Please Marry Me (GL) - Chapter 30

During the few seconds it took for the elevator doors to open, the group instantly regained their composure.

Ye Sixin lowered her head and pretended to adjust her umbrella. Jiang Yi and Lin Fei were both wearing sunglasses—one lowered her head, covered part of her face with a hand, and looked at her phone, while the other tilted her head up to study the elevator ceiling. Yan Zhijie crouched down to tie his shoelaces.

Everything appeared perfectly natural.

As long as Yin Lei did not look inside, she would never notice anything unusual.

Suitcase wheels rolled across the floor, producing a succession of rumbling sounds.

They only needed to hold out for a few more seconds. Once Yin Lei’s group passed, the elevator would enter their blind spot, and no one would recognize them.

One second.

Two seconds.

Three seconds.

They had passed!

Everyone inside the elevator sighed in relief as though they had narrowly escaped disaster.

“Wait…”

Jiang Yi suddenly sensed something was wrong.

Why had the sound of the suitcase wheels stopped?

The next second, Yin Lei and several of her coworkers appeared directly in front of the elevator. Her brows were slightly furrowed as she stared inside.

“Jiang Yi. Long time no see.”

Then Yin Lei’s gaze shifted toward Lin Fei and Yan Zhijie beside her.

“People from Qiguang?”

“What are you doing here?”

By the time she asked, Yin Lei’s expression had already turned serious.

“Of course we came here on vacation—and to celebrate Jiang Yi’s birthday,” Lin Fei explained, thinking quickly.

“Your birthday?”

When everyone looked at her, Jiang Yi dug her nails into her palm and forced herself to remain calm.

“My birthday is the day after tomorrow. They came here to celebrate with me. Yin Lei, what are you doing here? What a coincidence.”

“It certainly is.”

Yin Lei looked them over once more, then raised her wrist and checked the time.

“It’s getting late, and we still have things to do. We’ll be leaving first.”

“All right.”

After they left, guilt suddenly surged through Jiang Yi.

She pushed her suitcase out of the elevator and watched Yin Lei’s back disappear through one of the hotel-room doors, her feelings indescribably complicated.

“Lin Fei, is the day after tomorrow really Jiang Yi’s birthday?” Yan Zhijie asked.

“Of course. Luckily, I remembered it in time.”

Jiang Yi’s birthday really was the day after tomorrow, but that was according to the solar calendar, which she rarely celebrated. When she was young, she had always celebrated according to the lunar calendar.

The only person who had celebrated both her solar and lunar birthdays was Shen Siyun.

During Jiang Yi’s first year with Shen Siyun, Shen Siyun celebrated her solar-calendar birthday for the first time. Jiang Yi had been so astonished that she felt the company president lived in an entirely different world from her.

Only later did she learn that Shen Siyun had celebrated her birthday according to the solar calendar all her life. Shen Siyun had been equally surprised to hear that Jiang Yi used the lunar calendar, so afterward, she simply celebrated both.

“Jiang Yi, what’s wrong?”

It was already past eight that evening. Lin Fei and Ye Sixin had both finished showering, yet Jiang Yi still had not moved, prompting them to ask in confusion.

“It’s nothing. I just remembered something.”

After showering, Jiang Yi thought she should call Song Rao and let her know she had arrived safely.

The phone rang for a long time without being answered, so she patiently called again.

“Hello, this is Song Rao. I was parking just now, so I couldn’t answer.”

“Song Rao, I’m calling to tell you that I arrived on Wuhai Island. But I ran into Yin Lei. By coincidence, she and several of her coworkers are staying at the same hotel as us.”

Jiang Yi sounded deeply worried.

She felt as though she were walking across a narrow bridge, with Yin Lei at one end and the major coating supplier at the other.

Sooner or later, Yin Lei would discover that Jiang Yi’s real objective was to steal the supplier from Jiayu’s proposal.

“Jiang Yi, there’s something I’m not sure whether I should tell you,” Song Rao suddenly changed the subject.

“Go ahead.”

“Our laboratory’s research funding has been withdrawn. My research team may have to disband, and the experiment can only be terminated.”

