The top-floor CEO office.
Old Master Ji had five phones laid out in front of him.
On the screens were trending topics about Rong Yu and He Qiqi.
"He Qiqi is the actual team leader, okay? Rong Yu keeps fighting for control, rallying teammates, and pushing He Qiqi aside. Then she failed the evaluation—what a slap in the face."
"She can't do anything but still acts tough. Is she deliberately trying to get attention by going the 'blackened popularity' route?"
"Actually, He Qiqi was the one who abandoned her responsibilities first. Rong Yu had to step up."
"Tsk, can't believe a nobody like Rong Yu even has fans defending her..."
"This group ranked last, and Rong Yu should take full responsibility..."
Old Master Ji was already slow at typing, and now he had to fend off a horde of online trolls simultaneously. Sweat beaded on his forehead as he struggled to keep up.
He called out, "A-Yuan, there are too many haters! Come help me!"
Ji Zhiyuan sat at his computer. "I still have some documents to review."
The more you argue with these netizens, the more they thrive on it. Ignoring them usually makes them lose interest.
But the old man wouldn’t listen—he insisted on clapping back at every single one.
Ji Zhouye sighed. "Grandpa, why don’t you just spend some money and hire a PR team? No need to personally engage with them."
Old Master Ji’s eyes lit up. "What’s a PR team?"
"I know! I know!" Ji Duoduo raised her hand excitedly. "There are two kinds—organic supporters, like you, Great-Grandpa, and paid ones who flood the internet with comments to control public opinion."
Ji Zhouye tossed aside his English textbook and leaned in. "How about I help arrange a PR team?"
Old Master Ji, unfamiliar with such tactics, nodded eagerly. "How much would it cost?"
"Fi—" Ji Zhouye had meant to say fifty thousand but changed his tone. "Five hundred thousand. Or even five million! If we’re doing this, let’s go all out—boost Great-Grandma’s image, make her the center of attention, and skyrocket her fame beyond the galaxy!"
Old Master Ji was fired up. "Yes, yes! A-Ye is such a filial grandson!"
"Filial my foot!"
Rong Yu walked in and smacked the back of the old man’s head.
The founder of the Ji Group, a business titan of Haicheng, didn’t dare make a sound after being hit.
Ji Zhouye: "..."
He quickly picked up his English book to hide his face.
Duoduo held up her phone. "Auntie’s fan club gained over a thousand new members today!"
"From ten to over a thousand—that’s great news!" Old Master Ji stood up. "To celebrate Ms. Rong’s fan milestone, let’s go out for a celebratory meal!"
Ji Zhouye immediately agreed. "Perfect timing for a late-night snack."
Duoduo clapped happily. "I’ve never had a late-night snack before! I want to go too!"
Rong Yu picked her up. "Then let’s go."
Ji Zhiyuan shut his laptop, grabbed his car keys, and drove the family to a seafood barbecue spot by the waterfront.
Seated by the second-floor window, they enjoyed the autumn night breeze, the riverside view, and the lively bustle of people—a uniquely pleasant atmosphere.
"Hey, isn’t that Auntie Lan?" Duoduo, sharp-eyed, pointed at the pedestrian walkway along the river. "Lan Yue is there too."
Rong Yu looked.
Sure enough, the mother-daughter pair stood there. Lan Rouxue wore a snow-white strapless gown, holding hands with Lan Yue, who was dressed in a princess-style dress. Beside them stood a man in a tailored suit, their closeness suggesting intimacy.
Ji Zhouye frowned. "Big Brother, why is Rouxue-jie out on a date with another man at this hour? Did you two fight?"
Ji Zhiyuan replied calmly, "Everyone has their own social circles. Just because two people are together doesn’t mean it’s a date."
Lately, he’d taken on seven or eight side jobs—handling Ji Group affairs by day and freelance work by night—just to earn enough for their dates.
His interactions with Rouxue had indeed dwindled.
He hadn’t seen Xiao Yue in days either.
"Dad!"
A loud cry pierced the air.
It was Lan Yue’s voice.
Ji Zhiyuan smiled, thinking she had spotted him.
Instead, Lan Yue rushed into the arms of the man beside her, who lifted her onto his shoulders.
"Dad, higher! Even higher!" Lan Yue squealed in delight.
Lan Rouxue made no move to stop it, merely reaching out to steady her. "Xiao Yue, be careful—don’t fall..."
"What’s going on?" Old Master Ji blinked. "Did that child’s biological father return?"
Ji Zhouye scowled. "Xiao Yue’s dad doesn’t look like that... Wait, why does she call every man ‘Dad’? How many fathers has she even acknowledged?"
Ji Zhiyuan’s expression darkened.
He stood up, ready to march down.
Rong Yu spoke leisurely, "Lan Yue grew up without a father. It’s only natural she’d want more dads—more people to love her. What’s wrong with that?"
Ji Zhiyuan: "..."
An arrow seemed to pierce his chest.
Rong Yu added, "Though Lan Yue has many fathers, A-Yuan, you only have one daughter."
Duoduo picked up a grilled oyster and offered it to Ji Zhiyuan. "Dad, oysters are delicious. Let me feed you."
Ji Zhiyuan sat back down, his expression softening. "Thank you, Duoduo."
By the time the family finished their meal, it was past ten at night.
As soon as they stepped outside, Ji Zhiyuan’s phone rang—Lan Rouxue calling. He pressed his lips together and declined the call.
Lan Rouxue put away her phone, unfazed.
The man holding Lan Yue approached her. "Ms. Lan, would you like to enjoy the night view a little longer?"
She smiled and shook her head. "Xiao Yue has school tomorrow. We should head back."
"Then let me drive you home."
The man escorted the mother and daughter back to their villa.
"Bye, Dad!" Lan Yue waved politely.
Once inside, Lan Rouxue knelt to face her daughter sternly. "Xiao Yue, you can’t keep calling that man ‘Dad.’ He isn’t your father."
"But every time I call him Dad, he gives me presents!" Lan Yue held up her new treasures—an expensive necklace worth eighty thousand, a glittering hairpin, a limited-edition figurine. "And he even bought you those shoes, Mom!"
Lan Rouxue glanced at the designer heels and smirked. "These are nothing."
Ji Zhiyuan was the future heir of the Ji Group. Once he took over, shoes, bags, and jewelry would be trivial.
She needed to strategize—how to regain Old Master Ji’s favor, how to secure the marriage as soon as possible...
And to win over Old Master Ji, Rong Yu was the key.
How could she get on Rong Yu’s good side?
