Chapter 15: Why, Jiang Yi? Did you foresee this?
The divorce, which was only known to her and Gu Lai, was finally discovered by a third person because Gu Lai sent her a divorce agreement.
Gu Lai, of course, wouldn't act like a domineering CEO, arriving at Fenglu Building in high heels with bodyguards to throw divorce papers at Jiang Yi and make it public knowledge. Instead, she modernly sent it to Jiang Yi's private email address. At that moment, Jiang Yi was drinking tea and looking at his tablet, and quickly tapped the link.
Logically, she should have at least realized what kind of email Gu Lai would send her, but she didn't. Years of habit led her to open the file without thinking, and the cover with the words "Divorce Agreement" in at least size 2 font instantly filled the entire screen.
Jiang Yi choked and coughed violently.
She already had a recurring low-grade fever, and this coughing became almost uncontrollable. She handed the tablet to Greta next to her and took out a few tissues to gently soothe herself. When she suddenly realized what was happening and turned around, Greta's expression was a mixture of shock and astonishment.
When Ge Li met Jiang Yi's gaze, she handed him the tablet with its screen still lit up, and raised her other hand, whether she was answering a question as a primary school student or giving a French military salute was unclear.
Ge Li opened her mouth, feeling like she had a lot to say, but in the end she only uttered three words: "I'm sorry."
Jiang Yi nodded, showing a complete lack of social etiquette, and took the tablet from Ge Li's hand.
She kept swiping down, all the way to the bottom, and the document bounced back up after she pulled it up.
She didn't think about the document's content before scrolling through it several times before realizing it was a template.
...Really.
Jiang Yi chuckled, tossed his hair back, and looked up to see Ge Li still standing there.
"how?"
“Well,” Grace said after searching for a moment, “is it true?”
Jiang Yi was surprised again, this time for herself. She heard herself answer rather calmly: "Yes."
As always, Ge Li lived up to her high annual salary, answering without a single stutter: "Are you preparing a legal team now?"
“No,” Jiang Yi said reflexively. After a long silence, she said slowly but firmly, “Not now.”
When should we use it?
Ge Li didn't speak, but she conveyed the question with her eyes.
Jiang Yi neither wanted to discuss the issue nor to analyze her own inner thoughts about why she refused. Like a tyrannical ruler, she dismissed her diligent and loyal minister: "You don't need to worry about it."
Zheng Chen reminded her, "You won't be able to keep it from the Madam for long."
—What about the impact on the industry? What about public relations if word gets out? What about the stock price? What about all the messy legal and financial disputes? What about the employees' performance?
Jiang Yi remained silent for a long time, then turned to look out the window.
Perhaps the standard for a domineering CEO is a large office with floor-to-ceiling windows in a high-rise building. At least Jiang Yi really likes this open and airy feel, overlooking the city, and his office happens to be the one with the best view.
Outside the window, the sun shone brightly, its rays streaming freely through the glass, mingling with the blazing lights inside. The towering buildings boasted countless windows, almost frighteningly numerous, all gleaming with the sunlight. It was hard to imagine how many people would pour out from behind these windows during rush hour, flowing like rivers into the bustling streets.
The glass window effectively isolates the hustle and bustle of the world from the outside.
At this moment, Jiang Yi wished for some kind of mysterious glass that could separate her from the outside world, such as from Ge Li. Ideally, it would be a window similar to a bank teller, through which all contact with her in the world would take place.
This thought had barely surfaced when Jiang Yi keenly caught it, and with her consistently rigorous and efficient style, she examined and explained the emergence of this bizarre idea of hers—
This is what a breakup is, this is what a divorce is. Even giving away a cat or dog you've raised for years would be heartbreaking, let alone severing a ten-year relationship.
Even just hearing about it makes the contractions seem inevitable.
Jiang Yi seemed to have been persuaded. She turned to Ge Li and said, "Go contact Zhou Shanshan and ask if she's willing to share a...lawyer/auditor team with me, or if she wants to hire someone separately. If she wants to hire someone separately..."
She smiled, just like when she once told Ge Li that she would introduce someone into Gu Lai's social circle to secure her position, both assertive and gentle: "The accounts will be drawn from the family account, not hers."
Ge Li seemed to agree, but showed no sign of leaving. Jiang Yi's gentle smile vanished, replaced by his usual expressionless demeanor at work. He glanced at her, his eyes asking if there was a problem with why she wasn't leaving.
Greta maintained a social smile and said, "Should we notify the PR team?"
The look Jiang Yi gave him at that moment was terrifying.
Ge Li felt that it was just her own unreasonable illusion, because the next moment Jiang Yi still stated in a calm tone that radiated rationality: "You think that if it gets out, it will affect the stock price."
"However, it is entirely possible to take advantage of the situation if it is foreseen," said Grace shrewdly.
Jiang Yi said, "That's called remediation. So there's no need for that. Suppress it as much as possible. I don't want to make a big fuss."
Ge Li rarely showed a troubled expression: "But given, well, given Sister Gu's status, it might be difficult to suppress it."
