Peng Si could have sent the manuscript out without caring. But after considering various factors, she held it back and patiently asked Qianqian what had happened.
Over the phone, Qianqian’s voice sounded guilty and cautious: “I know I should be contract-conscious, and I know it’s a breach, but, but…” She paused for a few seconds, “I’m pregnant.”
Peng Si remained silent.
Qianqian seemed to have been crying, her voice was as rough as a metal sheet: “My baby is two months along. My mom says the baby’s luck is thin, and we can’t do anything rash before three months. So I probably can’t accept such a wide range of exposure. Also, I can’t contact my husband, and then there’s the matter of the breach of contract penalty…”
Qianqian spoke faster and faster, almost crying.
Peng Si rubbed her temples: “Don’t panic, calm down a bit. Let’s talk slowly.”
Peng Si’s voice had a soothing effect, and Qianqian’s sobs gradually stopped.
Peng Si waited for her to collect herself, then got straight to the point: “Do you still want this contract? Not considering the first three months of pregnancy stability.”
Qianqian: “Yes.”
Peng Si said: “Do you know how much the breach of contract penalty is?”
Qianqian nervously sniffled: “I saw a formula written on the contract—”
“You can’t afford it, and Gan, your husband, can’t afford it either,” Peng Si said. “Calm down first, don’t cry. Let’s meet and talk. If possible, I’ll apply to the higher-ups to see if we can postpone the start date of this contract.”
“Can we do that?” Qianqian asked excitedly.
“Don’t get your hopes up too high,” Peng Si sighed.
After all, all of Yixi’s A-batch marketing accounts had cleared their entire April schedule for this contract.
Delaying for a month meant burning money for another month, tantamount to an exorbitant price.
————
“She’s pregnant?” Jiang Shiyan confirmed with his assistant. “Gan Yiming’s?”
The assistant nodded.
Jiang Shiyan was chatting with Tang Yang on WeChat, smiling, and said decisively: “Then let’s postpone it for a month, wait until her baby is three months…”
Tang Yang sent him a dancing emoji. Jiang Shiyan smiled even more happily while muttering to himself: “If she gives us what we want, then naturally we can give her what she wants. Adults play adult games, children are innocent.”
In the past, Jiang Shiyan never considered so much when he wanted to do something. He had a talent and sensitivity for media, always focusing on traffic, popularity, and profits. Since Deputy Tang returned to A City, Director Jiang first went against his usual behavior by making “The Lost Pearl,” and now he’s saying things like this.
Indeed, when two people in love stay together for a long time, they slowly become like each other. Look at Director Jiang’s sense of humanity…
Before the assistant could finish marveling, Jiang Shiyan turned his head to look at him: “You know about time cost?”
The assistant sensed something coming.
“There’s no such thing as a free donut,” Yangyang had gone for an afternoon nap, and Jiang Shiyan casually twirled his phone. “Since we’re extending a month for Wang Qianqian, have Peng Si deepen the contract requirements a bit.”
“No, wait. In people in difficult situations, emotions can affect judgment. We agreed so readily,” Jiang Shiyan lazily yawned, standing up and passing by the assistant, he said casually, “Push the requirements to the limit.”
Since they were in the game, Jiang Shiyan didn’t mind playing big.
The assistant arranged it while inwardly lamenting, he had just said Director Jiang was becoming kind, how did he reveal his merchant nature again so quickly?
The assistant couldn’t help but feel sorry for Deputy Tang. A soft, cute girl like Deputy Tang who likes to treat people to afternoon tea, who knows how she’ll be bullied by Director Jiang…
At noon, the assistant had just imagined the cruel fairy tale of the big bad wolf in sheep’s clothing luring the little white rabbit.
The next day, he flew back to the old house to deliver a new cane to the old master. Mrs. Jiang pulled the assistant aside to ask about Jiang Shiyan’s affairs.
Three key questions: “Who exactly is Little Moon?”, “Does Jiang Shiyan have a woman outside?”, and “Could it be that Jiang Shiyan likes men? Does he like the assistant?”
The assistant’s jaw dropped, and he quickly steadied himself. He wanted to tell Mrs. Jiang “You can check Weibo” or “You can ask Sister Yanan,” but he wasn’t sure if Director Jiang and Deputy Tang were ready to meet the parents.
The words were on the tip of his tongue, but he stammered: “A lot of big things seemed to happen last week.”
