Chapter 2 Thick Cocoons: An Unpleasant Night.
Liang Yizhi was completely unaware of her own expression.
She explained, "I was just calculating whether you would end the call within a minute."
Gu Yinyan said, "Before you came, I was also wondering if you could arrive on time within half an hour."
He'd made a sarcastic remark, and Liang Yizhi almost lost face. She cleared her throat and said, "But it didn't cause any problems, did it?"
Liang Yizhi was used to being late. It wasn't because she was slow, but because she always dawdled before leaving the house, suddenly wanting to pack this and tidy up that, so the allotted time was never enough.
In addition, the other party is Gu Yinyan.
Then she has even less reason to panic.
Gu Yinyan dialed the internal line and notified his secretary: "The meal I just asked you to order, please bring it in when it arrives."
When Liang Yizhi made the appointment with him, he had already given instructions to his secretary. The meal arrived precisely on time.
Liang Yizhi watched as her secretary, Xiao Tang, brought in two meals, and exclaimed in dissatisfaction, "Aren't we going out to eat?"
"If you want to eat out, you can go to the 22nd floor and find your boyfriend."
Liang Yizhi pouted: "I'm not going. He doesn't like me contacting him while I'm at work."
Gu Yinyan asked, "You haven't told him yet?"
“What do you mean, ‘no’…” Liang Yizhi sat up straight, unpacked the utensils, and prepared to eat with him. She didn’t immediately realize which thing Gu Yinyan was referring to, and after thinking for a moment, she said, “Ah—you mean my relationship with your company? He doesn’t know.”
Xie Yun was able to get a job at Mingju, a major internet company, because Liang Yizhi pulled some strings and got Gu Yinyan to give him a special opportunity.
Mingju Technology is a hot internet company right now, and its products and businesses cover almost 80% of the market. Any one of its products is a household name, making it an undisputed industry leader.
Mingju is also a subsidiary of Chenghui Group.
Unfortunately, Gu Yinyan is the son of the group's chairman. Several years ago, Gu Yinyan took over the management of the company from his father.
At the time, Xie Yun and Liang Yizhi had only been working there for a short time when the industry experienced a downturn, and he was laid off. Although he received a considerable amount of compensation, the prolonged unemployment inevitably caused anxiety.
Xie Yun was in a bad mood at the time, and he spoke to her rudely. Liang Yizhi wanted to help him, but having gone straight to art school since childhood, she had no idea that the job market outside was as treacherous as a storm.
Therefore, Liang Yizhi simply contacted Gu Yinyan and asked Xie Yun to give this company a try.
Gu Yinyan had reviewed Xie Yun's resume. He graduated from a non-prestigious university with a bachelor's degree, and then got into a 211 university for his master's degree, but his employment history and project experience were not particularly outstanding.
He has very strict standards for hiring people, and he speaks frankly with Liang Yizhi.
"I can give him an interview. But whether he gets the job or becomes a permanent employee depends on his performance."
And so, Xie Yun smoothly entered this large company. He lived up to expectations, successfully passing the assessment three months later and staying on.
But half a year has passed since then, and Gu Yinyan did not expect that Liang Yizhi still had no intention of telling him.
He asked casually, "How many more things are you hiding from him?"
Liang Yizhi chewed slowly, pondering carefully: "Apart from this matter and my family situation, there's nothing else."
"Aren't you afraid he'll be angry with you when he finds out later?"
"She'll be angry," Liang Yizhi thought, "but it's okay, I'm sure I can make her happy."
Her relationship with Xie Yun was stable, and after a long period of dating, she had thoroughly examined him. She had confidence in him; Xie Yun wouldn't be like her previous boyfriends.
Gu Yinyan did not comment on her words.
Liang Yizhi rested her chin on her hand, her elbow on her thigh: "But your company is too demanding. Yesterday, Xie Yun drove me home, and it was almost midnight, and he still hadn't stopped sending work messages."
Gu Yinyan put down his chopsticks and wiped his mouth with a napkin. He was very well-mannered and rarely ate like Liang Yizhi, whose mouth was constantly moving besides chewing.
"The company does not encourage employees to work overtime, but it does not oppose employees working hard on their own. In the internet industry, overtime is the norm."
Cold and emotionless.
Liang Yizhi often has this illusion, feeling as if she is talking to a robot. She takes out her phone and randomly finds an AI whose tone is hundreds of times more expressive than hers.
She persisted, "As the boss, can't you reduce the burden on your employees?"
"I'm overjoyed that someone is helping me make money. Why discourage them?"
Look at those arrogant and cold-blooded capitalists.
She cursed Gu Yinyan in her heart, still wanting to force him to utter a humane word from his straight lips.
Liang Yizhi: "So even our relationship isn't enough?"
She tried to use her ten-year friendship with Gu Yinyan to get him to take better care of her boyfriend. Unfortunately, she used the wrong method, and Gu Yinyan was not one to fall for that.
