President Ji’s Cat - Chapter 3

Exiting the ward, Ji Chufeng took a deep breath, exhaling all the irritability in her heart, and headed straight for the elevator.

At the elevator entrance, she squeezed out some sanitizer to rub her hands, wiped them again with a tissue, and finally crumpled the tissue into a ball and tossed it into the trash. The movement was seamless, her actions filled with the kind of disdain one has after touching something filthy.

She hadn’t stayed long at the hospital, and by the time she stepped out, it was nearly lunchtime.

Standing at the hospital entrance, she realized her car hadn’t been settled yet. Not wanting a “stalker” following her, she hailed a taxi.

But a taxi required a destination.

She checked her phone and finally placed a call.

Half an hour later, the taxi pulled up in front of a restaurant in the commercial center, and Ji Chufeng stepped out.

It was still early for her appointment, and since there were plenty of shops nearby, she decided to wander around.

It had been a long time since she had been back. Having been a hands-off boss for so long, she wasn’t even clear on the address of the Ji Corporation headquarters; only this place was familiar to her.

In the past, every time she returned to the country, they would meet at this restaurant for a meal, occasionally switching to another location.

Ji Chufeng walked along the street. Many shops had closed down and been replaced by new ones with fresh decor.

She walked into a bookstore, intending to browse to kill time.

The shelves near the entrance usually displayed bestsellers. Ji Chufeng randomly picked one up, but instead of a book, it was a magazine.

On the cover was a currently trending idol, striking a very handsome pose. Ji Chufeng didn’t follow celebrities; her knowledge of domestic stars remained stuck on the household-name “artist” types from her childhood.

The corner of the cover read “Liang Hao.” Ji Chufeng had no interest in men, much less in this “pretty boy” type. She gave it a glance and tossed it back.

This shelf seemed to be entirely for magazines. She flipped through a few more, all different. Just as she was about to move to another shelf, she caught sight of a familiar yet distant profile.

Her movements paused for three seconds. She shifted her finger two inches to the side and picked up the magazine. The beautiful face on the cover was now fully exposed to her.

Ji Chufeng frowned imperceptibly, put the magazine back, and lost her appetite for reading. She walked out of the bookstore.

Next to the bookstore was a flower shop. She had no memory of it, so it was likely a new opening. The decor was fresh, primarily white—minimalist yet sophisticated.

She walked inside.

Twenty minutes later, Ji Chufeng appeared at the restaurant as scheduled.

The person she was meeting had already arrived, sitting in a spot further inside with her back to the door.

From just the silhouette, she recognized the person immediately.

Ji Chufeng walked straight toward her. The woman seemed to be looking at her phone, unaware that someone was approaching.

“Darling.” As she spoke, Ji Chufeng’s hand rested on the back of the woman’s chair. Just as the woman turned her head, a bouquet of flowers appeared before her eyes, followed by a familiar, flirtatious, and casual smile.

“You’re here.” The woman stood up from her chair. She looked a bit bashful as she took the flowers, pursing her lips. “Why the sudden gift?”

“I passed a flower shop. The flowers inside were beautiful and I thought they suited you, so I bought them.” Ji Chufeng lowered her head slightly to look at her. The coldness she showed to outsiders was gone, replaced by softness.

After not seeing her for so long, the woman seemed unchanged. She was extremely well-maintained; only a few fine lines marked the corners of her eyes, making her look much younger than her actual age. Her hair was done up meticulously, and in her light-colored professional suit, she looked intellectual and dignified. Her beautiful eyes and brows bore a slight resemblance to Ji Chufeng’s.

“Oh, you.” The woman shook her head with a smile, reaching out to graze Ji Chufeng’s nose with her index finger. The indulgence in her eyes was obvious. “Is this how you coax women abroad, too?”

Ji Chufeng winked at her. “Not at all. You’re different from other women.”

The woman stared at her, seemingly sizing her up, then looked her up and down to confirm: “Hmm~ it looks like you’ve been eating well.”

“With my dear Ms. Yu launching surprise inspections from time to time, would I dare not eat well?” Ji Chufeng laughed, reaching out to hug her. She even nodded solemnly: “Mm, still as beautiful as ever.”

No matter their age, women are always happy to receive compliments, and Yu Rou was no exception. On the surface, she feigned annoyance: “Always making fun of your mother!”

The two took their seats. After ordering, Yu Rou replied to some WeChat messages. After a moment, she looked up from the screen and suddenly said, “Your Auntie Xie is coming over later.”

“Hmm?” Ji Chufeng let out a questioning sound.

“I stayed over at her place last night and left my keys there.”

“You two are still so close,” Ji Chufeng noted with a smile.

Yu Rou smiled back. “Everything is fine with me. What about you? Are you seeing someone new again?”

“Why ‘again’?” Ji Chufeng said helplessly. “I’ve been single for a long time.”

Yu Rou knew exactly what her daughter was like. “How long? A week? At most, no more than three months.”

Hiss.