Mrs. Jiang took it as him changing the subject and lost interest, clicking her tongue.
Tang’s mother was originally supposed to go to the question-setting group in February, but due to a last-minute change, she went to America to study for two months. She came back just in time to play mahjong with Mrs. Jiang, who was on vacation.
Mrs. Jiang said: “Tangtang is good, still willing to go on blind dates. I don’t know what mine is thinking all day long.”
“What blind date? She hasn’t gone since after the New Year. This month she said she was going to B City to study. Who knows what mischief she’s up to,” Tang’s mother played a one of bamboo, letting two families off, and said rather wistfully, “Tang Yang used to be obedient, but the older she gets, the more mischievous she becomes. Boys mature later, they used to be thoughtless, but become more steady as they grow older. Jiang Shiyan surely knows what he’s doing. It’s my Tang Yang that I have to worry about.”
Mrs. Jiang: “I’m just afraid they’re too close as friends and will stay single.”
Tang’s mother: “I should find time to go check on Tang Yang’s place.”
“What can you see at home? I’ve been to Jiang Shiyan’s place many times.” Mrs. Jiang felt more and more dejected. She asked Tang’s mother what she wanted, and Tang’s mother said one of the circles, and Mrs. Jiang played one of the circles.
As the game ended, the sunset and the moon climbed up from the treetops.
The pale moonlight spread into the ink-like night, turning the steel and concrete city into a gentle ink painting. Shadows loomed, some cried, some laughed, some worried, some rejoiced.
On one side, Tang’s mother was anxious about whether Tang Yang liked Jiang Shiyan, and what if Jiang Shiyan didn’t like Yangyang. Mrs. Jiang was fretting about Yangyang not going on blind dates, whether Yangyang liked Jiang Shiyan if the idiot Jiang had noticed, and how she could add fuel to the fire without seeming too obvious.
On the other side, the big boss Jiang was softly coaxing his little girlfriend to sleep.
When Jiang Shiyan had just gone from B City to the capital for those first couple of days, they would feel disappointed when the other couldn’t reply to messages promptly, remembering how they used to be by each other’s side.
Later, Jiang Shiyan noticed the atmosphere between them wasn’t right, so he took the initiative to explain to Tang Yang what he was busy with. Tang Yang reciprocated by sending Jiang Shiyan her class schedule and itinerary. The two reached a reconciliation amid Jiang Shiyan’s “Yangyang Yangyang” and Tang Yang’s “Alright alright.”
After that, when Tang Yang saw something interesting, she would send it to Jiang Shiyan, and he would reply when he was free. When Jiang Shiyan captured something interesting, he would also send it to Tang Yang, and she would respond after finishing her tasks. Occasionally, when their free time coincided, they would talk a lot.
For instance, Jiang Shiyan sent Tang Yang a photo of a conference venue.
Tang Yang: “You’re doing charity?”
Jiang Shiyan wasn’t a kind-hearted person, he replied flippantly: “Doing it for the big bosses up there to see.”
Tang Yang: “I see Jiujiang on the commendation screen in the back. Are they big charity donors? Do they have Project Hope, Hope Hospitals?”
Tang Yang smirked: “I always feel like extorting the people’s wealth is more their forte,” she frowned, “Jiujiang’s corporate culture has nothing to do with charity, but in their previous audit materials they submitted, they also boasted about how good their employee benefits are. If I didn’t know better, I would have believed it, but thinking about Chen Zhanggang…”
“If it’s normal charity work, on one hand, it might be for corporate diversification, on the other hand, it might be to appeal to emotions,” Jiang Shiyan analyzed. “If Jiujiang is going to great lengths to announce to the world that they’re big charity donors, then they’re very likely just putting up a front, covering up air.”
“The more they think about something, the less they’ll say it,” Jiang Shiyan continued in the tone he used when discussing business, “Look at me, what I’m thinking about is all about how Yangyang had roast duck for lunch today, the same as me. This is what you call tacit understanding, this is called chemistry. Did I say it out loud?”
“You’re never serious,” Tang Yang chided him.
Another example, now, Tang Yang was telling Jiang Shiyan about a new credit system for the training program.
That is, one course corresponds to one credit. If you feel you’ve learned enough, you can apply to the teacher for an early exam. If you pass, you get the credit. Once you accumulate 8 credits, you can graduate early. You can start applying for exams after 30 days of enrollment. If you don’t want to leave early, you can wait until the last two days of the program to take the unified exam with your classmates.
