Tang Yang was completely frozen in place.
At the moment their lips touched, Jiang Shiyan’s mind jolted. He tried to turn his head away, but the movement was too slow. Instead, his lips pressed against Tang Yang’s corner of the mouth in an even more ambiguous manner.
Jiang Shiyan’s lips were hot, burning.
Mixed with the taste of alcohol and a woody fragrance.
Tang Yang felt his breath intertwining with hers, spreading throughout her body through her bloodstream. Her hands unconsciously lost their strength.
Tang Yang’s fingertips loosened, and the pearl necklace slid to the ground.
The crisp “pitter-patter” sound crashed into Jiang Shiyan’s brain.
He looked into Tang Yang’s eyes, full of shock, and instantly felt like a complete jerk.
Jiang Shiyan abruptly let go of Tang Yang, both overwhelmed by the sweet softness and apologizing: “I’m sorry, I’m sorry.”
Jiang Shiyan swallowed, his breath tinged with alcohol: “Yang ge, I’m sorry…”
Seeing no reaction from Tang Yang, Jiang Shiyan put his hands together: “Yang ge, I’m sorry. I’m drunk and not thinking clearly.”
As he spoke, Jiang Shiyan wanted to pick up the pearls from the ground but then felt that comforting Tang Yang was more important than the expensive pearls. One second he took the chain from Tang Yang’s hand, the next he stood awkwardly looking at her…
He kissed her, and Jiang Shiyan’s first reaction was… sorry?!
Tang Yang wanted to touch his hand but inconspicuously withdrew it to her side.
It was at this moment that Tang Yang belatedly realized that Chang Xinyi’s wedding was held in her hometown in Suzhou, with two styles – Western embroidery and traditional Chinese phoenix crown and robes. She and Jiang Shiyan had even given the same wedding gift.
Perhaps because the pearl necklace was broken, feeling upset, Tang Yang tugged at her lips: “Do I need to say it’s okay?”
Jiang Shiyan, now completely sober, felt his heart twisting painfully: “Yang ge I’m sorry…” Afraid his sincerity wasn’t enough, he raised his hand to slap his face while speaking.
Before the slap could land, Tang Yang grabbed his hand, both angry and amused: “Don’t act like you’ve slept with a virtuous woman in a TV drama. It’s just a kiss, you won’t lose a piece of flesh. And I’m not asking you to take responsibility.”
Tang Yang was smiling.
Yes, there was a curve to her lips.
Jiang Shiyan looked at her but somehow felt her mood wasn’t good.
“Yang ge.” Jiang Shiyan slowly lowered his hand, calling her.
Tang Yang didn’t look at him: “What is it?”
Just as Jiang Shiyan was about to say something, the door was pushed open.
“What’s going on? I heard arguing and things breaking downstairs,” Jiang’s mother approached, her gaze stopping between the two. Seeing the necklace chain in Jiang Shiyan’s hand, she immediately slapped Jiang Shiyan’s back, “I told you to get a necklace for Tangtang, and you managed to drop it. Are you having intermittent infantile paralysis?”
Tang Yang stated the facts: “Auntie Yi, I’m sorry, I didn’t hold it steady.”
“Ah?” Jiang’s mother was stunned for a moment, then smiled warmly to comfort Tang Yang, “Well, Tangtang, don’t mind. Auntie didn’t see clearly. I guess the craftsmanship of this necklace wasn’t good. It’s okay, Auntie will buy you another one next time.”
As she spoke, Jiang’s mother’s gaze swept over the wall, smiling as she punched Jiang Shiyan again: “The cigarette burn must be your doing, right? What’s a grown man making such a fuss about?”
Jiang Shiyan looked at Tang Yang, his lips moving slightly.
Tang Yang still protected Jiang Shiyan, saying to Jiang’s mother: “I accidentally bumped into him.”
Jiang’s mother looked at Jiang Shiyan for a while, “It’s okay, this wallpaper needed changing anyway.” She pulled Tang Yang, “We’ve stewed some lotus root soup downstairs, it’s perfect for after dinner to cut the grease. Darling, do you want to try some?”
“Sure, it’s been a long time since I’ve tasted Auntie Yi’s cooking.” Tang Yang sweetly agreed, taking the opportunity to link arms with Yi Fangping.