Jiang Yi first let out a startled sound, then asked worriedly, “Why was it withdrawn? Who withdrew it?”

Song Rao sighed over the phone.

“We submitted our funding application a month and a half ago. The university brought in a corporate investor for us, but today, the administration told me the company intends to withdraw and invest instead in another professor’s research group.”

“How can that company do that? Didn’t they already agree? If they signed an agreement, they shouldn’t be able to change their minds.”

“They hadn’t signed yet. We were originally scheduled to sign within the next two days. Once the agreement was signed, they would transfer the funds. No one expected them to change their decision at the last moment,” Song Rao said helplessly.

Jiang Yi felt there was something suspicious about the matter.

“Why did they withdraw? Do you know the reason? If there’s really no other way, we can sell the apartment.”

The experiment had continued for more than a year and could be called Song Rao’s life’s work.

If it failed at the final hurdle because of funding, how devastated would Song Rao be?

“Don’t be impulsive,” Song Rao told her. “We still don’t know the exact reason. I tried contacting the company’s owner today, but they refused to meet me. However, Jiang Yi, while I was waiting at their reception desk, I saw someone.”

“Who?”

“It was… Shen Siyun.”

Jiang Yi tightened her grip on her phone, and her voice turned hoarse.

“Are you sure you didn’t see the wrong person?”

“I’m certain.”

At first, Song Rao had been surprised too.

But the moment she saw Shen Siyun, she understood the reason.

Yesterday, she had denied ever asking Shen Siyun to care for Jiang Yi, leaving Shen Siyun trapped in an unjust position.

From that moment, Song Rao had known Shen Siyun would bear a grudge against her.

But so what?

Shen Siyun had violated their agreement first. They had agreed that she was not allowed to bully Jiang Yi, yet Shen Siyun repeatedly disregarded Song Rao’s existence and the restraints of marriage.

A person like that was not worthy of Jiang Yi entrusting her life to.

Song Rao merely had not expected Shen Siyun’s methods to be even more ruthless than hers. She had directly persuaded the company’s owner to withdraw the research funding.

“Jiang Yi, don’t worry about me. I’ll think of a solution. Focus on your work. I still have something to deal with, so I’ll hang up now.”

Song Rao ended the call and looked coldly at the woman standing outside her home.

“What are you doing here?”

“I knew you were up to no good, Professor Song.”

Seeing her step out of the elevator, Xin Wenyue folded her arms and mocked her.

“You’re quite skilled at driving wedges between people.”

Shen Siyun had only persuaded Boss Li to withdraw the research funding that day, and Song Rao had immediately turned around and complained to Jiang Yi.

“I was merely stating the facts.”

Song Rao walked past her and took out her keys.

“Stating the facts? Then why didn’t you state the facts yesterday? You deliberately made Jiang Yi misunderstand Shen Siyun. Admit it—you’re jealous because Jiang Yi still has feelings for Shen Siyun, aren’t you?”

Song Rao’s hand paused.

“So what if I am? So what if I’m not? Jiang Yi and I are married. Isn’t it perfectly normal for me to feel jealous?”

“And that gives you the right to do something so despicable?”

Song Rao turned around.

“When it comes to despicable behavior, I can’t compare with Shen Siyun.”

“Wait. Explain yourself.”

When Song Rao tried to enter, Xin Wenyue suddenly caught her hand.

The hallway was silent.

Song Rao glanced at the slender wrist gripping hers.

“Do you know how Shen Siyun used love and money to weave beautiful dream after beautiful dream for Jiang Yi when she was still inexperienced, only to crush each one afterward?”

She knew.

In the year Jiang Yi graduated, she became Shen Siyun’s lover. The two had always been as sweet and affectionate as a devoted couple, and Song Rao had been happy that Jiang Yi seemed to have found someone good.

But everything came to an abrupt end when the country announced the legalization of same-sex marriage.

Only when Jiang Yi tentatively raised the possibility of marriage did she learn that Shen Siyun had no intention of getting married whatsoever. Instead, Shen Siyun planned to bind Jiang Yi to another five-year agreement.

