Chapter 71 Finale 4
After Ji Ran decided to take over the Ji Corporation, he called Li Qiao to his home the next day and discussed in the study how to handle the work on hand. Fortunately, Ji Ran had no films or TV projects awaiting production, only a few endorsements that had not yet expired, and Li Qiao’s task was to negotiate with those brands about terminating the contracts early.
In the industry, endorsement deals are usually signed for two years, but most of Ji Ran’s endorsements were signed before he registered his marriage. After registering, wanting to make more time for Yan Duo, Ji Ran even cut back on endorsements. When many contracts expired, even if the brands wanted to renew, Ji Ran declined. And after the new year, appearing before the public as President of the Ji Group was not compatible with holding any endorsements.
After Li Qiao finished all the calls he said to Ji Ran, “You currently have five endorsements. Two of them end in two months; they aren’t making things hard for me and said they’ll find the next spokesperson as soon as possible, so no breach fees are needed. One has six months left; they said they’d discuss it with the company. The other two have a year remaining and said they hope we can mediate and Yanduo signed at a friendly price.
By the end, seeing Ji Ran’s displeased expression, Li Qiao’s voice gradually trailed off.
As the hottest rising star currently combining both popularity and acting skills, Yan Duo was at a critical moment for elevating her market value. Yet these brands seized the opportunity to drive down prices, hoping Ji Ran would agree to “the wife compensating for the husband.” Given how much Ji Ran cared for Yan Duo, even though these were coveted prestigious brands, it was unlikely he would easily consent.
Sure enough, after hearing this, Ji Ran decisively concluded: “Just handle these two brands according to the standard breach of contract procedures.”
Even if breaching the contract would incur significant penalties, Ji Ran wouldn’t allow Yan Duo to suffer any grievances because of his matters.
Li Qiao watched Ji Ran walk out the door with a twitch of his lips, sighing deeply. Although Ji Ran wasn’t short on money, seeing it wasted like this—even if it wasn’t his own money—still made Li Qiao’s heart ache.
After lunch, Ji Ran took Yan Duo back to the hospital. As soon as they reached the ward door, they heard Chu Tian’s loud sobbing.
Yan Duo’s heart skipped a beat. Exchanging a glance with Ji Ran, she silently thought, *This can’t be good.* Yesterday, Chu Tian had vowed to take a paternity test, and now it was already afternoon—the results must be out. Could the outcome be unfavorable?
Ji Ran gave her hand a reassuring squeeze, signaling her not to panic, then knocked on the ward door.
Not long after, An Yixin opened the door, and Yan Duo noticed her eyes were slightly red.
Yan Duo didn’t dare to ask why An Yixin’s eyes were red, she just held her arm to comfort her.
Chu Tian, sitting on the bed, pointed at Yan Duo as soon as she saw her and said, “And Ji Ran and Yan Duo, I promise I’ll never bully them again. Lang Lang, please don’t abandon the child, don’t leave me, okay?”
Hearing this, Yan Duo was completely confused. She looked at the crying Chu Tian, then at Ji Lang standing silently by the window, wondering what on earth was going on.
An Yixin settled Yan Duo beside her and shook her head slightly, signaling her not to engage. Her husband had gone to the company today and wasn’t present. The moment she arrived, she heard Ji Lang mention divorcing Chu Tian. She wanted to say something but hesitated to influence her son’s decision.
Seeing Yan Duo and Ji Ran remain silent, Chu Tian tearfully pleaded, “Yan Duo, I know I was wrong before. You can blame or hate me—I don’t mind. But for the sake of this poor child, could you persuade Langlang not to divorce me? Yesterday, you were the one who urged me to take the paternity test. You wouldn’t want him to be lost before even seeing this world, right?”
The mention of the child softened Yan Duo’s resolve, though she had initially intended to stay out of it. As she bit her lip, about to speak, Ji Ran, holding the paternity report, glanced at her and spoke first.
“If it’s a child of the Ji family, how could we ever consider losing it?”
Upon hearing Ji Ran’s words, An Yixin seemed to find a pillar of support and chimed in, “Yes, Langlang, no matter what mistakes Tiantian has made, this child is still yours after all.”
Given the circumstances, An Yixin couldn’t bring herself to ask Ji Lang to forgive Chu Tian, but after all, the child was part of the Ji family. If Ji Lang insisted on divorce, Chu Tian would surely terminate the pregnancy.
Gazing out the window, Ji Lang said, “Our relationship was originally based on a transaction. Now that I’ve withdrawn from the Ji Corporation and can no longer assist you, our previous marriage agreement has lost its meaning. If you wish to have this child, go ahead. You can give it to me to raise after birth if you prefer.”
