115 President Ji Li Zhao

Confusion was plastered on her face when she saw a slight smile slowly blossoming on Ji Li Zhao's face. Because his face was in full view, she finally confirmed that he was indeed her patient and the man she was fawning with before she fell in love with her husband.

"Oh My Gosh, President Ji is looking our way!" Long Lee suddenly squealed which snapped her out of her trance.

Hou Wei Yan curiously turned towards Long Lee who seems to have a lot of idols in her mind. "President Ji?"

"Don't tell me you don't know him, Wei Wei?" Amine Chartier asked, feigning complete ignorance. The others looked at one another as well before they turned toward Hou Wei Yan and waited for her reply. Even they know who he is, and yet Hou Wei Yan who was Xing Mei Yi's daughter didn't know?

"I actually don't. After I decided to become a Doctor, I no longer had time to deal with anything related to our business," she honestly stated. She focused on her chosen job and prioritized memorizing those important in her field instead of giving care to the current affairs of the business industry. "Why? Who is he?"

Long Lee who was a part of Ji Li Zhao's fan club immediately went closer to Hou Wei Yan to begin the introduction of her idol—hoping that she could get Hou Wei Yan to join their fandom.

"His name is Ji Li Zhao, the young master of the Ji Family that's currently ranked second in the Regal Families…just next after your Family. He has his own company named HILL Enterprise and he was given governance over Tianshi Conglomerate that's considered as Ji Empire's main company here in China. His father used to be the President but he handed it over to him last year after he was given the position of Vice-President in Ji Empire, the International Conglomerate of the Ji Family," she remarked which made Hou Wei Yan unconsciously look at Ji Li Zhao once more in surprise.

[ I didn't know that he had such a formidable background! He always lingered in my office and even called himself a commoner. I even trusted his words; he must have seen me as a fool for easily buying his lies! ]

"He's often called the Emperor because he's basically the next leader of the Ji Empire. The other Ji Grandchildren are given small companies but he was given Tianshi which operates on a big scale. He even owns Yi Lan Hospital," Long Lee added which made everyone look at one another. They know most part of what she said but the latter was news to them.

"What?"

Long Lee who had a screenshot of the news immediately brought out her phone and showed them the proof of her news. "Before I came here, the news about him owning Yi Lan Hospital was publicly announced through Tianshi's Website,"

"So, he's our Big Boss?" He Zihao asked in disbelief. He turned his head towards where Ji Li Zhao stood alongside Tian Bingwen who was as curious as him. Ji Li Zhao is a big business tycoon but despite their long family history, investing in the medical field never occurred to them until now.

"Yeah. He is," Long Lee muttered with a huge smile on her face. The thought of working under her idol is making her ecstatic. She was now more than glad that she applied and got accepted into Yi Lan. This thought is driving her motivation—but someone is sulking because of this.

While they were busy digesting this fact, a beautiful brunette with a bulging stomach approached them…particularly Hou Wei Yan. "Excuse me?"

"Yes?" she answered politely as her eyes fell on her stomach. The woman was pregnant and from the looks of it, she was about 5 months into her pregnancy.

The woman smiled widely when she received a reply from the beautiful blonde woman. She thought she would get ignored because she was a stranger. Because of her kindness, she was even more motivated to get the woman to dance with her pitiful friend. "Uhm, my friend was asked to dance but doesn't have a dance partner. I was wondering if it's alright for him to dance with you. Are you available?"

Hou Wei Yan was left dumbfounded by this sudden request. She was often asked out by men but this is a first for her where a female friend would ask her instead of the man. "I don't---"

"Don't worry, he's a good guy," the woman immediately said as she flashed her a smile. She saw the hesitation in her eyes, but she doesn't want to let her go because she looked like a perfect fit for her friend.

