Jiang Lai understood; this meant that after enduring the difficult period, she was beginning to fulfill her obligations as her sugar daddy.
Without further hesitation, she accepted it: "Thank you, sister."
She naturally wouldn't touch the money; it was just pocket change for her family.
Jiang Lai idly fiddled with the bank card, twirling it between her fingers. Her gaze fell on Lin Zhi, who seemed to have something to say, but swallowed it back when she met Jiang Lai's eyes.
"Sister, just say what you want to say."
Lin Zhiqing cleared her throat and pretended to be deep in thought: "Lai Lai, I do have something to say to you. Please sit down first."
Jiang Lai said "Oh," and pulled over a chair to sit down.
"Did you know that the company was founded by Kevin, Zhang Zhen, and me?"
Jiang Lai was taken aback, not understanding what he meant, or whether it was just a prelude to what would follow. Although this person called her by her nickname, there was no sense of intimacy; instead, he acted like a leader.
"Um...I know."
Lin Zhi continued, "Then do you know the real reason why Cheng Anan cheated on his wife?"
Jiang Lai was filled with questions: What are they trying to do?
"Isn't it because you were cold to me?"
Lin Zhi shook her head and said thoughtfully, "It's because I value the company more than him."
Jiang Lai sensed something was wrong and tentatively asked, "Um...and then?"
"So I want to tell you that the company is on the rise, and I treat all the artists in the company equally. I have a responsibility to you all. Maybe you've misunderstood and think there's something between us? This is all your fault. Today you had a conflict with Fang Wei, and to be honest, I'm very angry, but I can't say it's all your fault in front of so many people. You're both at fault. You shouldn't have provoked her, and she shouldn't have hit you."
Jiang Lai took a breath, her face serious, and she gripped the bank card tightly, almost bending it: "Sister, this isn't what you wanted to talk about, is it? You can just say it directly. You don't need to hide anything from me."
"Okay, then I'll be blunt. We're not in a relationship. I suggest you change your jealous behavior. Even if Fang Wei and I aren't what you think, you should still smile and wish us well. I would do the same if you were in my shoes, but since you're in a different position, I might interfere a little. Don't forget our agreement: don't be tempted."
"Stop talking!" Jiang Lai raised her hand to interrupt her, her face darkening. "A smiling blessing? In your eyes, I'm just a cheap kept woman?"
Lin Zhi paused for two seconds. She said those words to distance herself from Jiang Lai. She felt she had been too indulgent lately, especially last night when she even had a nosebleed... But Jiang Lai didn't mean it that way. How could she think Jiang Lai was cheap?
"I'm not..."
She felt somewhat helpless, always powerless yet deeply caught in the situation when faced with Jiang Lai's capricious, childlike behavior.
Jiang Lai interrupted her, her back teeth grinding together: "So, if one day you meet someone you like, someone you can spend your life with, will you resolutely leave me, marry him, have his children, and then wait for me to smile and bless you?"
Lin Zhi clasped her hands together, her fingertips turning white from pressing them together: "I think so, but I won't..." she said resolutely.
"good."
Jiang Lai uttered a single word, and with a thud, the bank card was slammed onto the table. The edges were already curled up, meaning it was probably unusable.
She turned to leave, but stopped at the door, turned back, and asked, "Mr. Lin, do I look familiar?"
Lin Zhi was lost in thought when her voice pulled her back to reality: "Familiar?"
Her mind was blank. Jiang Lai's question was so sudden and unexpected. Lin Zhi couldn't believe it. She met many people every year, including quite a few women. Even if she had seen Jiang Lai somewhere before, she couldn't remember where.
"Have you seen it before?" Lin Zhi asked.
"Oh, it's nothing."
After Jiang Lai finished speaking, she opened the door and left, heading straight for the elevator and pressing the button for the basement level.
After Jiang Lai left, Lin Zhi remained silent for a long time. She leaned on the table, her long hair hanging down, looking utterly haggard.
A flash of white light appeared before her eyes, and Lin Zhi's legs went weak, causing her to slump into a chair. It took her a while to recover. She picked up the bank card that Jiang Lai had been holding and bent on the table, and sighed.
Did I hurt her pride?
Lin Zhi was conflicted. She felt both relieved and regretful. If Jiang Lai disliked her because of this and stopped associating with her, then it was her own fault. If she had known this would happen, why did she make that promise in the first place? She couldn't blame anyone but herself.
Yes...why? Lin Zhi herself couldn't figure it out. She hadn't felt any aversion to Jiang Lai when they first met. There was a sense of familiarity about the other person that made her feel at ease. Where had she seen him before? Had she really seen him before?
A series of problems gave Lin Zhi a headache. She rested on the table for a while and unconsciously closed her eyes.
Out of spite, Jiang Lai called You Yi directly to ask where she was. The latter was pleasantly surprised and readily gave her her location.
After telling Anna, Jiang Lai drove directly to find You Yi.
Yu Yi is in the billiard hall, which is her private space. She is not disturbed by others, so she is safe and not afraid of being photographed.
