Chapter 13

Inside the solemn conference room, Ding Lanqi was expertly taking minutes in her notebook when she suddenly noticed that President Shen—who had answered the phone with an impatient frown—changed expression drastically the very next second and shot to her feet.

“President Shen?”

Ding Lanqi had no idea what had happened, but anything capable of making President Shen look that grim could not possibly be good.

“Meeting adjourned!”

Ding Lanqi watched President Shen stride out of the conference room with an expression that could only be described as terrifying. She quickly came back to her senses, hurriedly instructed her assistant, Sun Zhi, to gather both her things and Shen Siyun’s laptop, then rushed after her while emphasizing to everyone, “The meeting is over. Meeting adjourned.”

“President Shen, what happened?” Ding Lanqi squeezed into the elevator just before the doors closed. “Is there a problem with the coating project?”

“No.”

That tone was practically ground through clenched teeth…

Ding Lanqi rapidly filtered through the possibilities in her mind. When President Shen acted like this, it was usually an emotional matter, and the only recent emotional issue involved her little lover.

“President Shen, do you need me to drive you there, or—”

With a ding, the elevator doors opened.

Shen Siyun strode out, while Ding Lanqi glanced at the display.

Wasn’t this the second floor?

Could President Shen’s little lover be here?!

Outside the infirmary.

Jiang Yi froze at first, then quickly realized what that phone call meant.

It meant that there was a very high chance Shen Siyun was about to come over and demand an explanation.

Wouldn’t that mean she could no longer ride in Yin Lei’s car today and use the opportunity to get closer to her?

Worse, she might even drag Yin Lei into this and get her scolded.

Jiang Yi was about to explain, but Yin Lei reacted before she could.

She walked directly up to Xie Fulan, snatched the phone from her hand, and said coldly, “What nonsense are you talking about?”

“Give my phone back!”

Xie Fulan glared angrily at the intern who was younger yet taller than her. Yin Lei simply lifted the phone out of her reach, taking advantage of the fact that she could not grab it.

“Xie Fulan, the way you’re behaving is genuinely unpleasant.”

Jiang Yi stared at her in surprise.

Wasn’t that a little too hurtful?

Sure enough, Xie Fulan’s expression changed instantly. Her fingers dug into her palm until they turned white as she desperately suppressed her grievance.

Yet Yin Lei acted as though she did not see it.

“You’re not a child anymore. Before you act, can’t you consider whether certain things you say might burden someone with an undeserved reputation? You’re a wealthy heiress, so someone will always clean up after you. Other people aren’t as fortunate.”

Yin Lei placed the phone back into her hand.

“Use your head.”

“No matter what I do, it isn’t your place to lecture me!”

The atmosphere plunged to freezing point.

Seeing Xie Fulan’s eyes gradually redden while Yin Lei continued treating her with cold indifference, Jiang Yi suddenly felt a trace of guilt.

Had she not been injured, Yin Lei would not have helped disinfect and medicate her wounds, and this hurtful scene would never have happened.

In the end, Xie Fulan still cried.

The moment her tears fell, she covered her mouth and ran away.

Seeing the situation becoming increasingly serious, Jiang Yi shot to her feet and rushed toward the door, intending to stop her and explain everything properly.

But pain suddenly spread outward from the sole of her injured foot, as though she had stepped on something sharp. Waves of numbness shot through everything below her ankle.

Losing her balance, she pitched forward.

“Careful!”

The sound of fabric tearing rang beside her ear.

Jiang Yi felt as though she had fallen into a bundle of soft cotton. Her vision turned slightly white, and she could not see clearly.

But Yin Lei’s voice sounded above her.

“Are you all right?”

Supporting herself against Yin Lei’s shoulders, Jiang Yi raised her head. Her disheveled hair obscured part of her vision.

When she lifted one hand and tucked the hair on the right side behind her ear, the sight before her made her pupils widen in shock.

She hurriedly glanced at her left hand—

It was clutching a torn piece of Yin Lei’s blouse.

And directly in front of her were two full curves supported by a nude lace bra.

Heavens… help her.

How could she humiliate herself like this?

“Jiang Yi.”

A familiar voice came from the doorway.

Jiang Yi’s mind was already a complete mess. Hearing Shen Siyun’s voice without warning left her even more blank.

In disbelief, she glanced toward the entrance from the corner of her eye.

Shen Siyun stood less than a meter away, her lowered eyes fixed unblinkingly on the two of them. Her red lips were tightly pressed together.

Then she let out a soft scoff, heavy mockery tugging at the corner of her mouth.