"Hey, Cindy! You went off running again!" a jet-black-haired man with a quaff haircut approached them in a hurry. They could see that he was looking for the woman since earlier based on the sweat dripping at the side of his flawless and handsome face. "I'm sorry about my wife,"

Long Lee who was staying silent since the arrival of the woman suddenly hiccuped at the arrival of the man. She hurriedly turned towards Yu Lanfen who was also a part of Ji Li Zhao's Fanclub. As soon as their eyes met, they nodded their head in agreement.

No wonder the woman looked familiar…she's the wife of Ji Li Zhao's best friend!

"Big brother doesn't have a dance partner so I asked her out. She'll suit him and their height is well suited for one another," Cindy muttered as soon as the man arrived beside her. Once done explaining, she returned her gaze toward Hou Wei Yan with a hopeful look in her eyes.

"Still---" he tried to argue but he immediately stopped when he saw who she chose. He never expected that the woman she had in mind was actually Ji Li Zhao's lover! To cover the surprised look on his face, he turned his attention back to his wife. "You didn't even introduce yourself, did you?"

"Right," she said in disbelief before she flashed everyone on the table one of her killer smiles. "Nice to meet you, I'm Shi Cindy and this is my husband, Shi Song,"

Long Lee and Yu Lanfen contained their inner squeal when they confirmed the identity of the beautiful lovers in front of them. In Ji Li Zhao's Fanclub, these two are famous for being the cutest couple of all time. Because of them, Ji Li Zhao's fans are always left imagining the things their idol will do to his future wife.

Although still baffled by this situation and slightly concerned for Long Lee and Yu Lanfen who looked like they were trembling, she still decided to return the greeting with a polite smile on her face. "Nice to meet you, I'm Hou Wei Yan,"

"Wait…what? You're Hou Wei Yan?" Cindy suddenly blurted out in surprise. She then slowly covered her mouth in disbelief as she slowly turned towards her husband who hurriedly looked away. She only knows that Ji Li Zhao's crush is named Hou Wei Yan...to think that she's this beautiful, no wonder their friend got enamored.

Hou Wei Yan tilted her head in confusion. The woman's reaction tells her that she knows who she is—but the woman is a complete stranger to her. "Yes…is something wrong?"

"Nothing," Cindy answered while hiding her nervousness.

While they were busy figuring out Cindy's true intention, Tian Bingwen who was situated where he could see Ji Li Zhao suddenly had confusion all over his face. He slowly turned towards his other teammates and blurted out a question that made everyone panic. "Hey, why is our Big Boss coming this way?"

"What?" He Lan asked as she traced his line of light. She can't help but gasp as Ji Li Zhao's figure came closer and closer to them. "He's really heading this way!"

Everyone's eyes were glued on the masculine man parading towards him. He had the ethereal beauty surrounding him and the stoic look on his face made him look like a figure not within their reach. Ji Li Zhao made a full stop in front of Shi Song and he immediately called out the woman who clearly did something bizarre. "Cindy,"

"Brother Li!" she replied with a smile on her face. She knew she would be in trouble if she doesn't do something, so without hesitation, she redirected his focus to the blonde woman who had a confused look all over her face. "I found you a partner as promised,"

"What do you mean?" he asked seriously as he looked at Shi Song who immediately looked away. He was clearly averting his gaze and Ji Li Zhao wasn't the only one who noticed it.

Cindy chuckled at the both of them before she returned her gaze to Hou Wei Yan. She gave her a one-eyed wink before leaning in close to her. "He's the lonely friend I was talking about. Can you dance with him, please?"

"Hey, Cindy!" Shi Song called out nervously. He only heard from Ji Li Zhao that Great Elder Hou wants him to dance with Hou Wei Yan and so he relayed it to his wife with the intent to help out his friend. However, he did not expect his wife to do it this way.

Hou Wei Yan who found this event to be bizarre looked at Ji Li Zhao intently. She believes in coincidences but this right here is too much of a coincidence. She doubts he didn't lend a hand in making this event possible.

To clear something out, she decided to give Cindy a slight smile before she turned back to Ji Li Zhao. "Why not?"

