The Ex-Wife Of A Wealthy/Powerful Family Tempts Me To Treat Her Badly/Betray Her - Chapter 33

Chapter 33: A Moment of Intimacy is Worth a Thousand Pieces of Gold

After speaking, Jiang Yu did not look at Rong Wei, simply standing there.

The already awkward atmosphere suddenly became much heavier.

Jiang Yu didn’t actually feel she had said anything wrong, but hearing no response from Rong Wei, a sudden uneasiness welled up inside her.

After a pause, Jiang Yu finally heard Rong Wei’s voice. She responded: “I apologize. I crossed a boundary.”

“Then I will see you tomorrow night, Miss Jiang.”

Hearing Rong Wei’s answer, Jiang Yu felt a huge wave of relief, and the expression on her face involuntarily softened.

She liked the maintenance of distance even within their closeness; this was the answer she wanted.

She smiled and shook her head: “Ms. Rong, you don’t need to apologize to me.”

“It’s the first time for both of us to encounter something like this. Handling it may naturally lead to issues; it’s not your fault.”

Rong Wei raised an eyebrow with interest and softly hummed in acknowledgment.

“I look forward to seeing you tomorrow.” Jiang Yu’s reply was impeccable.

Rong Wei merely nodded faintly, not insisting on the topic of driving Jiang Yu home. When her phone screen lit up again, she simply said goodbye and left the club.

Jiang Yu bid Rong Wei farewell and watched her leave.

Her driver still needed at least half an hour to arrive. Since Jiang Yu had drunk a lot of water, she simply got up and went to the restroom.

The restroom used high-quality air fresheners, and the scent was pleasant.

Initially, it was completely quiet, but as Jiang Yu stepped out and prepared to wash her hands by the entrance, she faintly heard some voices talking.

Jiang Yu had no intention of eavesdropping on a phone call, but the stall door was not soundproof. Almost defenselessly, the conversation drifted into her ears.

“Hello, Dad, we won the Qijiang project!”

“My first runway show will probably be on the Qijiang catwalk.”

First runway show?

The Qijiang project only involved those people.

Jiang Yu frowned, not intending to listen further. She was about to turn on the faucet to wash her hands when she heard the girl continue:

“Sister’s company also signed this project. I’m actually quite happy for her.”

Hearing this, Jiang Yu’s eyes narrowed.

It seemed the person speaking in the stall was her paternal half-sister, Qin Yan.

But even so, Jiang Yu had no interest in hearing what they were talking about. She turned on the faucet, hoping to drown out any further private talk.

Yet, Qin Yan’s voice could still be heard intermittently.

“I know. If there are any issues, I’ll go to my sister.”

“We’ll probably see each other on the runway soon.”

…

“I want a reward. For my birthday this year, I want a small villa.”

Jiang Yu washed her hands expressionlessly. After rinsing the soap off her hands, she was about to leave, but when she turned around, she met Qin Yan’s gaze.

Although they weren’t close, it didn’t mean they didn’t recognize each other.

Jiang Yu looked at Qin Yan, and Qin Yan looked back at Jiang Yu, slightly startled. For a moment, they stared face-to-face.

It was Qin Yan who first greeted Jiang Yu: “Sister, good evening.”

“I can’t believe it’s such a coincidence to meet you here. I was just wondering if I would run into you since we’re both signing contracts here.”

Jiang Yu didn’t feel she had anything to say to Qin Yan. She only replied politely: “What a coincidence, I didn’t expect to meet you here.”

Finished, Jiang Yu dried her hands with a paper towel and prepared to leave.

Just then, Qin Yan spoke: “Sister, I think I’ll be developing in Li City often over the next few years. I’m having a birthday party this Sunday. Would you like to come?”

Jiang Yu looked at Qin Yan impassively. She remained silent for a moment before declining: “Sorry, I have work to deal with.”

Qin Yan opened her mouth, intending to say something else, but just then, Jiang Yu’s phone screen lit up.

Jiang Yu took the opportunity to say: “I have something else to do. I’ll be leaving now.”

Leaving the restroom, Jiang Yu returned to her car.

The weather in Li City was lovely tonight; the sky was sprinkled with shining stars.

The air conditioning smell wasn’t pleasant and made her feel a little dizzy. Jiang Yu simply rolled down the car window, looking out and drifting into thought.

She had no ill will toward Qin Yan. Furthermore, even though she knew all the fault lay with Qin Yuanshan, in the past, she had felt a strange sense of debt towards Qin Yan and her older sister.

Whether it was a sense of debt or an unwillingness to confront them, in any case, Jiang Yu could never truly be close to Qin Yan. After her mother passed away, they tried to get along for a couple of days, but Jiang Yu found she was unhappy being with her, so she stopped pretending to play the part of good sisters with Qin Yan.

Qin Yan was not like Qin Yuanshan and wouldn’t cause her too much distress.

Right now, Jiang Yu’s dominant emotion was happiness.

After all, the Qijiang project had been finalized, and her efforts over the past few days had paid off.

Jiang Yu leaned back in her seat to rest her eyes, feeling a slight drowsiness. A vibration from her phone brought her back to wakefulness.

She picked up her phone and saw it was a message from Lu Linqiao.

As a partner, she had already told Lu Linqiao that the agreement was signed. Clearly, Lu Linqiao had just finished work and was calling her back.

Jiang Yu answered the call and spoke first: “Good evening. Did your work go smoothly today?”

Lu Linqiao smiled: “Not bad. Same progress as you, I signed contracts with those girls as well.”

