I woke up to find I have a child - Chapter 23
Jiang Lingyan was no stranger to Shen Sangluo’s reaction. She quickly opened the door and chased after her. Then with one of her thin arms, she moved forward and grabbed Shen Sangluo who was about to walk down the steps.
Although Jiang Lingyan is good-looking, the first thing people notice about her is not her face but her impossibly thin figure that made one suspect she was suffering from malnutrition.
Of course, she was not actually malnourished, but appeared thin due to her small frame and since she doesn’t have much meat on her body in the first place, she always looked too thin.
So when Shen Sangluo was grabbed by her, she didn’t dare to pull away because she felt if she used too much strength, Jiang Lingyan would be pulled along with her and fall onto the ground.
However, she had forgotten that the last time they got this close into each other’s personal space, Jiang Lingyan had personally told her she was not so fragile that she would break at the touch. Yet, Shen Sangluo didn’t remember, or more accurately, she didn’t want to remember = =
Jiang Lingyan quickly walked down two steps and then looked back to see someone standing near the window looking curiously at them, “Follow me to the treehouse.”
Shen Sangluo didn’t want to follow, but when she turned around she also saw the curious gazes directed their way. In the end, she could only obediently follow Jiang Lingyan for fear that the others might discover the “love affair” between Jiang Lingyan and her.
This lake view house was quite old and, apart from some old residences of former celebrities and old Siheyuan*, there were few buildings built more than 30 years ago that are still left in Beijing that have not been demolished or renovated. The Jiang family had bought this house when Eldest Miss Jiang was born and renovated it into a vacation home for their children. For the two sisters, Jiang Lingyan and Jiang Lingyuan, this place was where they spent most of their childhood holidays. (*T/N: A siheyuan is a historical type of residence, a courtyard surrounded by buildings on all four sides. See more on wikipedia)
After the two children became adults, the place was renovated again. The childish decorations and objects were removed and were replaced with constructs that were considered more in line with the modern style. The entire villa was renovated with only the treehouse left untouched and maintained as its original appearance.
The treehouse was built on top of a large tree with a spiral knotted wood ladder beside it. Shen Sangluo followed Jiang Lingyan up the ladder and into the treehouse. A child may stand in the treehouse and feel that there is a lot of space, but two adults would feel that the space was cramped as they only needed to reach upwards with their hands and they could touch the ceiling. If they were any taller, they would have to enter with their waist bent in order to fit inside.
Such a cramped environment obviously made Shen Sangluo even more alert than she already was. She shuffled uncomfortably and then turned around to leave, “I have something to do, so I will be leaving first.”
This time Jiang Lingyan did not stop her and instead leaned against the door of the treehouse, her right hand behind and just touching the doorknob. She smiled lightly, “Shen Sangluo, why do you always avoid me?”
Shen Sangluo stayed silent and turned her head away, refusing to look at Jiang Lingyan. Whenever she was faced with a question beyond her abilities she would pretend to be a turtle and shrink into her shell
= =
Jiang Lingyan bent one leg slightly and shifted her center of gravity backward as she watched Shen Sangluo calmly, “The one who was slept with was me, the one who was left behind without even a goodbye was me, the one who was ghosted and treated like air was still me. So why is it whenever you see me, you’re like a mouse who has seen the cat? Am I that scary?”
Ah, please change the analogy. She is not a mouse meeting a cat, but a chicken meeting a weasel. A cat simply kills the mouse, but the weasel steals the chicken and eats it afterward!
“….”
Shen Sangluo’s face was so red that it was almost the color of an apple. In front of Jiang Lingyan, she did want to lose her pride so she turned her head to face her and rebutted with an indignant expression, “Don’t just talk about yourself, did I not also suffer some losses!”
Yes, it’s true that she pounced on Jiang Lingyan first but….but didn’t Jiang Lingyan counterattack later? And…and she also counterattacked at least two rounds! (T/N: If your don’t get it, when she says counterattack she means Jiang Lingyan basically topped her and when you top someone that means…well excuse the language, but you were the one to fuck the other person.)