Tang Yang sprawled on the sofa, her legs propped against the wall.
She hugged her phone, squinting her eyes in slight pride: “Sorry, but a certain mature, intellectual, and beautiful Yang is going to be the first one to take the exam, and she’ll be first in every subject except PE.”
Jiang Shiyan wanted to pinch Yangyang’s soft white cheeks, but he couldn’t reach her. He felt a bit annoyed: “Are you really that amazing?”
Hearing this, Tang Yang opened her eyes wide in disbelief: “Jiang Shiyan, have you forgotten how you barely passed Advanced Mathematics back then?!”
In the first semester of freshman year, there was a midterm exam for Advanced Mathematics. Tang Yang got the only perfect score, instantly establishing her position as the top student.
By the final exam, in an environment where students could sit wherever they wanted in the exam room, many last-minute crammers wanted to be Tang Yang’s neighbor, sitting one seat apart. It had nothing to do with liking her or anything else. If during the exam, Tang Yang could push her multiple-choice and fill-in-the-blank answers slightly in their direction, their scores would be secure.
The night before the Advanced Mathematics exam, many classmates privately messaged Tang Yang, asking if they could sit next to her.
Tang Yang responded politely and courteously: “I’m sorry, but the seat next to me is already taken.” She thought of something and added, “I have an album on my QZone with some of my own compiled wrong questions and key points. The password is YYSJ. If you don’t mind, you can take a look.”
The person thought about definitely checking tomorrow to see who had gotten there first while thanking Tang Yang profusely before leaving.
When another person came, Tang Yang gave the same response.
At that time, Tang Yang and Jiang Shiyan were in a one-sided cold war. The reason was simple:
Jiang Shiyan often liked to go to internet cafes. When the final exam preparation week approached, Tang Yang shared all her notes and practice problems with Jiang Shiyan first. She told him to resist temptation for a week, saying that once he finished studying and taking the exams, he’d be free. She even asked Jiang Shiyan if he wanted to go to the library together, offering to save him a seat. Jiang Shiyan declined, saying he could study in his dorm room.
Tang Yang thought he would diligently study, but during the exam preparation week, while taking a break from studying, she went out with her roommate to buy oranges. Tang Yang bought some for herself and an extra bag.
Her roommate asked, “Can you eat all of these? They’ll go bad if left out.”
“I bought them for Jiang Shiyan,” Tang Yang said with a slight frown. “He’s too lazy to go out and rarely eats fruit. I bet he’s been holed up in his dorm living on takeout these past few days.”
It wasn’t a secret in the Business Management class that Tang Yang was kind to Jiang Shiyan.
Knowing Tang Yang and Jiang Shiyan were buddies, her roommate couldn’t help but sigh, “Is Jiang Shiyan’s head filled with water? If I were him, I’d have fallen head over heels for you and tried to make you my girlfriend already.”
“If he were my boyfriend, he should be the one buying me oranges and highlighting important points for me,” Tang Yang laughed, cupping her face. “Didn’t the dorm head say before that girlfriends should be coquettish and order their boyfriends around to inspire their protective instincts?”
Looking at it that way, Tang Yang seemed more like Jiang Shiyan’s boyfriend.
Her roommate snickered, and Tang Yang burst into laughter. The two girls walked and laughed until they turned a corner, where their smiles suddenly froze.
The two girls crossed the street from one end.
On the other side of the road, Jiang Shiyan came down from the second floor to the first, his hair a mess and dark circles under his eyes. He approached the counter and said, “Manager, add ten more hours.”
Tang Yang and her roommate stood rooted to the spot.
As Jiang Shiyan was speaking, he suddenly realized something and turned his head towards the door.
Their eyes met, and a flash of panic crossed Jiang Shiyan’s face.
Jiang Shiyan opened his mouth to say something, but Tang Yang stared at him expressionlessly, tossed the bag of oranges into a nearby trash can, then turned and walked away with her roommate without looking back.
Her roommate noticed Tang Yang’s mood change and started, “Just now, Jiang Shiyan…”
“Don’t mention him,” Tang Yang said coolly.
The moment Tang Yang left, Jiang Shiyan practically tumbled back to his dorm, grabbed his backpack, and rushed to the library.
