Episode 7 The Secret Lover
Since returning from Sheshan, Lin Ying had never been so eager for Yan Yiming to have a sudden burst of inspiration and then go find a rural area to collect folk songs. If so, she could spend a month collecting folk songs.
She knew that such thoughts were despicable, but she really had no way to make everything go back to the starting point.
Unexpectedly, a month later, her wish came true - Yan Yiming was leaving Shanghai for a while. However, this time it wasn't a field trip, but a serious business trip.
In order to promote the works, the curators of Tengchun Culture specially planned a mainland tour meeting, with the first stop in Shanghai, the second stop in Suzhou, and then Wuhan, and then heading south.
It sounded like a trip that could be completed in two or three days. Lin Ying was secretly happy - after all the boring days, she finally had something new to look forward to.
This business trip was expected to last at least a week. Before leaving, Yan Yiming mentioned the idea of his mother-in-law coming to accompany her, but Lin Ying sternly refused.
"I'm not a child anymore, and I'm not incapable of taking care of myself. Besides, I have a job, and if Mom comes to live with me, it will only increase the burden on my life. Besides, she's your mother, and I'm not as dependent on her as you are."
After a lot of arguments, Yan Yiming was successfully defeated and conveyed her original words to her parents without any embarrassment or politeness.
From the conversation, it could be heard that Ren Jiahui seemed a little unhappy, but Lin Ying didn't care that much.
Since they have never cared about her feelings, why should she be grateful for the Yan family's self-righteous "care"?
After the meeting in Shanghai, to show his importance, Yan Song specially arranged for a driver to take his son to Suzhou, and also asked his wife and daughter-in-law to go along.
Lin Ying didn't want to go at first, but she was afraid that the Yan family would hold a grudge and then restrain her, which would be embarrassing, so she had to cooperate.
Arriving at Yan Yiming's hotel in Suzhou, Ren Jiahui accompanied her son to the front desk to open the room card, constantly giving instructions on trivial matters for the coming week. Lin Ying sat bored on the sofa in the lobby, scrolling through her WeChat Moments and saw that Jiang Shu had rarely posted a picture of a garden...
She zoomed in curiously and realized - isn't this a window view of the Lion Grove?
Why did he suddenly post a picture like this? Is he also in Suzhou?
Lin Ying clicked on his profile picture and prepared to send a text message:
"Are you also in Suzhou?"
In less than a minute, the other party actually sent her a location directly... Isn't this the hotel where she is now?
"I came to Suzhou on a business trip. What a coincidence that we ran into each other."
Before she could reflect, the tall figure beside her merged with the phone screen. Lin Ying slowly raised her head. Jiang Shu himself was actually right next to her?!
Her body froze at first, and before she could think of what to say, a sentence in Shanghainese interrupted the atmosphere between the two of them -
"Hey, isn't this Ah Shu? How could you have come to Suzhou too?"
Ren Jiahui and Yan Yiming had checked in and were returning to her one by one.
Jiang Shu smiled naturally, "There was a bidding meeting on the 13th floor. It just ended. I saw Aying here. Aunt Ren, are you coming to Suzhou with us?"
“It’s not…”
When Ren Jiahui meets the Jiang family, she will definitely speak Shanghainese.
Over the years, Lin Ying has gotten used to it. Even if she can understand the general idea, she will pretend not to understand. This way, she can daydream openly and reasonably not respond.
Ren Jiahui kept on rambling, and Jiang Shu responded politely while also making polite eye contact with Yan Yiming...
Although they grew up together, the relationship between Yan Yiming and Jiang Shu is not so much lukewarm as it is that they look down on each other.
Ever since he met Jiang Shu, Yan Yiming had been complaining about him to Lin Ying without reservation. When he was a child, he said that he was a "hypocritical" and a "boring academic". When he grew up, he said that he was a "sophisticated egoist" and a "scumbag". He then boasted that he was "loyal and loyal" and "faithful".
