Chapter 29: Reason and Emotion in Everyday Life...
Jiang Nuanyu watched Liang Qi's car drive away until it disappeared into the bright red taillights, at which point she slumped her shoulders and sighed.
When the person is around, she just wants to escape; when they leave, she can't bear to part with them.
She turned around dejectedly, and when she looked up, she saw Ye Ji standing on the other side of the community gate, holding a bag in his arms, looking at her with a strange expression.
Jiang Nuanyu walked over, glancing around awkwardly: "You... what are you doing here?"
Ye Ji nudged the paper bag in her arms with her stomach and said, "I just grabbed some takeout on the way. You haven't eaten since you were working overtime, have you?"
Upon hearing the words "overtime," Jiang Nuanyu's forehead tightened reflexively.
She really didn't want to lie anymore, so she chose to tell the truth and said, "Yes, I haven't eaten yet."
"I knew it right away."
Ye Ji carried the takeout, and Jiang Nuanyu helped her with her bag on her shoulder. The two walked together into the residential area.
Ye Ji asked, "Where are you working overtime today?" If you're coming back from the magazine office, it shouldn't take this long.
"Outside...outside."
"Where?" Ye Ji pressed.
Jiang Nuanyu: "..."
She couldn't handle it anymore, so she simply took Ye Ji's hand and pushed her forward, saying, "We'll talk about it when we get home. It's windy and cold!"
"Hey—" Ye Ji clutched the food in his arms, "Slow down, there's soup in it!"
Jiang Nuanyu avoided the main issues the whole way, and finally entered the house with trepidation.
As she changed her shoes, she turned and asked, "Why are you here so late?"
Ye Ji had already changed into slippers and walked inside, saying without turning her head, "I'm heartbroken."
Jiang Nuanyu followed behind her, her tone casual: "When did you fall in love again?"
Ye Ji placed the lunch boxes from the bag one by one on the coffee table, sat cross-legged on the carpet, and held up one finger to her.
Jiang Nuanyu stood next to her, listening attentively.
Ye Ji hesitated for a moment, then finally said, "It's a long story."
"..." Jiang Nuanyu was speechless for two seconds, then replied indifferently, "Okay."
Ye Ji's heartbreak is really not a big deal.
During college, Jiang Nuanyu could usually keep track of her relationship status; after they started working, they were both busy, and the delay in updating each other's social media was quite significant.
Ye Ji's romantic partners were many of whom she had only heard of but never met; as for relationships that ended before she even knew they had begun, that was not an isolated incident.
Just as she was about to sit down, Ye Ji nudged her leg and pointed to the refrigerator: "Get me something to drink." Then he asked, "Do you want pasta or fried rice?"
Jiang Nuanyu turned around to get it: "Let's eat noodles."
Ye Ji placed the box of pasta opposite him: "I was just thinking of having a meal."
Jiang Nuanyu took two cans of beer from the refrigerator, and Ye Ji behind her said, "Bring another bowl. I only ordered one soup, let's share it."
Jiang Nuanyu then went and got another bowl and two spoons.
By the time she sat back down, Ye Ji had already opened all the packages. Besides pasta, fried rice, and tomato soup, there was also a snack like fries.
Jiang Nuanyu picked up her chopsticks and was about to start eating when she noticed Ye Ji staring at her with a meaningful smile on his face.
Jiang Nuanyu felt uneasy under her gaze: "...What's wrong?"
Ye Ji pursed his lips, unzipped his beer, took a sip, and then slowly asked, "You didn't take a taxi back, did you?"
Jiang Nuanyu was taken aback.
"Oh. I... I hitched a ride with a colleague. That's why I didn't send you the license plate number."
"colleague?"
Jiang Nuanyu gave a mumbled "hmm" and lowered her head to eat a bite of noodles.
"This colleague is a really nice person," Ye Ji said.
"..."
Jiang Nuanyu hummed in agreement, opened her can of beer but didn't drink it. Instead, she picked up her chopsticks again and said, "It's on my way anyway."
Ye Ji watched her series of attempts to cover up her actions, his eyes gleaming with gossip: "Your colleague drives a Maybach?"
