Volume One, Chapter Three: President He, My Beloved

After hanging up, Ji Yao received a WeChat message from her close friend, accompanied by a string of unfamiliar numbers. Only then did she realize she had dialed the wrong number earlier.

That call just now wasn’t from the lawyer—then whose was it?

Ji Yao picked up her phone, intending to return the call, but just as she was about to press the redial button, her fingers froze.

No, that voice sounded so much like He Yancheng’s.

If it really was him, what was he doing just now? Wouldn’t that be utterly mortifying?

The more Ji Yao thought about it, the more embarrassed she felt. Her fingers immediately tapped the back button, abandoning the call screen. She glanced back to see Xie Huaijin already asleep. The urgent matter was to clear her mind and call the real lawyer.

Originally, she had planned to use the chat records she discovered as evidence of Xie Huaijin’s infidelity, so that the divorce wouldn’t be a loss—she would at least secure a substantial share of the assets.

But she never expected the lawyer to tell her that Xie Huaijin had long ago transferred his assets, and did so flawlessly. His public image was maintained so well that even with the evidence in her hands, she couldn’t claim a single cent.

Xie Huaijin truly had a ruthless heart.

Ji Yao’s throat tightened as she turned her gaze to Xie Huaijin lying on the bed.

Step by step, she approached the bedside. Emotions seemed to spiral out of control. Standing beside the bed, her hands couldn’t help but clutch Xie Huaijin’s neck. Her fingers trembled slightly as she lowered her head. Her shattered heart was laid bare in the pained expression on her face.

Strangle him to death.

Would that make her the primary heir to the estate?

Suppressing the sorrow tugging at her lips, she forced a helpless smile. Slowly, her hands released their grip on Xie Huaijin’s neck.

This was for the best. Since Xie Huaijin had treated her so, when she reclaimed what was rightfully hers, she need no longer spare him any consideration.

...

The next morning.

Xie Huaijin woke up with no recollection of what had happened the night before. When he came downstairs for breakfast, he saw Ji Yao dressed in a chic Chanel-style outfit, looking exquisitely put together. Her skin was as fair and flawless as jade, and the faint tint of lipstick made her lips appear tender and inviting.

He looked at her attire in confusion, raising an eyebrow.

“Wife, are you going out again?”

Ji Yao didn’t pretend; she nodded gently and gracefully. “Yes, I’ll accompany you out later.”

She hadn’t been to work in too long. The company was originally co-founded by her and Xie Huaijin, but now he had completely sidelined her, keeping her home as a housewife mainly to prevent her from knowing the company’s financial status. If she wanted to reclaim everything that was hers, the first step was to step out and sort out the company’s affairs.

But since she wasn’t yet an employee of the company, to get a rough understanding, she had to go with Xie Huaijin.

Xie Huaijin suddenly felt a bit flustered. “Why do you want to come with me? I have a very important investor meeting soon. You don’t understand business matters. I should just call Zhuo Yi to come with me.”

Zhuo Yi was Xie Huaijin’s secretary, a male assistant whom Xie Huaijin had specifically hired to put Ji Yao at ease.

Ji Yao had spent the whole night awake, thinking deeply. She had never suspected Xie Huaijin of cheating or transferring assets during their marriage—such things couldn’t have been done by him alone; he must have an accomplice, and that accomplice had to be his secretary.

Ji Yao lifted her gaze elegantly. “The investor you’re meeting—did you say the location isn’t at the company, right?”

“How do you know?”

Facing Xie Huaijin’s puzzled look, Ji Yao didn’t waver. “You said so yourself last night.”

Actually, she had found it while scrolling through WeChat—the itinerary sent by the secretary.

Xie Huaijin was momentarily stunned, trying hard to recall the previous night but drew a blank. His response was tinged with nervousness.

“Did I really say that last night? Nothing else?”

Ji Yao knew what he was thinking and deliberately paused before replying, “Nothing else.”

Xie Huaijin finally relaxed. It seemed he had been drinking at some social event and remembered little. Seeing no issue, he came up behind her, massaging her shoulders with the demeanor of a devoted husband.

“Wife, I know you’re concerned about me, but you really don’t understand work matters. You’ve been out of touch with society for so long. The investor I’m meeting today can directly decide whether the company will go public. This is a crucial matter. Zhuo Yi is my secretary, and having him there helps me with many details.”

Ji Yao wrapped her arm around his, pursing her lips. “Is that so? Then what about this resignation letter? Is it fake?”

Xie Huaijin had never imagined that the resignation letter from Zhuo Yi, kept in his study drawer all this time, would be discovered by Ji Yao and used to confront him face to face.

He snatched it back angrily. “You snooped through my things?!”

“I saw it by accident while cleaning yesterday. I’ve met Zhuo Yi before and know him. Seeing his resignation letter surprised me. Since he’s no longer your secretary, who is it now?”

Xie Huaijin grew visibly anxious. “It’s a young guy I just hired fresh out of university. Don’t worry, I promised you before that I wouldn’t hire a female secretary.”

Xie Huaijin was lying.

Because the itinerary she saw in the chat records that night was sent by the other woman! Ji Yao had long known that Xie Huaijin’s affair was with the current secretary. She asked anyway, deliberately wanting to unsettle him.

Ji Yao tilted her head to look at him. “Since you’ve already replaced the secretary, then call her here. I want to meet her and give her a few pointers about meeting the investor—after all, you have little experience in this area and can’t teach her.”

All of Xie Huaijin’s success came from Ji Yao’s support and counsel behind the scenes. Without her, he would never have achieved what he had. When it came to business, all he knew was drinking and bribery; he was utterly incompetent.

This time, Xie Huaijin was completely flustered, even stammering.

“I-I don’t think that’s necessary. I just checked the time and it’s tight. If I call her over and then go with her, the back-and-forth will make me late!”

Ji Yao stepped closer. “Then let me go with you. It’ll save the trouble of running back and forth.”

“...”

It was clear Xie Huaijin took this investor meeting very seriously. In the face of interest, he chose to compromise.

“Fine. Hurry up and eat. After that, we’ll go together.”

Ji Yao calmly ate the toast in her hand while Xie Huaijin watched. He felt that something about her was different from before, but couldn’t quite place what.

Why had she suddenly found the resignation letter in his study—something she never found before? And why did she suddenly care so much about his work?

...

At a high-end tea restaurant.

The weather was exceptionally clear today, so the investor chose to meet outdoors. When Ji Yao and Xie Huaijin arrived, the investor hadn’t yet appeared. As soon as they sat down, Xie Huaijin’s phone rang. Ji Yao saw him reject the call three times in a row. It was obvious the caller was the mistress, probably asking why he hadn’t brought her to the meeting.

Ji Yao wanted to give Xie Huaijin a chance to explain, so she feigned needing to use the restroom and left briefly. Sure enough, as soon as she stepped away, Xie Huaijin anxiously called the other party back.

This confirmed her suspicion: the mistress was indeed the new secretary.

When Ji Yao returned from the restroom, the investor had arrived. Shielded by the sunlight from afar, she couldn’t see clearly. As they drew near, Xie Huaijin immediately introduced.

“Wife, this is He Group’s president, He Yancheng. President He, this is my beloved wife.”

What? He Yancheng?

Ji Yao lowered her eyes and happened to meet He Yancheng’s gaze. At that moment, she felt a sudden flicker of intimidation.