With exams approaching, library seats were scarce. When Jiang Shiyan arrived that evening, only seats near the restroom were available. The usually pampered and arrogant young master Jiang quickly sat down, took a photo, and sent it to Tang Yang, his tone almost pleading.
[t$efvbhu&: Yang-Jie, I’m at the library.]
[t$efvbhu&: Yang-jie, I’ve started studying.]
[t$efvbhu&: Yang-jie, I’ve finished three chapters.]
[…]
Jiang Shiyan waited for almost two hours until Tang Yang finally came to use the restroom.
Jiang Shiyan called out “Yang-Jie” with an eager smile, but Tang Yang merely pressed her lips together, gave a faint nod, and walked past him.
For several days, Jiang Shiyan camped out by the library restroom, if only to catch a glimpse of Tang Yang.
During those days, even though Tang Yang saw him at the library, she still ignored him.
The night before the Advanced Mathematics exam, Jiang Shiyan’s roommate also asked Tang Yang if he could sit next to her. Tang Yang gave the same response.
The roommate asked Jiang Shiyan, “What does YYSJ mean in Tang Yang’s private photo album password?”
The words “Yang Yang Song Jing” instantly popped into Jiang Shiyan’s mind, but he mumbled through a mouthful of instant noodles, “Don’t know.”
Jiang Shiyan closed his eyes as he slurped his noodles, his eyelashes hiding his emotions.
Tang Yang was probably disappointed in him, right?
Tang Yang was probably frustrated with him, right?
Would Tang Yang get tired of him? Would she never again…?
The next day, Tang Yang arrived at the exam room early. She sat in the third row against the wall and placed her books on the seat next to her, separated by one chair.
Other classmates gradually arrived to review, and those with questions quickly asked Tang Yang, who answered promptly and in detail.
Gradually, more and more people arrived.
The person meant to sit next to Tang Yang still hadn’t shown up.
Tang Yang’s notes and key points were widely circulated, and classmates in the same exam room who had benefited from her help naturally wouldn’t say anything against her.
So, with a mix of envy, they complained, “Who is that person? The exam’s about to start and they’re still not here. Sitting next to Yang-jie and having her save a seat, they’ve got some nerve.”
“Exactly. If I were sitting next to Yang-jie, I’d buy her breakfast early,” another classmate said, half-jokingly and half-complicated. “They don’t know the rules.”
Jiang Shiyan had tossed and turned all night thinking about Tang Yang and “YYSJ.”
The next day, when his roommate called him, he responded groggily. When he woke up and saw the time, he sprang out of bed.
Jiang Shiyan grabbed his stationery and sprinted to the exam room, where everyone was placing their belongings on the podium in turns.
Jiang Shiyan immediately spotted the empty seat next to Tang Yang, but fearing she was still angry and might be annoyed to see him, he didn’t dare approach. Instead, he stood at the door, continuing to look around.
But with exactly thirty people arranged in one exam room, all the other seats were taken, leaving only the empty seat next to Tang Yang.
Jiang Shiyan put down his things and walked over, feeling extremely uneasy.
As soon as Jiang Shiyan sat down, Tang Yang got up to go to the restroom.
Tang Yang didn’t even say “Excuse me,” and Jiang Shiyan’s heart sank to the bottom… He really shouldn’t have sat here. She was annoyed with him. He wished he had just skipped the exam and failed the course, but now that he was seated, he had to wait at least half an hour into the exam before he could turn in his paper early.
Just as Jiang Shiyan’s mind was in a tangled mess, Tang Yang returned.
Jiang Shiyan stood up, meeting Tang Yang’s cold expression. He forced a smile and, as she passed, quietly said while tidying the pens on his desk, “I’ll say I’m going to the bathroom and leave right away, Yang-Jie. I won’t bother you—”
Tang Yang lightly smacked the top of his head, pretending to be displeased as she said softly, “I saved it for you, idiot!”
Tang Yang’s hand was soft and gentle, but there was some force behind it.
Jiang Shiyan’s head tingled where she had hit him. He stared at Tang Yang’s retreating profile, taking a while to process. Yang-Jie said she saved it for him. Yang-Jie wasn’t angry anymore?
Jiang the Idiot’s mind was buzzing, hardly daring to believe it.
When no one was looking, he boldly reached out and tugged at the hem of Tang Yang’s clothes.
