Yan Yixuan’s sudden outburst made Ji Ling feel a surge of anger rise within him.
Ji Ling seized the moment, capturing Yan Yixuan’s tongue in his mouth. In the brief moment Yan Yixuan froze, Ji Ling took control.
What was once a one-sided suppression had turned into a shared dance. Ji Ling’s skill stunned Yan Yixuan. He had been calm and composed, but by the end, his breathing had grown heavy.
Yan Yixuan pulled away, looking down at the person beneath him. Furrowing his brows, he asked, “You’re so wild now. Was it all just an act before?”
As he spoke, he wiped his lips with the back of his hand.
In Ji Ling’s eyes, this was a huge sign of weakness. Hearing his words, Ji Ling couldn’t help but laugh.
Yan Yixuan frowned, his expression cold. “What are you laughing at?”
Ji Ling smirked. “I’ve heard about how skilled Young Master Yan is, but seeing it for myself, it’s not all that impressive.”
He deliberately called him ‘Young Master Yan,’ a subtle jab. After all, this was a well-known disgrace for the Yan family. Yan Yili, the illegitimate son, was older than the legitimate heir, Yan Yixuan. Ji Ling used this to mock him, and it made Yan Yixuan’s face freeze even further. This was the first time Ji Ling had seen him lose his usual smirk.
As expected, Yan Yili was his sore spot.
Without warning, Yan Yixuan ordered the driver to pull over, then slammed the car door open. He practically kicked Ji Ling out, then signaled the driver to keep going, all in one smooth motion, without a pause. Before Ji Ling could react, the car sped off.
The spot was still a good distance from the city center, with only speeding cars flying by. Ji Ling stood by the roadside, stunned.
It took him a moment to process what just happened, then he suddenly burst into laughter.
Yan Yixuan was just too much fun.
His wild, spoiled-rich kid attitude… Ji Ling found it oddly endearing.
A small part of him felt a little regretful. He really admired Yan Yixuan’s carefree personality. If they had interacted more earlier, maybe they could’ve become friends.
But sadly, it was just a bit too late.
Ji Ling had a nightmare of a journey as he returned from the completely unfamiliar outskirts to his place. The whole process felt like a disaster to him.
After some thought, he decided to head to Ji Ling’s company.
The small company was housed in a standalone building, renting the top two floors. One floor was for office use, the other for dorms. The place was a little old, but being in the city center, the rent must’ve been pretty steep.
The entrance had been turned into a typical company reception area. The receptionist, dressed in flashy clothes, was painting her nails when Ji Ling arrived.
When she saw him, she gasped and said, “Ah, look who it is, the new rising star!”
Ji Ling gave her a quick glance and walked inside.
The inside of the company was decorated cheaply, with a tacky feel. The faint smell of adhesive mixed with various strange fragrances made Ji Ling uncomfortable.
The company’s lobby was divided into a few office spaces, and a few brightly dressed people were walking around, casting looks at Ji Ling filled with both envy and disdain.
Ji Ling stood still, surveying the office. Despite its size, it had all the essentials—planning, scheduling, finance, and so on, looking fairly proper. But the company was still too small. How did someone like him, a small player in such a tiny company, get involved with Yan Yixuan? Was it good luck or bad luck for Ji Ling?
Soon, he was called into the boss’s office. The boss was exactly what Ji Ling had expected—slightly sleazy and a bit petty. The boss started by mentioning Ji Ling’s hospital stay, offering a few condolences, mixed with some hints that Ji Ling had been too ungrateful, otherwise, he wouldn’t have suffered so much. He then went on to praise Yan Yixuan and warned Ji Ling to hold on tight to this ‘sugar daddy.’
Ji Ling didn’t pay much attention to any of it. He was only there to see where the original owner of his body had spent his time. But now, he felt even more convinced that this kind of work environment was hardly worth it.
Maybe someone with a strong will could make a name for themselves here, but the former Ji Ling seemed far too weak.
Now, Ji Ling couldn’t help but sigh inwardly.
The boss kept rambling on, stressing that Ji Ling’s top priority should be to please Yan Yixuan. Ji Ling cut him off, saying, “I’m quitting.”
There was no way he could stay in this place. While making a comeback wasn’t something that could happen overnight, this place offered him no benefits at all.
The boss’s face immediately darkened. He slammed his hand on the desk and shouted at Ji Ling.
The sudden outburst startled Ji Ling. He’d always been the one to slap the desk, but this was the first time someone had done it to him.
The boss yelled at Ji Ling for being ungrateful, for forgetting his place, and for having the nerve to act so bold. He then threatened Ji Ling, saying that he had signed a ‘contract’ and if he wanted to leave, he’d have to pay.
Zong Bolin had never been scolded like that, not even by his late father. Ji Ling’s face immediately turned pale with anger. Without a word, he spun around and stormed out, slamming the door behind him, the sound of furious cursing echoing behind him.
“You think you’re some young master, throwing a tantrum? You’re worthless! Clean yourself up and get back to serving me! You better work hard and make me money!”
Ji Ling was burning with rage. A small, nouveau riche boss dared to talk to him like that. As he left the boss’s office, he noticed the people in the company—some looked frightened, others were snickering—and that just made him even angrier.
They were all the same petty people. Like fish in shallow water, taunted by shrimp, or a tiger fallen in the valley, bullied by dogs. Here he was, the president of a large corporation, getting insulted like this by a small-time nobody.