"Uh—" Jiang Nuanyu's mind raced, trying to find a Maybach enthusiast among her colleagues. But even the editor-in-chief probably couldn't appreciate it. Even if they could afford it, the style just wouldn't suit them.
She was speechless for a moment.
Ye Ji stopped beating around the bush and raised an eyebrow: "Is it that Mr. Liang?"
For a moment, the only sound in the air was the hissing of gas coming out of the soda can.
Jiang Nuanyu did not answer, which was taken as tacit agreement.
Ye Ji's smile widened: "By the way, I haven't asked you yet." She leaned closer, "He brought you home on your birthday, what happened after that?"
“Nothing much,” Jiang Nuanyu said immediately. “We haven’t been in contact. We just ran into each other at work today.”
She wasn't good at lying, and she didn't understand the principle that the more you say, the more mistakes you make. She just subconsciously tried to fill in the information: "We met and then, uh... we ate together. Yeah, we had a meal together."
Ye Ji blinked, puncturing her rare honest statement from earlier: "Didn't you say you didn't eat?"
Jiang Nuanyu: "..."
She swallowed non-existent saliva. "What I mean is, I didn't eat much... We just chatted. Nothing else."
Only after she said that did Ye Ji notice that Jiang Nuanyu was without makeup at the moment, whereas normally, even if she was in a rush to work, she would at least put on some light makeup.
A thought flashed through Ye Ji's mind: "You mean...you two didn't sleep?"
Jiang Nuanyu opened her mouth, but after a long pause, she managed to utter a few scattered syllables: "Uh, I, I am..."
Her reaction practically screamed "I slept with Liang Qi" all over her face.
Ye Ji already had the answer.
Amidst her shock, she was also a little happy. Her best friend, who had never been in a relationship, had finally tasted the dew of the mortal world.
Jiang Nuanyu knew she could no longer hide the truth, and her facade crumbled instantly. She looked up, her expression one of defeat and helplessness: "What should I do, Ye Ji…"
Ye Ji was baffled: "What do you mean, what should we do?"
"Today... I should say it was my initiative. But we've only known each other for a short time... He's only known me for a short time, and we've only met a few times."
She was really unsure how Liang Qi would define what happened that evening, and after hesitating for a long time, she voiced her biggest worry: "Will he think I'm that kind of person..."
"Stop it," Ye Ji interrupted her decisively, asking, "Tell me first, do you regret it? Just from the experience alone."
Jiang Nuanyu blushed immediately.
The intimacy she felt with Liang Qi exceeded all her previous expectations of such a relationship. He catered to every single one of her needs, from physical to emotional.
She gently shook her head.
"That settles it then." Ye Ji seemed quite nonchalant. "Who cares what he thinks of you? Just enjoy yourself first."
“But apart from…” Jiang Nuanyu still found it difficult to say, “Apart from that time, he seems to be the same as before.”
Ye Ji asked, "What kind of person do you want him to become?"
Jiang Nuanyu was stunned: "I..." She couldn't explain it either.
What she longed for never happened between her and Liang Qi; how could she possibly explain it?
Ye Ji said, "I told you before that for men like them, women are variables, a source of amusement, and naturally they don't need to bring that kind of romance into their daily lives."
Jiang Nuanyu felt as if she had been slapped in the face by these words, and her throat tightened.
She wanted to say that Liang Qi wasn't the kind of man Ye Ji described, but she was shocked to realize that her current understanding of Liang Qi was far from sufficient to support her confident assertion.
She couldn't help but wonder, what kind of person is Liang Qi?
Aside from his captivating appearance, what struck her most about him was his gentle nature. He was like a cool breeze on a spring afternoon, neither too hot nor too cold, making her feel comfortable and irresistibly drawn to him.
But she forgot that the wind has no shape and no edge. His cunning was so deep that she only realized now that what she saw in him might just be a facade, a gentle illusion.
She bit her lip tightly, the noodles swirling around her chopsticks again and again, but she didn't take another bite.
Ye Ji tapped her lunchbox with his spoon and said, "Instead of expecting that kind of man to pour a lot of feelings into a woman, let's be more realistic. There's nothing wrong with exchanging value."
Jiang Nuanyu didn't quite understand: "How is it realistic?"
Ye Ji said, "Although you've been promoted now, you're definitely more aware of the hierarchy in your industry than I am, and there will still be many hidden obstacles at work. But you can use Liang Qi's resources."
