Chapter 17: He's lost his chance at a paycheck.
The aftereffects of last night's kiss were quite strong.
That unfamiliar, nerve-wracking tremor, like an ever-expanding, dense bubble, enveloped Yin Xiao completely, embracing her tightly.
At all times.
Before eight o'clock, Yin Xiao stood in the long line at the library entrance, her lips pursed and then relaxed somewhat awkwardly. Gusts of cold wind mercilessly sneaked into her collar, but she untied her scarf and even felt warmth rising from the back of her neck.
She followed the student in front of her to the door in a daze, and as expected, Dai Lan intercepted her with perfect accuracy.
Dai Lan, wearing a fluffy hat with bear ears, linked her arm with hers, grinning, "Tell me honestly, has the crush evolved into a boyfriend relationship?"
Yin Xiao shook her head to cover up, "No, I haven't confessed."
Dai Lan was puzzled. "What are you waiting for? You've already kissed."
Yin Xiao followed the crowd into the library, but the heat from above made her even more listless, and she looked dejected.
"A kiss between adults isn't a big deal... Didn't you say last night that confessing your feelings only has a 90% success rate? What's the remaining 10%?"
Dai Lan was pushed to the turnstile to have her face scanned. She stared stiffly at the camera, but her mouth didn't stop.
"The rest is based on my experience accumulated over many years of observation! It's possible he likes you, but hasn't accepted your confession. That's definitely due to some external, objective reasons preventing him from being with you..."
Yin Xiao walked into the lobby on the first floor using facial recognition, somewhat lost in thought, her mind involuntarily replaying the interview her sister had sent her last night.
If someone on Yizhi's side insists on a marriage alliance with Yizhi, is that considered an external, objective reason?
"Hey, isn't that Senior Yi Zhiyan?" Dai Lan took off her hat and suddenly nudged her with her elbow.
Yin Xiao followed and walked to the huge poster in the center of the hall. Her pupils slowly focused, and she recognized the handsome yet aloof face in the lower right corner.
Dai Lan pointed to a line of text above and read it aloud: "...Artificial Intelligence and Data Security Sharing and Exchange Conference? Oh, it's today."
Yin Xiao thought of the message Yi Zhiyan had sent that morning and asked her if she was free to come to the library that morning.
So that's what it meant.
But her mind was in turmoil, half following her body's instinctive desires and the other half worrying about the interview, leaving her almost torn apart.
So she replied that she was busy.
Yin Xiao lowered her eyes and tugged at Dai Lan, who was still studying the poster, "Let's go, we don't understand this kind of technical stuff, we need to finish our papers..."
She was speaking when a dark shadow appeared under the spiral staircase diagonally in front of her, and she subconsciously looked up.
Yi Zhiyan walked down from the second-floor platform, his suit making his figure appear even taller. He wore gold-rimmed glasses and had one hand in his pocket. He turned slightly to the side, chatting with a few people around him, his expression indifferent, yet revealing a rare air of dominance.
"Hmm, am I seeing things?" Dai Lan also saw Yi Zhiyan, paused for a moment, stared intently at his left hand, and asked softly, "Is he wearing a ring on his ring finger?"
Yin Xiao's gaze froze, her mind went blank for a second, and she unconsciously glanced at her left hand.
Oh... she wasn't wearing it.
We agreed to pretend we weren't close at school, so didn't he break his promise?
Yin Xiao looked at his undisguised gesture of raising his hand with a conflicted expression and sighed silently.
However, the agreement only stated that the marital relationship could not be actively disclosed on social media platforms or in public places, but it did not say that wearing rings was prohibited.
Dai Lan, still in shock, grabbed her sleeve and babbled, "Did my senior get married? That's unbelievable, he just got married?"
Yin Xiao stood there for a long time before returning blankly.
"Maybe."
—
Yi Zhiyan was so busy that day that he was almost completely out of the public eye. He was nowhere to be seen in the morning, and at night the only thing to be seen was the light in his study that stayed on all night.
Yin Xiao walked to the study door several times, raised her hand, and then gave up. She wanted to ask him why he wore a ring, or about Yizhi's heir and marriage agreement.
But she didn't find the opportunity, and she really didn't know how to bring it up.
Last night, she acted impulsively under the influence of alcohol. After calming down, she realized that she didn't know him well enough and that there was still a layer of fake relationship between them that could break at any moment. She didn't really have the right to infiltrate his life.
The next day, Yin Xiao was still alone at home; the huge house felt empty and free.
Early in the morning, the health-preserving foot bath packs sent by Ms. Qian Yue finally arrived. Yin Xiao opened the package, took out her own, and then took the subway to deliver it directly to Yin Yi, who had been working overtime for a week.
Yizhi Company is located in Jinyan Building in the Economic Development Zone, an area that has only recently developed. It is not directly accessible by subway and requires a bus transfer.
After nearly an hour of trouble, Yin Xiao finally arrived at the entrance of Jinyan Building. Standing downstairs, she couldn't get through to Yin Yi on the phone. She had to deal with the security guard for ten minutes before she was allowed to pass.
