Jiang Lai felt a sudden pang of sympathy for Lin Zhi. She couldn't believe that anyone would abandon a woman like Lin Zhi. What kind of person would do that? They must be crazy.
She picked up the glass; the juice inside was empty. She found the juice spot on the round table and was about to turn the saucer when the light suddenly went out.
Just as Jiang Lai was wondering, the door to the private room was pushed open, and a candlelight temporarily illuminated the room. As if it were planned, they sang a birthday song, and the group naturally surrounded Jiang Lai.
After the birthday song was sung, Lin Zhi pushed the cake to Jiang Lai and said gently, "Make a wish."
"Um."
Jiang Lai clasped her hands together, closed her eyes, and Lin Xi's image flashed through her mind. Thinking of everything that had happened between the two of them over the past five years, her nose tingled, and when she opened her eyes again, they were already filled with tears.
Only Lin Zhi noticed: "Jiang Lai, after you make your wish, you need to blow out the candles."
Jiang Lai hummed in agreement, then gently blew on the candle, plunging the private room back into darkness until someone turned on the light.
Jiang Lai was the birthday girl, so the task of cutting the cake naturally fell to her. However, her knife skills were not good, and the cake was cut crookedly. Halfway through, Lin Zhi couldn't stand it anymore and came over to help.
After the cake was cut, the group started making a ruckus after only a few bites.
They smeared cream on their hands and then on the other person's face, and a chase ensued in the private room. Jiang Lai, the birthday girl, had her face covered in cream.
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Author's Note:
I want to add this to my favorites~ I want to comment~ And I'm even greedily hoping for some nutrient solution~
Chapter 3
"Teacher Lin."
"Um?"
Lin Zhi turned around and saw Jiang Lai smear some cream on the tip of her nose. A milky fragrance lingered in her nose. Lin Zhi was still confused, but the culprit laughed.
It turns out this child has a rather pretty smile.
Jiang Lai couldn't help herself and actually smeared cream on Lin Zhi's face. Oh no! She didn't know Lin Zhi, whom she was meeting for the first time, well. If Lin Zhi was petty and narrow-minded, she might not get any good resources at the company.
As it turned out, Jiang Lai was overthinking things. Lin Zhi not only didn't dislike her, but also joined in the fun. With cream on her hands, Lin Zhi grabbed Jiang Lai's arm and pulled her towards her. Jiang Lai couldn't dodge in time, and another layer of cream was smeared on her face.
This time, Jiang Lai saw a smile on Lin Zhi's face—the most genuine smile she had shown since entering the room.
Everyone had a great time. Some people in their twenties gathered together and laughed and joked like children. Even the two bosses got along very well with everyone. Jiang Lai did not regret signing with this company.
After the laughter subsided, it was time to call it a night. They said their goodbyes one by one, then left the private room, got into their assistant's car, and drove away. Kevin had drunk quite a bit and was now lying unconscious. Lin Zhi made a phone call, and soon a man came to pick him up.
Jiang Lai watched as the man put his arm around Kevin's waist and left the private room. She was full of curiosity but dared not ask.
This party was prepared for Jiang Lai. Everyone could leave first, but she couldn't. So she waited until almost everyone had left before going to the bathroom to wash the cream off her face.
She pushed open the bathroom door and saw Lin Zhi touching up her makeup in front of the mirror.
"What a coincidence, Sister Lin, you haven't left yet?"
Lin Zhi glanced at her and said, "Mm."
The woman suddenly became indifferent, and Jiang Lai awkwardly walked to the sink next to her, turned on the tap, and splashed water on her face.
Even after washing off the cream, a sticky layer of oil will remain on my face, requiring a thorough cleanse with facial cleanser. It seems I'll just have to endure it until I get home and wash it off.
Jiang Lai looked in the mirror and made a few funny faces. Sure enough, her face felt sticky and uncomfortable. Just then, Lin Zhi handed her a small jar.
"After removing your makeup with cleansing balm, wash your face thoroughly with facial cleanser. You have too much cream on your face, it must feel uncomfortable."