As Tang Yang passed by Jiang Shiyan, he instinctively reached out to pull her.
Whether intentionally or not, Tang Yang’s hand just happened to avoid his.
Lotus root soup was a favorite of the Jiang family, with a smooth texture. Add a little sugar, and it’s hot and sweet.
At the dining table, Tang Yang stirred with her spoon, eating in small bites.
Jiang Shiyan looked at Tang Yang, wanting to say something but not daring to.
Jiang’s mother’s gaze once again swept over the two children, meaningful, but quickly concealed.
After eating for about half an hour, Tang Yang stood up to say goodbye to everyone: “I have something to do tomorrow, so I’ll leave first.”
Jiang’s mother could see Tang Yang’s forced smile and didn’t try to keep her: “Yanan, see Tangtang off. You can’t drive after drinking.”
Tang Yang declined: “If she sends me, she’ll have to take a taxi back. It’s too much trouble. I’ll just call a designated driver.”
Jiang Yanan: “It’s late at night, I’m not comfortable with you calling a designated driver. It’s no problem, I can send you home and then drive your car back…”
The two pushed and shoved to the door.
Jiang Shiyan wanted to speak for the umpteenth time tonight, but in the end, he just moved his index finger slightly.
It usually only takes half an hour to drive from the Jiang family’s old house to Jade Garden where Tang Yang’s parents live.
But Jiang Yanan didn’t return home until two hours later.
The guests had all left, leaving behind the mahjong table that hadn’t been put away and a room in disarray.
Jiang’s father was playing with Chengcheng, while Jiang’s mother pulled Jiang Yanan aside, instructing: “Go upstairs and check on your brother. He hasn’t said a word all night, and when he joined the mahjong game, he played terribly, looking like a mess…”
Jiang Yanan laughed at her mother’s vivid description, carrying Chengcheng and the vegetables upstairs.
At the door, Chengcheng’s little hand knocked: “Uncle.”
The door was ajar, and Jiang Yanan pushed it open.
Jiang Shiyan was sitting on the sofa, with a torn newspaper on the coffee table in front of him. He was carelessly folding a corner of the newspaper, his expression half-clear half-obscure, hidden in the dim light.
Hearing the noise, he looked up, saw Chengcheng, and handed the twisted strip of paper to the child.
The child was perceptive, seeing his uncle’s sadness. Chengcheng took the paper and put down the vegetables, then got down to the ground.
He pulled out the big red envelope Tang Yang had given him from his little cotton-padded jacket and took out the money inside. There was a thousand.
He counted out ten bills one by one, then divided out five, stacked them together, and carefully pushed them towards Jiang Shiyan with his small hand like a white rice ball, softly saying: “For you.”
His big dark eyes blinked, remembering Mom said sharing can make people happy.
Jiang Shiyan found it amusing.
Seeing Chengcheng like this, the vegetable scratched the pink bow on its head. There was only one, so it couldn’t be shared. The guinea pig’s little face wrinkled into a ball. It looked at Jiang Shiyan, thought for a moment, and although very reluctant, still loyally took off the bow and slowly and clumsily learned from Chengcheng, pushing it in front of Jiang Shiyan.
Jiang Yanan burst out laughing. Jiang Shiyan didn’t know whether to laugh or cry.
Jiang Yanan patted her son’s head, telling him to take the vegetable to wash up first.
Chengcheng left, closing the door behind him.
In the sudden silence, Jiang Yanan sat opposite Jiang Shiyan: “Brother, what’s wrong?”
Jiang Shiyan’s gaze flickered: “Nothing.”
Jiang Yanan: “Just now, Yang Jie was the same. We passed an intersection, the navigation couldn’t display, and she pointed in the wrong direction. We went around two extra blocks.”
Jiang Shiyan responded with a syllable.
Jiang Yanan didn’t press further: “Mom said you can’t give a repeat gift for something that’s been broken. She wants you to go shopping with her another day to pick out a new necklace for Yang Jie.”
Jiang Shiyan’s eyelashes trembled, but he still didn’t speak.
“Also, about the hot spring hotel vacation,” Jiang Yanan said, “Yang Jie’s mood wasn’t right just now, so I didn’t ask. Did she tell you she was coming…”
Jiang Shiyan’s gaze lacked focus, half-closed, suddenly speaking: “There seems to be a small crack in my friendship with Tang Yang.”
