CTS 17

Shen Mo sliced down with the knife, but the cut was a bit slanted, and the potato pieces ended up too big.

Ah, he thought, guess I’ll have to make curry-flavored ones then.

He lowered his head and kept chopping the potatoes, one cut at a time.

Ji Mingxuan watched him closely and said, “An’an has agreed.”

“That’s great,” Shen Mo replied mechanically, his mind full of thoughts about how to prepare the curry potatoes. “When you’ve been dating for a long time, marriage is only natural.”

Ji Mingxuan stood by the door, watching him for a moment before turning and leaving.

At dinner, Shen Mo raised his glass to congratulate Ji An’an and asked when the wedding would be.

Ji An’an only had a little bit of her drink, but her face turned red as she said, “We’re not getting married that soon. But my brother said we should at least get engaged first.”

“I’ll discuss it with the elders of the Zhou family,” Ji Mingxuan said, patting Shen Mo’s hand. “From now on, Zhou Yang will be part of our family.”

Shen Mo couldn’t figure out what he had done to deserve being included in that “our” so naturally.

Ji An’an took a bite of food and teased him, “Brother Shen messed up today. The curry potatoes are way too salty.”

Shen Mo tasted it too.

It was salty, so salty it brought out a hint of bitterness. Still, he swallowed it down and said calmly, “I’ll make them braised next time.”

That night, Shen Mo once again forgot about moving back to his own room and ended up sharing a bed with Ji Mingxuan.
He thought he wouldn’t be able to fall asleep, but surprisingly, he slept soundly through the night. By the time he woke up, Ji Mingxuan had already gone to work.

Shen Mo jumped out of bed, washed up in a hurry, and rushed to work. Even so, he was still a little late. But no one seemed to care. His colleagues just glanced at him before continuing their gossip.

“Rich people these days really know how to stir up drama. Always keeping lovers outside.”

“Shh, are you trying to let the whole world hear you?”

“Having a lover is still fine. The ridiculous part is bringing back illegitimate children. I heard about that Zhou family…”

“Which Zhou family?”

“You know, the famous one…”

“Oh, but I heard the Zhou family only had one son.”

“Not anymore. They recently brought back an illegitimate son from outside. He’s already in his twenties. Now everyone’s calling him the second young master.”

“An illegitimate son that old? Wouldn’t he fight over the inheritance?”

“Maybe not, especially if the Zhou family and the Ji family are joining through marriage…”

The voices in the background gradually faded, and Shen Mo could no longer make out what they were saying. But even those few words were enough to leave him stunned.

When it came to the renowned Zhou family in H City, it could only be Zhou Yang’s family. But what was this about an illegitimate child? Did Zhou Yang have a younger brother?

It wasn’t exactly a secret. Shen Mo didn’t even need to go out of his way to ask around. He just casually chatted with Ji An’an, and she spilled everything.

“There really is such a person,” Ji An’an said.
“He’s the son of Uncle Zhou and a woman he was involved with when he was young.
He’s only two years younger than Zhou Yang and officially recognized by the family not long ago.”

“I actually saw him when I came back yesterday. He looks really frivolous and slick with his words. But Uncle Zhou seems to like him a lot. He even arranged a position for him in the company. That’s why Aunt Zhou was so desperate to call Zhou Yang back.”

“Everyone used to admire Uncle and Aunt Zhou for being such a respectful, loving couple,” Ji An’an sighed. “Who would’ve thought something like this would happen?”
But then she quickly smiled and said,
“Still, Zhou Yang and I are different. We grew up together. No one can match the bond we have after all these years.”

Shen Mo felt a tightness in his chest.
After chatting a little more with Ji An’an, he excused himself and went back to his room to rest.

Once Ji Mingxuan finished his work, he lay down on the bed as well.

The lights were turned off. In the darkness, Shen Mo said quietly, “This isn’t fair to Miss Ji.”

“What do you mean?”

“She believes she and Zhou Yang are truly in love.”

Ji Mingxuan said, “Isn’t that true?”

Shen Mo was silent for a moment before saying, “On the 12th, Zhou Yang originally planned to meet me.”

Ji Mingxuan let out a quiet “Mm,” not sounding surprised at all.

Shen Mo’s heart pounded violently. He had long suspected that Ji Mingxuan knew about it, but it was only now that he finally had confirmation.

Those two plane tickets…
Were they deliberate after all?

“So what if he made plans to meet you?” Ji Mingxuan said. “In the end, he still chose An’an.”

“That’s only because you intervened,” Shen Mo said.

Ji Mingxuan let out a low hum. “You think I threatened Zhou Yang? You’re wrong. I don’t have that kind of power.” He said calmly, “I just told him something a little earlier than he would’ve found out himself. I let him know that his father had an illegitimate son. That he wasn’t the Zhou family’s sole heir anymore. That any move he made could affect his standing in the family.”

“I simply laid out all the risks and consequences before him, and then..”

Ji Mingxuan chuckled softly. “He made the decision himself.”