“So this is how you remain faithful to your wife.”

“I…”

Jiang Yi was rendered speechless.

Ding Lanqi stared at the scene with her mouth wide open, unable to recover for a long time.

Then she caught sight of Xie Fulan at the other end of the corridor and tactfully found an excuse to leave.

“President Shen, Miss Fulan seems to be having some kind of problem. I’ll go check on her.”

After Ding Lanqi left, Yin Lei greeted, “President Shen,” then lowered her eyes and calmly began fastening the few buttons that remained intact.

Perhaps it was simply her personality, but she did everything slowly and methodically, taking one steady step at a time.

Even fastening buttons was no exception.

For the first time, Jiang Yi felt that Yin Lei’s temperament absolutely needed to change.

She was too slow.

Even factory workers on an assembly line moved faster than she did.

She had no idea how to adapt to the situation!

At this rate, even if Shen Siyun ​read the original at bailiantales.com​had not suspected anything before, she would begin suspecting that something was happening between them!

Jiang Yi abruptly snatched the buttons from her hands and began urgently trying to fasten the torn blouse, both hands trembling.

Yin Lei’s hands paused in midair. From the corner of her eye, she glanced at the woman standing in the doorway, whose face had already turned as black as charcoal.

Perhaps panic had thrown her into confusion, because Jiang Yi failed to fasten the buttons several times.

Growing anxious, she could not help explaining, “Shen Siyun… it isn’t what you think.”

But her explanation received no response whatsoever.

The clicking of high heels sounded.

Jiang Yi hurriedly turned toward the doorway, only to catch sight of the hem of Shen Siyun’s skirt disappearing as she left.

“Shen Siyun!”

A wave of grievance surged violently from the depths of Jiang Yi’s heart.

Using Yin Lei for support, she stood and tried to rush out to stop her.

The pain in her foot struck again.

She endured it and took one step. Just as she attempted a second, her body swayed and nearly collapsed.

Yin Lei reacted quickly and caught her again.

“Mm—ah…”

A soft moan suggestive enough to invite misunderstanding slipped from Jiang Yi’s lips.

Yin Lei froze.

Jiang Yi froze as well.

Humiliated, she covered her mouth.

“I didn’t…”

At some point, the fading sound of high heels suddenly returned.

It grew closer and closer, carrying fury that had reached its limit and was on the verge of erupting.

“Jiang Yi!”

Someone seized Jiang Yi’s arm and pulled her away from Yin Lei.

Balancing on one foot, Jiang Yi fell into Shen Siyun’s arms.

“Have you lost your mind?!”

Shen Siyun struggled desperately to suppress her fury, absolutely refusing to admit that the instant she heard Jiang Yi’s moan from the doorway, the final thread of restraint in her mind had snapped.

“Do you even remember that you’re a married woman?! What are you doing right now?! Even if there’s nothing between you and me anymore, have you considered your wife’s feelings?!”

Jiang Yi endured her fury and stared blankly at her awful expression.

For the first time, she learned that when Shen Siyun became ruthless, she was even capable of slapping herself in the face.

Didn’t she hate Song Rao?

Then why did she sound so genuinely indignant on Song Rao’s behalf?

Jiang Yi almost believed the two of them were close enough to share the same pair of pants.

“President Shen, the situation isn’t what you think.”

“I don’t need you teaching me how to do things!”

Shen Siyun’s gaze abruptly shifted, landing coldly on Yin Lei.

“Will the exhibition run itself? Will the coating supplier come knocking on our door by itself? I promoted you so you could spend your free time flirting with her in here?”

“I’m sorry, President Shen. I’ll reflect on my behavior.”

Yin Lei straightened her clothes, stood, and headed outside, putting her words into action without delay.

“I’ll email you a three-thousand-word self-criticism tonight. I’m going to host the exhibition now.”

Before walking out, Yin Lei paused and reminded her, “The top of her foot is injured.”

After she left, the atmosphere in the infirmary became strangely delicate.

Because she could only balance on one foot, Jiang Yi had no choice but to grip Shen Siyun’s waist tightly with her right hand.

The fine-quality fabric rubbed beneath her fingertips, and through it she could faintly feel the smooth, defined lines of the abdominal muscles underneath.

Jiang Yi pressed her lips together and coughed softly.

“Shen Siyun, it truly wasn’t what you thought.”

Shen Siyun’s expression was frosty. Unable to listen to anything, she mocked coldly, “Then what was that sound for? Did she get you off in those few seconds?”