Shen Sangluo was so embarrassed by this matter that she didn’t dare to even tell Han Fexiu about this incident. In the version she had told Han Feixu, she had only told Han Feixu that she had pounced on Jiang Lingyan and slept with her. The rest of the matter was glossed over in just one sentence. Even now Han Feixu doesn’t know that she was the one who was tormented the most. At least in the end, she was still strong and stubborn enough to get up and sneak away.
Jiang Lingyan suddenly laughed.
When Shen Sangluo saw that smile, it made her scalp tingle. It was this smile, that damn seductive smile that pulled on one’s heartstrings, that had made her at that time, who had drunk too much, act on her impulses and jump on Jiang Lingyan.
Jiang Lingyan got out of the doorway and took two steps forward as she slightly raised her head, a dark light glittering in her charming eyes, “What losses did you suffer?”
Shen Sangluo pressed her lips tightly together. How could she say these things out loud? If she could, that would be even stranger!
The smile on Jiang Lingyan’s face grew deeper and deeper, “Say it, tell me. I’ll let you pay ‘an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth’, alright?”
…..Not alright. She had slipped up once before, she would not slip up for the second time.
“I still have things to do, so I’ll be leaving first!”
Shen Sangluo stepped forward, her speed almost on par with a track and field athlete. However, her speed was closer to a school-level athlete but Jiang Lingyan’s speed was closer to a national-level athlete, the kind of athlete that has won an Olympic gold medal.
Jiang Lingyan moved much faster than her and the space in this treehouse was already small, so Shen Sangluo ended up directly hitting her. However, the impact wasn’t too heavy and she soon got up. Meanwhile, to Jiang Lingyan, this light collision was like being scratched by a kitten.
She was afraid that if this continued, Shen Sangluo would really try to run away so she stood up straight and put on an ‘honest’ and sincere expression, “Alright, alright, I won’t tease you anymore. Why don’t you come in? Today’s party is hosted by me, and what kind of host would allow their guest leave without letting them enter the door first? I promise I won’t mention our previous affairs again, ok?”
Shen Sangluo was still very suspicious as she looked at Jiang Lingyan, “Really?”
Jiang Lingyan smiled helplessly, “Really.”
Her tone of voice was like one coaxing their spoiled lover and it made Shen Sangluo rubbed her arms uncomfortably. She still thought about leaving and Jiang Lingyan saw her hesitation so she pushed a little more, “You’re already here anyway, are you really not going to come in? Han Feixu is also inside.”
The light bulb in Shen Sangluo’s head lit up with a “pop!”
Yes, that’s right, how did she forget about Han Feixu, the main culprit of her current dilemma?
Han Feixu was still chatting with Chi Qiu. Zhang Hao and Chi Qiu had worked together before so he also joined their conversation. The three of them were still talking about the matter of Zhang Hao being implicated in the Mao Yangjun scandal. One by one, they gave Zhang Hao ideas that might help restore his reputation. When it was Chi Qiu’s turn to give him her rotten ideas, a strange woman suddenly rushed in and grabbed Han Feixu. Then without a word, she dragged Han Feixu to the room next door, opened it, and pushed her in before walking in herself and closing the door behind her.
Chi Qiu and Zhang Hao just stood there, staring with widened eyes as they had no idea what was going on.
Inside the room:
Han Feixu: “Calm down, calm down! I didn’t know it was Jiang Lingyan hosting the party! When I received the invitation, it only said that the contestants and the judges were having a get-together and that I could invite a few friends with me. How would I have known that the host would be Jiang Lingyan!”
Shen Sangluo’s anger had not erupted yet, but she listened to Han Feixu’s explanation with a look of suspicion on her face, “You didn’t know?”
Han Feixu put on a face full of sincerity, “Of course I didn’t know. If I knew, would I have invited you?”
Shen Sangluo narrowed her eyes and pondered Han Feixu’s words carefully.
After a long time, she finally nodded, “Yes, if you knew, you would definitely still invite me.”
