Please Marry Me (GL) - Chapter 31

Early the next morning, Jiang Yi, Lin Fei, and the others finished breakfast and went downstairs with their laptops and documents, settling into the hotel lounge to wait.

“Boss Zuo went out a little after nine this morning. We don’t know when he’ll return, so all we can do is wait,” Lin Fei said.

Jiang Yi stared at the proposal on her laptop, which she had already memorized inside and out, but her thoughts were elsewhere.

“Oh, right. Shouldn’t we prepare a cake for Jiang Yi? Her birthday is tomorrow, after all,” Ye Sixin said.

Lin Fei smacked her forehead.

“That’s right, we should. Jiang Yi, what kind of cake do you like? I’ll order one.”

“A cake?”

Jiang Yi shook her head repeatedly.

“There’s no need. It’s only my solar-calendar birthday. I’m going to the restroom.”

“Go ahead.”

The InterContinental Hotel was enormous, its gilded interior elegant and tasteful. Jiang Yi found the nearest restroom.

She took out her phone, withdrew all the savings from several bank accounts, and transferred the money to Song Rao.

Over the past few years, she had gradually saved three hundred thousand yuan.

Only a few seconds after the transfer went through, Song Rao immediately called her.

“Jiang Yi, didn’t I already tell you? I’ll find a solution. You don’t need to transfer all your savings to me.”

“Song Rao, you’re my best friend. Of course I’m going to help you. That research project is the result of all your hard work. I can’t stand by and watch it fail at the final step.”

Jiang Yi interrupted her and continued, “Besides, this happened because of me in the first place. Shen Siyun targeted you for no reason because I dragged you into my problems.”

“Jiang Yi…”

Hearing that, Song Rao fell silent for a moment.

“What’s wrong?”

Jiang Yi did not notice her hesitation.

“I’m very touched.”

In the end, Song Rao laughed softly.

“Once this matter is resolved, I’ll give you my salary card to manage from now on.”

Jiang Yi froze, then her expression relaxed.

“Aren’t you afraid I’ll spend recklessly and use up all your retirement money?”

“It doesn’t matter. I’ll still receive a pension after I retire. You can spend that too.”

“How much?”

“Retired senior professors from Yingyu Academy receive at least thirty thousand yuan a month.”

“What should I do? I want you to retire right now.”

Jiang Yi shed tears of envy.

Then Song Rao would not need to work and could simply receive a pension from the government. What an enviable life.

Song Rao laughed helplessly.

“I’ll let you go. I need to return to work.”

Jiang Yi put away her phone, tidied her appearance in the mirror, and reapplied her lipstick.

She prepared to return to her seat and continue waiting for Boss Zuo, hoping they could secure the deal this time.

Just as she was about to leave, someone entered.

Jiang Yi did not look up at the newcomer and simply moved aside to walk past.

However, the person blocked her path.

Whenever Jiang Yi stepped in one direction, she moved in the same direction.

Jiang Yi found it strange.

She should not have offended anyone here.

She finally raised her head.

“Yin Lei…”

“Jiang Yi, I never expected you to use me.”

Yin Lei had lost the gentle elegance she displayed during their dinner. Her expression was now cold and grim.

Jiang Yi stiffened.

She had discovered it.

She had actually uncovered their objective.

Her voice turned hoarse.

“How did you find out?”

“You told me you didn’t have a good relationship with your coworkers.”

Yin Lei was dressed similarly to the night they had eaten together, though the colors were different.

She wore a blue blouse with ivory suit trousers, appearing capable yet refreshingly composed. The loose, draping blouse rested neatly against her body, emphasizing her tall, slender frame and narrow back.

Only her short ponytail had grown slightly longer.

There was an accusation hidden within her tone, so subtle it was difficult to detect. Yet because she remained overly calm, it manifested as nothing more than restrained anger.

Jiang Yi did not know what to say.

She truly had wronged Yin Lei. From the beginning, she had approached her with an ulterior motive.

Although they had not spent much time together, Jiang Yi knew that Yin Lei was hardworking and ambitious.

“I’m sorry. I admit that I approached you with a purpose…”

Jiang Yi closed her eyes and simply confessed.

