When Jiang Shiyan was in Taiwan, he hired a private trainer to get in shape using military training standards, resulting in incredibly explosive muscle power.
With one heavy blow, Gan Yiming staggered backward.
Gan Yiming steadied himself on the swing, but before he could regain his balance, another fist came flying at his face.
Then came the third punch, the fourth, and the fifth.
The more Gan Yiming tried to cover his head and face, the more Jiang Shiyan seemed to lose sight of the person.
With each punch, Jiang Shiyan saw Tang Yang’s frown, her uncomfortable expression, and her eyes looking to him for help…
Jiang Shiyan dared not imagine what might have happened to Tang Yang if the wine bottle in front of him hadn’t reflected the light well, or if those couples dancing hadn’t moved away.
Especially when Gan Yiming’s pinky touched Tang Yang’s…
Jiang Shiyan’s fists rose and fell, and Gan Yiming curled up by the swing, hissing in pain.
Though the action of force is mutual, Jiang Shiyan doesn’t even furrow his brow. Only when his last punch landed on Gan Yiming’s glasses frame did his expression soften slightly.
The next second, the glasses fell to the ground with a crisp “crack.”
When Jiang Shiyan had called Gan Yiming out earlier, Tang Yang thought they were going to discuss business, and that he hadn’t asked for her to avoid suspicion.
After suppressing her tumultuous emotions and having another drink, Tang Yang realized that Jiang Shiyan had been with the Hui Shang bank president earlier. What business could he have to discuss with Gan Yiming?
Tang Yang made her way out of the banquet hall.
As she reached the corner, she saw a scene that stopped her in her tracks, leaving her completely silent.
Gan Yiming was huddled in a corner of the balcony, carefully backing away.
Jiang Shiyan’s punches were fierce and vicious, landing on the other’s already swollen face…
The evening breeze blew gently, and the swing swayed slightly.
Jiang Shiyan’s black suit jacket and the wine glass filled with red wine swung up and down at the edge of her vision. The vines in the backyard rustled, as if singing an unknown melody.
It was perhaps at this moment that Tang Yang suddenly realized that the abrupt and unexpected kiss didn’t matter, the emotions of these past days didn’t matter, their relationship, their interactions, everything—none of it mattered anymore.
She was Tang Yang, and he was Jiang Shiyan, still the Jiang Shiyan who would fight Gan Yiming for her, the Jiang Shiyan who couldn’t bear to let her suffer, the Jiang Shiyan who protected her so well… and that was enough.
It was enough.
Tang Yang stood there for five minutes, neither Jiang Shiyan nor Gan Yiming noticing her.
Tang Yang just quietly watched Jiang Shiyan beating the man, her gaze soft.
Jiang Shiyan threw his last punch, preparing to stop.
Tang Yang retreated into the banquet hall just as the music started. She held her wine glass and made a light, graceful turn on the dance floor, then returned to the corner with an unconscious smile.
The swirling hem of Tang Yang’s dress as she turned caught the eyes of two people on the second floor of the banquet hall.
Zhou Zisheng was the branch manager of Hui Shang Bank, in his early fifties, with a buzz cut and a beer belly, his smile reminiscent of the Laughing Buddha. Hui Shang wanted to beat other banks in launching a co-branded credit card with Yi Xiu Media, and he had been the closest to Jiang Shiyan earlier.
“Tomorrow morning I need to go to the hospital for an IV drip. Bring Tang Yang and Gan Yiming’s files to my hospital room,” Zhou Zisheng said to his secretary beside him as he took his eyes off Tang Yang.
The secretary asked an additional question: “Didn’t President Jiang say it was just a friend?”
Zhou Zisheng asked in return: “How did Jiang Shiyan describe this friend just now?”
The secretary recalled: “President Jiang’s assistant whispered ‘Sister Yang’, then President Jiang glanced that way. When you asked who it was, President Jiang said ‘a friend’.”
The facts weren’t wrong, but Zhou Zisheng shook his head with a smile.
The secretary didn’t understand.
Zhou Zisheng explained: “After his assistant spoke, he immediately looked over. When I asked, he hesitated for at least three seconds, and his tone was very uncertain.”
The secretary seemed to understand: “So…”
Zhou Zisheng would be retiring to a secondary position in a few years, and the secretary was his hand-picked confidant, so he was naturally willing to offer guidance: “In a setting where even a single word might be analyzed, a typical response for an acquaintance would be ‘just a friend’. A typical response for a friend, especially given our potential cooperation with Yi Xiu, but hesitating and answering ‘friend’… for a young man and woman, think about it.”
