Endless Fall

196 Trying to Provoke Her

Pei Yilan shook her head repeatedly.

She swallowed the potato chips in her mouth and clenched her fists to prevent her from finding out she was sad.

“I don’t mind.” She took a deep breath and deliberately raised her voice to make her tone sound relaxed. “You are you, and they are them.”

Jiang Ye, who was lost in his memories, came back to his senses. When he looked down, he saw a pair of red eyes.

“Why are you crying?” He stroked the corners of her eyes, his smile as gentle as ever.

“I’m not crying.”

“Your eyes are already so red.”

“My eyelashes fell into my eyes.” Pei Yilan made up an excuse and emphasized, “It’s making my eyes uncomfortable, so it’s red.”

Jiang Ye did not expose her.

He leaned over and picked up the glass of water on the coffee table. He fed it to her and watched her drink. “I’m glad he didn’t beat that person to death back then.”

“If he has taken a life with his hands…” No matter what, he would not be with her.

The reason was very simple. He was not worthy of her.

“Let’s not talk about this anymore.” Pei Yilan did not want him to bring up his past, nor could she bear to hear it.

She leaned close to his neck and rubbed against it. “Jiang Ye, how about we buy a house next year? I want to have a home with you.”

When he suddenly heard the word “home”, Jiang Ye, who didn’t have a place called home, felt endless hope.

He felt her warmth and his blood was boiling. Like a lost bird that had found its habitat, he felt a sense of security he had been longing for.

“Okay.” Jiang Ye stroked her long hair. The moment he closed his eyes, his eyelashes were a little wet.

——Actually, wherever she is, it’s home.

#

The rain stopped on Monday morning.

After the morning meeting in the planning department ended, many employees rushed out of the meeting room and walked to their desks.

Lin Jiao turned on the computer. Just as she was typing, Meng Qi, who was sitting beside her, edged closer.

“Senior, are you free at noon?” She took two sips of iced Americano. “I’ll treat you to a meal.”

“Why are you suddenly treating me to a meal?”

“I’m about to resign.”

Lin Jiao turned to look at her. “So suddenly?” She thought about it carefully. “Are you not used to the work here?”

“I’m too tired.” Meng Qi had already lost the bet. She really did not want to work nine to six anymore.

She brushed the short hair on her shoulder. “I’m here to experience life anyway. There’s no need to stick to the end.”

“You’ve already submitted a resignation?”

“Yes.” She was still on probation and did not have to go through many procedures like a regular employee.

Lin Jiao did not say anything else.

She opened the product information sent from Zheng Yi and made a proposal for Sheng Heng’s next product.

She worked until noon, when a few rays of sunlight shone down.

The restaurants on Sycamore Street were packed as usual. Even the vendors rushed over after the rain, pushing their tricycles filled with flowers.

Meng Qi had always been picky. From the moment she entered the Western restaurant, she started to complain.

In addition to complaining about the dining environment, she would also compare the dishes of the restaurant with the dishes in other restaurants.

It was very tiring to eat with her. If not for the fact that it was the last meal, Lin Jiao would not be sitting here.

Under constant complaining, Lin Jiao ate half of the steak with poker face without even drinking the mushroom soup.

“Senior, are you full?” Meng Qi finally stopped complaining.

“I’m full.”

“Then I’ll get the bill.” Fortunately, the way she treated the waiter was polite.

Lin Jiao walked out of the restaurant. When she breathed in the fresh air after the rain, she felt much more relaxed.

She chatted with Meng Qi casually. They did not have much in common and were just talking nonsense most of the time.

“Miss Lin?” A Maserati stopped beside Lin Jiao and a woman’s voice came from the back seat.

Yao Qianning got out of the car. “Can we talk?”

She smiled gently, but Lin Jiao could see a trace of hostility and disdain in the depths of her eyes.

“Yes,” she asked Meng Qi to go back first. Her gaze landed on the cafe opposite. “Do you want coffee?”

“Sure.” Yao Qianning followed her.

There were no private rooms in the cafe. They chose a window seat and sat opposite each other.

The melodious music filled the space. It was not noisy, but it could calm people down.

The waiter brought two cups of coffee. The coffee had turned cold, but none of them said a word.

Lin Jiao was very calm.

Especially when facing her love rival, the indifference and fearlessness she showed was unmatched.

However, Yao Qianning was used to putting on an act. No matter how unhappy she was, she did not show it on her face.

She stirred the coffee with a silver spoon and sized up the woman opposite her. “Miss Lin, you’re very beautiful.”

“Thank you.”

“It’s just that beauty is sometimes useless.”

Lin Jiao suddenly smiled. “So?” She was flamboyant and charming when she smiled.

Yao Qianning had to admit that Lin Jiao had a certain advantage over her in terms of appearance, temperament, and figure.

But in terms of family background…

Yao Qianning said bluntly, “What Pei Zhi needs is a woman who is his equal, not a vase that has no real value. What’s the use of being beautiful? You can keep him for the time being, but can you keep him forever?”

“If you’re referring to his ability, I don’t think there’s anyone in Lin City who’s his equal in that regard. If you’re talking about his family background, mine can’t compare to his, but can yours?”

“Yao Corporation…”

“Miss Yao, people with a good upbringing won’t jump to conclusions about others, and nor will they label others casually.”

Lin Jiao’s sarcasm made Yao Qianning’s expression change.

She picked up the coffee cup and took two sips before saying calmly, “Pei Zhi naturally has his reasons for not choosing you. Instead of wasting my time, you might as well ask yourself why.”

Yao Qianning was so angry that she clenched her fists.

She struggled to maintain her remaining elegance, unwilling to be at a disadvantage in front of Lin Jiao. “The Yao Corporation can become Sheng Heng’s right-hand partner, but what can Hongyuan Corp do? The real estate industry hasn’t been as good as before in the past two years.”

“Sheng Heng can develop to its current scale not because they rely on the so-called right-hand partner. My relationship with Pei Zhi is pure and not mixed with anything else. Even if my family is poor, he will still like me.”

“He doesn’t need it, but what about the Pei family?”

Lin Jiao raised an eyebrow. “Why do you have to bring benefits into everything? In your eyes, is love just a deal?”

“I’m telling the truth.”

“What you think is true has nothing to do with us.”

The calmer she was, the more fluctuating Yao Qianning’s emotions were. She could not even breathe smoothly.

She could tell that this tactic would not work, so she gritted her teeth and used other tactics to provoke Lin Jiao. “Miss Lin, Pei Zhi and I are not ordinary friends.”