Professional Stand-in, With an Hourly Salary of 100,000

Ji Fanyin let out a sigh and said, “I have no interest in playing this marriage game with you.”

“Yinyin, it’s time for you to start growing up. Can’t you learn from your younger sister?” Mother Ji stepped forward and played the role of the good cop. With a worried frown, she said, “Your father has been wanting to look for you over the past few months, but your younger sister has been pleading on your behalf, saying that you know how to take care of yourself. That’s why we have been refraining ourselves from interfering in your business.”

“You seem to have gotten your lines wrong. It should be ‘We have been wanting to drag you back home so that you can marry the man we’ve chosen for you’,” Ji Fanyin corrected her.

“You’ve always been like this.” Mother Ji sighed sorrowfully. “You have changed ever since Xinxin fell ill. You didn’t want to stay by her side when she was lying in a coma in the hospital. Do you remember how weak she was when she was first discharged from the hospital? You really shouldn’t have tried to steal her credit back then. I know that you might be jealous of…”

Ji Fanyin was able to sieve out an important piece of news from Mother Ji’s babbling.

Ji Xinxin was in a coma back when she was in the hospital? How was she able to visit Li Xiaoxing and build up his confidence then?

She continued sipping on her milk as she started looking through the sealed memories of ‘Ji Fanyin’s’ childhood. These were the memories which even ‘Ji Fanyin’ herself had buried in the depths of her mind. 

Then, she discovered something that could have only happened in the lousiest of cliché melodramas.

That dumb Li Xiaoxing had recognized the wrong person as his benefactor. The two of them were truly an interesting pair; one boldly claimed credit for something she didn’t do and the other one foolishly took her word for it.

“… You might not understand why we’re saying all of this, but we’re doing this for your own good!”

Mother Ji was still carrying on her tearful speech, just that not a single word got through to its recipient. Ji Fanyin was a believer of actions, not words. 

“I recently earned a bit of money from my part-time work. Should I transfer some of it to you?” Ji Fanyin casually waved her hand at the couple. “While the two of you could hardly be said to be good parents, I have to acknowledge that you have never disadvantaged ‘me’ materially before.”

‘Ji Fanyin’ did receive a steady stream of living allowance, and she was given a fairly inexpensive car too. It was nowhere in comparison to the privileges Ji Xinxin received, but it was still a fair bit. 

She was perfectly fine with squandering her money as long as it had once entered her bank account. The ‘Temptation of Home’ app had recorded down the numbers, and spending the money afterward wouldn’t undo the progress she had already made. 

“I don’t care whether you’re willing or not, but you’re coming back with us today!” Father Ji rolled up his sleeves. “I don’t believe that I can’t deal with an unfilial daughter like you!”

Ji Fanyin quietly took two steps back. She whipped out her phone and showed them the screen. It was the phone number of the local police station, accessible with just a single tap. 

Father Ji’s face grew even more livid. “Do you think that the police would bother with this kind of household matter?”

“Unscrupulous parents forcing their working daughter to marry a complete stranger… Don’t you think that it would invite gossip once it gets on the internet?” Ji Fanyin wasn’t intimidated by him in the least. “Besides, such a matter would probably cause quite a stir in your social circle once the police get involved. Weren’t you hoping for Ji Xinxin to marry into the Bai Family or the Li Family? They might just think twice about becoming in-laws with you.”

Father Ji glared at Ji Fanyin. “You’re threatening me?”

Ji Fanyin smiled at him and replied, “You’re the one who is threatening me.”

She pointed toward the ceiling of the nearest apartment building, where a CCTV camera was installed. 

Father Ji had an aggrieved look on his face. With a cold harrumph, he turned around and took his leave. 

Mother Ji quickly chased after him. Before getting into the car, she didn’t forget to direct a grudging look at Ji Fanyin. 

Ji Fanyin shrugged her shoulders nonchalantly before getting into the lift. 

It’s about time for me to move houses. I should switch to one that’s larger, more expensive, and upholds a high level of resident confidentiality. At the very least, the caretaker should be similar to the one at Bai Zhou’s apartment. 

It was a little ironic how Father Ji and Mother Ji came here to cause a ruckus, only to achieve nothing and instead deliver new intelligence to her. It was just that this piece of intelligence was useless to her at this current stage. 

Li Xiaoxing got the wrong person? 

That’s none of my business. Even if I’m going to divulge the truth to him, now is not the time for it yet. I haven’t even gotten a chance to play my trump card yet. 

Ah, I could let Ji Xinxin in on it though. It would surely send her into a state of panic. 

It was at that very moment that her phone rang. Her earlier thoughts must have cued him. 

What a coincidence. I must have unintentionally cued him with my earlier thoughts. Did he sneeze as well?

Ji Fanyin walked out of the lift and picked up his call. 

“Hello, Mr Li.” She looked at her watch before carrying on, “It’s 1 A.M. right now.”

“I know,” replied Li Xiaoxing with his usual deep voice. “I need an hour.”