His voice was harsh: "Liang Yizhi, no matter who it is, you should keep your public and private matters separate."
Don't repeat the mistakes of the past.
Gu Yinyan's tone wasn't actually harsh, but even just sitting there, he naturally exuded an aura of authority without being angry.
Liang Yizhi has an easy-going personality and is very warm-hearted. From childhood to adulthood, once she has identified someone as a friend, she will always do her best to help them if they are in trouble, but she has also suffered a lot because of it.
Knowing she was in the wrong in this matter, she remained completely silent.
Liang Yizhi lowered her head, poking at the white rice in the bowl with the tip of her chopsticks, crushing each grain of glutinous rice and sticking it to the box.
She lowered her head and whispered, "Oh, okay, I was just kidding."
Gu Yinyan glanced at the movements in her hands.
He asked, "You came to me just so I could take care of your boyfriend?"
“Of course not,” Liang Yizhi said. “I saw that you left right after the concert yesterday. We haven’t seen each other for so long and haven’t had a chance to talk, so I came over to chat with you.”
Liang Yizhi's best friends since childhood are Gu Yinyan, He Man, and Jiang Huai. The four of them grew up in the same area and were inseparable.
Liang Yizhi and Gu Yinyan hadn't seen each other for two months. Although they lived close by, they each had their own things to do, so finding time to meet formally wasn't an easy task.
Liang Yizhi asked him, "What did you think of yesterday's concert?"
Gu Yinyan often came to watch her performances in Yucheng, attending far more often than Xie Yun. However, each time he finished watching, he would simply tell her on his phone and leave after the show.
Liang Yizhi felt that Gu Yinyan must really like classical music. He started learning piano in elementary school, around the same time she started learning cello, and since both his parents were returned from overseas, he naturally received a lot of artistic exposure.
He is not like Xie Yun.
They are from two different worlds.
Xie Yun is gentle and kind, witty and humorous, respectful and caring towards women, and naturally gives people a sense of warmth.
Gu Yinyan was pampered and lived a life of luxury, adhering strictly to all the precepts he had learned since childhood, and treating everyone with courtesy. His only flaw was that he was not good at using his outstanding appearance; no matter how handsome his face was, if he always had a cold demeanor, it would still make people feel intimidated.
She unconsciously scanned Gu Yinyan's face, trying to see through what he was thinking.
Gu Yinyan didn't think much of it, but his mind replayed the scene from last night backstage, where Xie Yun intimately held Liang Yizhi in his arms. His hand rested on that snow-white, almost dazzling skin.
Gu Yinyan did not go in to find Liang Yizhi.
How can I ruin the romantic atmosphere between lovers? He's not that kind of person.
Gu Yinyan said, "It's pretty much the same as before."
He suddenly stood up and said to Liang Yizhi, "The meeting is about to start. If you don't want to clean up after you finish eating, just leave it here and let Xiao Tang call the cleaning staff to take care of it."
Liang Yizhi looked up as Gu Yinyan left the office, pouted, and felt she had made a fool of herself.
It's amazing how she managed to be friends with someone like that for so many years.
After finishing her meal alone, Liang Yizhi tidied up the lunchbox that Gu Yinyan had left behind. Before leaving, she told Xiao Tang to have the cleaning staff come and clean it again.
She went downstairs and bought an iced latte at the coffee shop downstairs, where she ran into many employees from the office building. They were wearing name tags and chatting and laughing while waiting for their coffee.
After thinking for a moment, Liang Yizhi also bought some for Gu Yinyan and Xiao Tang. She delivered an iced Americano and an osmanthus latte upstairs before leaving.
She sent Gu Yinyan a WeChat message: "I'm leaving. I bought you coffee; I'll have Xiao Tang deliver it to you."
Okay. I'll have Old Zhang take you home.
No need. I'll just take a taxi.
Liang Yizhi went home, took her sheet music and cello to the orchestra, and there was a rehearsal this afternoon.
She started learning the cello at the age of seven. When she was almost as big as the cello itself, she began learning how to hold the instrument and the bow. Initially, she thought playing the cello didn't look good and wanted to switch to the violin. Her mother, a music teacher, allowed her to pursue any musical aspirations she had.
But after only a few days of playing the violin, Liang Yizhi began to miss the days when she could sit and play the cello. Because she wanted to sit and relax, she changed her mind again. Time flew by, and she endured even the most tedious days. Now, the cello has become an inseparable part of her life.
She loves playing the violin and she loves her career.
Liang Yizhi practiced with the orchestra until evening.
After returning home, she ate a simple meal, washed up, changed her clothes, and, seeing that it was almost time, went out again.
Liang Yizhi took a taxi to Zuishengge KTV.
Zhao Ling's birthday party is being held here.
Upon entering the private room, the noise was deafening, with singing filling the air. Xie Yun appeared quite drunk, his eyes glazed over, slumped against the sofa.