Jiang Yanan felt a tightness in her chest, not knowing how to respond.
Jiang Shiyan thought seriously, it seemed like something between them was different from before, but when he tried to think about it carefully, he couldn’t pinpoint what…
Jiang Yanan secretly glanced at Jiang Shiyan, seemingly casually: “Oh right, it seems Yang Jie can’t come. She’s going on a blind date.”
Jiang Shiyan: “I don’t know.”
Jiang Yanan probed: “You don’t want her to go on a blind date?”
Jiang Shiyan asked back: “What’s good about blind dates?”
Jiang Yanan said: “Yang jie…”
Jiang Shiyan interrupted her: “I want to be alone for a while.”
Jiang Yanan pretended not to understand, “Brother,” she said, “You know Yang Jie is like half a mom daughter. When asked if you like her, you say it’s impossible. Since you don’t like her, and she doesn’t like you, you should graciously wish her well if she goes on a blind date, like a man. Earlier in the study…”
Jiang Shiyan retorted: “Right, I don’t like her, I graciously wish her well, I’m a man. Nothing happened in the study, I just lost my balance and fell on her, and she helped me up. I know what’s in my own heart, you don’t need to interfere.”
Sure enough, he’s a little tyrant, exploding at the slightest provocation.
Jiang Yanan clicked her tongue inwardly, but outwardly went along with it: “Okay, okay, you don’t like her, you wish her well, nothing happened between you…”
Jiang Shiyan’s expression brightened a bit.
“Oh right,” Jiang Yanan took a few steps back, “Mom also asked me to remind you.”
“Dangerous,” Jiang Yanan accurately pronounced a lipstick color code, tore off a piece of paper, and stuffed it into Jiang Shiyan’s hand. She coughed once, “Next time, remember to wipe off the lipstick.”
Jiang Shiyan incredulously wiped his lips with the paper.
A matte red color, with a hint of fruit fragrance.
He looked at it, his gaze darkening. His heart, which had been in turmoil all night, became even more tangled.
Many things seem clear to others, but both parties involved find it difficult.
Jiang Shiyan, for kissing Tang Yang, and Tang Yang’s seemingly upset expression afterward.
He probably crossed her friend line a bit. Could he cross it? The answer was obvious.
As for Tang Yang, it was for that “sorry.”
Did she like Jiang Shiyan? No, probably not.
Did Jiang Shiyan like her? No, probably not.
Both were experiencing this feeling of having something stuck in their throats, a tacit understanding that had lasted for over a decade.
Jiang Shiyan wanted to clarify things with Tang Yang countless times, but seeing their WeChat interface still showing “Happy New Year,” he didn’t know what to say, nor did he know if she was angry then, or if she was still angry now.
Tang Yang was also a calm person. If Jiang Shiyan didn’t talk to her, she certainly wouldn’t talk to Jiang Shiyan.
It’s very likely that Mr. Jiang, the big shot, didn’t even take this kiss seriously. If she kept dwelling on it, wouldn’t it seem affected and like a joke, right?
As the new year began and the holidays ended, both were busy to the point of not touching the ground.
At the end of February, “The Lost Pearl” announced its main creative team and scheduled release date. The red and professional theme caused controversy from multiple sides, and the details of the original characters were analyzed to the bottom by marketing accounts.
“Zhang Zhilan, eyebrows,” “Zhang Zhilan, Nanjin Street,” and “Martyrs’ family groups” topped the hot search for several days in a row. Even Huishang Bank rode the wave of Zhang Zhilan’s loan journey to gain more popularity.
Before the New Year, Fan Linlang had invited Tang Yang to fill out a form for the branch’s excellence evaluation, but Tang Yang had declined, finding it troublesome.
After the promotion of “The Lost Pearl” passed, Huishang’s official website posted the results of the excellence evaluation. Both expected and unexpected, Tang Yang had skyrocketed to the annual head office excellence award due to the new media traffic brought to Huishang by the Zhang Zhilan case.
Previously, colleagues’ focus had been on Director Gan’s newly changed Maserati, exuding an air of luxury.
Now, it all changed to Tang Yang.
“We work diligently to get branch excellence, and Deputy Tang skyrockets. Do the bosses now just look at ID photos to give results?” Fan Linlang teased.