Ji Li Zhao was taken by surprise but he did his very best to hide it. He didn't expect that Cindy's interference would work out. Taking this as a good opportunity to fulfill his promise to Hou Tian Lang, he immediately offered his hands to his wife which she took without hesitation.

As soon as the two of them left the table, Cindy approached her husband and immediately clung to his arms with a cute look on her face asking for praise. "Did I do good?"

"You didn't even listen to the full plan," Shi Song muttered with a sigh. Cindy who was waiting for his praise pouted at what he said. Noticing that she was slowly turning grumpy, he immediately pinched her cheeks before placing a kiss on them. "But you did good,"

Cindy's eyes instantly sparkled in happiness. But not a moment too soon, she felt her stomach growl, and her mood was dampened once more. "Now get me something to eat. The little monster in my belly is asking for food,"

Shi Song merely chuckled at her even though her voice was clearly serious and was on the verge of a full rampage. "Should we ditch the party?"

"What?"

"We already did our part so our job here is done. Besides, Ah Yuan is alone with his nanny, we should return early," he mumbled as he placed his arms on her waist. Their first-born son is already 2 years old so they could finally attend a party without that much worry. However, leaving him alone for too long is still new to him. "I'll cook whatever you want once we get home,"

"I want spinach noodles and stinky tofu," Cindy replied with a huge smile on her face. Since he volunteered to cook for her, she wants to grab the opportunity and use it well. She's been dying to eat spinach noodles and stinky tofu since earlier while she was preparing for the party.

Shi Song couldn't help but sigh at her request. He was planning on cooking something simple for her—something healthy and something that could be prepared from the ingredients they have at home. "You're asking for the impossible again,"

"But we want it~" she grumbled while looking down at her bulging stomach. If it was just her, she would be fine with whatever he prepares but she's not the one craving for such delicacies.

He traced her line of sight and immediately felt a sense of responsibility run through his system. For their child, he is willing to do anything even though it means scavenging the night market for the food his wife wants. "Fine. Let's go!"

The couple immediately left which made everyone at the table look at one another. "What just happened?"

"Just pretend you didn't hear anything," He Lan suggested as she sipped the glass of champagne in her hands.

Long Lee who was staring at Hou Wei Yan and Ji Li Zhao since earlier suddenly felt her heart thump at their chemistry. They looked like a loving royalty taking over the whole ballroom with their majestic beauty. "Big Sister and President Ji look good together!"

"Their families are enemies so don't even think of shipping them," He Zihao remarked after he assessed the situation. Ji Li Zhao was probably invited to show off the new hotel the Hou Family opened. The Hou Family is obviously a part of the Xing Fraction so him getting engaged to Hou Wei Yan is something impossible.

When she heard his assessment, a pout immediately made its way to her face. Noticing her dampened mood, Ashraf stood up and offered his hands to her. "Shall we dance?"

"Sure," Long Lee answered without hesitation. She wanted to listen to their conversation and fangirl so this is a good opportunity for her.

Jiang Guiren who was best friends with Long Lee instantly knew what was on her mind. He couldn't help but sigh as he looked at Ashraf's back in pity. "I don't know how I should feel about this,"

"Are you jealous?" Yu Lanfen asked curiously.

"Of course, not!" he answered while laughing. He had seen all of Long Lee's embarrassing side and technically grew up with her like siblings so such romantic feelings couldn't possibly bloom. "Instead of jealousy, I feel sympathy instead for Ashraf. Even though it's so obvious, Long Lee remains oblivious. It might take forever for this ship to sail,"

"Worry about yourself first, Guiren," she answered to him when she saw his pitying eyes directed at Ashraf. "You're still single, remember that,"

"That hurts you know!" he grumbled back.

"You hate it?" Yu Lanfen asked with mockery as she stood up and left to find food. "Then do something about it,"

Jiang Guiren now had a frown on his face when he heard the painful reality that Yu Lanfen threw at him. He immediately stood up and chased after her. "Hey!"