After entering, Liang Yizhi greeted everyone and wished Zhao Ling a happy birthday. She had no intention of staying any longer and prepared to leave with Xie Yun.
Before parting, Zhao Ling helped her to the door.
Liang Yizhi, supporting Xie Yun with all her might, said to Zhao Ling, "Thank you, birthday celebrant, but we can't trouble you any further. Today is your day, go back now."
"No trouble at all." Zhao Ling, sitting opposite her, crossed her arms and patted her shoulder jokingly.
Zhao Ling: "Yizhi, I know you two are very much in love, but sometimes you should let Xie Yun have more time to play with his friends. Since you came into his life, he doesn't like to talk to us anymore."
After saying that, she laughed to herself. The laughter sounded particularly crisp and abrupt amidst the hazy, indistinct music around her.
Liang Yizhi didn't understand the meaning behind her laughter.
She herself has male friends and has never restricted Xie Yun's interactions with them. Zhao Ling's words make it seem as if Xie Yun's gradual estrangement from his friends is all her doing.
Liang Yizhi was speechless inside, but she still gave him face by saying, "How could that be? Xie Yun often thinks about you, he's just too busy with work."
Zhao Ling didn't argue with her anymore.
She suddenly leaned closer to Xie Yun, who was leaning against her, and reached out to pluck a long hair from his shoulder.
Zhao Ling looked at her and said, "Your boyfriend is really great."
Do you know?
...
After leaving Zuisheng Pavilion, Liang Yizhi was still thinking about the things she had just said to Zhao Ling.
What exactly is she trying to express?
Unfortunately, she didn't have time to think too much about it. Just as she pulled Xie Yun to the intersection to hail a taxi, he leaned against a nearby lamppost and vomited.
Liang Yizhi was busy cleaning him up, and after a lot of effort, she managed to get him into the car, finally able to rest for a bit.
In the car, Xie Yun leaned on Liang Yizhi's shoulder and kept calling her: Zhizhi, Zhizhi... He apologized to her for not being able to hold his liquor well enough, and complained that his friends were all acting recklessly and had made him drink too much.
Liang Yizhi got annoyed by his excessive talking, so she simply raised her hand and covered his eyes: "Okay, I know, you can close your eyes and rest for a while."
"I don't want to." The drunkard was exceptionally stubborn.
"So what do you want to do?"
"I can't bear to spend the time I spend with you sleeping."
Xie Yun's voice was low and carried the smell of alcohol. He took Liang Yizhi's hand from his face, squeezed it, and then traced the outline of each hair with his fingertips.
As the fingertips passed Liang Yizhi's, she flinched, trying to grab Xie Yun's hand to prevent him from seeing, but Xie Yun managed to hold it back.
His eyes were unfocused, and he tried to make out the scene in his field of vision by the dim light from the street outside the car window.
Xie Yun stared at Liang Yizhi's fingertips: "Baby, your fingers have a lot of calluses."
Liang Yizhi has played the violin for over a decade, and naturally, her hands bear the marks of that experience; even the size of her two hands is different. Because of pressing the strings, the fingers on her left hand are slightly longer than those on her right.
Her fingertips were short and rounded, covered with calluses, rough and hard. Liang Yizhi didn't like her hands and was always embarrassed to show them to Xie Yun.
She said, "It's not like this is the first time you've seen this."
Xie Yun brought her hand closer to look at it, repeatedly running his fingers over the calluses on her fingertips.
Xie Yun's mind was in a daze as he murmured, "Yizhi, your calluses are so cute...they feel so special..."
The rough texture was strange, and he became somewhat addicted to it.
Liang Yizhi felt her face burning up from the smell of his alcohol.
Don't try to fool me.
"Really." Xie Yun touched it again and again, almost obsessively, his tone becoming slow and tender. "If you're willing to help me... it will definitely... feel very comfortable..."
Xie Yun had touched her enough, so he took Liang Yizhi's hand and led her to a swollen area, pressing her hand onto the fabric.
Liang Yizhi froze instantly, feeling ashamed of her earlier blush.
She was so shocked that she immediately tried to shake his hand off, but Xie Yun was so strong that she suspected he might not be drunk at all.
She added another hand, pushing his away, finally freeing herself from that area.
Xie Yun, completely drunk, leaned on her shoulder and fell asleep.
Liang Yizhi never expected that Xie Yun's first sexual desire for her would be under such circumstances.
Her physical reaction told her that she was extremely averse to his forceful touch.
Liang Yizhi glanced guiltily at the driver in front of her.
The driver calmly stared at the road ahead in the night, driving steadily, and probably didn't hear or see what had just happened.
Liang Yizhi looked out the window again and lowered the window a little to let in some fresh air. She placed her hands on her lap, twisting them together, and kept picking at the old calluses that had turned white from wear and tear.
This mark is the imprint of her hard-earned achievements, not a tool for doing anything despicable.
This night suddenly became somewhat unpleasant.
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