Another colleague said: “At lunch today, a little sister from the retail department was gossiping with me. She said she had dinner with Yixiu’s executive assistant, and they talked about how their CEO had liked Deputy Tang’s Weibo post but then deleted it for some reason. They also said that CEO Jiang and Deputy Tang have a private relationship…”
Everyone “ooh-ed” and winked at each other.
Tang Yang’s thoughts stirred slightly, but her face remained normal: “Just a friend, I have many friends with private relationships.”
The last time Tang Yang had trended, her background had been dug up, so after a couple more questions, everyone changed the subject.
Tang Yang listened and smiled, then turned to adjust the humidifier to a lower setting.
Turning it up wasn’t comfortable. She had barely spoken a few sentences, but her palms were already sweaty.
The colleagues, having eaten and feeling warm, all agreed with this excellent person.
Tang Yang bashfully begged for mercy…
Early spring afternoons always make people drowsy.
At 5:30 PM, Fan Linlang came to knock on the office door. Only then did Tang Yang remember the bank’s New Year elite meeting tonight.
Tang Yang had just finished calling her mother to say she wouldn’t be going home, and her colleagues were already preparing to leave.
Fan Linlang wanted to catch a ride in Gan Yiming’s Maserati. Her eyes blinked like flickering lights as she said, “How can Director Gan not fulfill a commoner’s wish to ride in a luxury car?”
“They always say ‘fine car, beautiful woman,’ so a fine car should naturally be paired with a beauty,” Gan Yiming tossed the trident key in his hand as he spoke, turning to Tang Yang’s door. He bent down gallantly, gesturing an invitation. “Deputy Tang, let me give you a ride.”
“Fine car, beautiful woman… Then I belong to the ‘fine car’ category,” Tang Yang said as she packed her bag. “My mother wants to wash the car by hand this weekend, so I’ll drive over later and drive back home tomorrow.” She returned Gan Yiming’s bow. “Thank you for your kind offer, Director Gan.”
As she spoke, she pulled Fan Linlang along. “I’ll give the beautiful Fan a ride.”
Gan Yiming pocketed his keys. “Then I’ll sit in the passenger seat to reduce carbon dioxide emissions.”
Tang Yang replied half-jokingly, half-teasingly, “My passenger seat is broken, and can’t seat anyone. Director Gan, you’d better be self-reliant.”
The group of colleagues chatted and laughed as they got into their respective cars.
In the center of Biishui Bay, there was a winding bay that divided the entire estate into two parts. On the left were the villas, and on the right was a resort hotel with hot springs as its main attraction.
The scenery along the way was beautiful, with European pastoral-style plant landscapes that were a feast for the eyes.
When Tang Yang’s group arrived, most people were already there.
About two hundred people filled the elegant banquet hall.
Given the market dominance of the four major state-owned banks, Hui Shang and Pu Xi were considered the two peaks among joint-stock banks. Hui Shang focused on personal deposit and loan business, while Pu Xi led the industry in corporate and foreign exchange business.
The two were both competitors and brother banks. Since the early 2000s, every spring, Hui Shang and Pu Xi would jointly host an elite gathering, inviting young middle managers, senior managers, and outstanding employees from most banks to network, exchange experiences, and share resources.
Credit review was an important department in every bank, let alone for someone like Tang Yang, who was young, highly educated, climbing the ranks quickly, and beautiful. Almost as soon as she signed in, people came over to clink glasses and exchange pleasantries, pretending to be familiar when they had only met once, chatting about alma maters and youth while probing about her education and mentors.
The branch managers of Hui Shang and Pu Xi came to speak with her in turn. Tang Yang found Fan Linlang and rested with her on the side.
As the atmosphere in the venue grew livelier, Tang Yang put down her wine glass to touch up her makeup. “I feel like this place is familiar, but I can’t quite place it.”
“Biishui Bay, where every inch of land is worth its weight in gold. How could it not be familiar?” The banquet hall had a split design. Fan Linlang glanced to the side and whispered in Tang Yang’s ear, “Next door, Yi Xiu is holding a premiere celebration. We come here once a year, but I heard they hold all their events here. They’re burning money.”
Tang Yang suddenly remembered that Jiang Shiyan had invited her before, saying his family would be vacationing here this weekend.
So was he in the banquet hall next door, or on vacation?