“You can hate me or resent me.”

Suddenly, someone lifted her hand.

Jiang Yi opened her eyes and looked at Yin Lei in confusion.

Then something faintly warm was placed in her palm.

When Jiang Yi saw what it was, she froze.

“I’m returning this to you.”

It was the [smile] emoji figure from the mystery box.

Yellow and tiny, it rested in the center of her palm.

“Although I admire your ability to devise a scheme like this, I hate being used more than anything.”

Yin Lei coldly left those words behind, brushed past her, and entered the restroom.

Jiang Yi held the [smile] emoji, which still retained Yin Lei’s warmth, overwhelmed by mixed emotions.

When she returned to the lounge, Lin Fei noticed her listless expression and pale face.

“What happened? Did your period start?”

“No.”

Jiang Yi explained that Yin Lei had discovered their real purpose.

“Call Yan Zhijie back. There’s no point splitting up anymore.”

Lin Fei sighed.

“I didn’t expect us to be exposed so quickly. Forget it. It was bound to happen sooner or later. The most important thing now is securing Boss Zuo.”

Jiang Yi nodded in agreement.

“They know we’re also pursuing Boss Zuo, so they’ll definitely increase their offer. We need to prepare a second proposal as a precaution.”

“It’s almost eleven. Boss Zuo probably won’t return anytime soon. Should we eat lunch first?” Ye Sixin suggested.

“All right. I remember there’s a large buffet restaurant on the first floor. Let’s call Yan Zhijie and go eat.”

They packed up their things and headed toward the buffet.

There were relatively few people inside, probably because most hotel guests had chosen room service.

The group found a table beside the window.

Outside, the fierce, dazzling sunlight baked the open plaza in front of the InterContinental Hotel, coating it in golden light.

Fortunately, the air-conditioning inside the restaurant was comfortable, and pleasant piano music played in the background, whetting everyone’s appetite.

Jiang Yi put down her laptop, picked up a plate, and began selecting food she liked.

When she reached the meat section, she spotted a beautifully seared steak that had just been brought out by the chef.

As she reached for it, another hand moved faster and took the steak first.

“Hmph.”

The woman gave her a disdainful snort.

It was impossible for Jiang Yi not to notice. She looked up and recognized one of Yin Lei’s female coworkers.

“Such filthy methods.”

Xie Yiqian looked at her with contempt.

“Tricking our team leader into talking. Is that all Qiguang is capable of?”

“Tricking her?”

Jiang Yi found it amusing, and her expression chilled.

“Ask your team leader. I didn’t deliberately coax that information out of her. All warfare is based on deception, and the business world is a battlefield. Your boss snatched my boss’s hardware-equipment project right before it was finalized, and we never said anything, did we?”

“You came over so eagerly to give me attitude. Are you afraid your ability doesn’t compare with ours, so you’re venting your anger on us? It seems Jiayu’s people aren’t anything special either.”

Xie Yiqian angrily retorted, “Who said we aren’t as capable as you? Stop flattering yourself!”

“Then why hasn’t Boss Zuo agreed to cooperate with you?”

Jiang Yi continued, “If I remember correctly, you already met with him before, didn’t you?”

They were being strung along by Zuo Jinrong just like Qiguang.

“That’s because—”

Xie Yiqian had barely begun when Jiang Yi interrupted.

“Because of us? Even without us, there would be someone else. Don’t forget that Pengting is also bidding for this project.

“If your proposal truly suited Boss Zuo’s wishes so perfectly, you wouldn’t be waiting here miserably for him to return, exactly like us.”

“You—”

Xie Yiqian was rendered speechless.

Seeing the chef bring out another steak, Jiang Yi picked it up and placed it on her plate, too lazy to waste more words on her.

She was about to walk around the woman when a loud crash suddenly sounded.

Everyone’s gaze immediately gathered on them.

“Jiang, don’t go too far!”

Xie Yiqian glared resentfully at Jiang Yi, a calculating gleam flashing through her eyes.

“Insulting me is one thing, but how could you deliberately waste food?”

People quickly gathered to watch, pointing and whispering about Jiang Yi.

“Xie Yiqian, what happened?”