Jiang Yi's expression went blank for a moment, and for a split second he didn't realize who "Sister Gu" Ge Li was talking about was.
Ge Li thought Jiang Yi was worried, so she added, "You can see from the recent fake box office scandal of 'From Winter to Summer' that there are actually quite a few people watching. So... this is probably hard to hide from the industry, and it's not easy to completely suppress it either."
"Understood. Just don't let the chairman... or Grandma know for now," Jiang Yi said after a moment. "You can go ahead and get busy."
Ge Li did as she was told, and a soft "click" was the last sound in the room.
“Clatter.”
Gu Lai didn't turn around; she remained engrossed in her book. The person who opened the door quickly approached from behind, carrying a faint smell of cigarette smoke. She reflexively frowned, snapped a page over, and turned back, still clutching the book, said, "Jiang Yi, the smell of cigarettes on you is so obvious—"
Her gaze met Zhou Shanshan's, her voice abruptly stopped, and the knuckles gripping the book suddenly turned white with force before abruptly releasing them.
The spine of the book hit the table with a dull, soft thud, the pages rustling as it closed its pages, brushing against my fingers.
Gu Lai didn't look at the book. She stared at Zhou Shanshan, seemingly still a little dazed, her bright eyes somewhat empty. After five or six seconds, she finally came to her senses, smiled, and asked, "Why are you here?"
Zhou Shanshan waved her phone and said cautiously, "I couldn't get in touch with you these past two days, and I had something to do today so I couldn't come. Eileen said you were still staying at Huating No. 1, so I came over."
Gu Lai was still at Huating No. 1. She didn't know where to go, nor did she want to think about where to go. After saying "divorce" that day, she sat on the sofa from day to night, turning on the TV to watch variety shows and movies, constantly starting, fast-forwarding, and exiting.
Gu Lai felt like she had suddenly become incredibly smart. She could guess the plot and ending of a movie in less than twenty minutes, and she could instantly tell which variety shows were scripted, which were genuine emotions, and which were manipulated by sleight of hand. After watching a movie, she would wander to her bedroom to sleep, and when she woke up, she would continue watching variety shows and movies, and even play mobile games for a while.
She spent almost every night working, without even encountering a cook. There was a knock on the bedroom door, and after a while, she slowly went out, only to find food and drinks neatly arranged on the dining table.
She laughed heartily while watching variety shows and short videos, and today she even pulled out a novel to read, almost feeling like she could live like this forever.
Until now.
Gu Lai took a deep breath and slowly exhaled, as if sighing.
Even now, when Zhou Shanshan arrives at her door, carrying a familiar yet unfamiliar smell of cigarette smoke, she doesn't even realize it. In a daze, she thinks it's the lover who, after she finished filming a movie and indulged in a wild, liberated state, demanded passion from her when she was demanding more.
Gu Lai could even hear Jiang Yi's familiar, smiling, and nonchalant voice whispering in her ear: "A Lai, A Lai?"
She suddenly felt dizzy.
Gu Lai pressed two fingers against her temples and slowly asked, "You said something's wrong, what is it?"
“Sister Gu, Assistant Ge contacted me today.” Zhou Shanshan closed her eyes, as if she was making some important mental preparations. “He asked if you want to use the same legal team as President Jiang, or if you want to hire a separate marriage lawyer. If you hire a separate lawyer, the bill can be reimbursed by the office.”
Marriage lawyer? Office? Reimbursement?
...What do you mean?
It took Gu Lai a while to understand what Ge Li, or Jiang Yi, meant.
Was he provoked by the divorce agreement she sent? Right?
Zhou Shanshan asked, still somewhat incredulous and as if seeking confirmation, "Sister Gu... what does Assistant Ge mean?"
"We're divorced," Gu Lai said, her voice barely audible, but somehow it came out smoothly, so she repeated it again in a normal volume.
"We're divorced."
Gu Lai even smiled apologetically: "It's been a few days, I've been in a bad mood, sorry I forgot to tell you."
Zhou Shanshan opened her mouth and asked a pointless question: "Really?"
Gu Lai wanted to say "really," but she didn't say it and just nodded.
Zhou Shanshan exclaimed "Ah!"
To be honest, she felt like the sky had fallen.
When Ge Li told her about this over the phone, Zhou Shanshan immediately sensed something was off. The conversation seemed strange. What was the purpose of hiring a marriage lawyer? When she asked a few questions, Ge Li's tone became even harsher, and she politely but sarcastically told her to ask her employer.
Her employer is Gu Lai, of course, but she hasn't been able to contact her for several days.
She stopped going to work, cut off all social contact, and even the custom-made clothes for early spring next year, which Elodie had promised to have fitted models take measurements of, were nowhere to be heard from. Elodie's director was so anxious that she asked her what she was dissatisfied with.
Zhou Shanshan smoothly brushed it off, but she also wanted to know what was going on.
Now that Gu Lai has given her an explanation, she doesn't want to believe it, but the corroborating evidence tells her that this is the truth.