If he was in the banquet hall, why hadn’t she heard his voice?
Why hadn’t he come to find her?
Tang Yang took out her phone, intending to ask him, but saw that their last exchange was still the New Year’s Eve greetings. She sobered up, realizing… where he was and what he was doing for work or personal matters had nothing to do with her.
Fan Linlang mentioned him, and only then did she think of him. If Fan Linlang hadn’t mentioned him, she wouldn’t have thought of him at all. Wasn’t this the state she wanted?
Tang Yang curved her lips slightly. Gan Yiming came over. Fan Linlang greeted Gan Yiming, and Tang Yang also greeted him. As Tang Yang’s gaze fell, she saw the curtain at the entrance of the banquet hall being lifted, and a familiar figure she hadn’t seen in a long time walked in, surrounded by others.
Jiang Shiyan walked in the middle, and Tang Yang spotted him immediately.
If Yan Dog wasn’t walking in the middle, Tang Yang’s ears reddened slightly, she would probably still have noticed him at first glance…
Although the people at the venue were already considered elites, for many of them, Jiang Shiyan was still a big shot—the kind they usually only saw in trending topics and news, extremely close to the entertainment industry.
After Jiang Shiyan entered, many people whispered to their companions.
Tang Yang’s gaze froze for a moment. Fan Linlang nudged her, hinting with her eyes: “Go say hello.”
“Is it necessary?” This was a work setting, and Tang Yang could distinguish that.
But faced with the situation, Fan Linlang persuaded her: “When others say hello, it’s called sucking up. When you say hello, it’s just a greeting. Saying ‘hello’ won’t make you gain five pounds.”
Tang Yang hesitated: “But…”
Jiang Shiyan was with several bank managers. While responding to polite conversation, his peripheral vision was fixed on Tang Yang. He saw her chatting happily with a woman, probably her colleague she had mentioned before, Fan Linlang, and Gan Yiming was beside her. She glanced here and there, completely ignoring him.
Jiang Shiyan laughed coldly to himself.
A bank manager standing close was startled: “President Jiang…”
Jiang Shiyan turned his face without changing expression: “Manager Chen is right, irregular operations should indeed be eliminated. Malignant tumors won’t become benign on their own, especially in the new cultural and film industry…”
He spoke eloquently and at length.
Everyone couldn’t help but feel that President Jiang was a man of integrity.
Tang Yang was still hesitating.
Rationally, she shouldn’t have too much involvement with Jiang Shiyan in a work setting. Emotionally, it had been so long since they had seen each other or communicated, she wanted to go over. It was that kind of unsettled feeling, not wanting to but also wanting to see him…
As Jiang Shiyan and his group turned around, Tang Yang had just stood up, smoothing her dress.
When Tang Yang saw Jiang Shiyan through the crowd, Jiang Shiyan also happened to see Tang Yang.
Their gazes collided in mid-air.
The surrounding clamor instantly faded into the background, as if the vast space only contained each other.
Tang Yang’s heart beat a little faster, and she looked at him steadily, unconsciously curving her lips.
Jiang Shiyan nodded slightly to her, then continued walking out with the bank managers.
Tang Yang saw someone asking Jiang Shiyan a question. Jiang Shiyan’s expression was indifferent, and Tang Yang read his lips, “A friend.”
A friend…
Friend…
The group’s figures grew smaller and smaller, then disappeared.
The clinking of glasses and the hubbub returned, noisy and bustling.
Even though she had referred to him the same way to others, even though there was nothing wrong with it.
For some inexplicable reason, Tang Yang felt as if a bucket of ice water had been dumped on her head. She couldn’t tell if it was cold, hurtful, or sobering. She stood there in a daze, not even noticing when Gan Yiming had sat down beside her.
The hallway between the two reception rooms wasn’t large. If the curtains weren’t drawn, one could see the other side.
Perhaps by coincidence, after Jiang Shiyan went over to socialize for a while when he appeared again, he happened to sit by the door on that side, at a short diagonal distance from Tang Yang.
There was a wine bottle on the high table in front of Jiang Shiyan. He watched Tang Yang sitting between Gan Yiming and Fan Linlang, chatting and laughing, raising her wine glass seven times, taking out her phone to fix her hair twelve times… Her hair was very smooth and soft. Wait, it seemed she had once again completely failed to notice that he was sitting here.