At some point, Yin Lei had appeared before them, frowning as she looked between the two women.

Jiang Yi held a white porcelain plate.

Her figure was slender and tall, dressed appropriately in a blouse and skirt.

Although she wore patent-leather block heels with square buckles, they did not make her lower body appear short. Instead, her calves below the knee were slim and evenly proportioned, and her overall silhouette was so balanced that people could not help taking a second look.

Her chestnut-brown hair was tied up.

She stood upright at the center of public criticism, while a pool of spilled food stained the tiles beside her feet.

Yet her indifferent expression made it seem as though she were merely watching a clown perform.

“Sister Yin Lei, she deliberately knocked over my plate just because I took the steak she wanted,” Xie Yiqian said aggrievedly.

Yin Lei’s gaze also chilled.

“Jiang Yi, how do you explain this?”

Lin Fei and Yan Zhijie hurried over and stood behind Jiang Yi.

“That’s impossible. Jiang Yi would never do such a thing.”

“Why is it impossible?”

Xie Yiqian raised her voice, drawing even more condemnation.

“She even used underhanded methods to steal our proposal information. If she’s capable of something that despicable, what else wouldn’t she do?”

“Jiang Yi, aren’t you going to explain?” Yin Lei asked again.

“Would any explanation I give make a difference? As for whether I deliberately knocked over her plate, let the security footage decide.”

Xie Yiqian’s expression changed abruptly, and she looked toward Yin Lei as though asking for help.

Seeing her reaction, Yin Lei vaguely guessed the truth.

“Wait. That isn’t what happened.”

Someone suddenly stepped forward and pointed toward a seat behind them.

“I was sitting over there. I saw this young woman deliberately release the plate and let it fall. This beautiful lady didn’t knock it over.”

Now that someone had spoken up, the onlookers began whispering, and public opinion clearly started shifting.

“Thank you.”

Jiang Yi gave the person a grateful look and nodded slightly.

“You’re welcome. I was only telling the truth.”

The person waved and returned to her seat.

Yan Zhijie mocked, “I knew Jiang Yi couldn’t be that kind of person. Jiayu’s people are truly vicious. We admit defeat when it comes to petty tricks like these.”

Jiang Yi stepped forward and stopped before Xie Yiqian, looking down at her.

“Aren’t you going to apologize?”

For some reason, the pressure radiating from the woman before her suddenly became overwhelming.

Xie Yiqian clutched the hem of her clothes, her breathing catching.

“…I-I’m sorry.”

“Remember to clean it up. Wasting food is shameful.”

Xie Yiqian gritted her teeth and watched Jiang Yi leave with her plate, swallowing all her anger.

The minor incident soon passed.

After lunch, there was still no sign that Zuo Jinrong had returned.

The group sat around an afternoon-tea table to discuss their second proposal.

“I asked our boss. He said our minimum profit absolutely cannot fall below five hundred thousand yuan.”

Lin Fei circled a number on the paper with her pen.

“That is his absolute bottom line.”

Yan Zhijie stared at the figure and sighed.

“Our boss truly is fighting for pride. Even major shopping promotions don’t offer discounts this extreme.”

Under an ordinary agreement, they should have earned at least four to five million yuan from this project.

“Of course, the boss still hopes we can fight for more profit,” Lin Fei said thoughtfully.

“To stand out against Jiayu and Pengting, we can’t rely solely on surrendering profit to secure the client. That isn’t sustainable. The most important thing is still the proposal. Ideally, it should benefit both parties…”

She suddenly looked up.

“Jiang Yi, where are you going?”

Jiang Yi had abruptly risen and was walking toward the hotel entrance as though heading for someone.

“Who is that?” Ye Sixin asked in confusion.

“That’s Zuo Jinrong’s secretary!”

Lin Fei suddenly realized it, and everyone hurried after her.

In front of the hotel lobby, Zuo Jinrong’s secretary stopped and looked at the beautiful woman before her.

After listening to Jiang Yi introduce herself, she learned that Jiang Yi represented Qiguang.

“May I ask when Boss Zuo will return? We previously approached him about a coating partnership. Perhaps he wasn’t satisfied with our proposal, but we can continue discussing it.”