"Ah, youth…it's so cute isn't it?" He Lan mumbled as she looked at Sheng Mingzu. Sheng Mingzu simply nodded her head in reply before she redirected her gaze towards Hou Wei Yan and Ji Li Zhao who seems to be engaging in quite a serious conversation.

"President Ji," Hou Wei Yan called out as they began dancing. She knew that they were one and the same but she wanted the truth to come right straight from his mouth. "Are you and my patient one and the same? Or perhaps he was a twin the world doesn't know about?"

Ji Li Zhao wanted to pinch her cheeks so badly, but he knew that he was in no position to do it yet under his identity as President Ji. So, he acted as he would normally do to a client—cold and detached. "You personally checked my body. It should be enough to answer your question, no?"

"To think you lied to your doctor," she mumbled as Ji Li Zhao twirled her. She remained with a composed look on her face as she carefully observed him and his intentions for doing such a thing to her.

"You know very well that VIPS needs to hide some of their information to protect themselves," he replied to her remark on his behavior.

"Indeed…however, I'm not a VIP Doctor so what you did continues to baffle me," she retorted back with a smile on her face—however, the intent of such a smile wasn't as sweet as she portrayed. She wanted to truly know why he approached her of all people. "Why did the almighty President of Tianshi Conglomerate approach me instead of his personal doctor?"

"I recently lost my personal doctor and needed a second opinion," he answered bravely even though he was dying to tell her everything. But for the sake of her sanity, he managed to hold himself back and decided to engage in a talk with her using his usual act as the cold and calculating Emperor of Tianshi. "Does that answer your questions, Eldest Miss of the Hou Family?"

She already had her suspicion when she heard that he was the President of the Tianshi Conglomerate under the Ji Family. With such a high-ranking background, it would be much stranger if he doesn't know who she really is. "If you're going to torment me to bring my family down, it won't work. I'm no longer associated with their business so going after me is pointless,"

"You think so little of your influence, Young Miss," he answered sincerely. Even though she already detached herself from all business-related things in her life, it cannot be ruled out that she still has influence over it. A single word from her could make her family establish a new business for her or even scheme against him so they could take Yi Lan Hospital from his grasp.

She always thinks that she doesn't have that much influence in her relatives' lives when in fact, she has plenty of their love. The Xing Family fights as one and she's one of the most protected people in the family.

"Presid---Should I call you brother-in-law instead?" she suddenly asked upon remembering their past conversation. They had a talk about Hou Chungsa with regard to her engagement with Master Ji. Considering how high ranking he is amongst the family, he must be Master Ji, Chungsa was referring to.

Ji Li Zhao was baffled by this sudden question. "Excuse me?"

"You're going to get married to my sister, right?" Hou Wei Yan asked without hesitation. "You told me that you're just a commoner so you can't get married to Chungsa…but since you're really not a commoner, does that mean the wedding is already set?"

"No," he immediately answered to clear up the misunderstanding. He of all people would never marry Hou Chungsa. He was bound to marry into the Hou Family, but the person he is after is the first and real daughter of Hou Guanyu—the beautiful woman dancing with him. "Besides, I don't want the Young Miss to be my sister-in-law,"

She looked him straight in the eye and instantly shrugged when she saw honesty in his eyes. "That's too bad then,"

Hearing her response caused his lips to slightly curve upwards. Is she disappointed because he doesn't want to be a family with her? "If you want to be a part of my family, we can arrange something,"

"What do you mean?" she asked in confusion. Arrange something to be part of his family? Does he mean that he would compromise and marry Fe Chungsa?