Jiang Lai took the makeup remover, but Lin Zhi turned around and took out a bottle of facial cleanser from her bag and placed it on the sink.
"I'll go pay the bill."
Jiang Lai nodded slowly, watching Lin Zhi leave the restroom.
This cleansing balm has a soft, gentle, and non-irritating texture, and it also has a faint lemon scent. Jiang Lai secretly noted down the brand of this cleansing balm, intending to buy one.
It was also her first time removing her makeup in a hotel bathroom. Although it was a bit rough, she managed to remove it fairly well.
Nowadays, few celebrities dare to remove their makeup in public. It's not that they lack confidence in their looks, but you never know how the paparazzi's camera will capture you. Jiang Lai, on the other hand, can't really be considered a celebrity. She only acted in a few dramas during her university years and gained some fans, so she's far from being followed by paparazzi.
After removing her makeup, Jiang Lai realized that Lin Zhi's makeup remover and facial cleanser were still with her; her bag wasn't big enough, so she had to carry them in her hand.
The private room was already being cleaned by staff, so she grabbed her coat and went to the parking lot.
She got her driver's license in her second year of college. Her aunt gave her a car, a silver-white Audi that suited her perfectly.
Jiang Lai got into the car and drove out of the parking lot. As she turned the corner, she saw a familiar figure on the side of the street. She quickly changed direction and stopped on the side of the road.
Jiang Lai rolled down the car window and honked the horn to attract Lin Zhi's attention: "Sister Lin, I still have your makeup remover and face wash with me."
Lin Zhi said "Oh," and went over to retrieve the items: "It's getting late, be careful on your way home."
Out of professional habit, Lin Zhi paid close attention to Jiang Lai's appearance after removing her makeup. Although she knew that the people the company had approved couldn't be too bad, she would only feel truly at ease after seeing it in person.
She has a good foundation and is very satisfied.
"Sister Lin, can I ask you a question?"
"Oh? You ask."
Why do you carry these things with you at all times?
"I brought an artist with me to the event today. I always prepare a lot of things for every event, just in case. I was in a hurry to leave today and forgot to take them with me."
Jiang Lai leaned against the car window, looking on with admiration: "Ah, she's clearly the boss, yet she personally manages the artists. I'm suddenly so envious of that senior. I wish Sister Lin was my manager."
Lin Zhi smiled politely: "Our company's agents are all very excellent. As long as you have the ability, you will definitely not be overlooked."
"Oh, Sister Lin is right. So... do you need me to take you home?"
Lin Zhi declined, saying, "Thank you, but I've already called a designated driver."
Jiang Lai was just being polite, and didn't insist after being refused: "Then I'll go first."
"Okay, goodbye."
After parting, the two of them almost simultaneously curved their lips into a smile. It was a coincidence that both of them had been broken up with today, and it was also a coincidence that they were both pretending to be someone else. Only when they were alone could they not force a smile.
Twenty minutes later, Lin Zhi returned to that disgusting home. The events of this afternoon were still vivid in her mind. She looked at her own room with disgust, not to mention the second bedroom. She would definitely clean those two rooms thoroughly tomorrow, no... the whole house would have to be cleaned.
Lin Zhi turned on the hot water and immersed herself in the bathtub, letting her mind wander. Her fair face turned red from the steam, and she leaned back, staring blankly at the ceiling.
She hated Cheng Anan, hated his infidelity, hated him for bringing that woman to their house and doing those things, but she couldn't convince herself to hate him. It was her own indifference; she had never given Cheng Anan any response over the years. She knew that it was already difficult for Cheng Anan to persist for four years.
Her heart was aching and she was conflicted, so she simply stopped thinking about it, which helped alleviate some of the pain.
Seven years, how can you just let it go like that?
In the shower, the rushing water seemed to be masking someone's sobs.
Jiang Lai wasn't much better off. Her phone had been off all afternoon, and she had to mentally prepare herself for a long time before turning it on after getting home. Sure enough, there were many unfamiliar numbers and messages.