During working hours, the lobby on the first floor is deserted. Warm light shines through the glass curtain wall onto the gleaming square tiles, so faint that only a ring of light remains, creating a light and empty atmosphere that matches the building's design style.
Following the directions given to her by her sister, Yin Xiao bypassed the elevator lobby and went straight into the coffee shop in the corner.
The rich aroma of coffee filled the air. Yin Xiao sniffed and looked towards the bar.
Yin Yi sat on a high stool, wearing a camel coat, her expression serious. The man opposite her wore a black turtleneck sweater, his profile cold and his expression sour.
He rested one hand on the edge of the table, the silver watch on his wrist reflecting several beams of light. From his intermittent words, one could clearly hear the soaring anger, and his posture could not conceal his superiority.
Yin Xiao frowned, her nails digging into the unremoved tape on the delivery box, grinding it a few times. She took a step forward, then pulled her foot back, gritting her teeth until the man left before jogging over.
"Sis, who is it? He's really rude." Yin Xiao threw the cardboard box on the table and said with dissatisfaction.
Yin Yi shrugged, picked up her cup and took a sip of her hot Americano. "My boss is teaching me how to do things."
"Is he really that good, or is he just all talk..." Yin Xiao had a preconceived notion that he was no good, and couldn't help but make a few sarcastic remarks.
Yin Yi chuckled and patted Yin Xiao on the shoulder, "There's no need to be so resentful of my boss. He's teaching me how to do things for my own good."
"Sis, have you gone crazy from working so hard?! Why are you taking his side?"
Yin Yi said earnestly, "Because I did make a mistake in my reception work this morning, but he didn't deduct my pay and even helped me compensate for the losses."
Yin Xiao slowly lowered her chin, then suddenly realized, "Ah... not deducting money is indeed acceptable."
"Okay, don't worry about me, I can handle the work here." Yin Yi picked up the package, gave the younger sister a reassuring smile, and walked back.
Turning her head, her gaze fell on two familiar faces who had just sat down on the sofa in the corner ahead.
She raised an eyebrow slightly and turned to look at Yin Xiao, "What's your husband doing here?"
Yin Xiao took a few seconds to react before looking in the direction she was pointing. She immediately recognized Yi Zhiyan's tall and straight profile and confessed honestly.
"I don't know. He's been very busy these past few days. He only sends me a WeChat message in the morning to give me a general overview of his schedule for the day."
"So, what was the schedule he sent you this morning?"
Yin Xiao looked away, uninterested. "He's busy with company matters with his partner."
Yin Yi suddenly fell silent. She observed her for a while, opening her mouth several times and then closing it again. Her conflicted expression was hard to ignore.
Yin Xiao keenly sensed something, but pretended to be nonchalant and said, "Sis, just say what you want to say."
"Did you see the interview I sent you the other day?"
"Um."
“The girl with red lips and blonde hair opposite him…” Yin Yi lowered her voice, “The subject of the interview, Ruan Zheng.”
Yin Xiao remained unexpectedly calm. She glanced at the clinking glasses between the two, then quietly observed the blonde beauty before speaking sincerely.
"She went back to China early? She's so beautiful, and has such a strong presence. No wonder she's the heir to manage such a large company..."
"Sis!" Yin Yi suddenly poked her forehead, her tone full of disappointment, "Is this the time to praise someone? Shouldn't you call and ask Yi Zhiyan what's going on first? Don't let Yi Zhi push you to ruin your contract."
"No." Yin Xiao looked away and shook her head firmly. "Breaking the contract now would be a win for me, and he wouldn't get any benefit at all."
Yin Yi sighed heavily, "Even so, even if it's just as a fake marriage partner, you still don't care at all?"
"I don't care." Yin Xiao curled her lips and patted her shoulder in the same way her sister had just done. "Okay, don't worry about me. I can handle getting along with him."
Yin Yi tugged at her employee badge, as if she had nothing to say to her, and waved as she walked toward the elevator at the other end.
Yin Xiao pinched her fingertips, no longer looking at the sofa in the corner, walked around the elevator, pushed open the door and walked out of Jinyan Building.
The sky suddenly darkened, and a strong wind whipped up a thin layer of dust from the steps, creating swirling vortexes in the air.
Yin Xiao squinted as the wind blew, then stepped back under the eaves to check the sky. She then decided to take a taxi back to Qiyuan.
She opened the Didi app, selected the car model and price range, hesitated for a few seconds, then selected all the options at once. Before pressing the confirmation button, she exited the interface and dialed Yi Zhiyan's number without hesitation.
When the call connected, she got straight to the point.
"The agreement states that you will transfer 5,000 yuan to me every month as payment for acting in your films. Is that still valid?"
There was a few seconds of silence on the other end, clearly not expecting this, before they slowly spoke, "It counts."
Yin Xiao said without hesitation, "Fine, then transfer five thousand to me now."
Yi Zhiyan chuckled vaguely, his throat sounding like it was filled with grit. "Didn't you refuse before?"