Han Feixu: “…..:
“In fact, if you didn’t know, you wouldn’t have called me and invited me because you know that you and I are not in the same social circle. So it would’ve been useless to call me here. But if you did know, someone like you who likes watching from the side when a commotion happens would definitely call me over in order to watch the excitement between me and Jiang Lingyan.”
Shen Sangluo deserves to be called her best friend, she knows her too well = =
Shen Sangluo lauded sinisterly, “Is there anything else you want to say?”
Han Feixu shook her head silently.
Jiang Lingyan had entered the villa with Shen Sangluo and had watched as Shen Sangluo located her target and dragged Han Feixu into the nearby bathroom.
She grabbed a plate of crab cakes and a glass of martini from a waiter’s tray. Then she began socializing among different groups of people but stayed near the bathroom Shen Sangluo was in.
Who knows how many humiliating agreements were verbally signed between the two of them before Han Feixu and Shen Sangluo finally came out, with the former looking like someone who just came from their parents’ funeral and the latter with a beaming smile on her face.
Han Feixu returned to her original group of friends as she cheered herself up and introduced them to one another, “Everyone, this is my friend Shen Sangluo, the deputy section chief for the auditing and review section at the National Radio and Television Administration.”
The artists did not need to be introduced to Shen Sangluo as she knew all of them already
Shen Sangluo coughed lightly, “It’s ‘section chief’, I’ve been promoted some time ago.”
“What’s the difference, didn’t people call you ‘section chief’ when you were the deputy section chief ?”
There really seems to be no difference = =
Although Shen Sangluo’s salary was not as high-paying as everyone present, even the lowest casting director had a monthly salary higher than hers, when they heard she was a member of the National Radio and Television Administration, they all became more alert. Very soon, someone stepped forward and seamlessly approached her as they wormed their way into her good graces.
Chi Qiu also kept staring at Shen Sangluo, however, Han Feixu felt that her gaze was a little different than the others. She was just about to ask what was wrong when Chi Qiu made use of the opportunity to sit next to Shen Sangluo.
Originally Han Feixu was sitting in the middle, but now Shen Sangluo sat in the middle. The waiter walked by and Han Feixu grabbed a small plate of snacks, munching on it as she listened on the side to their conversation.
Chi Qiu: “Section Chief Shen is so young. I thought only stinky middle-aged men could be section chiefs. This is my first time seeing such a beautiful-looking section chief.”
Shen Sangluo: “Haha, and this is my first time being praised by a star as beautiful as you are. It’s better if you don’t praise me because compared to you, I am merely an ugly duckling.”
Chi Qiu “Beautiful people deserve to be praised. Isn’t there a saying that ‘a natural beauty is too hard to hide’*?” (*T/N: This ‘saying’ is a line (???????) from a famous poem called “Song of Everlasting Regret” by Bai Juyi. There are many different translations of this line but the gist is ‘it’s hard to ignore/hide someone so beautiful’)
Shen Sangluo pursed her lips and smiled, but did not say anything. It seems she was being bashful.
Chi Qiu observed her expression for two seconds, then took two glasses of champagne from a nearby waiter and handed one to Shen Sangluo. Chi Qiu asked, “Does Section Chief Shen have a boyfriend?”
Shen Sangluo: “No.”
Chi Qiu: “A girlfriend?”
Shen Sangluo hadn’t noticed that something was not quite right with her words and casually turned her head to face Chi Qiu: “Also no.”
Chi Qiu smiled sweetly, “That’s really great.”
“Cough! Cough! Cough!—”
Han Feixu suddenly choked on her food and almost choked herself to death.
Shen Sangluo quickly handed over her glass of wine and then hurriedly patted Han Feixu on the back. With this interruption, Shen Sangluo was distracted and had forgotten what Chi Qiu said just now. She turned her head and asked, “What did you say earlier?”
Chi Qiu: “….Nothing.”