Even bullying someone had its limits.

Had their relationship been nothing more than a contractual arrangement from the beginning, Song Rao would have had no objection to Jiang Yi’s choices regarding her private life.

But Shen Siyun, who had spent years navigating the corporate world, spoke to Jiang Yi of love in their daily lives.

She spoke of love but refused to take responsibility.

She deceived Jiang Yi into giving her an entire heart, only to offer another five-year contract in return.

When Jiang Yi was consumed by insecurity and uncertainty, had Shen Siyun ever considered her feelings?

“They were both willing participants. One was willing to strike, and the other was willing to endure it. What right did you have to interfere?” Xin Wenyue frowned.

“Then what right do you have to interfere in my marriage with Jiang Yi?”

Song Rao pushed up her glasses.

“Miss Xin, do you truly believe your own methods are so brilliant? I don’t need to spell out what you intended with those two clips, do I?”

Song Rao brushed her hand away and opened the door.

“It isn’t that I never gave Shen Siyun a chance. Her actions made me realize that she isn’t suitable for Jiang Yi.”

“And you are?” Xin Wenyue retorted. “If Jiang Yi discovered what you’re really like behind her back, do you think she would hate you?”

“You’re welcome to try.”

Meanwhile, Jiang Yi remained restless.

The research funding had been withdrawn. What solution could Song Rao possibly find on her own?

In the end, Jiang Yi could not resist calling Shen Siyun to ask what had happened.

The moment the call connected, she took a deep breath.

“This is Jiang Yi. Were you the one who persuaded that company’s owner to withdraw Song Rao’s research funding?”

“I did.”

Shen Siyun sat elegantly on the sofa, her voice cold and entirely devoid of emotion.

“Does it hurt you?”

“Why did you do that?”

The instant Shen Siyun admitted it, anger surged through Jiang Yi, though she forcibly suppressed it.

“Do you know how important that experiment is to Song Rao?”

“What does that have to do with me?”

“Sister, is this my room?”

A clear, gentle female voice suddenly came through the phone.

Jiang Yi froze.

Her grip tightened around the phone, and her expression turned cold.

Shen Siyun gave a soft acknowledgment on the other end.

“Zhaoyun, unpack briefly. You’re coming on a business trip with me tomorrow.”

“All right. I’ll listen to you, Sister.”

Shen Siyun looked at the disconnected call screen, her red lips deepening in color.

Not long afterward, another call came in.

It was Yin Lei.

An hour earlier, Yin Lei had already reported that Jiang Yi and several coworkers were also on Wuhai Island and staying at the same hotel. Shen Siyun had instructed her to investigate their purpose.

Yin Lei’s expression was grave as she spoke over the phone.

“President Shen, Qiguang is also competing for the real-estate coating project. We just discovered that on the same day Zuo Jinrong returned, Lin Fei—the leader of their group—visited him.”

In other words, they had also come to negotiate cooperation with Zuo Jinrong.

“I want to know why the timing was so coincidental.”

Shen Siyun’s voice suddenly turned cold.

“If I remember correctly, Jiang Yi spent half a day with you during the exhibition.”

“President Shen, this was my mistake. I can explain.”

Yin Lei finally realized that she had fallen into a commercial scheme.

She could only blame herself for failing to notice anything.

It was only after seeing Jiang Yi with several coworkers that day that she vaguely sensed something was wrong.

And when Lin Fei claimed they had come to celebrate Jiang Yi’s birthday, it became even more impossible.

Yin Lei remembered Jiang Yi telling her that she did not get along with her coworkers.

If their relationship was poor, why would they travel to Wuhai Island to vacation and celebrate her birthday?

Yin Lei truthfully explained how Jiang Yi had invited her to dinner. She had not deliberately leaked the proposal.

Shen Siyun gave a cold laugh.

“I didn’t realize you’d even had dinner with her. She certainly has plenty of tricks.”

“President Shen, please give me one more opportunity. I will secure Zuo Jinrong before they do.”

Yin Lei closed her eyes, overwhelmed with self-reproach.

“Yin Lei, you only have one chance.”

“I understand, President Shen.”