Jiang Lai wasn't afraid that You Yi would embarrass her; she was just afraid that if You Yi really invited her over, she would make things awkward for herself and wouldn't be able to find Lin Zhi, which would be a classic case of trying to steal a chicken but losing the rice instead.
The waiter confirmed Jiang Lai's name again. She didn't want to say it, but she was afraid of being kicked out. This kind of restaurant is like a dog; if you don't have money, they won't let you eat!
The receptionist hung up the phone and said a few words to the waiter, who then put on an even brighter smile: "Ms. Jiang, this way please."
Jiang Lai's lips twitched; she wished she could use earth magic to escape right now!
Lin Zhi couldn't be found, and her precious vacation was wasted...
However, all these worries were unnecessary. The waiter pushed open the door to 303 VIP room, and the people inside stopped talking and all looked at Jiang Lai. After seeing who was in the room, Jiang Lai froze as if she were being stared at by Medusa.
Linlinlinlin! Linzhi!
And Lin Xi!!! And her fiancé!!!
If she had another chance to deal with that heartless You Yi, she would tell him directly: Just say you don't know me, I'd rather be kicked out by security.
Jiang Lai didn't remember how she got to You Yi's side. When she came to her senses, she was already sitting down. The waiter closed the door, and the air in the private room became thin.
You Yi was surprised to see Jiang Lai there, and even said she had invited her to dinner. After glancing at Lin Xi and Yu Yang across the table, she hesitated for a moment before asking the waiter to call Jiang Lai up, hoping to fight fire with fire and that she could finally let go completely.
Jiang Lai didn't know whether it was thorough or not, but she really wanted to slap You Yi.
Yes, looking at this dinner party, it was extremely "warm and cozy".
Ex, ex's current partner, friends, and people you like.
The person sitting on the left is You Yi, and the person on the right is Lin Zhi. Lin Zhi was surprised to see her, but not surprised that she was You Yi's friend. She was just surprised that she was here. Shouldn't she be filming right now?
Lin Zhi looked at her. The person had her eyes downcast, and fine beads of sweat were on her forehead. She was as quiet as a person in a painting. Lin Zhi could tell that she was very uncomfortable.
She took out a tissue from her bag and handed it to Jiang Lai, who looked up at her and took the tissue.
She didn't say anything, but Lin Zhi saw concern in her eyes. Thinking of the phone call yesterday, she realized that the child must have come back for her sake. A strange feeling rose in Lin Zhi's heart, which she couldn't even explain herself.
Only Yu Yang wasn't embarrassed in the private room. Although he had his bodyguards escort Jiang Lai out of the mall, it was just a misunderstanding. His fiancée had explained that they were just good friends and that she was just upset because she hadn't told Jiang Lai about her engagement.
Yu Yang picked up his wine glass, stood up, straightened his suit, and walked to Jiang Lai's side: "Jiang Lai, right? I didn't expect to see you here. Lin Xi told me you've been busy and haven't been able to find the time. I couldn't even invite you to my engagement. I'm really sorry. This glass is my apology to you."
He only missed the engagement party, so it wasn't a reason for him to apologize. However, he was actually apologizing for his reckless behavior that day, so in that sense, he wasn't a bad man.
Jiang Lai turned her gaze to Lin Xi, who also stood up and followed her husband, but her eyes darted away: "Lai Lai, I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to keep it from you. I wanted to give you a surprise. Let me formally introduce you. This is my fiancé, Yu Yang."
Two people brought her drinks to apologize, but she didn't get up. It was impolite in terms of etiquette, but there was no problem with her feelings. You Yi didn't interfere and remained silent. Lin Zhi, however, took action. She got up in Jiang Lai's place and picked up the drinks.
"Mr. Yu, Ms. Lin, Jiang Lai can't drink alcohol, so I'll drink this one for her."
Jiang Lai raised her hand and pressed down Lin Zhi's wine glass. The latter looked at her blankly: "Jiang Lai?"
Jiang Lai ignored her. Today, she was different from before, like a little hedgehog bristling its quills.
"I have offended you before, Xiao Yu, please don't be so polite. It was my fault for not being able to attend the engagement banquet in person. I was just driving and couldn't drink. I wish you a happy engagement."
She bit down the last four words with all her might, as if she wanted to chew them up and swallow them whole.
Yu Yang didn't notice anything amiss, but the other three women each had their own thoughts.
Jiang Lai didn't touch any of the delicacies on the table; she didn't want the leftovers.
Yu Yang: "That's about it for today. I'll sort out the contract later, and then we can get together again?"
You Yi nodded: "Xiao Yu is always straightforward. If President Lin has no other opinions, then I have no objections either."
Lin Zhi was concerned about Jiang Lai. After hearing You Yi call her name, she paused for two seconds before quickly replying, "I'm fine. In the end, I'm just a freeloader. It's our company that benefited from Qi Chuan's role in the show."
You Yi's family were investors, and it just so happened that Yu Yang had a new drama in the preparation stage. The director and everything else were almost done, and all that was left was financing. That's how the two of them met. Lin Zhi had only heard about it and came to try and get a role, which led to today's dinner.
Jiang Lai's situation was purely accidental.
After work, the group chatted and started gossiping. Lin Xi kept trying to strike up a conversation with Jiang Lai, but she completely ignored her. She would either talk to the person on the left or whisper in the ear of the person on the right. She would even respond to Yu Yang's words, but she would ignore Lin Xi.
Lin Xi gritted her teeth, about to break the spoon in her hand.
You Yi noticed something was wrong, nudged Jiang Lai, then put his phone in front of her and typed something in his notes: Lin Xi's eyes are practically popping out of your head, it feels like she's going to eat you up, is she mentally unstable?