Meanwhile, Tang Yang watched Jiang Shiyan toasting others, chatting and laughing, never once turning his head to look at her.
Occasionally when Fan Linlang asked, “Sister Yang, what are you looking at?” Tang Yang would absent-mindedly take out her phone to smooth her hair, and then, using her phone as a shield, her gaze would become even more unrestrained…
By eight o’clock, the lights dimmed, and the banquet atmosphere reached its peak.
In the venue, some were dancing, some were playing cards, and people from Yi Xiu and the elite gathering started to mingle.
Fan Linlang had left at some point, leaving only Tang Yang and Gan Yiming on the corner sofa.
Tang Yang had drunk a bit and her face was flushed, but she was still clear-headed. She leaned away from Gan Yiming to avoid any suspicion.
However, Gan Yiming took another sip of wine and leaned closer to her.
Tang Yang frowned and moved a bit further to the side.
Gan Yiming followed Tang Yang’s trajectory and moved closer, his pinky finger touching hers. “Deputy Tang, you seem a bit off, hmm…”
Tang Yang jerked away as if electrified and lowered her voice: “Director Gan!” She wanted to stand up and leave but found her way blocked by people dancing…
She was Hui Shang’s head office annual, Gan Yiming was the branch annual, she was the deputy director of the branch credit review, and Gan Yiming was the director. If it were Tang Yang’s old temperament, she would have stood up and kicked him away long ago, but there were banks other than Hui Shang here…
Seeing that Tang Yang couldn’t do anything, Gan Yiming became even more brazen and moved closer to her.
Tang Yang tried to avoid him again, knowing it was useless but still instinctively looking to Jiang Shiyan for help.
The dancing couple that had been blocking the way moved aside, and Jiang Shiyan, as if he had eyes in the back of his head, immediately stood up.
He walked quickly, his suit impeccable, one hand holding a glass of red wine, the other lightly covering the middle button of his suit. The light fell on his dark eyebrows and deep eyes, spilling onto his shoulders, with a bit glinting in the glass, the jostling wine liquid shimmering.
“Excuse me,” “Thank you,” “Please let me through,” he said with a smile, walking faster and faster, every detail of his movements graceful and gentlemanly.
Many ladies said “No need,” while blushing.
Jiang Shiyan ignored them all. Just as Gan Yiming was about to put his hand on Tang Yang’s, Tang Yang looked like she couldn’t bear it any longer…
She first saw a pair of shiny leather shoes, seemingly endless long legs, and then Jiang Shiyan, smiling like a gentle spring breeze in broad daylight.
Tang Yang immediately let out a sigh of relief: “Jiang…”
Jiang Shiyan didn’t look at Tang Yang, but instead raised his wine glass to Gan Yiming: “May I have the honor of inviting Director Gan for a drink on the balcony?”
Jiang Shiyan was someone who spoke with bank presidents, but Gan Yiming considered himself insignificant in power.
Both were elites. Gan Yiming adjusted his shirt collar and stood up, nodding: “Of course.”
Jiang Shiyan made a “please” gesture to him, and Gan Yiming went out with Jiang Shiyan.
Meeting the gazes of his colleagues, Gan Yiming quietly straightened his back.
The balcony was at the back of the banquet hall, deserted and quiet.
There was a long swing where one could sit and sway while overlooking Biishui Bay in the night.
The bustle from the hall was blocked by a wall, and the evening breeze brought rhythmic footsteps.
Gan Yiming smiled, his demeanor humble, while Jiang Shiyan also smiled, polite and gentle. The two arrived one after the other and stopped.
Gan Yiming held his wine glass in his right hand and took out his business card holder with his left hand, opening it: “Hello, President Jiang. I’m Gan Yiming, Director of Credit Review at Hui Shang Bank’s A City Branch.”
Jiang Shiyan smiled faintly, placed his wine glass on the swing, and began unbuttoning his suit one by one.
Gan Yiming took out his card: “I’ve heard of you long ago.”
Jiang Shiyan took off his suit jacket, placed it neatly on the swing next to the wine glass, then unbuttoned the cuffs of his shirt and rolled up the sleeves to his wrists.
Gan Yiming held out his business card, smiling: “It’s an honor to…”
Jiang Shiyan swung his fist back and punched straight at Gan Yiming’s face.