"Why don't you figure it out yourself?" he asked in utter amusement. He doesn't want her as his sister-in-law because she only has one role in his life—and that is to remain as his wife. They could only be family through that and nothing else. "With the Young Miss' intellect, I'm sure you would get it in no time,"

Hou Wei Yan who still couldn't fully grasp what he means and what he was planning could only sigh at his teasing smile. "Looks like President Ji finds teasing as his hobby,"

"See…you're really intelligent," he muttered with a low chuckle. A few seconds later, he decided to clear something out so she wouldn't view him as a bad guy. "I have no plans on using you to bring down the Xing, Young Miss. I'm not that kind of person…besides…your cousin Xing Ru is a good rival. He's as righteous as your Grandfather so I cannot bring myself to strike him behind his back. That would only spoil the fun."

"The Young Miss must share my sentiment…because you don't look like the type who would dirty her hands to win a fight," he added when he saw her intently listening to his remark. He and Xing Ru are considered rivals but they are not in a stage where they would use dirty schemes to be ahead of the other.

"I was molded by the teachings of my elders so what you said is indeed inclined to the values I was taught," she replied while nodding her head. Indeed, she wouldn't dirty her hands to win a fight. She thinks that it's not glorious to win by discarding her dignity and integrity.

"But I do have my doubts. Even though I left the business industry, I know just how much circumstances could change a person…the leaders of the companies to be exact. I wonder if President Ji is contented with what he has," she said sternly. The Ji Family is currently ranked second and they are surely doing something to become number one. Surely, remaining second in rank is not enough for such an extravagant family.

"The Xing is a very influential family that stood since ancient times. I know I cannot defeat them so second place doesn't sound bad," he honestly stated. He is influential but he could never win against Grand Elder Xing who most people refer to as the Overlord. "However, competition is good to spice up things. Even if I don't win…I could gain something,"

"I'm just glad I left the business industry," she remarked with a sigh. To think that he was fighting in full power just to spice things up. If he wishes to take over the number one spot, wouldn't that cause too much drama and chaos in their business? "I don't think I can cope with President Ji's competitiveness,"

"Surely you jest…with your liveliness, I'm sure you would defeat me in no time," Ji Li Zhao replied with a smile on his face. Hou Wei Yan was molded to take over the family business when she was young. With her level of intelligence, if she were to return to the business industry, she would surely make it big and cause him a headache.

Aside from that…if she were to return, one word from her would send him to his knees. He doesn't think he has enough guts to fight with her. "If you appear again in the business industry, I would surely be defeated,"

"Now you're the one joking, President Ji," she replied while chuckling. She left the business industry a long time ago. If she were to return, she would be considered a rookie once more, and against a veteran like Ji Li Zhao who even gained the title of 'Emperor', she couldn't possibly win.

"Am I?" he asked as he leaned close to her and whispered in her ear the words he always wanted to tell her. "You're beautiful, witty, and kind, how could I compare?"

Once he pulled himself back and straightened up, Hou Wei Yan couldn't help but chuckle. She's sure that what he said was sarcasm and wasn't real at all. He was more handsome and intellectual than her so what he said could only make her believe that he was asking her to return the praise. "You just want me to call you handsome. That's the reason why you're saying this, aren't you?"

"Is it that hard to call me handsome?" Ji Li Zhao mumbled with a smile. She never believed in herself and often reject the praises she receives from others. Her reply to his praise is a clear example of her not believing that she's beautiful and witty.

"I'm sure the others would gladly call you that," Hou Wei Yan said as she gave a side glance to Long Lee who was now within her proximity. She was dancing with Ashraf but her ears seem to be listening to them. Her cute actions made her smile. Long Lee would surely repeatedly tell Ji Li Zhao how handsome he is. "Besides, why should I say it when you already know you're handsome?"

A smile made its way to his face upon hearing her reply. This means that she does find him handsome. "A little compliment from the Young Miss would do good,"

Hou Wei Yan who was caught in their conversation suddenly paused. She recalled how he was in the past and was amazed that she was engaging in such a talk with him. "There's no shyness anymore,"

"Hm?"