“I’m afraid I can’t answer that.”

The secretary raised her wrist and checked the time.

“I’m sorry, but I still have something to do, so I’ll be leaving first. However, I can reveal one thing. Boss Zuo hasn’t been in a very good mood over the past two days. If you plan to meet him and discuss business, it would be best not to choose these two days.”

“All right. Thank you!”

“You’re welcome.”

After Zuo Jinrong’s secretary left, Lin Fei, Yan Zhijie, and Ye Sixin gathered around Jiang Yi.

“How did it go? What did she say? Did you discover Boss Zuo’s specific schedule?”

Jiang Yi repeated the information she had just obtained.

“For the next two days, we should remain in our rooms. There’s no need to wait downstairs. Let’s finish the second proposal first.”

“Do as Jiang Yi says.”

Lin Fei’s tightly wound nerves relaxed slightly.

Ever since Jiayu’s people discovered their purpose that morning, she had remained on edge, afraid the other side would secure Zuo Jinrong before they could.

Their previous strategy of letting the mantis stalk the cicada while the oriole waited behind no longer applied.

Now the snipe and clam were fighting.

Not only did they have to compete with Jiayu, but they also had to guard against Pengting benefiting as the fisherman.

“Then let’s pack everything and return to our rooms.”

Shortly after five that afternoon, the InterContinental Hotel became much busier.

Many travelers arrived to check in, while some families of three returned after growing tired from playing at the beach, carrying all kinds of sand-digging toys.

Half an hour earlier, Yin Lei had received notice that Shen Siyun had already arrived at Wuhai Island Airport and would soon reach the InterContinental Hotel.

Yin Lei timed it carefully and came downstairs ten minutes early.

When she saw the familiar figure, she stepped forward and took Shen Siyun’s suitcase.

“President Shen, Secretary Ding said a suite has already been reserved for you.”

This time, President Shen had personally come with the intention of negotiating with Zuo Jinrong.

Partly, it was because she valued the coating project.

The other reason was probably that she had learned Qiguang had stolen some of the information from their proposal. With the situation becoming serious, the boss had come personally to supervise whether Yin Lei could complete the assignment.

If Yin Lei failed, Shen Siyun would probably personally step in to salvage the project.

Before seeing Shen Siyun, Yin Lei could think of no reason other than those two that would bring President Shen here herself.

But when she saw the young woman standing beside Shen Siyun, Yin Lei became briefly dazed.

“And this is?”

Shen Siyun curved her red lips, her gaze cold and indifferent.

“My newly contracted lover, Wen Zhaoyun. She came on this business trip with me and will be staying in my room.”

Perhaps because the journey had been long, Wen Zhaoyun looked somewhat tired.

However, this did not diminish her youthful vitality.

Her skin was smooth and full of youthful softness, and she appeared quite young, like an eighteen-year-old university student.

She wore tight jeans and a small blouse, with a little backpack over her shoulders.

As someone capable of becoming Shen Siyun’s new lover, she naturally had a beautiful figure without an ounce of excess flesh. Even tight jeans, which were extremely unforgiving, followed the smooth, refined lines of her body perfectly.

Yet at first glance, her outfit gave Yin Lei the illusion that she resembled Jiang Yi.

The instant that thought appeared, Yin Lei dismissed it.

How absurd, she thought.

She nodded slightly.

“I’m Yin Lei.”

“Hello, Sister Yin! It’s lovely to meet you.”

The moment Wen Zhaoyun spoke, her energy immediately returned. Her eyes curved brightly as she bowed toward Yin Lei in greeting.

Shen Siyun walked ahead in ten-centimeter heels.

While they waited for the elevator, she said, “Don’t appear in front of Zuo Jinrong during the next two days. His business negotiations fell through, and he’s trying to secure new investment. He won’t be leaving Wuhai Island anytime soon.”

Yin Lei nodded to show she understood.

She knew Shen Siyun was offering guidance and reminding her to pay attention.

The moment the elevator doors opened, Yin Lei raised her eyes and saw Jiang Yi.

At the same time, Wen Zhaoyun’s gentle question sounded beside her ear.

“Sister, are we staying in Room 808?”