Jiang Yu always trusted Lu Linqiao’s eye for talent.

Signing the models was undoubtedly good news. Jiang Yu smiled: “That’s fantastic.”

“Yes, good things come in pairs recently.”

Jiang Yu was about to agree when she heard Lu Linqiao speak again: “Will you be home tomorrow? I’ve prepared a big gift for you, so remember to accept it when it arrives.”

Jiang Yu was slightly surprised: “Didn’t you just send me something? What is this for?”

A faint sigh came over the phone. Lu Linqiao was silent for a moment, then spoke: “Isn’t tomorrow your birthday? Of course, I have to send you a gift, did you forget?”

Jiang Yu was a little stunned. She thought quietly for a moment before realizing that yes, it was indeed her birthday in mid-August.

Jiang Yu pursed her lips and smiled: “I really did forget. I’ve been too busy lately.”

Lu Linqiao: “I knew it. But it’s okay, as long as I remember. Just remember to receive the gift on time.”

Jiang Yu knew Lu Linqiao was caring for her. Her heart warmed, and she smiled: “Got it. Thank you for your hard work, Ms. Lu.”

“I…”

As if anticipating what Jiang Yu was about to say, Lu Linqiao spoke first: “Stop right there. You just be well. Don’t play the jewelry exchange game with me. I don’t even like those things.”

Jiang Yu was seen through, and for a moment, she didn’t know what to say.

She chuckled, finding herself unable to argue, only quietly replying, “Okay.”

…

Since childhood, Jiang Yu had never been enthusiastic about celebrating her birthday, and not many people knew when it was.

Jiang Yu didn’t really feel like she was celebrating her birthday. She went home and slept early. It wasn’t until she opened her phone early in the morning that she saw birthday wishes from Lu Linqiao and Ji Zhou, which finally made her realize it was her birthday.

After replying to them individually, she was surprised to also receive birthday wishes from Ador and Jiang Baoyi in her message box.

After thanking the two young women, Jiang Yu ate a simple breakfast and curled up in the audiovisual room to watch a movie.

At noon, Jiang Yu received the gift from Lu Linqiao.

It was a piece of work by a calligrapher she really liked, one who hadn’t appeared in the public eye for a long time. Jiang Yu guessed that Lu Linqiao must have spent a lot of effort preparing this gift.

She was very happy and grateful. She immediately called a craftsman to place the calligraphy in the most conspicuous position in her study, and then messaged Lu Linqiao: [Thank you, Ms. Lu. You shouldn’t have. I love it.]

[You’re being formal with me again.]

Jiang Yu pursed her lips and smiled: [I know I was wrong. I’ll see you when you get back.]

While Jiang Yu admired the artwork, time quickly passed until evening.

She didn’t actually feel today was particularly special. The only thing that might have felt special was that it was Saturday, the day of her agreed meeting with Rong Wei.

Having met so many times, Jiang Yu felt relatively calm, but after finishing busy work, and with today being her birthday—a special occasion—she wanted to indulge herself more.

So, Jiang Yu packed up early. Besides bringing the Imperial Green jade bracelet she had commissioned for Rong Wei, she also selected some light, thin clothes she liked.

Time flew by until evening. Jiang Yu didn’t want to keep Rong Wei waiting, so she arrived exceptionally early today.

With a rare stretch of free time, upon entering the room, Jiang Yu specifically contacted the front desk to ask for the head chef’s contact information.

Her culinary desires were not demanding, and she didn’t need the chef to follow her around all day, so for the chef, it was just a part-time job.

The chef was easier to talk to than she expected and readily agreed.

Having done all this, Jiang Yu stood up and stretched her neck twice. By the entrance, she heard the sound of the door unlocking.

She looked in the direction of the sound.

She saw Rong Wei’s figure at the entrance.

She smiled and stood up, ready to greet Rong Wei, but strangely, the memory of her stiff greeting to Rong Wei last night surged into her mind.

Ultimately, the simple “Good evening” was swallowed, turning into a substantive action.

She leaned in, sniffing the scent on Rong Wei, a stark contrast to her distance yesterday, and hugged Rong Wei’s arm: “You’re so late today.”

Rong Wei subtly glanced at Jiang Yu, seemingly already accustomed to Jiang Yu’s dual personality shift.

She raised her right hand and affectionately hooked Jiang Yu’s nose: “Isn’t the timing just right?”

Jiang Yu hummed in response.

She knew Rong Wei wasn’t late. After all, unless there were special circumstances, Rong Wei was always exceptionally punctual.

She smiled, not explaining her true purpose, but still clinging to Rong Wei’s arm: “Hurry and take a shower.”

“Ms. Rong should know that a moment of intimacy is worth a thousand pieces of gold.”

Rong Wei smiled, reached out, and hooked her arm around Jiang Yu’s waist, pulling her close.

But this time, Jiang Yu didn’t feel the familiar softness descend. In fact, Rong Wei kept a slight distance from her.

“Of course I know, but before we start today, there is one more thing I want to tell you.”

Jiang Yu frowned.

The boundary between work and the bedroom had been clearly established. For a moment, she couldn’t figure out what else Rong Wei needed to say to her, especially in such a serious tone.

Just as Jiang Yu was brainstorming, she saw Rong Wei’s thin lips part: “Jiang Yu.”

“Hmm?” Jiang Yu questioned, her tone rising.

“Happy Birthday.”

Jiang Yu’s eyes widened. She clearly hadn’t expected Rong Wei to know her birthday. She was so completely stunned that she was speechless.