How could this be?
Why is this such a big deal? How could this be a joke?
...So it's true.
After a long pause, Zhou Shanshan cautiously asked, "Then what about Assistant Ge...?"
“No need to hire anyone,” Gu Lai said. “Whatever she says goes.”
Zhou Shanshan didn't try to dissuade her. Instead, she asked, "Sister Gu, have I contacted President Tan yet?"
"What?"
"If it gets out, the impact will be huge."
"If she's not afraid of affecting the stock price, why should I be afraid?"
"But you'll be affected too, for example, with endorsement contracts, and shouldn't you also contact Director He?"
Gu Lai didn't know what to say.
She rationally knew that Zhou Shanshan was right. Whether she was subtly trying to reconcile them, or hadn't actually believed her and was just gently telling her not to make a scene like before, or was genuinely looking out for her, Zhou Shanshan's words were ultimately correct.
Their marriages and divorces are never peaceful and gentle; they are always big battles. It's not about the simple handover of a house and a cat like ordinary couples do; it involves the jobs of a whole group of people.
But Gu Lai hadn't thought of that.
It sounds sentimental, but Gu Lai subconsciously didn't want to associate their relationship with these things. She resisted thinking about the scene that should be present for people of their status and wealth—the two divorcing parties sitting on opposite sides, expressionless, listening to the lawyers meticulously analyzing the division of their assets, until even the person at the center of the vortex began to blush, making all the past warmth seem repulsive in her memory.
It's laughable to anyone that she was the one who uttered the word "divorce," yet she always felt that things between them shouldn't have come to this, and that Jiang Yi wouldn't be so ruthless.
The thought surfaced, and Gu Lai felt nauseous.
She felt disgusted with herself.
Gu Lai did not answer: "Is there anything else?"
Zhou Shanshan looked at her and said, "Actually, it's just that you haven't gone out for several days, and I haven't been able to contact you, so I was just asking if anything's wrong."
Nothing's wrong, what could possibly be wrong?
She's getting a divorce, so what business is it of hers, Mango TV? She watched movies she'd never seen before, hilarious variety shows, funny short videos, and enjoyable novels day and night, all to forget this damn reality. Then, damn fate sent Zhou Shanshan to wake her from her illusions, just like damn Jiang Yi kept waking her up demanding answers.
Why ask her? Is the lawyer she chose capable of going to court against Jiang Yi and getting evenly matched?
Did she have a choice?
Did she have a choice from beginning to end?
That day, she held her hand up until it ached, but Jiang Yi didn't say a word. What was he waiting for? He was waiting for her to say "divorce," then for her to hang up, and now he wanted her to face the situation soberly. Only now did Gu Lai realize that Jiang Yi was so smart; he probably already knew how badly the marriage had progressed, but he chose to make her the villain.
Her lover was so clever, so cunning. He showered her with grand and passionate glory, yet dragged her by the back of the neck to confront harsh reality, making her feel as if she had entered Eden with happiness, and yet also causing her unbearable pain.
I was already so tired, so exhausted, so miserable, so why did I still feel so much pain when I actually talked about divorce?
Why, Jiang Yi? Did you foresee this?
And you?
Gu Lai vaguely heard someone calling her; someone's voice broke through the shackles of memory and called to her in her ear.
Sister Gu.
Gu.
Gu Lai.
Ah Lai.
Someone hugged her, and a soft, damp towel was placed over her slightly burning eyes, nose, and face.
It doesn't have the scent of Sharon rose.
It's Zhou Shanshan.
"Oh, I cried," Gu Lai thought belatedly.
Zhou Shanshan watched with concern as she took the towel, then took a step back and let go: "Sister, are you alright?"
Gu Lai buried her face in a towel, tears and snot streaming down her face uncontrollably, looking anything but delicate. Unable to bear the snot sticking to the towel, she pinched her nose and searched for tissues. Zhou Shanshan hurriedly ran out to get some tissues, handing them to her one by one. Finally, unable to bear it any longer, she grabbed a whole stack.
She rubbed her philtrum until it hurt, and cried so hard that her temples felt like they were about to explode.
She felt wronged and disgusted, disgusted by her own disheveled state, just like her first meeting with Jiang Yi.
An unpleasant first meeting, a disheveled first meeting, an absurd first meeting, a first meeting with a world of difference, a first meeting of salvation and love at first sight.
The wrong time and place, a terrible first impression.
The beginning was like a prophecy, as if the first meeting foreshadowed the ending.
Zhou Shanshan watched as Gu Lai quietly buried her face in the towel, breathing deeply. Only the occasional tremor of her shoulders revealed the emotions she was suppressing.
"You...go ahead and do your work, don't worry about me," Gu Lai said. "I just need a few days of rest, give me a few days."
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Thanks to Ye Luo Zhi Qiu and Xiao i for the "thunderbolt" (a type of virtual gift), and thanks to Chi Song Zi, Xi Fan Zhen Tian, and Shi Er for the nutrient solution [starry eyes].
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