This statement was somewhat softer than the previous harsh attitude of hoping Chu Tian would miscarry and divorce, but Chu Tian didn’t feel reassured. With tears streaming down her face, she pleaded with Ji Lang, “If we divorce, aren’t you afraid that a pregnant woman like me won’t be able to take care of the child properly? If something really happens to the baby, how could your conscience be at ease?”
Ji Lang seemed to have made up his mind, and no matter how Chu Tian pleaded, he wouldn’t relent.
An Yixin looked at Ji Ran, hoping he would say something, just like before, to make Ji Lang change his mind.
Yan Duo also gazed eagerly at Ji Ran, her eyes filled with unspoken words. She didn’t pity Chu Tian, but she felt the child was innocent.
Ji Ran received requests from both his mother and his wife. With a sigh, he said, “The child will ultimately bear the Ji surname. Even if you disregard everything else, you must at least consider the dignity of the Ji family. If you want a divorce, it should at least wait until after the birth. I believe Father would have made the same decision if he were here.”
Although Ji Lang’s tone was firm, Ji Ran could still sense his concern for the child. All Ji Ran could do was strive to ensure the baby’s safe birth—whether the couple would divorce afterward was beyond his control.
As soon as she finished speaking, Yan Duo’s gaze fell on Ji Lang’s retreating figure. She wasn’t sure if it was just her imagination, but ever since she saw Ji Lang yesterday, she felt he had changed a lot. Perhaps the recent events had hit him too hard, or maybe he had finally come to terms with something. The Ji Lang before her now was completely different from the one who used to wear a fake smile all the time.
While Yan Duo was pondering the reason, she suddenly felt someone pinch her palm hard. Frowning, she turned to Ji Ran, her eyes accusing him of the crime.
Ji Ran raised an eyebrow at her, his gaze questioning: [What are you looking at!]
Yan Duo was displeased: [Just looking at your brother!]
Ji Ran: [“A gaze lasting more than two seconds—you can only look at me, not even my brother!”]
Yan Duo was surprised that she actually understood his meaning, finding it both amusing and exasperating—what kind of time was this for such thoughts?
Ji Ran was still concerned about such trivial matters. She secretly glared at him, warning him not to cause trouble at this moment.
Ji Ran noticed her attention had fully returned to him and didn’t mind her annoyed glance, quietly sitting with her. youshulou.com
After a long silence, Ji Lang sighed and said, “Alright then, let’s leave it at that.”
With that, he walked straight out of the hospital room.
Chu Tian, hearing his words, wiped her tears and smiled. At this moment, her heart was filled with deep regret, yet she comforted herself—as long as they didn’t separate now, she would eventually find a way to make him change his mind.
Yan Duo looked at Chu Tian and suddenly felt a bit sorry for her. Back when Chu Tian often targeted her, Yan Duo couldn’t be bothered to deal with her childishness. But now, seeing her look as if she had finally let go of a heavy burden, Yan Duo realized Chu Tian had genuinely liked Ji Lang. Yet if her feelings were sincere, why would Chu Tian have been with another man after marriage? Few men would be magnanimous enough to say it didn’t matter, right?
After leaving the hospital, the two returned home. Following dinner, Yan Duo took Ji Ran for a walk in the yard.
“What did you feel when I asked for a divorce back then?” Yan Duo suddenly asked him.
Perhaps Chu Tian’s expression had moved Yan Duo, because she abruptly found herself thinking about Ji Ran from that time.
Ji Ran stared straight ahead, as if instantly transported back to that moment in the car, his tone chilling to the bone.
“I wanted to strangle you!”
Rushing back from the set with something to say to her, before he could even speak, the sudden mention of “divorce” nearly drove him out of his mind. For a fleeting moment, he thought—if they couldn’t be together in life, then he’d take her with him in death, at least then they wouldn’t have to part.
Yan Duo looked at his impassive face and recalled how his sudden acceleration that day had terrified her into thinking they were about to plunge into the river. With a laugh, she said, “Who told you never to share your feelings with me!”
Back then, she suffered every day with no relief—how could it not have been torment? But looking back now, she feels somewhat fortunate for the desperate resolve she found when all hope seemed lost.
Ji Ran had always harbored resentment over the divorce and had no desire to discuss it further. He warned her, “Don’t ever bring this up again, or I’ll kill you!”
Yan Duo didn’t know whether to laugh or cry and tried to lighten the mood with a joke. “I feel like you might have violent tendencies, don’t you think?”
Ji Ran pondered her words for a moment before replying, “If it counts in bed, then yes, I suppose I do.”
Pinning her down every time, wanting to make her cry, scream, and beg for mercy—it probably really is “violence.”
Yan Duo didn’t want to discuss nighttime matters during the day. After glancing at the sky, she changed the subject and said, “Look at the clouds in the distance, do they look like a bridge?”
Ji Ran turned and looked at the sky too. “I think they look more like a bed.”
