Chance encounter

It was already past noon time when Ji RongXue and mother Ji finished their shopping spree. It was unknown how many shops they'd been to and how much money they'd spent, though money wasn't a problem for the super wealthy Ji family.

Ji RongXue was very tired after the ups and downs from one floor to another, with the addition of her delicate body that was very different from her strong body in her previous life that she built after years of hard work, she felt like she was going to collapse just from a touch. Having a weak body was really inconvenient!

It was a good thing that when they went out, they had brought their bodyguards and an assistant with them or else there was no way in hell for one delicate middle-aged lady and one weak young lady to carry all this mountain of shopping bags!

They'd really went too wild in their shopping spree today.

Actually, Ji RongXue had only wanted to buy a few clothes and some items that had to be changed for her to use. She was very conscious about hygiene and was a bit mysophobic. Even in the doomsday where the whole world was plagued with impurity and scarce resources, her urge for cleanliness never went away.

It was really a relief that her ability was the super rare purification ability which kept her body and mind free of any impurities automatically. Or else, she would've suffered even more from her own mental condition.

Because of this reason, she was really uncomfortable to think about using personal items like undergarments and toothbrushes that the original owner had used before, even if she was currently using the same body.

But when they'd arrived at the clothes area, Ji RongXue was sent to the dressing room to try on every single clothes that mother Ji set her eyes on and after a moment of indecisiveness, mother Ji domineeringly declared: "My daughter looks good in everything! Pack them all up!"

Ji RongXue did her very best in persuading her mother into reluctantly agreeing to not buy all the clothes and just pick out some good ones instead. But even then, mother Ji bought her more than she'd wanted. She could only sigh helplessly and accept it.

When she'd wanted to buy some personal items like toothbrushes, mother Ji asked why she wanted to buy them to which she replied with them being too old and changing for a new one for the new year. It wasn't really convincing and sounded very much like a made up excuse but mother Ji thought carefully for a bit then actually thought that she was right.

And so, she also bought new items for everyone to exchange for the old.

Ji RongXue:.....

The two of them were tired after shopping around so they had the bodyguards to carry the bags to the car and had the assistant deliver it to the Ji mansion.

Mother Ji was still energetic and didn't want to go back home yet so she suggested to go to a restaurant for lunch. Ji RongXue also felt a bit hungry so she agreed.

They had the driver drive to a popular restaurant known for their healthy home-made cuisines. Mother Ji cared very much about Ji RongXue's health condition so she had already researched on good restaurants with healthy cuisines suitable for her to eat before going out. She was really thorough with it.

The restaurant was located in a nice and secluded place which was quite far from the bustling city centre. It took more than half an hour to get there but when Ji RongXue got inside the restaurant with mother Ji, she could tell why mother Ji chose this place.

The restaurant looked very ordinary from the outside but when you enter it, it's almost as if you have entered a different space. The interior was very spacious than it looked from the outside. The interior was designed in a traditional style and the colours were very homely and serene. Just a glance could make one relaxed.

There was a small lobby at the front with a counter and there were staffs ready to help the guests take off their coats and keep them safely at the side. After going through the open slide door across the lobby, there was an enclosed area with an open roof with fake mountains and a small koi fish pond at the center. The wooden platform at the sides surrounded the small garden in a square shape and after walking through the corridor, there was an open dining area with the tables partitioned by beautiful screen partitions and potted plants.

There were circular traditional windows at every partitioned tables for the guests to enjoy the scenery of the garden outside while eating their meal. There was also air conditioning and floor heating systems installed so that the room was warm and cozy. The lighting was also very warm and comforting.

There were also private dining rooms for the guests on the second floor. But mother Ji chose to sit on the open dining area. There weren't many customers at the moment so there were many empty places. A waitress dressed in traditional hanfu led them to a table which was located at a corner and helped them take a seat. After getting their order, she quickly left to get their meal.

Ji RongXue had been observing the place calmly since entering and couldn't help but praise the artistic sense of the designer. The first impression she got from the outer appearance of the place was instantly replaced with admiration from the initial doubt. The whole place was exquisitely designed and furnished with low-key but expensive items made from high-quality materials. Even the tea sets and dishes were made of top grade porcelain with beautiful craftsmanship.

Ji RongXue really liked the atmosphere in the restaurant; peaceful and serene. It felt like they were having a meal in a cool bamboo groove with the sound of wind and flowing water in the spring as the background music.

After a while, their meal was served by the waitress. They didn't order too many dishes, only four or five dishes. With a happy mood, the two mother and daughter had a warm meal together.

After the meal, mother Ji ordered two slices of cake for desserts and looked at her daughter and winked. "Rong'er, don't tell your father that I bought you some cake today, okay? Or else he will nag me about it for a long time."

Ji RongXue was at a loss for a while then understood what she was talking about.

Due to her poor health, Ji RongXue had to follow a strict diet and she was also told to not eat sweets much because of the sugar content. She could only eat it once in a month or have the chef make sugar-free desserts to make do. That's why, the original owner really loved and craved for sweets which she couldn't eat whenever she wanted since small.