The secretary expressed admiration: “Manager Zhou.”
Zhou Zisheng patted his shoulder: “In banking, in media, if you flip the character for ‘industry’, it’s actually about relationships between people,” Zhou Zisheng’s lips curled into a profound smile, “Learn from this.”
Downstairs in the banquet hall, when the waiter had brought the white fungus soup earlier, he had temporarily placed the lid on the coffee table.
After the lid was removed, a patch of condensation with an outline remained on the glass top of the coffee table.
Less than two minutes after Tang Yang sat down, Chang Xinyi called, asking Little Yang to come to the bar.
Earlier, when Chang Xinyi said she was coming back, Tang Yang had promised to hang out with her. After hearing the time and place from Chang Xinyi, Tang Yang looked up at the hall: “Alright, things are about to wrap up here. If they don’t, it’s fine if I leave early.”
Chang Xinyi responded softly: “Yanan said her family is also vacationing at Biishui Bay recently. Why don’t you bring Jiang Shiyan along?”
Tang Yang agreed again: “Alright.”
Chang Xinyi teased: “Ooh, agreeing so quickly?”
“How could I not listen when Little Yi Chang speaks?” Tang Yang didn’t admit to her momentary guilt, scribbling on the condensation on the coffee table while bantering with her old friend.
After a few more exchanges, Tang Yang hung up the phone and naturally went to admire her handiwork.
Her gaze fell on the crooked “Jiang Shiyan” she had written. She paused for a few seconds, then looked around casually, pretending to be nonchalant but feeling guilty as she wiped it away.
After wiping it clean, Tang the Thief came to her senses. Why was she panicking? Others didn’t know she had written it.
Besides, even if they knew, Jiang Shiyan wasn’t the only person in the world with that name.
Hmm, Tang Yang licked her lips, quietly straightening her back a bit.
While Tang Yang was waiting inside for Jiang Shiyan to finish up, Jiang Shiyan, having finished beating the man, was now stripping his clothes outside.
He stripped off Gan Yiming’s suit jacket, sweater, and shirt, throwing them all into the slop bucket before returning to the side of the poor-quality white-cut chicken now covered in bruises.
Without his glasses, Gan Yiming couldn’t see clearly. Without his clothes, he was shivering from the cold.
Jiang Shiyan bent down to pick up the deformed glass frame from the ground and squatted in front of Gan Yiming. He leisurely traced the outline of Gan Yiming’s swollen forehead with the arm of the glasses, his voice low and measured: “There are some people you can’t touch, understand?”
Gan Yiming swallowed, breathing heavily.
Jiang Shiyan carefully and gently put the glasses on him, then continued: “It wouldn’t be good for Director Gan to go streaking in public, so here’s what we’ll do.”
Jiang Shiyan magnanimously offered him a way out: “You go back for tonight. If there’s a next time, we’ll discuss it further. Is that alright?”
Just a wall away inside, the banquet hall was brilliantly lit, filled with laughter and chatter.
Outside, Gan Yiming felt as if he was lying on a heap of dull thorns, his whole body shaking with pain.
Just now, when Tang Yang couldn’t call for help due to the circumstances, how miserable and uncomfortable she must have felt.
Now, Gan Yiming, in his sorry state and bare-chested, felt equally miserable and uncomfortable.
No, Jiang Shiyan’s vengeance was always a hundred, a thousand times worse.
After this chaotic half-hour, Gan Yiming dared not fight back, nor could he.
He had thought it might be because of Tang Yang, but weren’t they just friends? Was Tang Yang worth Jiang Shiyan making such a big fuss?
Jiang Shiyan finished speaking and wiped his hand on Gan Yiming’s pants.
Gan Yiming mumbled through bloodied lips: “President Jiang, have you misunder—”
“Get lost!” Jiang Shiyan’s eyes flashed coldly.
Only after Gan Yiming had stumbled onto his Maserati did Jiang Shiyan put on his jacket, methodically buttoning it up one by one, rolling down his sleeves, and fastening the cufflinks.
Then, Jiang Shiyan picked up the wine glass, took a small sip, and didn’t swallow it, letting the rich aroma fill his mouth before entering the hall. Once again, he walked with a graceful demeanor, smiling charmingly, and found Tang Yang.
