Chapter 9: Being My Lover Is Actually Very Simple

Source: https://www.jjwxc.net/onebook.php?novelid=5310224
This translation was originally posted on https://love4baihe.blogspot.com

It was still raining outside the office building, though lighter than in the morning. The sky had a faint layer of dark gray like there was still a storm waiting to fall.

Ji Lianxing sat at her desk, staring blankly at the densely packed line graphs on her computer. She rarely zoned out, but now she couldn’t help thinking about Jiang Shu.

Ai.

It was hard to describe this feeling, a mix of joy and fear tangled together.

She had liked Jiang Shu for so many years, never once thinking about actively getting to know her. The biggest reason was that it felt impossible.

Think about it, you’ve liked someone for many years, but she’s married and has kids—how could you cross that line? It’s impossible.

She always felt like there was an unbridgeable gap between them, the difference was too great, so she didn’t even dare to daydream.

But now, things seem a bit different. She vaguely felt like she could touch the edge of that dream, yet it also felt just out of reach.

So, in this mix of fantasy and reality, it was inevitable for her to feel a little restless.

"Hey, hey? It looks like Brother Li is here again," Lu Fan whispered to the team leader beside him.

Ji Lianxing snapped out of her thoughts and turned to look. She saw a neat-looking man walking toward them.

He was dressed in a sharp black suit, had a buzz cut, deep-set eyes, and just the right amount of masculinity. His face was clean, showing he was someone who liked to stay neat.

From an aesthetic perspective, objectively speaking, he was quite handsome.

But Ji Lianxing felt nothing. She realized long ago that she was like this—no reaction at all to good-looking guys. At most, she would think that their nose and eye proportions were decent, much like noticing that a table’s shape and color matched well. That was it.

But beautiful women were different. For example... someone like Jiang Shu.

Ai, why was she thinking about her again?

Ji Lianxing turned back around, staring at the computer screen. She placed her hand on the mouse, carelessly clicking through a few graphs, not really in the mood to analyze anything. Her mind was still full of Jiang Shu.

Next to her, Mia couldn’t stay calm. She grabbed Ji Lianxing’s arm tightly, exclaiming excitedly, “He’s so handsome, so handsome!!!”

Ji Lianxing didn’t like physical contact with others, especially with people she wasn’t familiar with. Even a pinch would give her goosebumps all over.

She picked up her mug and took a sip of water, cleverly avoiding Mia’s next attempt to touch her.

After Li Xiangyan left, everyone’s conversation shifted to him and Jiang Shu.

It seemed like every afternoon at this time, it was always like this. They would always find some topic to chat about, but Ji Lianxing could never fit into these teatimes.

"Have you seen their daughter? She’s so cute!"

"That chubby little girl? I’ve seen her! Last time, President Jiang was holding her, and the little girl even smiled at me!!!"

Ji Lianxing propped up her face with her hands, grabbed her hair, and quietly covered her ears.

She didn’t want to listen.

Especially not about Jiang Shu having a child. She didn’t want to hear it.

****

Li Xiangyan went straight to Jiang Shu's office, clearly very familiar with the route. He pushed open the door and flopped onto the sofa.

Jiang Shu put down her work and looked up at him, "Next time, knock on the door?"

"Knock? What for? It’s not like you’re doing anything shameful in here." Li Xiangyan casually rested one hand on the other leg, appearing quite relaxed.

Jiang Shu adjusted her glasses, leaned back in her chair, and smiled, "Whether it’s something shameful or not is not certain. Remember to knock next time."

“Tsk, tsk, tsk~~~" Li Xiangyan shook his leg enough, and then started talking business, "The little one is coming back the day after tomorrow. I told you to go home and have dinner with her."

The "little one" he referred to was Jiang Xiaotan, Jiang Shu’s niece. Due to various reasons, people in the company thought she was her daughter.

Source: https://www.jjwxc.net/onebook.php?novelid=5310224
This translation was originally posted on https://love4baihe.blogspot.com

These rumors didn’t bother Jiang Shu; in fact, they helped deflect some gossip, so she never bothered to explain.