Jiang Lai sneered, thinking to herself: Could a mentally sound person say such a thing?
She stood up and said to everyone, "Excuse me, I need to go to the restroom."
As Jiang Lai left the private room, she felt her legs go weak and she stumbled, but luckily she managed to grab the wall for support.
The bathroom faucet was sensor-operated. She reached out and the cold water wet her hand, finally bringing her mind back to reality.
She didn't plan to go back; she would go back to find Lin Zhi after Lin Xi left.
I took out my phone, and Qi Chuan's message was at the top.
[Have you seen her? Is she alright?]
Sorry, I forgot you had your own reasons for going back.
If you have time, please go and check on her for me.
I'm very worried about her.
Jiang Lai looked at these messages and sighed deeply. If she hadn't been wearing makeup, she would have splashed a handful of water on her face. What kind of nonsense is this every day!
The other person was a senior colleague, and it would be impolite not to reply. Just as she was thinking about how to respond, the bathroom door was pushed open. Jiang Lai didn't look and stepped aside. Unexpectedly, the person who came in suddenly hugged her from behind. Her hand trembled, and her phone fell into the sink. Fortunately, there was no water in it.
Looking in the mirror, Jiang Lai saw Lin Xi pressed against her back, and felt nauseous. She forcefully broke free from Lin Xi, who lost her balance and fell to the ground.
Jiang Lai looked at her with disgust and said irritably, "Get up yourself."
Lin Xi obediently got up on her own, looking aggrieved as if Jiang Lai had bullied her. In the past, Jiang Lai would soften and comfort her and give her a hug whenever she saw her cry, but now Lin Xi had been waiting for a long time and had not received a hug from her.
Don't you love me anymore?
"Can you please stop disgusting me?"
Lin Xi sobbed. She hadn't expected Jiang Lai to say something so blunt: "What's your relationship with Lin Zhi? Do you like her?"
A woman's intuition is the most accurate, especially Lin Xi, who has been with Jiang Lai for many years. She can read Jiang Lai's thoughts just by looking into her eyes. It's different. She sometimes likes Lin Zhi, but she suppresses it herself.
Jiang Lai didn't speak, because she couldn't deny it or confirm it. Besides, was it necessary to tell you what kind of relationship it was?
Lin Xi pressed her, "Jiang Lai, how can you just stop loving me like that? Do you think it's all my fault? Don't you have any fault at all?"
Jiang Lai looked at her as if she were a fool, as if to say: What do you think?
"You like her because her name is similar to mine, right?"
Jiang Lai ignored her again, her disdain was obvious, she was just short of saying: "Puxin woman."
Lin Xi's eyes reddened, and her breathing became rapid: "Jiang Lai, you always said you'd have a chance to introduce me to your parents, a chance... there's always a chance. You're just lying to me. Even if someone is wrong, it's you!"
"you!"
Just as she was about to swear, the bathroom door was pushed open, and someone glanced at her and said, "Miss Lin Xi, Mr. Yu asked me to come and see you. It's time to go back."
Upon seeing Lin Zhi, Jiang Lai's anger subsided considerably.
When the people arrived, Lin Xi stopped acting crazy and instantly switched to a dignified demeanor: "Oh, thank you."
After saying that, she wiped her face, straightened her back, and walked out, as if she had never gone crazy because of Jiang Lai, nor had she ever missed the past.
Jiang Lai tossed her long hair aside and let out a long sigh: "When did you arrive?"
Please, tell me you just arrived and you didn't hear anything, including that sentence, "You like her because her name is similar to mine, right?" That's utter nonsense.
Lin Zhi lowered her eyes: "You just arrived, what happened between you?"
This is what Jiang Lai wanted to hear, but it's not the truth.
After a long silence, Lin Zhi broke it: "Xiao You is waiting for you."
"I know, but I didn't come here to see her. Let's go."
Lin Zhi pointed to herself: "We...?"
Jiang Lai leaned against the wall, her long hair loose, and she slightly raised her chin: "Yes, I came to find you. It's still early, I can accompany you back to the company to deal with your mountain of documents."
Lin Zhi's pupils contracted slightly. She wanted to say: You shouldn't have come back. You should be filming. You should be shining in front of the camera in your costume. You should be watching the monitor behind the director, admiring your perfect performance.
She rubbed her temples, which were throbbing with pain, and she knew that those words must have been said to herself.
You shouldn't give up. You should shine in front of the camera wearing the crew's costume. You should be watching the monitor behind the director, admiring your perfect performance.
--------------------
Author's Note:
Lin Zhi: Your ex wasn't as good-looking as me (smug face)
Jiang Lai: Yes! My wife is the most beautiful!
Chapter 21
"Let's go, I'll drive you back to the company."
"I had a social engagement, and according to the rules, I'm free to do whatever I want this afternoon, plus I drove here."
"I know, I actually followed you here."
The two smiled at each other, and Lin Zhi praised her: "Your tracking skills are pretty good, but I was originally planning to call a designated driver."
Jiang Lai crossed her arms, her height advantage allowing her to look down at the other person: "No need to trouble the designated driver, I'll drive."
"What about my car?"
"Just put it here."
“I can’t afford the high parking fees.”
"Hmm...that is indeed a problem. I'll drive you home in your car."
Where is your car?
"I'll lend it to You Yi. Anyway, her driver will drive her home safely."
This sounds like more trouble than hiring a designated driver, but Jiang Lai did it anyway. She tossed the car keys to You Yi and said, "I'll lend it to you for a few days. When I come back from filming, I want to see my car parked safely in my parking space."
If looks could kill, Jiang Lai would have died a thousand times over.
Inside the car, Jiang Lai asked Lin Zhi, "Where to?"