Begging the Female Lead to Let Me, a Salted Fish, Go (GL) - Chapter 14

While Gong Zhi was deep in her dreams, Shen Ying had just stepped out of the bathroom. She was drying her hair while looking at the candlestick chart on her computer, and then she made a few phone calls.

She spoke fluent English with a strong American accent, sounding nothing like a college student who had never left the country in over twenty years.

After hanging up, Shen Ying looked up. It was already past 1 a.m. But she wasn’t sleepy at all. Thinking about Gong Zhi’s earlier instructions, a small smile appeared on her face. Gong Zhi was probably fast asleep by now, but for Shen Ying, everything had just begun. She couldn’t sleep, and she couldn’t allow herself to sleep.

The things she had experienced in her past life felt like a beast with its mouth wide open, silently chasing and hounding Shen Ying, forcing her to run as hard as she could. She bent over slightly, her fingers intertwined. Thankfully, the first step for her mother has already been changed.

But Shen Ying still felt uneasy.

The unease came from today.

She remembered a similar experience in her “past life,” but it wasn’t here, and it wasn’t these two cats. It was just one cat, but it was in the same kind of alley, on a rainy day. And there was the same man watching her from a distance.

Back then, Shen Ying didn’t know who the man was or why he was watching her in the heavy rain.

She found out later, but by then, she was already entangled with Gong Yi. Too many things had weighed her down, leaving her breathless. All she felt was a grateful instinct for others’ kindness. It was as if she had been stripped of many of her senses, unable to distinguish the deeper meanings behind that kindness. Was it love? Possession? Or malice?

She was just swept along, like a puppet without a mind of its own.

But she still instinctively loathed the way those men looked at her.

And now, she knew the man’s name beforehand, and she also knew the dark side hidden beneath his seemingly gentlemanly exterior.

But, it was too much of a coincidence.

The alley, the rain, the cats, and Weng Nan.

It was as if they were all being pulled by some invisible string, gathering in front of Shen Ying. This made Shen Ying feel a sense of dread, a fear that there might truly be a thing called “fate” that would force her to go toward that predetermined ending.

[Darkness meter: 94]

A sleeping Gong Zhi waved her hand, rolled over with her blanket, and let out a faint murmur.

On this side, Shen Ying took a deep breath, trying to steady herself.

She couldn’t panic too much. She had already changed so much, hadn’t she? She wasn’t signed by Gong Yi, and Gong Zhi’s lump sum of money was enough to support her until a kidney donor for her mother appeared… And as for Weng Nan, she had seen his ugly side in advance, so she wouldn’t have any unnecessary feelings for him.

Perhaps some things were unavoidable, but maybe they could lead to different endings.

The phone suddenly rang. Shen Ying looked down at the caller ID, and when she saw the name, her expression unconsciously showed disgust.

[Darkness meter: 95]

She, of course, remembered this person, Chen Chen. She used to be Shen Ying’s best friend besides her one true best friend. Unfortunately, a friend was no match for a man. For a man, a man who didn’t even love her, she had caused Shen Ying so much pain.

Shen Ying’s finger moved to the hang-up button, but suddenly, she had an idea. Since the person who signed the contract had changed, maybe their meeting would also bring about some changes. And as for fate, she wanted to see if everything would proceed according to that ridiculous “fate.”

Shen Ying pressed the “answer” button, and a cheerful female voice came through the phone. “Xiao Ying, how are you? Did you find a job?”

Shen Ying let out a cold laugh. She was perfunctory with her answers. After they talked for a while, Chen Chen said the words Shen Ying remembered from her past life. “To celebrate you finding a job, let’s get together this weekend! It’s your first job. I know a high-end bar. How about we try it?”

The female voice on the phone was full of the curiosity and liveliness of someone her age.

Shen Ying was silent, then she smiled. “Chen Chen, my mom is still sick. I can’t spend money recklessly. Let’s go somewhere else.”

“Oh…” Chen Chen seemed a little troubled, but everyone knew about Shen Ying’s mother’s situation. As a friend, she really shouldn’t make things difficult for her.

