When Mo Qian and Ji Wei returned to the Ji Family’s villa, Uncle Zhao was instructing the servants to set up the tableware.
Seeing Ji Wei and Gu Moqian walk in, Uncle Zhao hurried over to greet them, "Mr. Gu, Miss Ji, you’re finally back. Mr. Ji has been waiting for you to come home for dinner!"
"Is Dad in the study?"
Ji Wei glanced at the dining room but didn’t see Ji Yunli’s figure, then turned her gaze toward the direction of the study.
Uncle Zhao nodded, "Yes, Mr. Ji said he had some matters to handle. After returning, he went straight to the study and hasn’t come out since."
Ji Wei smiled at Gu Moqian and then walked toward the study.
The study door was slightly ajar. Ji Wei gently pushed it open and stepped inside, only to find Ji Yunli leaning over the desk as if he’d fallen asleep.
"Dad, it’s time for dinner," Ji Wei walked over and called.
Ji Yunli seemed to be in a deep sleep and didn’t react.
She couldn’t help but reach out to shake his shoulder, and only then did Ji Yunli react. He lifted his head to look at Ji Wei, his eyes still hazy with sleep.
"Why did I fall asleep again?"
Ji Yunli forced himself to wake up, muttering under his breath.
Ji Wei noticed how fatigued he appeared and couldn’t help but suggest, "Dad, why don’t I help you to your bedroom to rest for a while? You can come down later to eat."
Ji Yunli felt his eyelids grow heavy. Without denying her, he nodded slightly.
Ji Wei helped him upstairs to his bedroom. After making sure the door was securely closed, she turned around to find Uncle Zhao standing behind her, his expression conflicted, as if he wanted to say something but hesitated. Unable to resist, she asked,
"Uncle Zhao, what’s going on? My dad usually has so much energy—how has he suddenly become so lethargic?"
Uncle Zhao’s expression stiffened. "Mr. Ji’s condition has been for several days now. It might be because..."
Uncle Zhao paused mid-sentence, seemingly deliberating whether to continue.
"Because of what?" Ji Wei asked anxiously.
"This matter... I accidentally overheard when Mr. Ji was on the phone. Apparently, the Ji Group’s trade secrets were leaked. Mr. Ji has been working tirelessly to contain the issue these past few days."
The Ji Group’s confidential information meant for its business partners had suddenly been leaked to a competitor. Not only did it lead to significant losses in advertising expenses, but the company was also sued by its partners, demanding compensation of over a hundred million yuan.
To prevent the Ji Group’s reputation from being tarnished, Ji Yunli worked hard to suppress the news. Aside from a few of the Ji Group’s higher-ups, nobody else knew about the matter.
After hearing Uncle Zhao’s account, Ji Wei felt profoundly shaken.
She hadn’t expected her father to bear such immense mental stress all by himself, all while she remained completely oblivious.
Ji Wei glanced towards the bedroom door, her heart surging with deep guilt and remorse.
When Ji Wei walked back downstairs, she noticed that Gu Moqian wasn’t in the dining room. After searching around, she finally found him in the study.
"Mo Qian, why are you here?" she asked aloud.
Gu Moqian didn’t move, his deep eyes fixed on a teacup on the desk that had gone cold, with only two-thirds of its contents drunk.
Seeing that Gu Moqian didn’t react, Ji Wei waved her hand in front of his eyes. "What are you staring at so intently?"
"Does your dad really love tea?" Gu Moqian suddenly asked.
Ji Wei didn’t understand why he was asking but still nodded, "Yes, my dad has always had a habit of drinking tea. Whenever he handles company affairs in the study, he always brews a cup."
Upon hearing this, Gu Moqian’s gaze focused intently on a specific spot on the desk, his pupils contracting slightly.
The next moment, he strode forward, picked up a box of tea leaves placed beside the computer, opened the tin lid, and raised it to his nose to smell.
Then, his expression changed dramatically.