Imprisoned with a Wife (On the Psychology of Being F***ed) - Chapter 9
“Niece Yan, this is my son. He just returned from abroad this year.”
“It’s been over ten years since we last met. Xiao Yan, you’ve grown so much. Is your mother about to get promoted? I heard she’s doing well these past few years. And your father too, please give him my regards if you have the chance.”
“Sister Yan, please take care of us.”
“Xiao Yan, it’s good to have you back. If you need any help, don’t hesitate to tell us uncles.”
••••
Several uncles and elders, each bringing their own offspring, were subtly inquiring about her parents. They likely had received some news, speaking in official platitudes. Amidst the clinking of glasses, each sought what they desired, testing the waters.
Yan Jingyao disliked such occasions, yet she couldn’t avoid them. Besides, she had to consider her law firm.
She feigned compliance, skillfully deflecting questions, and readily answered with polite formalities. Anyway, she had arranged with several familiar journalist friends that they would keep things civil and not play any tricks.
At the agreed time, Jiang Ying arrived promptly to pick her up. Yan Jingyao made an excuse and left the banquet, getting into the car with her female companion.
“How was it today?”
Jiang Ying handed her a can of winter melon tea for hangover relief. “I saw you didn’t drink much. How is that guy still there?”
“It’s not his first time trying to get with me. He’d definitely be very eager for this kind of social event, but I’m not interested.”
A sweet sip of winter melon tea went down, immediately making her feel much better. Yan Jingyao comfortably stretched her legs, leaning back in her seat, looking forward.
“Anyway, my parents never forced me. Through these years of ups and downs, I’ve seen things clearly. In the official circles, it’s a constant game of ‘you sing, I appear on stage.’ There’s no one who stands forever.”
Ancient imperial families, even those that lasted for generations, eventually fell. Jiang Ying agreed deeply, nodding. “It’s rare for your parents to have such a mindset, which is why they’ve lasted so long.”
“One of my mom’s acquaintances, their daughter married into an arranged marriage to the son of a big enterprise owner in Jiangcheng. What happened? A few years ago, because a relative spoke carelessly, he was taken down, and their assets were confiscated.”
She heard that when that enterprise collapsed, the Pei family secretly got involved while their rivals were in trouble, establishing their own brand there. Many local businesses also seized the opportunity to get a slice of the pie.
So, how could such interest groups be 100% reliable? Yan Jingyao had been in free relationships these past few years, and her parents never said anything. That’s why other people’s daughters got into trouble, while she was still thriving.
“So you’re planning to be single your whole life then?”
“Stay away from love, stay away from hurt,” Yan Jingyao couldn’t help but raise her glass to toast her own carefree spirit. “Long live singledom, long live masturbation!”
Jiang Ying was amused. “Alright, long live singledom.”
“Absolutely long live! Jiang Ying, let me tell you, before you’re sixteen, you’ll be moved to tears by true love in books, no matter how much bullshit love is, it’ll make you cry.”
She unconsciously thought of Xu Wei. “But once you’re over twenty, if anyone tells you ‘true love above all’ or ‘love is everything,’ you’ll just want to tell them to…”
“Fvck?”
“Holy sh1t!”
Both of them laughed. The night was so beautiful, the car weaving through Licheng’s vibrant and bustling crossroads, neon lights glittering like flowing streams.
Jiang Ying dropped Yan Jingyao off downstairs. She was still muttering “holy sh1t,” half-drunk, as she opened the car door and got out.
She waved goodbye to the driver’s seat, then casually swung her handbag onto her shoulder, in high spirits, slowly entering the elevator.
27th floor. The hallway was brightly lit.
Drinking the last sip of winter melon tea, thinking of sleeping in, Yan Jingyao happily hummed a tune, then unbuttoned another button, exposing her pale collarbone to cool off.
Just past the corridor corner, she suddenly saw a woman standing at her doorstep.
Ji Lan?
Her brain, where the alcohol hadn’t fully evaporated, was a little muddled. She froze for a few seconds, frowned, and felt an inexplicable hint of irritation.
“Why are you here again?”
Last time she said she wanted her as a research subject, then inexplicably said she wanted to go to bed with her. Ji Lan’s brain was probably stuffed with Pei Jinxi’s “piggy bun.” Yan Jingyao absolutely did not want to get involved with her because of this.