“Look at that bird’s nest in the tree, there are even a few birds inside!”
“I didn’t see any birds, but that nest kinda looks like the color of our pillow.”
“This lily flower is beautiful!”
“Yes, we can change to lily-patterned bedsheets later.”
Yan Duo glanced at him—utterly hopeless, his mind consumed by lust!
Ji Ran seemed to read her thoughts and said, “Don’t worry, I didn’t imagine you lying on a lily-patterned bedsheet with a black pillow today.”
Yan Duo breathed a sigh of relief—it seemed he still remembered their agreement. That was good.
As a result, Ji Ran added indifferently, “In a few days would still be fine.”
Yan Duo had completely lost the desire to speak with someone who had gone off the deep end and turned to walk back home.
Ji Ran followed behind her with a faint smile. Not being able to eat meat was forced by circumstances, but it didn’t stop him from teasing his wife and indulging in some playful banter!
In the evening, Yanduo and Jiran sat side by side in front of the study, one reading the script, the other reviewing various reports from the Ji family, quiet and peaceful, accompanying each other without disturbing one another.
But this tranquility was shattered at nine o’clock by Yan Duo’s ringing phone.
Yan Duo glanced at her phone and was about to get up to answer it when Ji Ran gave her a look.
“Answer it right here.”
Yan Duo didn’t avoid him either, answered the call, and hung up after speaking for just one minute.
“Weren’t you the spokesperson for the Jiang family’s thermos cup and S-family’s air conditioner before?”
Ji Ran nodded, “Yes.”
Yan Duo asked curiously, “Then why did Brother Zeng just tell me that these two companies have already approached me and everything is settled, just waiting to sign the contract tomorrow?”
Ji Ran explained, “I terminated the contract with them early, and when they approached you, you signed.”
Li Qiao probably played a significant role in this matter. On one hand, he minimized the breach of contract penalty, and on the other, he persuaded two brands interested in Yan Duo to sign her at a reasonable price. Essentially, it was like taking money from his and Yan Duo’s left pocket and stuffing it back into their right pocket in a different way.
Besides, both brands are quite good.
Yan Duo heard it was about this and asked him, “Is the penalty fee high?”
Ji Ran replied with a smile, “Compared to your endorsement fee, it’s not much.”
Yan Duo thought about it and realized they hadn’t suffered any losses, so she immediately smiled, “That’s good!”
Ji Ran looked at her utterly money-grubbing expression and chuckled, ruffling her hair.
Yan Duo naturally leaned against his shoulder, enjoying his caress while Reading the script, she looked just like a little kitten.
As the year-end approached, with the movie “Waiting for You Year After Year” about to premiere, Yan Duo and Ji Ran became even busier. They were swamped until the 26th day of the twelfth lunar month when the film finally had its premiere, marking the end of their hectic schedule.
When the two appeared hand in hand at the premiere that day, the fans in the audience erupted in thunderous applause and cheers.
After greeting everyone, it was time for the routine interview segment.
Host: “Yan Duo, could you tell us why you decided to take on this film at the time?”
How could Yanduo possibly say that this opportunity was secured for her by the Fan family back then? She simply smiled and gave her own reason: “Because I particularly love this story about past and present lives, and the entire film is filled with the theme of waiting, making the word ‘waiting’ especially poetic and moving.”
The host nodded and then asked Jiran, “What about you, Mr. Ji? Why did you take on this role?”
Jiran glanced at Yanduo and said, “Because she’s the female lead.”
As soon as he finished speaking, laughter and teasing erupted from the audience.
The host said with a smile, “I thought I’d gotten used to Teacher Ji’s habit of showing off his love anytime, anywhere, but when it’s my turn to host, I still can’t help feeling envious. You two are truly a match made in heaven!”
As for Ji Ran’s answer, it was the first time Yan Duo had heard it. She glanced at him with a smile, planning to ask for details when they got home.
At this point, the host turned to Ji Ran again and asked, “Recently, there have been rumors online that Teacher Ji is about to retire from the entertainment industry. Is this true?”
Ji Ran’s early termination of endorsement contracts wasn’t kept secret, so it wasn’t surprising that many people knew about it. However, Ji Ran had never publicly confirmed it. Now that the question had been raised, he didn’t avoid answering.
“Yes, I will officially retire from the entertainment industry after the New Year.”
As soon as the words were spoken, Yan Duo heard a stir from the audience.
Host: “This news is quite sudden!”
Rumors about this had been circulating in the industry, but everyone held an attitude of disbelief. After all, Ji Ran, who was at the pinnacle of the industry, had no reason to retire early.
Ji Ran said earnestly, “Although this matter is sudden, it has been within my plans. Having been in the entertainment industry for over a decade, I am deeply grateful to the fans who have supported and accompanied me all along. It is because of you that I have had the opportunity to go this far on this path. Along the way, I have seen many sights and met the most important person in my life. Without you, there would be no me as I am today. In the days to come, I will always remember you, and I hope you will always be happy and well.”