"I was beginning to wonder if you're really my patient, Ji Li Zhao…because that man was shy and quite…reserved?" she remarked after remembering what he did back in her office. Ji Li Zhao back then was shy. She even portrayed him as a man who couldn't hurt a fly because of how he acted.

Ji Li Zhao felt himself stiffen up with her question but he soon regained his composure. That was who he truly is in front of his wife. The current him conversing with Hou Wei Yan is just an act to conceal his real identity. He couldn't possibly show his love-sickened side to her when she sees him as President Ji. "When it's your first meeting, you'd be shy as well won't you?"

"But this difference is amazing. Are you sure you don't have a twin?" she inquired as she tilted her head. If he was to say that he has a twin, she would immediately believe him without a second thought.

He looked at her seriously before grinning at her with a mischievous glint in his eyes. "No. However, I'm curious who you would prefer if that was the case?"

Hou Wei Yan blinked a couple of times at his question. [ Who would I choose? ]

Well, she was attached to Ji Li Zhao who was her patient because he was a shy little cutie. His handsome face and cute actions don't match but somehow—it suited her taste. If she was to compare him to something, he would be a cute golden retriever.

However, that doesn't mean she's not piqued by Ji Li Zhao in front of her. He has a cool vibe and the way he talks is surely engaging. He was akin to a wolf who seems to be observing her and trying to trap her. The mischievous glint in his eyes and the smirk on his face make him look like a bad boy in a high school-themed romantic novel.

Both of his sides are interesting. He's like a wolf hiding in sheep's clothing if what he is displaying right now is the real him. "A blend of both would be good,"

"I didn't know the Young Miss was greedy. Do you want me and my twin? Now that's too much to handle, isn't it?" he joked around which tickled Hou Wei Yan's senses.

She couldn't help but chuckle at what he said. Well, he doesn't really have a twin so something like that won't happen. Besides, she's a married woman so getting entangled with him is out of the question. "It won't matter who I choose. I won't get that much involved even if there's two of you anyway,"

"I wonder why," he asked curiously, even though he already knew what she meant by such a remark.

Hou Wei Yan looked at him seriously before smiling as she looked away. She already devoted herself to her husband so no matter who comes at her, they would only end up with a cold rejection from her. "Because I'm quite a loyalist,"

Ji Li Zhao suppressed a smile before he decided to speak up. "Ah…Is the Young Miss perhaps taken?"

"I'll leave it to your imagination, President Ji," she replied with a smile on her face. "I'm a VIP as well so I should keep some information a secret,"

"That's too bad then," he remarked and soon after, the song came to an end. For the good time he had with her, he took a polite bow and flashed her a smile. "I wish you happiness…Young Miss,"

Hou Wei Yan smiled back before she bowed as well and hurriedly returned to her crew. As soon as she sat back in her seat, He Lan decided to ask her something. "Should we expect a wedding soon?"

She could only chuckle before she turned towards Qiu Meixiu who knew of her circumstances. "Someday…but the groom surely isn't who you think he would be,"

"But you had such cute chemistry," Long Lee muttered followed by a series of nods from Yi Xuiying and Yu Lanfen.

"I could have better chemistry with someone else…in the future," she simply replied as she thought of her husband. If what they saw was already a cute chemistry, what would they call her interaction with her husband?

Jiang Guiren who saw the disappointment in his best friend's face couldn't help but ask. "So, President Ji is no good then?"

"Yeah," she muttered before she looked at Ji Li Zhao. She was thinking that perhaps he was her husband but with his identity as President Ji, it couldn't be possible. After all, her grandfather knows the current ranking and wouldn't possibly allow an enemy of her maternal family to become her husband. He would only invite chaos and knowing his attachment to Xing Mei Yi, he would never take the risk and ruin his father-daughter relationship with her.

"He's no good," she added before returning her gaze towards them with a smile. The disappointment on Long Lee's face only grew because she saw the smile on Ji Li Zhao's face earlier…and as his fan, she knew that he never displayed such a smile to others.