Please Marry Me (GL) - Chapter 19

Mainly, Shen Siyun’s identity made it unsuitable for her to stay long. If Song Rao returned, Jiang Yi would be caught in the middle, looking like a fool no matter what she did.

But as soon as the words left her mouth, Shen Siyun began putting on her “businesswoman” front, letting out a cold sneer. “I helped you so much today, and this is how you repay me?”

“…”

Jiang Yi thought of the wardrobe, and she thought of the tampon. “There are some leftovers in the kitchen. How about I heat them up and bring them out for you?”

President Shen’s sarcasm was second to none. “So, I’m only worth being dismissed with a meal of leftovers.”

“…”

But cooking something from scratch would take too long, and Song Rao was due back in about an hour. Was this woman intentionally trying to watch her get caught in the act?

“How about I make you a bowl of noodles? Is that okay?” Jiang Yi stood up, calculating that there should be enough time for her to eat a bowl of noodles before leaving.

Shen Siyun’s expression softened ever so slightly. Perhaps the liniment had started to work; the top of her foot didn’t hurt as much, and she could manage to walk without it affecting her stride too much.

In the kitchen, Jiang Yi boiled a pot of water. Once it was boiling, she added a handful of noodles, chopped some green onions, took an egg from the fridge, and fried a poached egg in a separate pan.

She sprinkled the fragrant green onions and a splash of aromatic vinegar over it, then brought out a bowl of plain noodle soup.

“Come and eat.” Jiang Yi glanced at the woman sitting on the sofa, using her phone to reply to work messages.

Shen Siyun put down her phone and sat across from her. She stared at the poached egg for a few seconds without saying a word, then picked up her chopsticks and began to eat with measured elegance.

“Thank you for cooperating today.” Jiang Yi rested her chin on one hand, watching her eat the noodles bit by bit. In this moment, she actually found the woman much more tolerable.

“No need. I won’t be so kindhearted next time.” After finishing the noodles, Shen Siyun looked at her with an indifferent expression. “If you don’t want to lose face, I suggest you get a divorce as soon as possible.”

Such a mood-killing remark sounded so matter-of-fact coming from her mouth. Jiang Yi felt choked up; the woman was back to being annoying again.

Shen Siyun stood up, walked to the entrance, opened the door, and walked out without looking back.

She left Jiang Yi sitting alone at the dining table, staring at the empty bowl for a long time.

Night had completely descended, and the bustling city of Haizhe was punctuated by bright, glowing skyscrapers.

The Shen residence was brightly lit. A Porsche drove through the dark night and parked in the courtyard.

“Miss, the Old Madam is waiting for you to eat.” Auntie Liu came out of the kitchen and met her as she came in.

“I’m full. Let her eat by herself.” Shen Siyun’s footsteps didn’t falter as she headed straight upstairs.

“Eh?” Auntie Liu watched her back and sighed before turning to report to the Old Madam.

This house didn’t feel like a home. Neither the seniors nor the juniors ever stayed in; only one old lady kept watch. They finally managed to have a family dinner once a week, yet every single one of them claimed they had eaten their fill outside.

Auntie Liu set aside her apron and moved to follow, but before she could take two steps, she heard a commotion at the gate, including the voice of a child.

“This is Shen Lei’s biological son! Do you dare stop me?!”

A woman’s cursing voice rang out from the main gate, interspersed with vulgar language. A child was crying on the side, screaming for his father.

“Who are you? Don’t talk nonsense. The Shen residence is not a place for your slander.” Hearing the noise, Auntie Liu hurried over and tried to offer some kind advice.

“You old hag, what do you know? Tell Shen Lei to come out and acknowledge his son! He can’t dream of backing out of what he did!” The woman wore outdated clothes, and her unmaintained skin was somewhat coarse. The corners of her aging eyes revealed a distinct bitterness.

“How could Mr. Shen have a son? You must be mistaken; he only has one daughter.” Auntie Liu looked at the little boy through the gate; he didn’t look like the master at all.

“If he’s his seed, call him out to admit it! Don’t hide inside like a coward!”

Auntie Liu: “Mr. Shen isn’t home.”

The woman frowned. “Then call his daughter out to recognize her brother! In a house this big, surely they haven’t all died off?”

The words became increasingly foul. Auntie Liu felt her heart tighten and wanted to go back to tell Shen Siyun, but as she turned, she saw the woman standing right behind her.

“You’re Shen Lei’s daughter, aren’t you?” The woman snorted, looking her up and down. Shen Lei actually recognizes a ‘money-loser’ as his daughter but refuses to acknowledge a precious, golden son? He must have water in his brain.

“Your father isn’t here. As the older sister, hurry up and welcome your biological brother.” The woman pointed at her imperiously, ordering her to open the gate.

“I don’t have a brother.” Shen Siyun was already accustomed to this; a similar drama had played out two months ago. She coldly swept her gaze over the so-called brother—he looked nothing like her. These people were truly driven mad by the desire to marry into wealth.

“I think you’re just jealous. You’re afraid your brother will come in and steal your things. How can you be so narrow-minded? This is your biological brother!” The woman thought she had seen through her and was gloating. “When your father returns, you’ll have to recognize this brother sooner or later. You’ll even have to call me ‘Mom’ eventually. If you’re smart, let us in right now.”

“He can’t father a son.”

“W-What?” The woman’s tongue nearly tied in a knot, doubting her own hearing. “What do you mean he can’t father a son?”

“If he could, he would have done it twenty years ago. It wouldn’t be your turn. Save your breath.” Seeing her struck-dumb expression, Shen Siyun sneered in her heart.

They say the more a man is “incapable,” the more he wants to prove his virility, unable to control his lower half and leaving romantic debts everywhere. Unfortunately, even the Heavens couldn’t stand it. Otherwise, given Shen Lei’s promiscuous nature, she might have more than just one “brother.”

After dismissing the woman and the child, Shen Siyun went upstairs. A phone call came through.

The voice on the other end was laced with fury. “Shen Siyun, what is wrong with you? Do you know the meaning of ‘not washing dirty laundry in public’? You just blurted out my business like that—did you consider your father’s face at all?”

“If you don’t take care of your own messes and leave them to your daughter, fine. This is how I handle things. If you feel like you can’t afford to lose face, come back and handle it yourself!”

“I should never have had you back then!” The person on the other end was shaking with rage.

“You should be grateful there was one healthy sperm back then to bring me into this world. Otherwise, twenty-seven years later, you wouldn’t even have a daughter to have this phone call with.”

Back then, Shen Lei had tried IVF more than a dozen times before succeeding once, which resulted in Shen Siyun. It should have been a cause for celebration, but his failing fertility left him resentful, and his personality changed drastically. Zhong Yanling looked down on him even more, and they grew to loathe one another. Their marriage existed in name only; the child was left to wet nurses and nannies as they began their own separate lives of indulgence.

The person on the other end smashed their phone in a rage. Shen Siyun felt little emotion as she put her phone away. She returned to her room, took a shower, dried her hair, and patiently finished her skincare routine.

At 11:00 PM sharp, she turned off the lights and went to bed. About half an hour later, the woman on the bed suddenly opened her eyes, staring at the pitch-black ceiling with a frigid expression.

No. I’m getting the short end of the stick.

I have to squeeze what’s owed back out of Jiang Yi.