Without warning, Yin Xiao's mind flashed back to him sitting in the coffee shop, aloof and indifferent, his true thoughts hard to fathom, just like her first impression of him.
But as they spent more time together, the genuine yet feigned intimacy and ambiguity gradually clouded her judgment. At this moment, those memories of their time together felt distant and fragmented, and their ambiguous relationship finally returned to its original state.
She cleared her throat and said, word by word, "I've changed my mind."
—
[Payment received]
I transferred 5,000 yuan, and the recipient received it instantly.
Yi Zhiyan's gaze froze, the smile on his lips lingering for a long time, and his temples throbbed with pain.
Something seems off.
"Master Yi, you're the one who blocked my way here, and you're the one who sat down and answered the phone without saying a word. Isn't that going too far?"
As soon as she finished speaking, a rich jasmine fragrance wafted over. Yi Zhiyan frowned and looked away, glancing at an acquaintance beside her.
"Sister Zheng, don't you know perfectly well why I'm looking for you?"
Ruan Zheng leaned lazily against the table, tilted her head, and twirled a stray strand of hair between her fingers, feigning surprise as she asked, "What? How could I possibly know what Master Yi is thinking?"
To Yi Zhiyan, this sarcastic remark was meaningless. He sat down expressionlessly, too lazy to beat around the bush, and went straight to the point.
"Don't interfere with Yizhi's collaboration."
“I can’t get involved if you don’t tell me.” Ruan Zheng relaxed, half-lying on the sofa chair with her legs crossed. “I didn’t even have a chance to talk to Yi Zhi before you stopped me. You even deliberately chose to stop me downstairs from Yi Zhi’s building. Wasn’t your purpose to let those old foxes on the seventeenth floor know?”
She rolled up her sleeves with a carefree air, leaned over the table, and nodded approvingly at Yi Zhiyan, "I came back a week early on purpose, but I didn't expect you to be so well-informed."
Yi Zhiyan said with some resentment, "The situation forced us to act, and your interview only made things worse."
"Sorry, this fake marriage is a good way to ward off unwanted suitors abroad, otherwise it would be troublesome to go back to China." Ruan Zheng said this, but there was no trace of apology on her face.
Yi Zhiyan didn't hold back either, saying, "Using a fake marriage to ward off unwanted suitors is absurd."
"Ha." She sneered, "It's even more absurd that you would use a fake marriage to cover up a fake engagement."
"Then you're mistaken... I'm really getting married, and I'm not trying to hide anything. I'm not after profit, but people."
"Whatever, I don't care. Anyway, the engagement isn't on paper yet, and neither of us is happy about it. We're just worried about those few fools in our families who are itching to make a move." She smiled, lowered her voice, and uttered a few words, "How about we make a deal?"
Yi Zhiyan lazily lifted his eyelids, not very interested. "What?"
“I can stay out of the collaboration between Yizhi and Huandao; whether it succeeds or not is up to you. But you have to help me complete another project. To put it bluntly, I'll give you the opportunity, and you give me the technology.”
Yi Zhiyan bent his elbows and rested them on the armrests, carefully weighing the pros and cons in his mind. "Okay."
Ruan Zheng stood up with satisfaction, stretched her arms and twisted her neck from side to side, "Okay, we can talk about the details another day. I'm leaving today, pretend I was never here at Yizhi."
Yi Zhiyan picked up the suit jacket next to him, suddenly remembered his promise to Hu Jiao, and quickly turned around to follow Ruan Zheng, walking through the elevator towards the lobby.
Are you free this weekend?
"Oh, you're asking me out?" Ruan Zheng tucked her hair behind her ear, her face full of curiosity, and laughed unrestrainedly.
"Hu Jiao invited you," Yi Zhiyan said calmly.
“Oh, him? Then let him make an appointment with my assistant. You know, I just got back to China, and I have a ton of things to take care of.” She gestured with her chin, indicating that Yi Zhiyan should look outside. “The one next to the blue SUV, that’s He Sen, the assistant I just hired after I got back to China.”
She swung her car keys around, her high heels suddenly stopping on the floor tiles. A slight upturn to her drooping lips gave her a knowing look as she reminded Yi Zhiyan beside her.
"Your wife seems to know my assistant?"
Yi Zhiyan paused for a second as he put on his coat, his gaze fixed on the two people outside the door. His expression remained indifferent to the point of numbness, but his Adam's apple bobbed uncontrollably a few times.
"Oh, I remember now!" Ruan Zheng clapped her hands vigorously, as if waking from a dream, and leaned closer, saying, "There's a photo on my assistant's desk. Besides him and his parents, there's a girl too. Guess who it is?"
Yi Zhiyan remained silent, giving her a faint glance.
"I can tell she's your wife." Ruan Zheng, seemingly oblivious to his gloomy mood, clearly punctured the question, "My assistant likes this Ms. Yin, doesn't she?"
A flicker of emotion crossed Yi Zhiyan's eyes, but he forced a calm tone and said in a deep voice.
"So what? He's out of luck."
-----------------------
Author's Note: Once you've kissed someone, you'll kiss them again. [Let me see...]
Probably the chapter after next.
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