“I know. She calls me every day to remind me," Jiang Shu said, looking at Li Xiangyan, waiting for him to continue. Since he had come here specifically, he surely had more work-related matters to discuss.

"I just talked with the manager. The company I mentioned before does indeed have a strong interest in partnering with us. How about you have dinner with them next week? You’re good with words, so try to win them over in one go."

"Mm." Jiang Shu merely nodded. It was a dinner that had to be attended whether she wanted to or not. That's just how business worked; no dinner, no deal.

"Oh, and there’s one more thing I need to mention," Li Xiangyan said, sitting up and looking at Jiang Shu with a serious expression. "Regarding your little canary, I’m serious—don’t let her scam you out of money. I thought about it all night, but I still can’t figure out how she managed to get you to invest 250,000 yuan in just one day."

"Why are you bringing this up again?" Jiang Shu avoided eye contact, not wanting to discuss it with him.

Li Xiangyan was like this—probably because he had been scammed too many times in the romance department, leading him to distrust everyone and be overly sensitive.

"Come on, say something! I told you not to get scammed!"

Jiang Shu looked up and replied in a casual tone, "It’s fine, I have plenty of money, and I’m willing to spend it."

"You’re driving me crazy! 250,000 yuan is not a small amount!"

"If I were very interested in this person, I’d be willing to spend 2.5 million yuan," Jiang Shu said with an even broader smile as if Li Xiangyan's anger only made her happier.

"Damn it!" Li Xiangyan stomped his feet in frustration. "You’re really infuriating! The less they pay attention to you, the more interested you become! If you can’t get it, you just have to have it, don’t you?! Willing to spend 2.5 million yuan! I think you’re the real 250*!"

*fool

Jiang Shu continued to ignore him, which only made him more frustrated. It felt like punching a pillow—soft and yielding, with no outlet for his anger.

"You just haven’t encountered the current generation of love scammers, have you? Their skills are top-notch..."

"Li Xiangyan, you’ve been very noisy lately," Jiang Shu finally frowned.

Li Xiangyan: "..."

Alright, she’s ordering me to leave now.

"Go find a boyfriend quickly, sister. That way, your attention won’t be on me anymore," Jiang Shu said, looking down and pulling out her tablet to continue working. She didn’t seem very interested in chatting with Li Xiangyan.

Li Xiangyan felt a chill in his heart. This woman had no heart! It was like a dog biting Lu Dongbin—she didn’t recognize a good person's heart*!

*Lu Dongbin is a legendary figure in Chinese folklore, known as one of the Eight Immortals. After achieving enlightenment, he saved all living beings. There are many legends about him in the world, and he is revered as the Sword Ancestor and Sword Immortal. "狗咬吕洞宾，不识好人心" (a dog biting Lu Dongbin, not recognizing a good person’s heart) is an idiom meaning someone who fails to recognize or appreciate the kindness of others.

****

The entire afternoon, Ji Lianxing couldn’t stop thinking about Jiang Shu. Jiang Shu’s image uncontrollably kept flashing through her mind. She also thought about going to her office in the evening, which made time seem to slow down.

When she finally made it to the end of the workday, Ji Lianxing grabbed her bag, ready to slip out.

Lu Fan looked up in shock, "Why are you leaving earlier and earlier each day?"

"I’m already done."

Lu Fan gave a thumbs-up, "Impressive! I still have half of mine left!" He was always curious about how Xiao Ji managed it; with this workload, it's impossible to finish on time without three brains, right?

"I'm leaving now, bye~," Ji Lianxing said in a low voice, slipping out quietly.

Mia glanced at her with a look of strange meaning...

Ji Lianxing ignored her and left quietly.

While waiting for the elevator, she was a bit nervous about running into someone she knew, but since it was early, she was the only one there.

This was the second time she had come to the 28th floor. It didn’t feel as nerve-wracking as the last time. When the elevator doors opened, she saw the receptionist again. Their eyes met, and Ji Lianxing gave a faint smile.

"Do you want me to take you there?" The receptionist offered a standard smile, her bright eyes giving off a warm feeling.

