Please Marry Me (GL) - Chapter 10

“Jiang Yi, are you in there?”

The voice of her colleague, Lin Fei, drifted in from outside. Jiang Yi hurriedly finished applying her lipstick, checked herself for any disarray, and rushed out to meet her.

“I’m here. Has everyone else arrived?”

“They’re all here, just waiting for you.” Lin Fei led her toward the private booth.

Inside, there were five or six people—all newly acquainted colleagues.

“Jiang Yi, come quick! Tell me what songs you like and I’ll queue them for you. Order whatever you want to eat, too,” a male colleague greeted her enthusiastically.

Jiang Yi felt he was being a bit overly eager. This was a familiar sensation; back in school, male students had often tried to curry favor with her, but she never had any interest. Her only interest… ended up being squandered on a certain person for two years.

Jiang Yi shook her head to dispel that woman’s image, took the menu from Lin Fei, and politely declined the male colleague’s invitation for a duet.

“Jiang Yi, do you eat spicy food?” Lin Fei asked. “The rest of us can’t live without it. We heard you’re a Southern girl, so we weren’t sure.”

“Order the spicy dishes. I actually like them; I’m not a picky eater.”

“Sixin, how about you?” Lin Fei turned to Ye Sixin, who was sitting nearby.

Ye Sixin and Jiang Yi had joined the company at almost the same time, making them both newcomers, though Sixin was a bit younger.

“Oh, I can’t eat spicy food at all. I can’t handle even a little bit,” Ye Sixin said. She glanced at Yan Zhijie, who was adjusting the audio, then looked at Jiang Yi and smiled. “It’s okay, don’t mind me. Order whatever you guys like.”

“How could we ignore you? There are non-spicy options too. Take a look and pick what you like.” Lin Fei was a team leader and had been with the company for several years; she was always approachable and thoughtful.

Once the food was ordered, the colleagues laughed and chatted about gossip, celebrities, and which department was the most troublesome. It was quite lively.

“Brother Yan, let’s sing a duet,” Ye Sixin suggested, walking over.

Yan Zhijie checked the time. “Sure.”

After one song, Ye Sixin wanted to continue, but Yan Zhijie waved her off. “No, no, I’m not as good as you. You go ahead, Sixin.” After declining, he sat on the sofa. “Jiang Yi, I heard you’re an alumna of Huayi University?”

Jiang Yi nodded.

“I graduated from Huayi too! Which class were you? I was Class of ’14.”

“Class of ’16.”

“I didn’t expect us to be alumni! Schoolmate, we really have a fate.”

“Just call me Jiang Yi,” she replied with a polite smile.

Seeing the atmosphere turn slightly awkward, Lin Fei stepped in to smooth things over. “The food is here! Let’s eat, everyone.”

At the table:

“Jiang Yi, Ye Sixin, make sure to eat plenty. The company cafeteria isn’t nearly this good,” Yan Zhijie said loudly; he was the most outgoing and loudest of the bunch.

Jiang Yi didn’t react much, but Ye Sixin stared at the Spicy Diced Chicken and Spicy Vinegar Fish that Yan Zhijie had rotated toward her. She hesitated to pick up her chopsticks. “Brother Yan… I can’t eat spicy food.”

Yan Zhijie realized his mistake late. “Oh! I forgot. Sorry, Sixin, just grab what you can.”

The men liked to drink and ordered a bottle of high-proof spirits, sipping from small glasses. As the mood heightened, they began heckling the women to join in.

Lin Fei was adamant. “Don’t even try. I wouldn’t touch that stuff if my life depended on it. It burns the throat.”

No sooner had Lin Fei spoken than Jiang Yi picked up a glass and downed it in one go. Without changing her expression, she followed it with three more.

“Whoa… Jiang Yi, I didn’t realize you had such a high tolerance.” Lin Fei was shocked, and the men were equally surprised.

“It’s nothing. I just practiced a lot,” Jiang Yi said.

Shen Siyun loved collecting wine and sometimes brewed fruit wines herself. Every time she took a bath, she would pour a glass to savor. During their two years together, Jiang Yi had drunk quite a bit. Sometimes wine was a prelude for intimacy; sometimes it was for chatting under the moonlight. On holidays and at candlelit dinners, it went without saying.

She remembered the most rebellious time was when Shen Siyun returned to the Shen family home without her. Feeling deeply wronged and sad, Jiang Yi had chugged Shen Siyun’s favorite bottles until they were empty. Not satisfied, she used the liquid courage to video call Shen Siyun, pouring dozens of bottles into the bathtub right in front of her camera, before performing a provocative “beauty bath.”

Shen Siyun had been furious enough to explode. She rushed back overnight, intending to lose her temper, but in the end—perhaps mourning the wasted wine—she simply joined Jiang Yi in the wine-filled tub.

The subsequent memories were a bit blurry, like a broken film. She only vaguely remembered Shen Siyun’s gentle fingers lingering over every inch of her body, and the image of them standing together under the shower as Shen Siyun helped wash away the scent of alcohol.