In the past, Lin Ying had no idea about this, but now, he has a clearer understanding of these two people.
She didn't think Yan Yiming's words were accurate and sharp, nor did she think Jiang Shu was perfect and reliable. Overall, neither of them was much better than the other.
One pretends to be devoted, the other pretends to be profound.
And she was just greedy for Jiang Shu's body. None of the three of them were upright people.
"Mom, my agent is here. I'm leaving first. See you next week!"
Yan Yiming interrupted his mother's business greetings with Jiang Shu. Before saying goodbye, he didn't forget to kiss Lin Ying again - "Wife, wait for me to come back!"
In public, Lin Ying was puzzled by this sudden intimacy - he had never been so enthusiastic before.
When she came to her senses, she saw Jiang Shu's eyes were subtly fixed on her face, as if there was an undercurrent surging, and he was hesitant to speak...
"Ashu, do you want to have lunch together?"
Jiang Shu flatly refused: "No, Aunt Ren, I have something to do this afternoon. Let's get together again when I get back to Shanghai."
After saying goodbye, Lin Ying followed Ren Jiahui out of the hotel lobby. Just as they were about to get in the car, Lin Ying suddenly stopped and said, "Mom, I'm going to the bathroom. Please wait for me."
She returned to the lobby and headed towards the bathroom sign. Her steps grew faster and faster, her pace growing increasingly shaky. She forgot to ask herself, what on earth was she doing? So blatantly? What if someone saw her? What if she didn't have enough time...
As soon as she entered the third bathroom, she was grabbed by the person who was waiting there. She was pushed in front of the mirror and kissed him passionately... the familiar, ambiguous, and exciting taste of his lips and tongue.
This time, he was a bit overbearing and wanted to vent his anger, causing her to retreat involuntarily, and then he caught up and blocked her...
"Why didn't he tell me he was going on a business trip for a week?"
He suddenly stopped, his eyes fixed on Lin Ying in an ambiguous and obscure manner.
“…Before I could even say anything, I bumped into you.”
"Do I need a key?"
"Well, I'll use it tonight."
"I'm not going back to Shanghai tonight."
"Then tomorrow..."
He interrupted her again, kissing all the way to her earlobe, his breath tickling Lin Ying, which was really hard to resist. They only did it that once, but she had been thinking about it for almost a month.
He whispered seductively, "How about using it tonight? I can't wait until tomorrow."
"But I'm going back soon."
"Silly... I can pick you up again. Wouldn't that be better?"
So on the way back, Lin Ying was almost absent-minded the whole time.
Ren Jiahui saw that she was distracted, but she didn't ask what she was thinking. She just kept to herself and used what she thought was a good topic to bring her back to her senses.
"Ah Ying, Ah Ming's been away on business lately, and you're home alone. If you feel lonely, you can always come back for dinner. I'm home every day anyway, so I don't have anything to do. I used to be the one to keep you company, but Ah Ming told me a few days ago that he didn't want to bother me this time... You young people are always so independent these days. If I were to ask you, it would be better to have a family together, eating and chatting, wouldn't you agree?"
Lin Ying heard the hidden meaning in her words, but did not nod. He just smiled and pretended to explain casually -
"Mom, I'm used to being alone. I don't find it boring. But Yiming likes being in a crowd. Now the two of us can have our own personal space without being too distant. It's actually pretty good."
Ren Jiahui shook her head: "Don't make this a habit. You have to change it. People, especially women, have to think about their families after they get married. You and Yiming have only been married for two years. It's a long time. You can't keep thinking like this. If you ask me, have a child sooner, your life will not be boring."
There was really no point in talking since they didn't get along, so Lin Ying could only smile and remain silent.
"It's the weekend tonight. Why don't you come home for dinner? I'll ask Auntie to cook for you."
Now I couldn't just smile and say nothing anymore. "Not tonight. I'm... having a team building at the company. We're having dinner first and then singing. It should be over very late."
"Oh well."