So Chen Chen quickly agreed. “Okay, then let’s just go to the mall you mentioned. Next time, next time when Auntie is feeling better, we can go somewhere high-end. My parents never let me go before.”

“Okay, no problem.”

Shen Ying hummed. They quickly set a time and place. It wasn’t a place with high expenses. This time, she wanted to see how Gong Yi would show up.

That night, Shen Ying was preoccupied with something, and she tossed and turned, unable to sleep well. When she woke up, it was already 8 a.m. She quickly got dressed and went downstairs, where she saw Zhang Shan standing downstairs in a suit and tie. When he saw Shen Ying, Zhang Shan showed a bright smile and greeted her enthusiastically. “Hello, Miss Shen.”

“You… hello? Where is she?” Shen Ying was a little hesitant. She remembered this was Gong Zhi’s assistant. If he was here, where was Gong Zhi? Was she not going to school anymore?

Thinking of school, and the annoyed expression on the usually serious girl’s face, Shen Ying’s heart relaxed, and she couldn’t help but smile.

Zhang Shan adjusted his glasses. A flash of light from the lenses concealed the excitement in his eyes. As soon as I mentioned the boss, Miss Shen got so happy. There’s definitely something going on between these two!

“The boss has gone to school. She asked me to drive you to and from work for a while. If you have any requests, please don’t hesitate to ask.”

Shen Ying paused and shook her head. “I don’t think that’s a good idea. I’m just a regular employee, getting driven to and from work like this…”

“The villa is a bit far from the company, and it’s a half-hour walk to the nearest bus stop. You don’t have a driver’s license yet, do you, Miss Shen? So, until you get your license, I’ll be responsible for your safety and transportation,” Zhang Shan rebutted her point by point, with a solid argument. “Don’t worry, I’ll keep my distance. You can get out of the car in advance, so it won’t affect your work at the company.”

Shen Ying didn’t know what to say. She thought of Gong Zhi. The other person hadn’t told her anything and had just sent an assistant, which made her feel a little angry about the overbearing behavior. She silently walked to the dining table, and this time, Zhang Shan quickly pulled out a chair for her.

Shen Ying glanced at Zhang Shan. Even if it was Gong Zhi’s order, this seemed a little too eager, didn’t it? Was he trying to get something from her?

Zhang Shan saw the look of wariness in Shen Ying’s eyes and knew what she was thinking.

And Zhang Shan, as a qualified assistant, of course, had to be concerned with what his boss was concerned about and think what his boss was thinking. He immediately took a step back and bowed politely. “These are all the boss’s orders. She told me to take good care of you.”

Gong Zhi’s orders…?

That’s a little… greasy…

Shen Ying didn’t say anything. She sat down and saw her unappetizingly healthy breakfast, and a small card standing next to it.

Shen Ying opened the card. The handwriting was neat and lively. “I have to go to class, so I’m leaving first. I’ve asked Zhang Shan to be your temporary assistant until you don’t need him anymore. Don’t be shy. You can repay me by working hard.”

This familiar tone was more like her.

Shen Ying smiled and suddenly no longer felt offended by Zhang Shan’s overly zealous behavior.

She picked up a beautifully cut piece of hard-boiled egg that was essentially still just a hard-boiled egg and put it in her mouth. While chewing, she sighed. “This is not as good as a regular hard-boiled egg. At least you can eat it in one bite.”

Zhang Shan lowered his head and didn’t speak. A qualified assistant was supposed to be invisible when not needed.

Shen Ying finished her breakfast and got in the car with Zhang Shan. It wasn’t until she was sitting on the soft leather seat that she allowed herself to unclench her hands. No matter what the future held, for now, she finally had a new choice.

A career of her own.

Thinking of this, Shen Ying couldn’t help but smile.

No matter what Gong Zhi’s plan was, whether it was for her own benefit or not, she thought that in this regard, she had to thank Gong Zhi.

This girl might be very different from what she had imagined.