Ji Chufeng wisely decided to drop the subject.

When the second steak was served, Ji Chufeng had just finished cutting the first one into bite-sized pieces. She pushed that plate toward Yu Rou and started cutting her own.

As they chatted, a voice cut in.

“A-Rou.”

Hearing the voice, both looked up. Xie Qiu was walking toward them.

Yu Rou put down her fork and smiled. “You’re here.”

“Auntie Xie,” Ji Chufeng greeted. Xie Qiu was surprised and delighted to see her. “Chufeng! You’re back.”

Xie Qiu had originally intended just to drop off the keys and leave, but Ji Chufeng had already stood up to pull out a chair for her, her manner gentlemanly and polite. “Eat with us, Ms. Xie.”

Xie Qiu was embarrassed by the title. She laughed, “Why so formal?”

Ji Chufeng’s smile was playful. “You look so young that I feel guilty calling you ‘Auntie,’ but calling you ‘Sister’ would mess up the family hierarchy.”

Xie Qiu and Yu Rou were around the same age and had met several years ago. At that time, Ji Chufeng was about to go abroad to study and was very worried about Yu Rou being in the country alone without a partner to look after her.

Unmarried women in their forties were rare, but Xie Qiu was one of them. Ji Chufeng couldn’t remember exactly how they met; she only knew that by the time she was aware of Xie Qiu, the two were already very close friends. They shared common interests, and since Xie Qiu had a great personality and was very attentive to others’ emotions, Ji Chufeng didn’t have to worry too much about her mother being lonely while she was abroad.

Naturally, she treated Xie Qiu like family—with the same teasing yet sincere attitude.

“Fengfeng, don’t tease your elders!” Yu Rou chided from the side.

“It’s fine,” Xie Qiu laughed. “Chufeng is so good at making people happy; I’m sure many girls like her.”

Ji Chufeng ordered another steak. After cutting it, she pushed it to Xie Qiu. Looking at the two sitting side-by-side, she smiled. “If I had known Auntie Xie was coming, I should have bought another bouquet.”

“Just giving them to A-Rou is enough,” Xie Qiu said, glancing at Yu Rou who was focused on her meal. “She likes them.”

Ji Chufeng smiled but didn’t say anything.

“How long are you staying this time? Last time you left so early; we agreed to take you out but never made it happen.”

“I’m not leaving this time,” Ji Chufeng replied. “We’ll have plenty of time in the future.”

Xie Qiu was delighted. “Really? A-Rou is going to be so happy. You should spend more time with your mother now that you’re back.”

However, Yu Rou didn’t look as surprised as she expected. Ji Chufeng simply smiled and agreed. Xie Qiu sensed something between the mother and daughter.

“What are your plans now that you’re back?”

Ji Chufeng put down her utensils. “Naturally, I’m back to take over the family business.” There wasn’t a hint of a joke in her tone; her eyes grew colder.

Xie Qiu knew a fair amount about the Ji family’s affairs. Back then, Yu Rou had suffered a lot to fight for her daughter’s custody, only to lose against the power of capital in the end. A worried expression crossed her face, but she ultimately said nothing.

After the meal, since Yu Rou’s car was in for maintenance and she had arrived by taxi, Xie Qiu offered to drive her back and wanted to drop off Ji Chufeng as well.

Ji Chufeng declined, using the excuse of work. She stood at the restaurant entrance and watched the two get into the car, waving goodbye.

Seeing the car drive further away, Ji Chufeng let out a soft sigh. Seeing that her mother and her best friend were as close as ever put her mind at ease.

Manager Zhao had already arranged her living situation. It was a high-end apartment complex in a prime location. Judging by the three layers of security at the entrance, it was indeed very safe.

Supposedly, many celebrities lived in this neighborhood.

“Eldest Young Lady, are you satisfied with this place?” Manager Zhao rubbed his hands together, his face practically screaming for credit. “This apartment, originally…”

Ji Chufeng walked around the rooms. The interior design was exquisite, all appliances were provided, and the open kitchen was fully equipped with utensils.

Unfortunately, she couldn’t cook. The kitchenware was merely for show as far as she was concerned.

Additionally, there was a walk-in closet and a study—more than enough for one person. Given the location and the quality, it must have cost Ji Chengye a fortune. Ji Chufeng was satisfied.

Manager Zhao had everything ready, and the cleanliness was impeccable. Having not slept enough that morning, Ji Chufeng dismissed him and went straight to sleep.

She slept until 4 PM, when the butler from the Ji Residence called to ask what time she would be back, as dinner was being prepared.

Despite a thousand reasons not to go, Ji Chufeng got up, got ready, and headed back to the Ji Residence.

She couldn’t remember how long it had been since she was “home.” The residence held no beautiful memories for her. When she was ten, Ji Shengjun had brought his mistress and son through the door and told her that Xu Xiayun would be her mother from now on. From that moment, her status in the house plummeted.