Go to bed? Go to hell! She decisively grabbed Pei Jinxi, found a new place, and moved her luggage to a new apartment overnight.
“I don’t have a key.”
Ji Lan hugged her arms, seemingly having stood for a long time. Her hair was slightly disheveled, showing clear signs of fatigue, and there was a touch of cautious vulnerability in her eyes, looking pitiful.
Like a small pet waiting for its owner to return, completely out of character with her usual cool and indifferent image. Yan Jingyao got goosebumps.
“How did you find me after I moved?”
“I…”
“Alright, alright,” she was truly afraid this woman would suggest going to bed again. Such a direct approach was too much. “I’ll open the door, move aside.”
“…”
The atmosphere was nothing like the ambiguous one she had expected. Once inside, Yan Jingyao didn’t pay her much attention. “I’m going to shower. You sort yourself out. You don’t need to tell me when you leave.”
“…”
It seemed she held absolutely no attraction for her. Ji Lan bit her lower lip, thought for a long time, and realized she had truly hit a dead end.
Yan Jingyao’s behavior was completely different from her impression, utterly unexpected. Perhaps she preferred women who were provocative and… “Prostitutes”?
A sense of disgust inevitably arose in her heart. Ji Lan always held a grudge—no one would have a good impression of someone who almost violated them.
For the umpteenth time, she hinted to herself. She wanted to know about Fu Chaoyu, she wanted to know what happened back then, she wanted to know if there were other victims in that case…
Fate played tricks. All of it, incredibly, hinged on Yan Jingyao.
She couldn’t wait for a slow acquaintance. Besides, Yan Jingyao and she weren’t compatible. Their professional intersections were negligible. It still came down to going to bed. A sexual relationship seemed like the fastest connection.
She didn’t know how to “do it” with a woman, or how to define their relationship. Friends with benefits? One-night stand?
Unfortunately, thinking about it was useless; it only made things more confusing, until Yan Jingyao walked out of the bathroom with a towel draped over her shoulder, only to find Ji Lan still there.
“Why haven’t you left yet?”
Her hair had been blow-dried, but the ends were still a bit wet. She pushed her hair to one side and gently patted it with the towel.
“It’s no use looking for me now. I’m tired.” The effects of the alcohol hadn’t worn off completely; she just wanted to lie down and sleep, and couldn’t be bothered with whether Ji Lan left or not. “Go back by yourself. I don’t have time to see you out.”
After saying that, she yawned and went back to her bedroom, closing and locking the door.
Ji Lan: “…”
She was actually ignored. Reflecting on a year ago, Lawyer Yan’s current behavior was truly surprising.
Although she couldn’t tell if it was genuine aloofness or a fake rejection, Ji Lan decided to persist. The weather wasn’t cold, so she simply lay down on the sofa.
In the middle of the night, Yan Jingyao woke up.
When she wasn’t completely drunk, she always woke up in the middle of the night after drinking. She fumbled for her phone and saw it was 3 AM.
She had consumed too much liquid before bed and really needed to use the restroom. She had no choice but to get up. She put on her pajamas and headed to the bathroom, when she suddenly saw a dark blob in the living room.
“Mommy!”
Yan Jingyao was badly startled, almost grabbing the broom by the door and jumping to hit it. Luckily, she remembered to turn on the light first to avoid accidental injury.
The dark blob was Ji Lan, lying on the sofa. Disturbed by the light, she rubbed her eyes and sat up, still groggy.
“You’re actually sleeping at my place?”
What a sticky nuisance of a woman, Yan Jingyao put the broom down, resigned. Is a research paper really worth this much? she grumbled inwardly, then went to the restroom to handle her private matters first.
A while later, she came out and, naturally, still saw Ji Lan. This time, she wasn’t sitting but standing by the door, waiting for her.
Like a stone statue. Yan Jingyao felt a headache coming on. Maybe Pei Jinxi’s “piggy bun” was stuffed in her brain too.
“What exactly do you want?!”
Ji Lan leaned against the wall, her brow slightly furrowed, appearing a little conflicted, but her gaze was still faint, her whole demeanor very understated.
“Yan Jingyao,” she looked at her, as persistent as ever. “Let’s go to bed.”