Jiang Lingyan made her way over and asked a waiter to bring a glass of ice water to moisten Han Feixu’s throat. She sat between Han Feixu and Shen Sangluo and after making sure Han Feixu was no longer coughing so badly, she smiled at Chi Qiu and said, “Can you help get me a towel?”
Chi Qiu felt that it was strange. There are so many waiters here and the closest person to Jiang Lingyan is Shen Sangluo so why is she asking her to run errands for her?
Furthermore, why does her blood run cold when she looks at Jiang Lingyan’s smile?
With a head full of confusion, Chi Qiu went to get a towel. When she came back, Han Feixu had already recovered and had stood up to leave some space for Jiang Lingyan and Shen Sangluo. Who knows what Jiang Lingyan was saying to Shen Sangluo because Shen Sangluo’s eyes widened. However, within a second her face changed back to an uncaring and unbothered expression.
What Jiang Lingyan said to her just now was that Chi Qiu is gay and she had even suggestively dropped hints to Jiang Lingyan before. At first, Shen Sangluo was rather surprised, but then realizing that she had overreacted, she hurriedly changed her expression.
Meanwhile, Han Feixu wandered around the lounge. Some people came up and chatted with her. She followed along and chatted for a while when Ye Mingxin finally came around seven o’clock. Han Feixu was standing in the corner at the time, launching a violent attack on the last of the ginseng* that rested on her plate. (*T/N: Di Shen or ?? is apparently a type of ginseng. You can make it into a certain vegetable dish but I’ve never tried it before. They are also called ground silkworms.)
Although the ginseng looks like tiny bugs, it was actually quite tasty and refreshing. In the beginning, Han Feixu had regarded it with disgust, but now she was in love with it.
While she was busy eating the ginseng, she didn’t notice Ye Mingxin walking in. When her figure appeared, it was no exaggeration to say that half of the people in the lounge gathered around her, the words “Teacher Ye!” on their lips. Every one of them had a face full of unadulterated admiration.
Han Feixu, on the other hand, simply continued to eat her ginseng and watched as Ye Mingxin easily dealt with the people around her. She was delayed near the entrance for about ten minutes before she finally made her way towards Han Feixu.
She and Han Feixu had been in a film together and they were also artists under the same company. Thus it was normal for them to have a friendly relationship. However, as Ye Mingxin made her way towards Han Feixu, countless people came up to talk with her. Ye Mingxin couldn’t reject them and tried her best to end the conversations in two to three sentences.
After dealing with four people who came up to chat with her, she looked up and found that Han Feixu was no longer there.
….This was one of the reasons why she wanted to publicize their marriage. After making it public, she can openly say that she’s going to find her wife and no one would try to stop her.
Han Feixu went to find a place next to the bar and sat down. Chi Qiu also walked over, her tone filled with uncertainty as she asked, “Director Jiang and Section Chief Shen…..”
Jiang Lingyan had a certain status that allowed her to ignore others and openly accompany Shen Sangluo in the full view of others. She was obviously not afraid of others gossiping about her and not to mention, since Shen Sangluo is not a celebrity but an ordinary person, her private life does not need to be kept secret.
Han Feixu smiled in reply but did not say anything.
Chi Qiu’s face froze, “Why didn’t you tell me earlier?”
Black lines appeared on Han Feixu’s face , “You two have barely known each other for more than an hour. Of course I wouldn’t bring up such a topic! Besides, who starts flirting with someone they just met!”
Chi Qiu gave her an innocent look, “Haven’t I always been like this? When I first met you, didn’t I also flirt with you too?”
Han Feixu: “….” You are quite straightforward.
Chi Qiu suddenly felt a chill go down her back. She was originally casually leaning against the counter of the bar but now she stood with her back straight. She looked back and found Ye Mingxin standing only one meter behind her. When Ye Mingxin saw her turn her head, she smiled faintly in response.
This type of smile that made one’s blood run cold felt quite familiar.
Han Feixu noticed her movements and turned her head to see what was going on. The moment she laid her eyes on Ye Mingxin, she didn’t react at first, but then she immediately stood up with a somewhat guilty conscience.
“You’re here.”