His chest burned with indignation. He stormed out of the company, stepping onto the main road.
He wandered aimlessly for a while, then suddenly stopped in his tracks.
Ji Ling couldn’t help but let out a bitter laugh.
He could walk, but where the hell was he supposed to go now?
Just getting back from the outskirts had been a struggle. In this unfamiliar place, he checked his wallet, only to find he was broke—without the name Zong Bolin, he had nothing left.
He’d stormed out with flair, but what was he really worth? As the sun set, he had no money, and if he wanted to find a place to stay, he didn’t even have the means.
There was a dorm on the top floor of the company, and Ji Ling figured that’s where he used to live.
Standing on the street, his face changed expression after expression, before he finally gave in to reality and started walking back.
When had he ever been so pathetic?
Ji Ling went straight to the dorm floor without entering the office area. He was in no mood to deal with anything else. Just as he entered the hallway, someone suddenly shoved him hard. He staggered a few steps before being shoved back into the stairwell.
In that instant, Ji Ling saw two figures closing in on him, and then he was shoved violently against the wall.
One person grabbed his collar, their hand slid under his clothes, crudely touching his waist while sneering, “You’ve got some skills in bed, huh? You got Yan Yixuan wrapped around your finger. Why don’t you show us what you’ve got?”
Ji Ling’s face remained blank, but the next second, he swung a fist and landed it squarely on the man’s nose.
The guy seemed completely stunned that Ji Ling would fight back, and Ji Ling, still calm, yanked him by the collar and kept throwing punches without saying a word.
The other person rushed over to stop him, but Ji Ling ignored them completely.
He needed an outlet.
Since that rainy night, from when he’d crossed over into a dying body, then endured pain in the hospital, to Yan Yixuan’s role as his ‘sugar daddy,’ and today, being looked down upon by others—Ji Ling desperately needed a way to release his anger.
So when someone came to provoke him, it felt like the perfect chance to let out the pent-up frustration inside him.
The people who tried to provoke Ji Ling had only ever seen him as weak in the past and thought they could take advantage of him again. But this time, Ji Ling seemed like a completely different person. Normally, he didn’t get into fights, and with his slender limbs, it was obvious he couldn’t win against anyone. But now, with his desperate energy, he easily overpowered them.
Their commotion was so loud that it drew attention from others, and Ji Ling finally felt a bit of relief. He let go of the unfortunate target, took a deep breath, and asked someone nearby where his dorm room was.
Someone, still in shock, told him the room number, and Ji Ling walked straight to his room without looking at anyone else.
Ji Ling tested the key he had on him, unlocked the door, and entered the room. After stepping inside, he shook his hand, feeling the sting.
This body was so weak! Throwing a few punches had made his hands feel like they were going to break.
After releasing his frustration, he finally felt the pain in his hands. When he was Zong Bolin, he’d always been careful with his body, regularly working out, and combat training was part of his routine. He believed being physically strong was essential to performing well in life.
But this body, while looking good on the outside, was so fragile that he couldn’t help but feel disappointed.
The room he was in was just as bad—empty except for the furniture, which consisted of a bed, a desk, and a cabinet.
On the desk was an old computer, likely barely functional.
After everything he’d gone through today, Ji Ling couldn’t help but feel pity for this person’s life. There were no family contacts in his phone, suggesting he had no one to rely on. Working in a company like this, with no assets, probably meant his pay was getting cut heavily. He was bullied by his colleagues, which spoke volumes about his weak character.
The environment Ji Ling found himself in now was a far cry from the position Zong Bolin had in life.
This was what they meant by the vast difference between clouds and mud.
Ji Ling sighed again, then turned on the old computer to check the news for the day.
‘Zong Jiqi inherits Zong Bolin’s fortune and takes over Zong Corporation. With internal and external crises, can he turn the tide? ‘
As expected.
Even while he was in the hospital, Ji Ling had kept a close eye on the developments surrounding the Zong Corporation. Zong Bolin’s sudden death had dealt a devastating blow to the company. Its market value had plummeted, and if not properly handled, the company might fall apart completely.
At this moment, all eyes were on his younger brother, Zong Jiqi.
But Zong Jiqi had yet to make a statement, leaving the public filled with speculation.
Ji Ling, however, understood Zong Jiqi’s mindset.
He had never allowed Zong Jiqi to get involved in the actual management of the company, and it wasn’t without reason—he had been wary of him. He knew that it was he who had kept his brother at arm’s length, not wanting him to enter the business world. Zong Jiqi had always been very obedient.
But would Zong Jiqi feel resentful?
Zong Bolin had never addressed this issue before. They had maintained the illusion of peace, but now, with everything falling apart, they were expecting Zong Jiqi to step up and save the day. His feelings were bound to be complicated.
In the end, Zong Jiqi had to shoulder the burden.
Ji Ling now felt completely powerless. He had always disliked situations spiraling out of his control, yet fate seemed to be mocking him, leaving him helpless in the face of everything.
He slowly closed his eyes, allowing himself to sink into the depth of his thoughts, lost in the night.
Hello, everyone ヾ(＾∇＾). I hope you enjoyed the story! If you’re feeling generous, please buy me a coffee, share/comment on my translated works! Check out the link below for early chapters. (๑>ᴗ<๑)
Why is that a huge sign of weakness? Don’t you normally wipe saliva off your mouth? If there is one…? Anyway, hmm…