At the time, she thought she had won. She thought Shen Siyun had chosen her over the family. She believed Shen Siyun loved her and couldn’t let go, which was why she came back.

But she had forgotten: if Shen Siyun truly loved her, there wouldn’t have been a choice to begin with. She would have simply taken her home to meet the parents.

In the end, to Shen Siyun, she was someone to be played with in private, not someone to grow old with.

Jiang Yi masked her bitterness and smiled. “Let’s continue, everyone.”

Ye Sixin looked at Jiang Yi’s empty glass. A competitive streak flared up; she steeled herself and mimicked Jiang Yi, downing a glass in one gulp.

“Cough! Cough, cough—!”

“Sixin! Why are you being so reckless? This is 40% alcohol!” Lin Fei saw Sixin choking, her face flushed red and her eyes glazed. “Help, is she drunk already?”

With a thud, Ye Sixin collapsed face-first onto the table.

“Forget it,” Lin Fei sighed. “That’s enough for today. Everyone go home; I’ll call the cars.”

After settling the bill, the four of them—Ye Sixin, Lin Fei, Yan Zhijie, and Jiang Yi—stood in front of BEATING HEART.

“Sixin, where do you live? The car is almost here,” Lin Fei said, supporting her.

“She’s too drunk to go home alone in a cab; it’s not safe,” Jiang Yi frowned. “Maybe get her a hotel room?”

Lin Fei looked at the completely unconscious Sixin. “Hotels are expensive, and she’s a new hire with no money. I’ll just take her back to my place.”

“Stay safe on the road,” Jiang Yi said.

When the car arrived, Lin Fei left with Sixin. Yan Zhijie watched the tail lights fade, then scratched his head. “Jiang Yi, do you want me to drive you home? I brought my car.”

“Don’t drink and drive. You should call a designated driver for yourself.”

“How will you get back?”

“Taxi,” Jiang Yi said succinctly.

“Alright then. Message the group when you get home so we know you’re safe,” Yan Zhijie said as he got into the passenger seat of his car. “See you Monday.”

Jiang Yi nodded, finally sending him off. She was about to call a cab when Song Rao messaged her, asking where she was. Jiang Yi sent her location, and Song Rao replied immediately: “Perfect, I’m passing by there on my way back. Wait for me, I’ll pick you up.”

“Okay.”

Her phone battery was at 5%. Seeing it wouldn’t last, Jiang Yi turned back toward BEATING HEART to borrow a power bank.

The moment she turned, she saw Shen Siyun and her friends walking out. Jiang Yi froze. The group noticed her too and came to a halt.

“Next time let’s go to Taijing City, it’s really fun there.”

“I heard the food is great, worth considering.”

They were excitedly discussing their next gathering until Xie Fulan stopped and gestured ahead, silencing the group. They all looked toward Shen Siyun with knowing glances.

How did we run into her here? they communicated with their eyes.

Tan Yiqi: Should we say hi?

Xie Fulan: I think so.

Guo Qingqing: Are you guys crazy?

A blush of embarrassment crept onto Jiang Yi’s face. She didn’t know whether to stay or go. She met Shen Siyun’s gaze; the woman still looked angry about the bathroom incident, her eyes filled with cold indifference. Shen Siyun walked past her without a single sideways glance.

Jiang Yi let out a quiet sigh of relief. She stepped toward the entrance, but at that moment, Song Rao arrived, pulling her car up right next to the vehicles belonging to Shen Siyun’s group.

“Jiang Yi, I’m here!” Song Rao called out. “Over here! Get in.”

“Coming!” Jiang Yi replied.

Shen Siyun’s hand paused as she went to open her car door. Tan Yiqi and the others turned their heads in unison.

“Is that the person she married?” Tan Yiqi asked.

“What does she look like? Is she prettier than Siyun?” Guo Qingqing, who was slightly nearsighted, squinted.

“She looks familiar…” Xie Fulan muttered. “I remember now! Isn’t she that chemistry professor from Yin Lei’s university?”

“A professor?!” Tan Yiqi was shocked.

Guo Qingqing watched as the elegant figure of Jiang Yi got into the car. “Looking at it this way, her marriage choice was actually quite good.”

Tan Yiqi hugged her jacket and sighed as she watched Song Rao. “Intellectuals are just different. So refined, wearing glasses… it’s so ‘ascetic chic.’ I bet Siyun’s little lover has a thing for glasses. Too bad Siyun doesn’t wear them. Siyun lost on that point.”

“Give it a rest,” Guo Qingqing snapped. “I’m going to tell my sister you’re fickle so she dumps you and you can’t be my sister-in-law.”

“You’ll be disappointed then, your sister—”

SLAM!

A car door was shut with violent force, cutting off their discussion.

Xie Fulan nudged the other two. “Siyun, I’ll take a cab home myself. Drive safe!”

Guo Qingqing and Tan Yiqi didn’t dare get in the car either. “My sister is here, Yiqi and I will ride with her. See you another day, Siyun!”

Tan Yiqi grabbed Guo Qingqing and ran.

Ding Lanqi stood there awkwardly. So I’m the only one left to endure this?