Ye Mingxin raised an eyebrow slightly, “En. Everyone was in a good state today, most of the scenes were finished in one take and so the filming was finished early. Since work finished early, I decided to come here early.”
Han Feixu nodded. She was still wondering where this guilty conscience came from, after all, she had done nothing wrong. She offered her the plate of ginseng, “Want some?”
Ye Mingxin stayed silent as she looked at the snacks that looked very much like big, disgusting insects. After a few moments, she finally twisted a piece and popped it into her mouth.
She chewed it slowly before swallowing it.
Yiyi’s habit of only eating food that looks good was not inherited from Han Feixu, but Ye Mingxin. Ye Mingxin didn’t have any high requirements towards the taste of a dish, as long as it was acceptable, she would eat it. However, she was picky about her food’s appearance.
She used to politely decline such ugly-looking foods, but today, she had picked up a disgusting piece of ginseng and actually ate it.
She stepped forward to move closer to Han Feixu, “The filming will start the day after tomorrow, have you finished packing?”
“Yuanyuan helped me organize everything and my luggage was left at her place. However, I don’t feel there is any need to pack, after all isn’t it in Huairou*? That’s not too far from home.” (*T/N: Huairou is a district in northern Beijing)
“Although it’s not too far away, you still have to stay out for a night and staying outside is never as comfortable as staying at home.”
“How many suitcases did she pack for you?”
Han Feixu replied helplessly, “Two. I don’t even know what she put in there, but she packed two suitcases for me.”
Ye Mingxin chuckled, “You think this is much? In the future, there will be even more. If you go abroad, you’ll need to bring at least seven or eight suitcases at a time.”
Han Feixu let out a wailing sound, and the despondent leaned forward against the bar.
Seeing this, Ye Mingxin flicked her forehead softly, “You’re not the one carrying the luggage, why are you wailing.”
There were just too few people around Han Feixu. She only has one assistant, driver, and her agent has other artists to deal with besides her. In the future, this must be changed. If nothing else, she needs to hire a few more assistants otherwise she will have her hands full.
Han Feixu propped her chin in one hand and half turned her body to see if Shen Sangluo was still sitting on the same sofa. Then she turned back around and saw Chi Qiu staring at her with a blank expression.
….Game over, she had forgotten Chi Qiu was sitting next to her.
She had really forgotten about Chi Qiu, but Ye Mingxin had pretended not to remember. When Han Feixu turned around to face Chi Qiu, her back was towards Ye Mingxin. That’s why only Chi Qiu saw Ye Mingxin half-raise a glass of wine at her and lift a corner of her lips up into a smug smirk. This was clearly a declaration of sovereignty, that Han Feixu was hers.
After making these little movements, Ye Mingxin stood up, “I need to talk to Jiang Lingyan for a while, you two take your time.”
She walked away, leaving Han Feixu to deal with Chi Qiu.
“You two…are you two a couple?!!!!”
Han Feixu blinked, “No.” They were clearly marriage partners. (T/N: Some clarification. The words Chi Qiu used was “??” which usually means lovers and is usually used for people who are dating but not married. So Han Feixu thought that Chi Qiu was asking her if they were dating, but they’re married so she replies with a no. She thinks of her and Ye Mingxin as “??” which means mate/partner and is a term used more for married people.)
The expression on Chi Qiu’s face became even more bewildered. She looked at Han Feixu and then at Ye Mingxin who had walked up to Jiang Lingyan. Then she looked at Shen Sangluo who was also sitting over there. Her eyes went back and forth between the three people before she finally understood.
Could it be that Jiang Lingyan and Ye Mingxin…are both in the middle of their pursuits?
And the people they’re trying to pursue are Shen Sangluo and Han Feixu respectively.
Thinking about it this way, Chi Qiu was suddenly a bit speechless. Since her divorce, she had flirted with three people in total, and in the end, all three of these people were mixed up with each other.