It was nearly ten o’clock, and people were gradually preparing to leave.
Tang Yang had long since erased the evidence of her doodling, and even with Mr. Jiang right beside her, she remained calm: “Where did you guys go?”
She deliberately glanced outside, “Where’s Director Gan? What were you just talking about?”
The great Jiang’s lie was beautiful and complete: “I was just discussing current affairs and politics with Director Gan. That man has no opinions of his own, just kept saying ‘oh’ and ‘ah’,” Jiang Shiyan was particularly contemptuous, “He left early, probably going home to study up on Deng’s theory and Mao’s thoughts.”
Tang Yang didn’t expose him, but snorted: “Now you know to come over? Didn’t even greet me earlier?”
Jiang Shiyan exclaimed: “Wow! We’re all civilized people, why resort to violence at the drop of a hat? What did greetings ever do wrong? It’s bad enough to be beaten, and now you want to drag me into it too?”
Tang Yang burst out laughing, not wanting to banter with him anymore.
“Want to go to a small bar?” Tang Yang asked as she packed up her things.
Jiang Shiyan, thinking Tang Yang must be tired after a long day, said: “No.”
Tang Yang: “Chang Xinyi will be there too.”
Realizing it was Chang Xinyi who had invited Tang Yang, and that Tang Yang would get drunk with Chang Xinyi, Jiang Shiyan promptly changed his mind: “Let’s go!”
Tang Yang mimicked his earlier “Wow!”: “You’re not even trying to hide your intention to see your goddess? She’s married with kids old enough to run errands, Yan Dog!”
Jiang Shiyan looked matter-of-fact: “Why should I hide the fact that I’m accompanying you?”
Tang Yang nearly choked on her red wine, and Jiang Shiyan quickly grabbed a tissue for her.
As she wiped her mouth, Tang Yang said: “Yan Dog, wake up, this isn’t high school anymore. Stop using me as an excuse,” Tang Yang mocked him, “So, do you want to link arms with me or hold my hand?”
“That’s not impossible.” Jiang Shiyan smiled, actually reaching out to hold Tang Yang’s hand.
Tang Yang had correctly predicted the choice between linking arms and holding hands. As soon as his pinky touched hers, she retaliated by hitting him.
Jiang Shiyan let her vent her childish temper with a few smacks, then suddenly caught her hand, squeezing it briefly before quickly letting go.
For a brief moment, warmth enveloped and then retreated.
Tang Yang was stunned, the departing crowd around her seeming to pause. When she came to her senses, the crowd continued moving.
“Are you an idiot?” Tang Yang lightly pushed Jiang Shiyan’s arm.
Perhaps because her bag was too heavy, her ears turned red as she picked it up to leave.
“Is ‘idiot’ the only insult you know?” Jiang Shiyan openly helped her take the bag.
Tang Yang: “Fool.”
Jiang Shiyan: “Say that again, I dare you.”
Tang Yang: “Fool.”
Jiang Shiyan: “Say that again, I dare you.”
Tang Yang: “Fool.”
Jiang Shiyan: “Oh my, whose child is so obedient?”
“Screw you,” Tang Yang laughed, shoving Jiang Shiyan.
Jiang Shiyan shoved her back, and the two of them, mindful of the others’ eyes, secretly pushed each other, both acting like elementary school kids while simultaneously accusing the other of being childish as they left with the main group.
There was some distance between Biishui Bay and the small bar. Chang Xinyi had already finished three glasses of juice, and those two still hadn’t arrived.
In her boredom, Chang Xinyi thought of something: “Are Tang Tang and Jiang Shiyan not together yet?”
“What do you mean by ‘not yet’?” Jiang Yanan was surprised, “Didn’t my brother like you before? Why would you think he and Sister Yang should be together?”
Chang Xinyi had been Jiang Yanan’s goddess senior since high school, with a slender, tall figure and a personality so gentle you could squeeze water from it.
Hearing Jiang Yanan’s words, she let out a soft “Oh,” her sweet voice melting: “Old friends haven’t met for a long time, and Yanan, your welcome gift is to make me the scapegoat?”
“Huh?” Jiang Yanan’s mind was in a fog, “I’m not talking about later, I mean when Sister Yang had a secret crush on Song Jing, around freshman year of high school.”
Chang Xinyi blurted out: “Jiang Shiyan liked Tang Yang in his freshman year too.”