After speaking, Ji Ran bowed deeply to the audience below.
Standing beside him, Yan Duo, like many in the audience, couldn’t hold back her tears. As his wife, she could support his decision, but as a long-time fan of his, she fully understood the feeling of the audience below, as if their hearts had been torn out.
The host led the applause and then asked Ji Ran, “Does this mean we won’t be able to see you on screen anymore? What a shame!”
Ji Ran smiled without speaking, his expression tacitly agreeing.
The host glanced at Yan Duo: “If Yan Duo invited you to play a couple with her, would you still refuse?”
Upon hearing this, Ji Ran’s face showed a struggle. After a few seconds of thought, he said, “If there’s an intimate scene, I might consider it!”
The originally somewhat melancholic atmosphere instantly became lively again with Ji Ran’s words. The fans in the audience, hearing his statement, seemed to see a glimmer of hope for seeing him again—as long as his wife remains in the industry, catching a glimpse of him wouldn’t be too hard. Who knows, he might even return someday just to accompany her!
With this thought, many fans felt a renewed sense of hope.
After the premiere, the news of Ji Ran’s impending exit from the entertainment industry quickly spread online. The film *Waiting for You Year After Year* was labeled as Ji Ran’s final movie, and coupled with critics’ and fans’ high praise for the film, it attracted even more people to purchase tickets in advance. In no time, the movie’s box office surpassed many of its contemporaries, creating an overwhelmingly favorable situation.
Back at home, Yan Duo voiced her doubt, “Did you really take on this movie because of me?”
Ji Ran: “Mm.”
When the director handed the script to Ji Ran, he initially hadn’t decided to take the role. It wasn’t until he heard Fan Xian had spent money to get Yan Duo cast that he hastily contacted the director and agreed to film.
Ji Ran accepted the movie invitation before she brought up the divorce, so he must have already been interested in her back then, right?
With these thoughts clear in her mind, Yan Duo felt a sweet warmth in her heart. She wrapped her arms around Ji Ran’s neck and asked coyly, already knowing the answer, “Why?”
Ji Ran countered with a question, “What reason do you want to hear?”
“What’s your reason?”
At that time, I had two reasons in my mind—one was the self-comforting version, and the other was the real one. Which one do you want to hear?
“First, let’s hear your self-comforting version!”
“The self-comforting version is, your acting is just too terrible, and to keep you from dragging down the crew’s progress, I have to join the set to watch over you and guide your improvement at all times!”
Yan Duo burst out laughing at this reason—it definitely sounded like something the initially tsundere Ji Ran, who was too proud to confess.
“What about the real version?”
Ji Ran untied the belt of Yan Duo’s sleeping robe and said, “The real version is, I think your acting is bad enough, but you’re also lacking in other areas, requiring me to tutor you day and night!”
Yan Duo was practically laughing in anger—to dress up his selfish motives as something so noble and selfless, his skin was certainly thick enough!
“Then I really have to thank you, Professor Ji!”
Ji Ran kissed her neck and responded with a hum, “It’s been a while since I last heard you call me ‘Professor Ji.’ Tonight, let’s stick with that title—don’t stop, Miss Yan!”
Yan Duo: “Can I refuse?”
“If you want to finish quickly, I suggest you not refuse!”
As soon as this reason was voiced, Yan Duo immediately surrendered, thinking to herself—fine, she’d call him that! It wasn’t like she hadn’t done it before! Might as well make it sound as tender and lingering as possible, so he’d finish within half an hour—hmph!
In the following moments, Ji Ran listened as she called him “Teacher Ji” in tones that were sometimes tender to the extreme, sometimes bewitchingly seductive, and at other times pitifully vulnerable. Every cell in his body pulsed with an indescribable delight—so intense that he longed to sow passionate seeds in the damp, heated earth. Yet this sensation gradually spiraled beyond his control.
At the end, Yan Duo looked at Ji Ran’s frustrated and dejected face, struggling hard to hold back her laughter.
20 minutes, a rare 20 minutes and it’s over, it’s like heaven has opened its eyes!
Ji Ran looked at her flushed face and smiled faintly, “We only agreed that I could have one turn, but there was no rule saying you could only have one. So, would you like to go again?”
As he spoke, Ji Ran deliberately licked his lips.
Yan Duo was so frightened that she immediately scrambled off the bed, running away while saying, “No more laughing, no more laughing! Don’t you dare mess around—I absolutely don’t need it!”
With that, she entered the bathroom and closed the door firmly.
Ji Ran looked at the bathroom door and smiled faintly.
And their intimate little games would continue without ever growing old, even as their hair turned silver with age.