Jiang Nuanyu frowned subconsciously, but Ye Ji seemed to be touched by her own words and continued, "There are always some connections between capitals. Those international magazine publishers might be related to Tianqi. If you can go abroad to get some experience, things will be much smoother when you come back."
The more she spoke, the more extreme her words became, and the more Jiang Nuanyu felt, the more upset she became, and her face grew increasingly pale.
Not wanting to interrupt her, she finally closed her eyes, lowered her head, and supported her forehead with her hand.
Her appearance finally silenced Ye Ji.
After a long while, Jiang Nuanyu spoke up in a muffled voice: "Am I too greedy, wanting too much?"
Ye Ji was taken aback: "Don't do this."
Jiang Nuanyu remained silent, her head bowed. Ye Ji said, unable to bear it any longer, "I might have been a little harsh. You know I'm in a bad mood today, so I don't have any nice things to say to men."
Jiang Nuanyu was silent for a few seconds, then looked up, brushed her hair back, and sighed, "I almost forgot about your breakup."
Ye Ji could tell she was putting on a brave face, and tried to comfort her: "I've been telling you not to be too optimistic about this, but don't let me influence you too much either. After all, I don't know him very well; you're the one who's been with him."
Jiang Nuanyu nodded half-heartedly, tilted her head back and drank more than half a can of beer in one gulp, only putting it down when her stomach felt uncomfortably bloated.
In the dead of night, she lay in bed with her eyes open, her gaze fixed on the opposite wall.
Ye Ji was already asleep beside her, but she couldn't fall asleep.
She once thought that seeing Liang Qi again after so many years would be enough for her, as long as she could express her feelings and see him.
Before today, although she uncontrollably noticed other women around Liang Qi, she never thought she had to be someone special in his eyes. Or at least, she didn't realize she had thought about it.
But things suddenly changed.
The moment she woke up in Liang Qi's bed, her sense of self-esteem, worthiness, and balance seemed to be activated all at once. She felt she could no longer accept the state of only expressing liking and giving love. She began to yearn for him to respond in the same way.
She didn't want to be just a variable for his amusement.
She knew her actions that night were ridiculous and childish, but she didn't know how Liang Qi would view her avoidance.
In his eyes, would she become a difficult woman, a nuisance, and lose her appeal to him, thus being excluded from his preferences? And then, would she be unable to approach him anymore?
Perhaps escaping was the only option she could have at the time.
The night grew deeper and quieter. Jiang Nuanyu's thoughts continued to churn. She thought about Liang Qi, about everything that had happened between them, until her mind finally stopped working, and she finally fell asleep.
*
The next morning, sunlight streamed into the bedroom through the window. Sensing the light, Jiang Nuanyu frowned, turned over, and tried to cover her head and sleep a little longer.
She grabbed a corner of the blanket and tugged at it, but couldn't budge it. When she opened her eyes, she saw that Ye Ji had used the blanket as a mattress and was lying on top of her.
Jiang Nuanyu closed her eyes and hesitated for a few seconds before reluctantly rolling over to get out of bed. Halfway through the movement, she hissed in pain.
She was in excruciating pain all over her body, especially in her lower back and abdomen, as if she had been punched a hundred or eighty times.
Thinking about what happened last night, her face flushed again. She hadn't expected the aftereffects to be so severe.
She forced herself to get out of bed despite feeling unwell, intending to draw the curtains and go back to sleep. However, when she reached the window and was struck by the sunlight, her mind became completely clear.
Now that she was no longer sleepy, she simply went to wash up.
Ye Ji woke up midway through, and the two of them had a simple breakfast of oatmeal, milk, and a boiled egg.
Jiang Nuanyu was heading to the magazine office, and she could easily drop Ye Ji off there first by taking a short detour. As she waited for the elevator outside, she opened her ride-hailing app. Ye Ji saw her and said, "It's not on my way today."
Jiang Nuanyu was surprised: "You're not going to the TV station?" After a moment's thought, she said, "Oh right, it's Saturday today. I have to work overtime, so I'll assume you are too."
Ye Ji didn't speak.
Upon reaching the first floor and exiting the building, Ye Ji abruptly said, "I'm not going to the TV station, not because it's Saturday."