Han Feixu found Chi Qiu funny. Although she didn’t realize she was being flirted with at the time, Han Feixu didn’t mind at all even when she did find out. This was because Chi Qiu was basically a player*, someone who easily becomes attracted to another but never develops any deep feelings. She was simply throwing her net* all over the place, but she didn’t really fall in love with Han Feixu. (*T/N: The word for ‘player’ used here is ?? which directly translates to scum woman or scumbag woman. However, a scumbag woman is usually referring to a player/casanova but the men’s equivalent of ?? is more varied and can simply mean garbage man. Also, the ‘throwing her net wide/all over the place’ saying is for someone who is taking any opportunity they can get and in this case Chi Qiu is literally chasing any girl she finds attractive.)
Han Feixu elbowed her jokingly, “Didn’t you just get divorced? Are you sure you want to find your second love* this way?” (*T/N: Words used here was “???” which directly translated is ‘next spring’, since when you fall in love, flowers bloom and you are in ‘spring’. So ‘next spring’ = next love or second love)
Chi Qiu was silent. What second love? Her first love hasn’t even occurred yet, she had never been in a real relationship before.
She and Shi Xi were married only in name. They did not have any feelings for each other. They had only married each other to solve their own issues. She was short on money at the time, very, very much so. Meanwhile, Shi Xi was from a very traditional yet rich family. He had married her to deceive his family.
Although the public’s general opinion had become more openminded, some people still think of homosexuality as a sin or disease. Shi Xi comes from such a family, but he and Chi Qiu are both…gay = =
At the time, Shi Xi was in a long-term relationship with his boyfriend but was discovered by his family. To avoid their ire, he could only get married as quickly as he could and used Chi Qiu as his beard* and put up a front with his family. However, behind their backs, he still lived with his boyfriend. (*T/N: beard is a common term for someone who is used in a relationship to hide another person’s sexual orientation.)
In other words, Shi Xi did cheat, but not on Chi Qiu. It was his boyfriend he secretly lived with that he cheated on.
When the two got married, they agreed that if one party did something that compromised the other party’s reputation or assets, then their marriage could be terminated immediately. That’s why Chi Qiu was able to announce their divorce on Weibo without any trouble. Her financial difficulties have long been dealt with, but she had to keep up this fake marriage. One one hand she was bound by contract, and on the other, she had to maintain relations with Shi Xi, who had helped her before, and couldn’t just burn her bridges without cause.
So when news about Shi Xi’s cheating came out, she was so happy she almost set off fireworks to celebrate = =
Of course, Chi Qiu couldn’t tell people about the messy inside situation. Although she was no longer bound by contract, she had to keep Shi Xi’s secret. Even if Shi Xi was in the wrong for cheating, Shi Xi was still Chi Qiu’s benefactor.
So she only told Han Feixu that she had never loved Shi Xi and was so fed up with disgusting men that she wanted to find a gentle girlfriend that’s as beautiful as a flower.
Han Feixu pondered over her words for a while. Something wasn’t quite right. Out of the three of them, none of them really fit the gentle and ‘as beautiful as a flower’ type? Why had Chi Qiu flirted with them then?
Han Feixu glanced into the distance and then leaned over to ask Chi Qiu, “If you want someone gentle and beautiful, I think Han Yiren and Lu Ersi are both pretty good. Why don’t you try approaching them? However, I beg you this time, just chase after one at a time, alright? Don’t try to cast your net everywhere.”
“….Forget it, I think it’s better for me to be single for now.”
She had a psychological shadow in her heart now from all her recent failed pursuits = =
When the clock struck ten, people began to leave one after another. Han Feixu didn’t drink much alcohol but ate a lot of food. She saw that most of the people had left by now and wanted to leave as well. She asked Shen Sangluo who was sitting next to her, “It’s ten already, are you going home soon? I’ll send you home.”
Shen Sangluo had drank tonight, so naturally she couldn’t drive herself home. However, before Shen Sangluo could answer, Jiang Lingyan replied, “It’s ok, you can leave first. I will send someone to take her home later.”
….If I let you send her home, will she be able to go home?