She didn't look at any of them and simply pulled out the SIM card. Although she loved Lin Xi, she couldn't tolerate infidelity, especially since Lin Xi was about to get engaged. She would never allow herself to have any lingering feelings for Lin Xi again.
The next day, Jiang Lai woke up from a nightmare in which Lin Xi pushed her off a cliff.
Her pajamas were soaked with sweat. She got up and took a shower. The cool water washed over her from head to toe, and she finally felt relieved from the suffocating sensation.
While we were having breakfast, someone knocked on the door. My aunt usually sends a WeChat message to let us know before she comes, but she has very few friends, and the only one who comes is You Yi.
She got up to open the door, a piece of bread still dangling from her mouth: "You Yi, what are you doing so early in the morning?"
As soon as the door opened, Jiang Lai felt a sudden pang of pain in her heart. That person's smile had captivated her many times before, but today, standing opposite her, the same smile only disgusted her.
"What are you doing here? I don't want to see you."
Jiang Lai was about to close the door after she finished speaking, but Lin Xi stopped her. To be honest, if Jiang Lai insisted on closing the door, how could Lin Xi have stopped her? In the end, it was because she was soft-hearted.
Lin Xi's red lips are alluring, a far cry from the naive girl she was five years ago.
"Lai Lai, I have something to tell you."
Jiang Lai's face turned cold, and she turned and walked into the house.
Lin Xi closed the door and hugged Jiang Lai from behind, pressing against Jiang Lai's back as if there had never been any barrier between them.
"Lin Xi, let me go."
"Jiang Lai, why are you so cruel?"
Jiang Lai was amused and annoyed. Who was the heartless one?
She opened her arms, broke free from Lin Xi's embrace, and turned around: "What do you want to say? Do you think I'd listen to anything you have to say after what you've done?"
Lin Xi's eyes reddened, as if she were the one who had been wronged: "His name is Yu Yang."
Jiang Lai frowned, snorted, and sat down on the sofa: "When did you two start this?"
“A year ago, my parents introduced him to me. He is the eldest son of the Yu Group.”
"Your parents? Don't your parents know about our relationship? Could it be that you two conspired to lie to me? Why would you do that?!"
"Jiang Lai! You know best why, we've been together for so long and you've never touched me, but I'm not like you! I'm not frigid! I have desires too."
Jiang Lai felt a chill run down her spine; she never imagined that Lin Xi cared about this.
They went to universities in two different cities and were usually too busy to see each other often. Moreover, Jiang Lai valued this relationship very much. It wasn't that she was indifferent, but rather that she didn't want to take Lin Xi's virginity so easily. On the day of their graduation photos, Lin Xi returned to City A. Jiang Lai had thought about this, but Lin Xi had refused her on that day. Jiang Lai hadn't thought much about it at the time, but now, looking back, it was truly terrifying and disgusting.
Jiang Lai felt a pang of sadness, as if something was stuck in her throat, something she couldn't spit out or swallow.
"You're disgusting, and so are your parents."
"Jiang Lai, at least I introduced you to my parents, but you not only won't let me meet yours, you haven't even told me a single thing about them. Do you really love me?"
Jiang Lai was stumped by the question. She hadn't thought about how to tell Lin Xi before, but now there was absolutely no need to tell her.
"I loved you, but now... I just want to cut ties with you."
Lin Xi was stunned for a long time, then suddenly seemed like a different person and threw herself into Jiang Lai's arms, her eyes filled with tears, looking as harmless as ever: "Lai Lai, I love you too, I love you so much, I can't live without you, Yu Yang won't bother us, you... it's okay if you're cold, anyway, Yu Yang can satisfy me, I don't blame you, Yu Yang is very rich, if I marry him I'll be rich too, then I'll make you a big star! Isn't this your dream all along? Lai Lai, I remember it all."
Jiang Lai pushed Lin Xi away, unable to calm down for a long time. Lin Xi's words just now felt like excrement to her.
"Lin Xi, are you fucking crazy?"
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Author's Note: