novelraw Chapter 432: The Domineering Mr. Ji (Part 1)
Chapter 432: The Domineering Mr. Ji (Part 1)
In retrospect, Ji Rui had known Le Tong for more than two years. He had seen her with red eyes, but had never truly witnessed her crying so freely.It’s often said that women are made of water. Ji Rui used to think Le Tong was an exception, but now, looking at his shirt damp from chest to abdomen, he wondered if she was wiping away six or seven years’ worth of tears on it.
The hand clutching his shirt tightened, her sobs were subdued and intermittent, and her slender body trembled slightly in his embrace.
Ji Rui lowered his gaze to her jet-black hair, gently patting her back, his heart tightening uncontrollably.
Le Tong nestled in Ji Rui’s arms, sobbing softly, her heart filled with various complex emotions—guilt towards Baobao, resentment from the cold looks and injustices suffered due to her mother’s illness over the years, the unfairness and oppression encountered when first entering society, and even the grievances and unwillingness from Ji Rui’s misunderstandings...
Ji Rui’s soothing voice was low and gentle, the warmth of his embrace and hand comforting. All these made her involuntarily open her heart, pouring out the suppressed negative emotions that had been held inside for who knows how long.
Le Tong didn’t know how long she cried. She only knew that the suffocating depression and shackles slowly dissipated from her heart amid the cries and tears.
Gradually, the sobbing subsided, and the grip on Ji Rui’s shirt slowly loosened.
"Ji Rui, thank you..." A hoarse voice emerged from within Ji Rui’s embrace.
Ji Rui gently stroked her soft hair, murmuring "Silly girl!" as he lowered his head to brush her forehead with a kiss.
With eyes half-closed, Le Tong remained still, allowing his kisses to move from her forehead to her swollen eyelids and then to her salty, moist lips...
Ji Rui gently sucked on her lips, their soft breaths echoed in the living room, tender warmth and affection flowing in the air.
Ji Rui’s heart, like a ship tossing in a stormy sea, finally found a harbor where it could dock, gently coming to shore.
"Le Tong, Baobao and I will always, always be with you..."
The words "always, always, be with" moved Le Tong’s heart more than any sweet talk, making her feel secure!
"Mm..." she responded compliantly, wrapping her arms around his broad back, hugging him tightly.
The clock on the wall ticked away, and their hearts gradually closed the gap, finally becoming inseparable.
"Go wash your face..."
Finally willing to let go of Le Tong, Ji Rui gently rubbed her head.
Le Tong lowered her eyes, nodded, and neatly put away the items she had just taken out, placing them back in the zippered bag and into the bedroom. Soon, she returned with her eyes still red and swollen.
"Have you been reading these past few days?"
On his lap lay the book he had given to Le Tong, a textbook. If he remembered correctly, she had read several dozen pages more than when he had left.
"Yes, I followed the outline you gave me and underlined everything I didn’t understand with a red pen."
Le Tong felt a bit embarrassed, sitting next to him uneasily.
"Your comprehension is quite good. I thought it would take you a long time to get the hang of it." Ji Rui, however, didn’t mention the previous incident, looking at her with eyes filled with gentle appreciation.
He gently wrapped an arm around her shoulder, letting her lean closely against him, as he pointed out areas she marked, beginning a detailed explanation.
After roughly half an hour, Ji Rui finished explaining the marked areas, "Did you understand it all?"
"I understood most of it." Le Tong was a diligent student, and Ji Rui was also a good teacher.
Le Tong closed the book, recalling the topics she heard at the party today. "Today, the thing you talked about with Minister Lu, about the bidding."
"Hmm?! What about it, is there something you don’t understand?"
"Mm..."
That night, the two talked late into the night, and naturally, Ji Rui stayed over.
The next day, while having breakfast, Le Tong talked to Ji Rui about Baobao.
"Ji Rui, tomorrow I want to take Baobao to the hospital for a check-up and ask Doctor Dong if Baobao can start attending school now."
Baobao’s little face, day by day, was becoming rosier, gradually returning to its plump and chubby state.
"Baobao, what do you think?"
Ji Rui looked at Baobao; he did not have any strong opinions on the matter. In his view, Baobao was exceptionally talented in many ways, and even without kindergarten, the little one knew much more than other children of the same age, so he was willing to respect the child’s wishes.
Baobao was eating a sandwich, cheeks puffed full with food.
"Baobao misses Big D and the others..." Big D was a friend Baobao got along with quite well in kindergarten.
"Alright! If Doctor Dong says it’s okay, Mommy and Daddy will take Baobao back to kindergarten on Monday!"
Upon hearing this, Le Tong let out a long sigh of relief.
Though Ji Rui never mentioned it, Le Tong understood that Baobao staying at home all the time wasn’t only for health and safety reasons; a part of it was because Ji Rui didn’t place much importance or care about Baobao attending kindergarten.
He probably thought Baobao’s IQ and EQ were quite high and that going to kindergarten didn’t matter. He even believed that bringing Baobao to adult gatherings was a way to expose Baobao to high society early so that in the future, Baobao could inherit the Ji Family more effectively and sooner.
However, Le Tong thought that for a child as sensitive and delicate as Baobao, it was even more important to let him interact with ordinary children. If not, his personality might become increasingly eccentric and strange, and he could end up being just like Ji Rui in the future.
Back at the Ji Family, Ji Rui immediately convened a board meeting. With him there, the directors who had previously been so arrogant and overbearing toward Le Tong noticeably reined in their attitudes.
Ji Rui first asked Le Tong to announce the overall performance and profits from the finance department submitted a few days ago, then shifted the topic to the current challenges facing the Ji Family.
He eyed these people with a cold gaze.
He picked up his cup, took a sip of coffee to wet his throat, and cast a commanding glance across the room before speaking calmly and with authority.
"All of you should know that the Ji Family has been under my management for nearly six years. During this time, we have weathered numerous storms. In every instance, haven’t we risen to the occasion and revived our fortunes? Today’s Ji Family is stronger than ever before! This current situation may be quite tricky, but the real question isn’t about the complexity of the issue. It’s whether, at such a critical juncture, you as our battle partners will stand by my side as you always have—believing in me, supporting me—or are you going to side with outsiders, jeering and undermining our efforts?"