Tang Yang frowned and scolded him in a low voice, “It’s exam time!”
Jiang Shiyan immediately let go.
As the proctor handed Jiang Shiyan his exam paper, Jiang Shiyan looked at the teacher and chuckled, “Hehe.”
The proctor wore a startled expression.
In that Advanced Mathematics exam, Jiang Shiyan scored the highest grade of his entire college career: 90 points.
Other classmates knew how Jiang Shiyan had managed to do so well, and Jiang Shiyan felt guilty too, but strangely, no one reported him.
Jiang Shiyan’s roommate said enviously, “Tang Yang highlighted the key points for the whole class. It’s only freshman year, and everyone still needs to rely on Tang the Great for three more years. Report you? That would be going against Tang the Great.” Besides, with Tang Yang’s excellent grades, her prospects were bright.
After hearing his roommate’s words, Jiang Shiyan silently added a golden edge to “Yang-Jie” in his heart.
Tang Yang recounted this incident to remind Jiang Shiyan: Wasn’t her academic performance excellent? Wasn’t her learning ability strong? Hadn’t she always been the top student in their major, never surpassed?
What Jiang Shiyan remembered was the gentle smack Tang Yang had given him on the head, and how she had stubbornly called him an “idiot” despite her obvious softening.
How did Yang Yang end up becoming his girlfriend?
Jiang Shiyan thought about her small, delicate form curled up in his arms, her loud cries of “Yan-dog” and “Jiang Big Dog,” her face flushing red when he teased her, her initiating kisses in bed, and in the most passionate moments, her face burning crimson as she clung to him and mumbled “husband”…
Jiang Shiyan’s heart seemed to simmer in warm water.
Separated by mountains and rivers, he couldn’t help but call out tenderly, “Baby.”
“Hm?” Tang Yang climbed into bed and responded softly.
“Did you,” Jiang Shiyan suppressed a smile, licking his lips, “perhaps like me a little back then?”
What was there to like about Jiang Shiyan back then?
He was chubby, had poor grades, couldn’t play basketball or any sports, and was just a big soft dumpling! And he loved going to internet cafes!
Tang Yang’s face heated up imperceptibly, “Did you like me back then?”
A clever deflection.
Jiang Shiyan felt quite smug, “Please answer directly.”
Tang Yang rolled over, her legs tangled in the blanket, “Please answer directly yourself.”
Jiang Shiyan: “If I say I liked you back then, will you say you liked me too?”
Why was he so fixated on this question? She had only wanted him to remember her perfect score in Advanced Mathematics, and here he was making a fuss!
Unable to out-talk him, Tang Yang let out a light snort and sent him a selfie.
Would Mr. Jiang shut up now?
Jiang Shiyan reciprocated with a selfie of his own. He was in a good mood, his eyes filled with laughter, his thin lips slightly curved.
Looking at it, Tang Yang could almost see him in front of her, calling her “Yang Yang” in that gentle yet pompous way of his.
Driven by a competitive spirit to win this picture exchange, Tang Yang smiled and pulled down the neckline of her nightgown a little before taking another photo to send.
Jiang Shiyan upped the ante by undoing his bathrobe and striking a pose for Yang Yang that was half-hidden, half-revealed, showing off his smooth muscle lines.
On the screen, his long, lean abs were a wheat color, forming a six-pack. Below the last two abs, deep-set Adonis lines extended from his hips to the center, disappearing into the tight, dark blue fabric, where the center…
Though it was only model-level exposure, Tang Yang felt her whole body heating up. She cursed him for being indecent while simultaneously unable to look away, her throat unconsciously tightening.
Jiang Shiyan called her, “Do you miss me?”
Tang Yang’s throat tightened again, “I want to report you.”
“I want to hug you, kiss you,” Jiang Shiyan’s voice carried a smile, “touch you.”
Tang Yang threatened, “I’m seriously reporting you for spreading obscene content.”
Jiang Shiyan suppressed a low laugh, “Go under the covers and touch.”
This counter-threat wasn’t intimidating enough. His voice grew husky, each word like the teasing sensation of water trickling over old tiles in a southern water town, slowly scaring her, “Kiss while undressing, touch while undressing…”
Tang Yang yanked the covers over her head, her little face flushed and burning hot. She was about to explode as she shrieked, “Jiang Shiyan—!!!”