Good thing he knew better, otherwise, if she caught him smiling, tonight would be...
Le Tong’s thoughts paused, tonight my ass! With the relationship she had with him, what could they possibly do tonight?!
Le Tong felt speechless at her own drifting thoughts, flung off Ji Rui’s hand from her shoulder, and left him behind as she strode forward.
Ji Rui watched her back, blinked, savored the moment, and curled his lips as he quickened his pace to catch up.
Listening to the footsteps chasing after her, Le Tong secretly cursed herself for being weak, getting flustered with just a slight embrace from a man!
"Le Tong, consider my proposal carefully!"
A deep male voice came from her side.
His voice was so calm, it was as if the previous little skirmish had never happened.
"Hmm..." Le Tong tilted her head, staring straight at the road ahead.
"How about I let him visit your place tomorrow to take a look? Let him draw up a rendering for you, and if you want to renovate, then we can think about signing a contract, okay?"
Ji Rui suddenly seemed like a different person, not only becoming very considerate but even the forceful demeanor he usually carried seemed to be dissipating bit by bit.
This version of Ji Rui felt unfamiliar to Le Tong, and a bit difficult to adapt to.
"How about it?" Ji Rui asked again.
Le Tong casually replied, "Oh, okay." After responding, she realized she was inadvertently stepping deeper into the trap he had set up for her.
Thinking back, he helped her with mortgage arrangements through friends, then wanted her back at the Ji Family as a return favor. Then came the renovation suggestion, prepayment for a five-year contract renewal. Stringing these events together, it wasn’t hard to imagine that Ji Rui had pre-planned these steps, just waiting for her to take the first step, so she would inevitably get further entangled.
But even though Le Tong understood this clearly, she still didn’t have the courage to refuse him. For one, the bait in his trap was too enticing for her.
Secondly, although his plotting was intentional, it was well-meaning, and it always respected her ideas, unlike before when he would impose things on her subjectively.
She’s not someone ungrateful or unappreciative; she knows she can’t dismiss his kindness now just because of how he treated her in the past.
Seeing her nod, Ji Rui couldn’t help but let out a sigh of relief.
He knew that although he had successfully "lured" her back to the Ji Family, her contract with them was only about six months from ending. The thought of how to keep her around afterward gave him a bit of a headache.
And Yang Sheng, it seemed, thought he wasn’t troubled enough.
When she went to HR to clear her leave, he specifically came up to say this to him.
"Rui, you should quickly release Tongtong from her work obligations. My friend just happens to need someone like Tongtong. She’s willing to offer the same salary as Ji Family, but she has to start next week."
Ji Rui naturally knew that young and capable people like Le Tong are becoming rarer, so it’s predictable she’d become a sought-after talent.
However, Yang Sheng’s words were a stark reminder that, publicly or privately, Le Tong had no binding ties to him. Without contracts or other constraints, she could leave whenever she pleased, without a backward glance, just like she left everything behind a few months ago to go to D Province.
Back then, he couldn’t accept her leaving.
Now, even more so, the mere thought of her slipping away silently gave him a headache.
Indeed, habit is a terrifying thing.
During the time Baobao was sick, he seemed to have grown accustomed to her being around at all times.
In the hospital, every night, she slept on the hospital bed, he on the sofa. Though they weren’t sharing a bed, they could see each other often.
But last night, he slept alone in the huge bedroom, tossing and turning all night, anxious and unable to sleep.
"Tomorrow morning, you handle the property transfer, and I’ll bring him over to have a look around noon?"
Ji Rui didn’t give Le Tong much time to think, eager to arrange the follow-up tasks.
Le Tong was also quite concerned about the renovation, not because the old decoration and furnishings were outdated—on the contrary, she had deep affection for every corner of the house.
The real reason she was considering renovation was completely because of Baobao.
Baobao was a little kid, and now during the recovery stage, he needed a good environment to recuperate.
Even though he would definitely spend the majority of his time living at Ji Rui’s, with the little guy’s temperament, he would absolutely insist on staying at her place at least one or two days a week. Therefore, she should renovate and make the place more comfortable for him.
"Okay, fine, let’s say noon then!"
Le Tong was actually someone who liked to get things done quickly once she decided on them.
"Sounds good. Tomorrow I’ll bring my friend over for a look, and then find a quiet restaurant to have lunch with Baobao. What do you want to eat? I’ll have Xiao Li book us a table."
If it were before, Ji Rui would certainly never ask for her opinion. But now, he’s actually considering her preferences, even though it might just be out of politeness. Still, the feeling of being respected felt like warm sunshine on her heart, slowly melting the ice within her.
"See what Baobao thinks. He can’t eat strong-flavored food right now, so find a place with lighter food and a quiet environment."
As they walked and chatted, they unknowingly reached the supermarket entrance.
Outside the supermarket, a long row of shopping carts was neatly parked. As Le Tong walked towards them, Ji Rui had already taken big strides to push one over. ʀᴇᴀᴅ ʟᴀᴛᴇsᴛ ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀs ᴀᴛ novelFirｅ.net
"Did Baobao sleep well last night?"
Actually, Ji Rui had no worries when Baobao was with Le Tong.
Regarding Baobao, even before knowing Le Tong was Baobao’s biological mother, Ji Rui already trusted her completely. Now that he knew she was his real mom, he naturally had even more peace of mind.
"About the same as at the hospital, didn’t sleep very soundly. Probably still not feeling great physically."
Baobao’s physical state was adapting and recovering, which was normal.
"Thank you for all your hard work."
Le Tong shot him a glance, realizing that even someone like Ji Rui could say courteous words.
"As long as Baobao recovers quickly, no amount of hard work matters to me."
Le Tong said softly, making her way to the children’s section.
"Does Baobao need anything else?" Ji Rui asked, pushing the cart after her.
The two walked into the parenting section one after the other, appearing to outsiders as if they were a loving couple shopping for their beloved child.
[Three more Chapters, possibly another one or two updates]