In Ji RongXue's memories, there were a few times when her father, grandfather or her brother secretly gave her candies and sweets behind mother Ji's back whenever they came back from their business trips or whenever Ji RongXue acted spoiled before them. So there was really no need for mother Ji to worry about being nagged on by her husband as he had been on the same boat for a long time.

Instead, she'd have to worry about them being caught and nagged on by mother Ji. After all, she's known as the fierce tigress in their house.

Ji RongXue only thought all this for a few seconds. She didn't show any of her thoughts in her face and just nodded with a smile: "Okay, mom! I'll keep this a secret."

After she said that, she suddenly had an urge to relieve herself, maybe because she drank too much water during the meal. She said, "Mom, I'll go to the washroom. I'll be done in a few minutes."

Mother Ji tried to get up as she said, "Then let me take you there."

Ji RongXue quickly stopped her and gently pressed her back on her seat. "No, mom. I'll be fine. The desserts will arrive in a few moments so you cannot leave the table empty. It's just a short distance away. I can take care of myself now so don't worry."

"Alright...Don't take too long, okay?"

"Yes, mom." Ji RongXue smiled and headed towards a staff. She asked, "Excuse me. Can you please tell me where the washroom is?"

The staff politely pointed out the direction. Ji RongXue thanked her and followed the direction that she gave. The washroom was slightly near the stairs leading to the second floor.

Just as she was about to turn a corner, she didn't expect for someone to be coming from the other side. Before she could even react, she had already collided with the other person. In the moment of collision, she felt her head bumping against a hard surface which drew out a soft groan from her mouth. Due to their difference in physiques, she was pushed back a few steps before she quickly balanced herself.

The other party had also stopped on their steps but didn't say anything. Ji RongXue rubbed her slightly sore nose and straightened herself while apologising: "I'm sorry. I wasn't looking at where I was going."

When she tried to look at the other person, she had to crane her neck to even look at his face due to their difference in heights. She could only reach his chest with her small stature.

The man was dressed in a grey custom made slim suit which accentuated his broad shoulders and his long legs. He had a slender figure and healthy wheat coloured skin tone. He had a very handsome face with sharp features, tall nose and thin lips. His phoenix eyes were narrow and cold, just a glance could make one feel a chill run down their spine. His short black hair was meticulously styled and his whole person seemed to ooze out a majestic and mature aura of someone at a high status.

He was certainly not a simple man.

Ji RongXue slightly furrowed her brows but didn't have much reaction other than feeling a bit impatient to relieve herself quickly. She had already wasted quite some time and was about to reach her limit. She still had to go back in case mother Ji got worried about her while waiting so she just glanced at the silent man and passed by him after leaving another apology.

"Then I will be on my way. I'm sorry for the inconvenience."

After that, Ji RongXue quickly walked away. The man who kept silent all the time turned to stare at her receding back then shifted his gaze to his hand that had a brief contact with her hand. When she bumped into him, he didn't have a repulsive feeling like he'd have with others. It felt like a dragonfly brushing past the calm lake, leaving behind invisible ripples on the surface.

His brows slightly furrowed in thought and clenched his hand into a fist as if trying to retain that brief warmth left from the contact.

Then a man quickly approached him from the opposite direction where Ji RongXue had left and opened his mouth to speak.

"I'm very sorry for making you wait, Mr. Mo. I have asked my assistant to bring the necessary documents and contract for our collaboration for the new project. Please let me lead you to the room to discuss further about the details."

The man who was called Mr. Mo only nodded to his words and calmly turned towards the stairs leading to the second floor. The other man quickly followed him without minding his perfunctory response and continued to speak politely as they walked even though he was the only one speaking.

Having finally relieved herself, Ji RongXue went back to the dining area and sat on her seat. The desserts were already served and mother Ji was waiting for her to return to eat together.

"You are back. Did you have any problem finding the washroom?" Mother Ji asked with a smile.

Ji RongXue thought about her accidental bumping on the handsome man in the corridor and said nonchalantly: "I had no problem, mom. I asked a staff for the direction so I got there without any trouble."

"Then that's good. Let's quickly finish the cake and go back home. The days are cold so it's not good to stay outside for too long."

"Okay." Ji RongXue obediently nodded and scooped a small piece of cake. When she tasted it, the sweet flavour of chocolate quickly melted in her mouth which immediately brightened up her mood.

Eating sweets was still the best way to regain her spent up energy!

When the two finished eating and paid the bill, they got in their car and had the chauffeur drive back home. The sun was about to set when they arrived at home.

When Ji RongXue was about to go back to her room to take a shower, she coincidentally met Ji RuanYu, who had just got out of his room after a shower. His short wet hair was still dripping with small droplets of water which travelled from his fair neck and disappeared in his T-shirt collar.

Ji RongXue called out to him. "Brother."

Ji RuanYu looked at her quietly and only responded to her greeting after a while. "Mm. Where did you go in the day?"

"I went shopping with mom." She replied.

"Shopping?" He echoed doubtfully and asked with a look of inquiry in his eyes: "Then did you play the piano in the mall?"