Jiang Lai used to come here often and knew the way well. After getting out of the car, she went straight to the second floor.
Hearing the sound, You Yi turned to look at the stairwell and saw Jiang Lai rushing up.
"You arrived so quickly?"
Jiang Lai hummed in agreement, took off her coat and tossed it onto a chair in the rest area, deftly took the golf clubs from the shelf, walked over to You Yi, and bent down.
With a "thud," the last black 8 was knocked into the hole.
You Yi paused, clearly sensing that something was wrong with the man's mood.
"What's wrong with you? You weren't like this when you were heartbroken."
Jiang Lai picked up the chalk from the table and sharpened the cue stick a few times: "No mistake, set the ball."
You Yi shrank back and obediently started setting up the ball: "How do we play?"
"Let's divide the cards."
"oh."
You Yi took out a deck of cards, split them in half, and didn't bother to draw any more.
"What kind of bet?"
Jiang Lai stretched out her arm, deftly set up her cue, and without even aiming, volleyed the ball hard. The balls on the table were scattered by the impact, and two balls were scored. You Yi twitched the corner of his mouth and glanced at his cards.
Damn it, are you stunned?
Jiang Lai: "In response to the national call, I will not gamble."
You Yi: "If you don't want to gamble, then don't gamble."
There's nothing else to it, I'm just afraid this madman will rob my wallet of everything.
Ten minutes later, You Yi picked the ball out of the bag with a bitter face.
Jiang Lai: "Place the ball."
"Stop, I'm not playing anymore. You didn't even give me a chance to play! I barely touched the ball more than a few times in the whole game."
Not only that, she plays the ball with great force, as if she treats the ball as her enemy.
Jiang Lai was clearly not done playing, mainly because she hadn't vented her anger yet. She was treating the ball as if it were Lin Zhi. She couldn't do anything to Lin Zhi, let alone hit her, she couldn't even bring herself to scold her.
You Yi played two more rounds with her, then turned off the lights, locked the door, and went downstairs to the Western restaurant for dinner.
Neither of them had a big appetite, and the portions were small; a few dishes were enough for them.
Jiang Lai held the knife and cut the steak, cutting the meat until it was almost shredded, but she didn't stop.
You Yi was quite helpless and snatched the knife from her: "Big sister, what did Xiao Niu do wrong? It's dead and you still treat it like this? If you're angry, don't take it out on Xiao Niu!"
After saying that, she added, "And don't you dare spill it on my golf clubs! They're all very expensive!"
Jiang Lai pouted: "Stingy."
"Am I being petty? What happened to you?"
"It's nothing..."
Little Cow: Hehe.
You Yi stopped asking questions. She wouldn't get any answers anyway. She'd just let this person vent their anger. She was just a punching bag, going wherever the anger was directed. She was used to it. She was the same way back in college. This was how this person reacted when Lin Xi upset them.
He's a very awkward person. Even when he's furious, he won't say anything and just vents to himself.
You Yi suddenly realized, could this person's rising sign be an earth sign?
"Jiang Lai, if you've liked someone for a long time, but that person doesn't see you in their eyes and only sees you as a friend, would you still like them? Or would you continue to be friends?"
She was tired of her unrequited love for Jiang Lai, tired of the feelings she gave but received nothing in return. She knew Jiang Lai too well; this person had clearly been hurt by someone else and was coming to her to vent, and it had always been like this.
She probed Jiang Lai, wanting Jiang Lai to give her an answer. When she left Jiang Lai's house last time, she secretly planned to just tell her.
Jiang Lai chewed the steak in her mouth and swallowed: "Let's continue to be friends."
"Why!"
"You know the other person doesn't have feelings for you, so why are you still chasing after them? It's better to just stay friends."
You Yi's eyes darkened, and he picked up the wine glass beside him and drank it in one gulp: "You're right."
After she finished speaking, she poured herself two more drinks, each time downing them in one gulp.
Jiang Lai snatched her wine glass and scolded, "Are you stupid? You don't drink red wine like that!"
You Yi was a little drunk, but still clear-headed: "Jiang Lai, shall we exchange secrets? How about it... I'll tell you my secret, and you have to tell me yours."
Jiang Lai pursed her lips. She didn't plan to tell anyone about Lin Zhi. There was no relationship between the two of them. If there was any relationship, it was probably that they were bed partners.
Oh right, in Lin Zhi's eyes she was still a woman who coveted money and fame. Pshaw, who cares about your little bit of money?
They don't understand me at all.
"If you don't say anything, I'll take that as a yes?"
"What?"
"I like you, Jiang Lai."
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Author's Note:
Domineering Xiao Jiang: Woman, you will pay the price for your words.
Lin Zhi: You want to cut off my kidney? Thank you to all the little angels who voted for me or watered my plants between 2022-04-06 18:17:30 and 2022-04-07 22:30:37!
Thank you to the little angels who watered the nutrient solution: handsome young man Zhao Mianmian (20 bottles); Yu (3 bottles); Lingran (1 bottle);
Thank you so much for your support! I will continue to work hard!