Although watching the excitement and gossip was one thing, when things become serious, Han Feixu will always protect Shen Sangluo from potential harm, “No need. We’re both going the same direction, so it’s no trouble for me to send her home. Right, Shen Sangluo? Shen Sangluo? Section Chief Shen?”
Shen Sangluo finally turned towards her, “I’m not going back, you can go back by yourself.”
Han Feixu blinked twice, and then asked hesitantly, “Are you drunk?”
Shen Sangluo’s expression remained the same as usual, “No, I’m not drunk, I only drank a little. You can go back by yourself. When I want to go home, I will find a driver myself.”
Shen Sangluo was actually drunk, however, when she’s drunk she usually talks and acts almost the exact same as when she’s sober. The only difference is her temperament becomes a little childish and most ordinary people can’t see it. It is only when she throws as tantrum or makes trouble can one tell that she is drunk = =
When they were in high school, Han Feixu would sometimes secretly drink a sip or two from her parents’ wine, but Shen Sangluo never drank. So Han Feixu didn’t know what Shen Sangluo was like when she’s drunk and only thought that she really was sober.
She stayed for another 15 minutes to make sure Shen Sangluo really was fine and after eating some more food, she finally stood up, “Don’t drink anymore, go home early, and send me a text over WeChat when you get home.”
“I know already, you’re so naggy.”
Han Feixu: “….”
Ye Mingxin left first when Han Feixu said she wanted to leave and after being scolded by Shen Sangluo with this sentence, Han Feixu left without another word. Hmph, she’s not going to care about this ungrateful woman anymore ?_?
Jiang Lingyan sat next to Shen Sangluo, raised her head slightly and then looked down at the wine glass in her hand. The light landed on her cup, and she saw her reflection in the liquid inside her glass. The smile on her face was one of someone’s schemes having successfully been accomplished. Now she no longer hid her intentions and was slowly counting down the clock.
When it was almost time, she asked her staff to take the remaining guests to one of her nearby nightclubs. On the surface she invited them out to play, but really it was an excuse to clear the field for herself.
The environment quickly changed from crowded and noisy to quiet and empty. No matter who left or how many people were leaving, Shen Sangluo only obediently sat on the sofa, eating a bite of food from a dish from time to time and then sipping some champagne every now and then.
Shen Sangluo’s alcohol capacity was actually very poor, but few people knew about this. This was because when socializing outside, she would always distract people with some words and her quick wit. The other party would be spun around in circles by her words until they were dizzy and couldn’t remember whether she had drunk any alcohol or not.
There was no one else in the villa, yet Jiang Lingyan still sat beside her, saying nothing, as if waiting for something.
In that quiet and dim night scene, Jiang Lingyan quietly scrolled through the news she had missed today on her phone when suddenly the sound of plates falling onto the carpet rang out.
Immediately afterwards, a sweet scent entered her nose as a body leaned against her. Shen Sangluo lay on her shoulder, the corners of her mouth half-raised, “Jiang Lingyan, do you like me?”
Jiang Lingyan put down her phone and turned her head, “Why don’t you guess.”
Shen Sangluo put her chin on Jiang Lingyan’s shoulder, but she felt uncomfortable so she tilted her cheek and began to rub lightly, “I don’t need to guess, you must like me.”
After Shen Sangluo got drunk, there were two stages to her drunkenness. In the first stage, she would quietly eat some food. However, the second stage is Jiang Lingyan’s favorite stage.
In the second stage, Shen Sangluo becomes exceptionally open about everything and says all she knows without reservation. Fortunately, she is not a civil servant in an important department of the country, otherwise all of the state’s secrets would’ve been spilled by her.
Jiang Lingyan lifted Shen Sangluo’s chin with her index and middle fingers, making Shen Sangluo face her directly, “Since you know, why do you still hide from me?”
Shen Sangluo giggled, “Because I’m not sure if I like you.”
Her eyes narrowed and she lowered her head slightly as she lightly licked Jiang Lingyan’s fingertips, “Why don’t we do it again, and let me confirm how I feel?”