"What's the meaning?"
"I've changed jobs; I'm no longer broadcasting the news."
"Huh?" Jiang Nuanyu asked in surprise, "Why?"
Ye Ji said casually, "I just don't want to do this anymore."
The news came so suddenly that Jiang Nuanyu was completely bewildered.
Although Ye Ji always complained that her work was demanding and poorly paid, Jiang Nuanyu could sense that she was passionate about the job, so she never expected her to suddenly quit.
"...Are you kidding me?"
"No. Really." Ye Ji said seriously.
Jiang Nuanyu turned to look at her, her brows furrowed, and she stopped in her tracks.
Ye Ji avoided her gaze, pulled her arm, and said, "Hurry up, hurry up, your car is almost here."
Jiang Nuanyu was pulled out of the residential area by her and got into the car, but she still couldn't fully process the information.
Ye Ji's taxi was right behind them. Jiang Nuanyu noticed that she wasn't heading home, but she didn't tell her where she was going.
*
Although it was a Saturday, when Jiang Nuanyu arrived at the magazine office, several other colleagues were already working overtime in the office area.
She made herself a cup of coffee, sat down at her workstation, and began organizing the special report on the cooperation agreement between Tianqi and Conti.
Business and finance were not her strong suit, nor were they the magazine's main focus, so she turned her attention to the content of the media briefing the previous afternoon, which was the question she had asked Liang Qi.
She decided to position this report from the perspective of cultural heritage.
Although Liang Qi joked at the meeting that she was flattering Yun Jing, in her view, just as Liang Qi said, Yun Jing was indeed playing the role of a carrier of cultural heritage.
Moreover, these kinds of cultural projects inherently require the promotion and guidance of so-called "high praise." Even if the starting point of a company or individual may not be entirely based on considerations of cultural inheritance, as long as it ultimately produces positive feedback in this direction, she believes it is worth mentioning.
She compiled the notes she had taken at the meeting into a document, and the more she thought about it, the more she realized that she had missed an opportunity to explore the issue in depth.
After Liang Qi answered her question, she actually wanted to ask another, but for some reason, she felt embarrassed. Later, other people kept asking questions, making it even harder for her to interrupt. Looking back now, she felt extremely regretful.
But an opportunity is an opportunity; once missed, it's gone forever. Right now, all she can rely on are these notes and memories.
She flipped through the documents, sighed silently, and continued working.
When undisturbed, Jiang Nuanyu is quite efficient. By 3 p.m., she had finished organizing this part of the content and written a first draft of several thousand words.
Today is Saturday, a day off. She planned to send the draft to Xiao An first thing Monday morning and ask Ji Meng to review its appropriateness. After all, this kind of report, which is more like official feedback, would definitely need to be reviewed by higher-ups.
She set up a timed email, and then couldn't resist looking up Julie's information.
She discovered that prior to her collaboration with Tianqi, although Julie had not been directly involved in the major affairs of the Conti Group, she had frequently appeared in the group's related soft content in recent years.
Especially in the last two years, Julie has played a very important role in many internationally renowned art festivals and cultural exhibitions.
Jiang Nuanyu felt inexplicably that Zhu Li's way of creating economic benefits by blurring the boundaries between art and commerce coincided with Liang Qi's concept of cultural carriers.
The two are clearly compatible. And Julie seems to be able to use this to further deepen her existing presence in the art world.
While admiring Julie's business acumen, Jiang Nuanyu couldn't help but think of other things.
At the signing ceremony the day before, Julie's speech was elegant, confident, and poised. However, when she was alone with Liang Qi in the banquet hall, she exuded an indescribable feminine charm, and her eyes revealed an undisguised admiration for Liang Qi.
Jiang Nuanyu unconsciously compared herself to Zhu Li. Zhu Li was on par with Liang Qi in terms of career, ideals, and resources; while she was still worried that she might appear frivolous because of an accidental sexual encounter.
The way she established contact with Liang Qi seemed to be solely due to her one-sided affection for him.
Realizing this, she didn't know why, but suddenly she became bothered by it, even though she knew that such concern was unfair to her.
But when it comes to emotions, it seems no one can be absolutely fair. Even if that person is herself.
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