Please Marry Me (GL) - Chapter 21

Good Heavens.

“I… this… I…”

Jiang Yi silently put down her sushi, wishing she could find a crack in the floor to crawl into.

If there were a world-record holder for “Social Death,” it would undoubtedly be her.

After a long silence, Jiang Yi managed to repair her shattered inner peace through sheer regret. “I didn’t do it on purpose.”

“Let’s eat,” Yin Lei said, looking at her without expression.

Jiang Yi didn’t dare meet her eyes. “Mhm.”

After dinner, Jiang Yi went to pay the bill. The cashier informed her that since her total exceeded 500 yuan, she could draw a free blind box.

“Really?” Jiang Yi felt her luck wasn’t so bad after all—aside from gossiping about Yin Lei right to her face.

The cashier pointed to a row of emoji blind boxes and told her to pick one. “There’s a base under the emoji so you can use it as a desk ornament.”

“Yin Lei, you pick,” Jiang Yi said, stepping aside to let her take a turn.

Yin Lei glanced at her, picked a box at random, and tore open the packaging.

“Let me see what it is,” Jiang Yi leaned in to look.

Yin Lei said expressionlessly, “It’s [Smile].”

The universal, passive-aggressive [Smile].

“…” This blind box was clearly mocking her for not being embarrassed enough.

“It’s… it’s actually quite nice,” Jiang Yi squeezed her handbag, trying to salvage some dignity. “At least it’s not the poop emoji, right? Since you pulled it, it’s yours.”

Yin Lei rubbed the emoji with her thumb and stuffed it into her pocket. “Let’s head back. It’s late.”

“Okay, you go ahead. I’ll call a car. Let’s see each other again when there’s a chance.”

Yin Lei headed to the parking lot while Jiang Yi hailed a ride. Once in the car, she messaged her team leader, Lin Fei, to let them know she was heading home.

After locking her phone, Jiang Yi thought for a moment, then opened a delivery app. She selected a box of tampons and clicked “Home Delivery” for Shen Siyun’s address.

I really am too kind, she thought. Using someone else’s things and buying new ones to send back.

Feeling satisfied, Jiang Yi arrived back at Fuan Complex and saw Song Rao cooking. The memory of her “social death” incident immediately came flooding back.

“Song Rao, let me tell you—that gossip you told me? I blabbed the whole thing today right in front of the person involved. You have no idea how awkward it was.”

Jiang Yi dropped her bag on the sofa, swapped her silver heels for plain slippers, and stood at the kitchen door with a glass of water, venting as she drank.

“I don’t think I can ever face her again.”

Song Rao was stir-frying. As the oil sizzled in the pan, she took a moment to glance at her. “Are you talking about the rich lady?”

“No, the college student!” Jiang Yi covered her face in regret. Every time she thought about it, she wanted to curl her toes until they hit the floor.

Song Rao was puzzled. “Your lives don’t overlap at all. How did you end up telling that gossip to her face?”

“It’s because of work. The higher-ups assigned a difficult project, and coincidentally, both Jiayu and Pengting are bidding for it. My team leader sent me to Jiayu to fish for information. Your former student happens to be a manager at Jiayu—she’s been promoted so fast! Shen Siyun put her in charge of the project, so I’ve been acting as an ‘undercover spy’ to scout the competition. I treated her to dinner tonight, my tongue slipped, and she told me to my face that she was that college student. Ugh…”

Jiang Yi closed her eyes in grief. “Why did this happen to me? I don’t know how to face her anymore.”

“You still have to face her?” Song Rao transferred the greens to a plate.

“I don’t know if I should keep ‘spying’.”

Jiang Yi thought about the future and suddenly shivered. “Song Rao, it’s over. We are 100% going to cross paths again. Because of that bidding war, she’s the representative for Jiayu. Even though I’m not the lead on my team, the real estate mogul will have all three companies present when he picks a proposal. Yin Lei will definitely find out I’m a competitor from the rival company. I’ll have even less face then.”

“That is a problem,” Song Rao frowned. “Didn’t you think about this when you decided to fish for info?”

Jiang Yi shook her head. “Do you think I can pretend to be sick and not go? That way she won’t know I approached her with ulterior motives.”

Song Rao brought the dishes out. “Look at it from another perspective. She has Shen Siyun behind her. If you snatch this big contract right out of their hands and vent some of that frustration, wouldn’t you feel better?”

A wake-up call!

Jiang Yi thought Song Rao was brilliant. She followed her into the living room. “You’re right. Even The Art of War says ‘all warfare is based on deception.’ Why am I overthinking this?”

“Do you want to eat?” Song Rao asked as she grabbed the utensils.

“No, I ate out. Oh, I bought those Juewei duck wings you like. Almost forgot.” Jiang Yi ran over to the table, grabbed the bag, and poured a full plate out.

“It’s rare that you still have me in your heart,” Song Rao teased.

“Look at you! Am I the type to be a heartless partner?” Jiang Yi sat across from her, chin in hand. “How’s your research going lately? Still busy?”

“It’s okay. Not as bad as a while ago.”

Jiang Yi: “My mom said her second aunt is getting married in a few days. She wants us to go in her place.”

“Your mom’s second aunt? Isn’t that your Great-Grandaunt?” Song Rao was surprised.

Jiang Yi: “Yeah. She’s young but has a high seniority in the family tree, so we have to go.”

Song Rao: “Why did your mom ask us to go instead of going herself?”

Jiang Yi: “When my mom was a student, that aunt stole her money and then framed her, causing my mom to get a public beating from my grandfather. Even though my great-grandfather eventually forced her to apologize, my mom never forgave her.”

“I see,” Song Rao said, caught between a laugh and a sigh. “When do we leave?”

“This Friday. We have two or three days. If you’re going, I’ll put in for leave at work.”

Song Rao: “That works. I can take leave too.”

With the plan settled, Jiang Yi called her mother. After listening to a long list of instructions, she finally hung up.

Right before bed, Shen Siyun sent her a message: 【?】

Jiang Yi thought of the box of tampons. Her eyes were calm as she typed: 【I accidentally mixed yours in when I was packing. I bought you a new box.】

Shen Siyun: 【Considered compensation?】

Jiang Yi’s fingers hesitated before tapping: 【I suppose so.】

Shen Siyun sent a [Smile] emoji. This woman certainly knew how to draw a clean line.

Then: 【What kind of compensation is this? My period is coming soon. If you have a heart, come over and help me change it personally.】

Shen Siyun was sitting at her bedroom desk, replying to the latest updates from Yin Lei. A cup of coffee sat on the desk as she waited leisurely for a reply.

The next second, her slender fingers froze over the keyboard.

【I don’t have a heart. If President Shen has reached menopause, I can hire a caregiver for you.】