now, I just want to hold you."
"I still need to chop vegetables, you..." Fang Bai paused, "...don't cause trouble."
Probably no one would use the name Ji Yuning to describe Ji Yuning. She chuckled when she heard Fang Bai say, "Then I'll cut it, Auntie will hold me."
“…”
Ji Yuning stopped teasing Fang Bai, let go of his hand, walked to the pool, washed her hands, dried them with a tissue, rolled up her sleeves, and took the knife from Fang Bai's hand.
Fang Bai cut tomatoes; she wanted to make a tomato salad with sugar.
Ji Yuning continued cutting, pressing down on the blade of Fang Bai's knife.
Just as Ji Yuning was about to finish cutting, Fang Bai, who had been standing silently watching her, hesitated and said, "Xiao Ning, today... Lu Zheng came to see me."
Fang Bai felt it was necessary to tell Ji Yuning about this. She originally wanted to wait until after dinner, but she thought this was a good time, while Ji Yuning was in a good mood.
After saying that, Fang Bai quickly added, "We only met briefly, and I didn't say anything to him."
Even Fang Bai himself didn't know why she added that sentence.
"Um."
Ji Yuning remained unaffected. She calmly placed the chopped tomatoes into a plate before saying to Fang Bai, "Auntie, don't pay any attention to him. If he comes to you again, just tell me."
Fang Bai handed the sugar jar to Ji Yuning, saying, "That's not what I meant."
As they spoke, the two continued to move, as if they were having a casual chat.
Fang Bai looked at Ji Yuning's profile and asked, "Can you tell your aunt what you're thinking?"
Of course she could; she didn't hide anything from Fang Bai.
Fang Bai was too lazy to ask, and she didn't take the initiative to say anything.
Ji Yuning said calmly, "It's just a collaboration."
Ji Yuning sprinkled sugar on the tomatoes and carried them to the dining table, saying, "Auntie, please don't treat him like my grandfather."
"Do you hate him?" Fang Bai asked cautiously.
Ji Yuning remained unmoved, her expression calm. "It's not a question. Love and hate should both be directed at my mother. I have absolutely no feelings for her."
Lu Xia's diary revealed to Ji Yuning all the details of Lu Zheng and Lu Xia severing their father-daughter relationship.
Ji Yuning initially hated him, but then she thought that since they had already severed ties, why should she hate a stranger?
She thought she would never have any contact with this stranger again, but in high school, Lu Zheng contacted her. Ji Yuning should have ignored him, but she had no choice, because after Lu Zheng contacted her, she wanted to use him to leave "Fang Bai".
If Lu Zheng hadn't helped, Ji Yuning might not have escaped Fang Bai's control even after turning eighteen. The Fang family's influence in Hushi allowed Fang Bai to do whatever he wanted.
She could only use Lu Zheng to escape from "Fang Bai".
Later, when Ji Yuning learned that Fang Bai was no longer "Fang Bai", her idea of escaping disappeared.
She was planning to stop contacting Lu Zheng after fulfilling the conditions she had agreed upon, but Fang Bai left just as she was about to complete them.
On her own, isolated and helpless, and with the Fang family deliberately concealing the truth, Ji Yuning simply could not accomplish this needle-in-a-haystack task in a short period of time.
With a long road ahead, Ji Yuning had no choice but to head to the capital, hoping to use the Lu family's connections to find Fang Bai.
Upon arriving in Beijing, something happened that caused a long standoff between Ji Yuning and Lu Zheng: Lu Zheng demanded that Ji Yuning change her surname to Lu and return to the Lu family with her household registration.
Ji Yuning did not agree.
Firstly, the name was given to her by Lu Xia. Although Lu Xia also has the surname Lu, it is different that Lu Zheng asked her to change her surname.
Secondly, I find it ridiculous. Changing the surname makes her a member of the Lu family, not changing it makes her not. This outdated, feudalistic thinking suppressed Lu Xia, and now it's being used against her.
Thirdly, Ji Yuning never intended to return to the Lu family; all she wanted was cooperation.
Ji Yuning refused resolutely, so Lu Zheng had no choice but to sign a contract with her.
The term is three years. Ji Yuning will work for him for three years, during which part of the company's profits will go to the Lu family.
Now that the contract has expired, Ji Yuning doesn't even need to think about what Lu Zheng wants Fang Bai to do.
She and Lu Zheng were mutually exploiting each other, each getting what they wanted; calling it a cooperative relationship would be an exaggeration.
Ji Yuning briefly told Fang Bai what had happened. After she finished speaking, she paused for a long time, her eyes flickering as she looked at Fang Bai.
These things meant nothing to Ji Yuning, but she didn't know what Fang Bai was thinking as he listened to her talk about them.
Do you think she's despicable? Or selfish? Or something else...?
Ji Yuning noticed the surprise in Fang Bai's eyes, and she suddenly regretted telling Fang Bai all this.
Ji Yuning walked up to Fang Bai, wanting to hug him, but stopped in front of him, her hands hanging by her sides, half-clenched, and slowly asked, "Will you... hate me?"
She asked the question casually, but the way she pursed her lips as soon as she finished speaking betrayed her true thoughts.
Author's Note:
Xiao Ji: Will you hate me? QAQ
Chapter 109
Fang Bai's surprise deepened, and his lips parted slightly.
She blinked at Ji Yuning and asked, puzzled, "Why would I hate you?"
Fang Bai didn't even know why Ji Yuning would ask that question.
Hearing the doubt in Fang Bai's tone, Ji Yuning's tense shoulders and neck relaxed a little. She pursed her lips and said, "What do you think of what I've done?"
As soon as he finished speaking, Fang Bai suddenly realized.
Is this what the child cares about?
What...is there for her to hate?
Fang Bai untied her apron, revealing her graceful figure. She clicked her tongue and laughed, "If you ask me, you didn't do a good enough job."
Upon hearing Fang Bai's words, Ji Yuning was unusually taken aback.
She was worried that Fang Bai would dislike her, but Fang Bai said she hadn't done well enough? Did that mean... Fang Bai didn't think there was anything wrong with what she did?
Fang Bai took two steps forward, draped his forearm over the chair, and leaned his upper body to one side, looking languid. He casually remarked why Ji Yuning hadn't done a good enough job:
"Shouldn't you pretend to agree to Lu Zheng's request to return to the Lu family and take back everything that belongs to Lu Xia? Stage a power struggle with Lu Raomei, and finally take over the Lu Group. At that time, Lu Zheng will gradually regret what happened more than ten years ago because of you, and give you most of the Lu Group's shares? Then you would become the youngest and most capable CEO in Beijing?"
This is not something Fang Bai made up; this is the original text's direction.
Compared to the original text, what Ji Yuning said is really nothing.
"..."
Ji Yuning fell silent.
But a smile appeared in those clear, cold eyes, with a hint of doting affection in their depths.
Her aunt... is quite humorous.
Fang Bai removed her arm from the chair and slowly straightened up. She took another step towards Ji Yuning, raising a smile as she asked, "What did Auntie say?"
Ji Yuning lowered her eyes, and after a few seconds whispered, "If it weren't for you, I would have done this."
Humor aside, Ji Yuning thought about it seriously and realized that if it weren't for Fang Bai, she might have really done what Fang Bai suggested.
Now it was Fang Bai's turn to be surprised, so the change in the plot of the story was really because of her!
Because Ji Yuning wasn't treated the way the original owner did, does that mean Ji Yuning doesn't want to leave? Fang Bai has his doubts for now.