Ren Jiahui curled her lips, but still wanted to nag: "Then don't drink, go home early, you are a girl, and you are married, so you should turn down such activities if you can."
Lin Ying always talks about girls and children, and even though she has lost her biological mother, she cannot escape being besieged by elders of the same sex.
She is married, but she is only 24 years old. Some girls of the same age are still enjoying the sweetness and bitterness of being in love, some are still looking for their passion around the world, and some know what they want and will fight for it without hesitation. But she, although she has a good family background and is backed by a powerful family business, and can even be considered a "rich girl", still cannot escape the fate of being trapped in life by the environment and marriage.
Is she living a life that is too meaningless?
What should she do?
Everyone is trying to make her obey, everyone is trying to make her understand, everyone is trying to cut off her thoughts and desires...
Are those so-called good things really good?
If so, why can't she feel it?
Ren Jiahui accompanied Lin Ying back home and stayed until almost evening. Jiang Shu sent her the driver's license plate number and told her to get ready to leave.
However, my mother-in-law had no intention of leaving. Not only that, she kept calling and urging my aunt to come and live with us.
"Yes, Aunt Wu, please come all week. I'm worried about the little girl being home alone..."
Hearing the request to "be there all week", Lin Ying's heart sank. After her mother-in-law hung up the phone, she tried to express her dissatisfaction:
"Mom, there's no need to bother Aunt Wu to accompany me. The housework isn't that much..."
"Aying, just listen to me. Ming is away this week, and you don't want me to take care of you. Mom is worried about you, so she wants to ask Auntie to come and ease your burden..."
"I have no burden! As long as you stop interfering in my life!"
This sentence was like a huge rock, suddenly thrown out and hitting the ice surface...
As if she had not expected the other party's reaction, Ren Jiahui just stood there in a daze.
The first one to break the ice could only be Lin Ying.
"I'm sorry, I really don't need anyone to accompany me. I just want to live a normal life. I can live a normal life with or without Yiming... I am married, but I am also an adult. I have the right to choose how to live my life! Please stop interfering, okay?"
Lin Ying took a long breath and smoothed her hair.
"My taxi is here, I have to go."
After saying that, she picked up a shoulder bag, left the house without looking back, went straight down the elevator, and got into the car arranged by Jiang Shu.
He was quite thoughtful. This car was not a company bus of Jianglin Group, but an ordinary online taxi. He was worried that her mother-in-law would suspect her of having ulterior motives, so he made sure everything was prepared.
She told Ren Jiahui frankly that this was not in her plan, but she did have ulterior motives. However, tonight's outburst was obviously more than that.
Why didn't she even have the right to choose to be alone? Why weren't her preferences and habits respected? Why did she have to give up her identity just because she got married? Is this what duty is?
She has been a dutiful daughter for more than 20 years. Now she is a wife, a daughter-in-law, and will be a mother in the future. She will continue to be "dutiful" all her life.
What is duty?
Submissive, obedient, considering her husband, her family, and her future, but none of these were what she wanted.
If you think about yourself, you are selfish.
Lin Ying could foresee that even if she continued to be so numb and submissive, the number of people who would fight for her would only decrease, or even disappear altogether...
Even if it is the person you are having an affair with tonight.
He is not doing his job, but everyone assumes that his behavior is harmless.
In everyone's eyes, Jiang Shu was young and promising, handsome and rich. He didn't have enough fun, so he could stay single. Even if the people around him kept changing, even if he put his hands on her, she didn't think it mattered...
Lin Ying thought that Jiang Shu was staying in the same hotel as Yan Yiming during the day, but when the driver took her to the door of another hotel, she realized that Jiang Shu was much more thoughtful than she thought.
Both her husband and Jiang Lin's partner are staying in that hotel tonight. If these people see them coming in and out of the same place, wouldn't it be a bad outcome?
After parking, the driver handed her a room card——
"Mr. Jiang has a social event tonight, so you should go and rest first. The hotel has a buffet dinner, so please feel free to enjoy it."
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