In the beginning, Xu Xiayun showed some restraint, only giving her cold looks when Ji Shengjun wasn’t home. Later, she grew bolder, driving a wedge between the father and daughter. Since Ji Shengjun sided with Xu Xiayun, some servants—wishing to please the “mistress”—naturally treated Ji Chufeng poorly whenever the butler wasn’t around.

“Eldest Young Lady, follow me.” The old butler led her toward the main house, explaining, “There have been some renovations over the last few years; we don’t use that path anymore.”

As they walked, the butler told her about the changes in the household. Ji Chufeng listened silently, noting the butler’s graying hair. There hadn’t been that much white hair before.

At the main entrance, the butler suddenly stopped. He turned to look at her, a hint of joy flickering in his eyes. After a long silence, he asked, “How long are you staying this time?”

“I’m not leaving this time,” Ji Chufeng replied. “But I won’t be living here.”

The butler nodded, saying “Good” several times in a row.

Inside, Ji Chufeng sat on the sofa in the main hall. The butler instructed a servant to call the Madame downstairs.

Whether she was truly busy or doing it on purpose, nearly half an hour passed before Xu Xiayun finally came down.

“Oh, Chufeng, I’ve kept you waiting. I was just busy.” Xu Xiayun smiled hypocritically, perfunctorily ordering a servant to serve tea.

Soon, a servant brought the tea. She was a short, stout middle-aged woman. She first carefully placed Xu Xiayun’s cup on her table before bringing over Ji Chufeng’s.

Before setting the cup down, she used a filthy-looking rag hanging over her arm to wipe the table, then shoved the cup aside. Her movements weren’t gentle; some tea splashed out.

The butler saw this and stepped forward to scold her, but Xu Xiayun spoke first. “How do you do your job? So clumsy!” She played the “bad cop,” berating the servant.

Ji Chufeng gave the servant a faint glance, finding her incredibly familiar.

“It’s fine,” Ji Chufeng said, raising a hand as if she didn’t care. She then picked up the cup of tea.

She didn’t drink it. Instead, she poured the tea onto the floor, splashing it right in front of the stout woman’s feet.

“Everyone makes mistakes. Didn’t I just accidentally spill the tea?” she said.

The stout woman’s face turned ugly instantly. If she had been any closer, the scalding tea would have poured directly onto her feet.

“What are you standing there for? Clean it up quickly!” the butler barked.

The servant mumbled a response and was about to get a mop when a rag was tossed at her feet.

Ji Chufeng looked at her, her expression cold.

The servant met her gaze and was about to say something when she heard Ji Chufeng say: “Wipe it.” Her tone was one of absolute command.

The coldness in Ji Chufeng’s eyes made her shiver. She quickly squatted on the floor and used the rag to wipe the tea stains near her feet.

She followed the line of the high heels and stole a glance at the owner of the shoes, only to unexpectedly lock eyes with her.

The cold and dangerous aura radiating from those eyes made her shrink her neck and work harder at scrubbing the tile.

The person in front of her was no longer the little girl whose father didn’t love her from ten years ago.

Seeing the undercurrent between the two, Xu Xiayun quickly said, “Chufeng, dinner is ready in the kitchen. Let’s go eat.”

Ji Chufeng took the cup of tea handed to her by the butler, blew on it slowly, took a sip, and then looked askance at her. “Didn’t you say you would cook… per… son… ally?”

“…” Xu Xiayun never expected Ji Chufeng would actually want to eat her cooking. She had only been polite, and now her words were being taken literally. But since she had already said it and didn’t want to give people an excuse to talk, she could only force a smile. “Auntie will cook for you right now. It won’t take long.”

Ji Chufeng didn’t stop her, letting her head to the kitchen. In the past, Xu Xiayun loved to say one thing and do another; now she could do it to her heart’s content.

After waiting for nearly another hour in the hall, Xu Xiayun emerged from the kitchen with sweat on her brow and the faint smell of cooking oil on her clothes.

“Chufeng, come eat.”

“No need.” Ji Chufeng stood up and gave her a thin smile. “I just remembered I have things to do.”

“…”

When Ji Chengye returned home after work, he saw his mother’s face was extremely dark—she was clearly fuming.

“Mom, what happened?”

“What else could it be!” Xu Xiayun shouted. “It’s that ‘excess baggage’!”

After hearing what happened, Ji Chengye was also furious. He patted Xu Xiayun’s back and consoled her. “Mom, there’s no need to get angry with that kind of person!”

Xu Xiayun was in a bad mood and found everyone irritating. She pushed her son. “You’re a useless thing, too! The old man is dying, and yet you let him call her back!”

“How was I supposed to know?” Ji Chengye felt it was unfair. “But don’t worry, Mom. She won’t be smug for long!”

Ji Chengye’s face darkened, and he said harshly, “Tomorrow I officially take over as Acting Chairman. By then, there will be nothing for her. I’ll make her learn the consequences of trying to steal what belongs to me.”

“You mean…” Xu Xiayun met her son’s eyes.

Soon, the mother and son shared a knowing smile.