"No need, I know the way now. I can go by myself~" 

The receptionist nodded and didn’t ask anything further.

Ji Lianxing walked alone toward Jiang Shu’s office. The corridor was empty, and her footsteps echoed on the floor.

She then realized something: most of this area seemed to belong to Jiang Shu, so was it just Jiang Shu and the receptionist on this floor? Wouldn’t working late be unsettling?

Before she knew it, she had reached the frosted glass door. Ji Lianxing took a deep breath, following the usual routine before knocking.

She knocked gently, but no one responded from inside.

She knocked three more times before Jiang Shu’s voice came from inside: 

"Come in."

Pushing the door open, Ji Lianxing’s gaze first fell on Jiang Shu’s desk, not seeing her there. Scanning the room, she saw Jiang Shu standing by the floor-to-ceiling window, talking on the phone.

Jiang Shu leaned against the glass with her upper body, her legs casually crossed. Her posture was elegant and long, one hand holding the phone. Her lips moved as she spoke, her voice clear and steady.

The neon lights outside flickered, their glow and the layers of buildings serving as a backdrop to her. Her expression while speaking was captivating as if she was radiating light. Her entire presence exuded confidence and grace, making it hard not to steal a few extra glances.

Ji Lianxing watched her, her heart pounding with a desire to be closer to her. She quietly walked in, careful not to disturb her.

A few minutes later, Jiang Shu ended the call and glanced sideways, noticing Ji Lianxing sitting on the sofa with her hands on her knees, her posture particularly obedient.

Seeing Ji Lianxing, Jiang Shu’s mood immediately brightened.

"Would you like something to drink?" Jiang Shu asked with a gentle smile in her eyes.

"No, thank you." Ji Lianxing clasped her hands, a bit awkwardly, but still asked, "Did you call me to the office for something specific, President Jiang?"

"Since you insisted on discussing money yesterday, I thought a face-to-face meeting would be better."

Ji Lianxing felt a bit nervous as Jiang Shu approached and moved slightly to the side. The sofa sank a bit as Jiang Shu sat beside her.

The distance was neither too close nor too far. There was no physical contact, but she could smell Jiang Shu’s faint, familiar fragrance.

"I want you to be my lover."

Without any preparation or preamble, Jiang Shu said it directly. It was very straightforward, very decisive, and very much like her.

Even though the statement was startling, coming from Jiang Shu it seemed almost unsurprising. Perhaps it was her calm, emotionless tone that contributed to this feeling.

Ji Lianxing’s face went pale, and her palms began to sweat.

Was she surprised? Not exactly, but it was uncomfortable. Even though she had anticipated this possibility, she still hoped Jiang Shu would not make such a request.

"Why me?"

"It's simple. I like you," Jiang Shu said with a smile.

Like?

Ji Lianxing looked into her eyes, the dark pupils like a deep, unfathomable sea, making it impossible to gauge her emotions.

"You don’t need to pay me back. Just be my lover. It won’t be for long, maybe two months?"

Two months, Jiang Shu thought, and she would likely be tired of it by then.

Ji Lianxing lowered her head, remaining silent for a long time before speaking, "Can't I just pay you back little by little? Must I be your lover?"

"You can pay me back," Jiang Shu paused, then added, "but it's best if you don't."

She looked at Ji Lianxing, and Ji Lianxing also looked at her.

When their eyes met, Ji Lianxing was so overwhelmed with sadness that she forgot her fear. She felt Jiang Shu's eyes were like a vortex, constantly pulling her in, dragging her, consuming her, pulling her toward the abyss.

"Being my lover is actually very simple. We don’t even have to have sex."

This time, Ji Lianxing furrowed her brows. "Then what do I need to do?"

"Sleep with me."

Ji Lianxing’s eyes showed a flash of confusion, and for a moment she couldn’t fully understand the meaning of "sleep" in this context.

Paying someone to sleep with her but without sex? Or was she misunderstanding, and "sleep" had another meaning in Jiang Shu's words?

Jiang Shu stood up. "You don’t need to answer right now. Think it over and get back to me."