Chapter 65: The Doormat

Yin Xian’s body took a full three months to recover, and during his recovery period, Wang Jiexiang took full responsibility for his three daily meals.

He really did resign from the lighting company.

At first, Wang Jiexiang thought his reason for quitting was because her words had an effect.

But when she learned that he had enough preparations to start his own business and planned to open his own company, she finally understood… He had been planning to resign all along!

The gastric bleeding and hospitalization gave him a reasonable excuse to quit, and the company showed understanding toward his decision.

He sent his resignation text in front of her, and it was purely coincidental that she happened to catch him sending it. Whether or not she was there made no difference.

Wang Jiexiang had already reclaimed the identity of Yin Xian’s girlfriend, and upon discovering his scheming nature, she realized that as his girlfriend, she could only continue to play along.

She explicitly told him to quit smoking, drinking, and eating spicy food, and to maintain regular meals. Yin Xian adhered to all of this.

However, with his new company, his workload and busyness had only increased, not decreased.

Yin Xian’s company specialized in engineering, and they started in the very safe field of municipal lighting projects: streetlights, tunnel lights, underground parking lots, and how to plan, design, construct, and maintain them. His company got involved in all of this, and the connections he built at his previous company played a key role in entering this field.

Wang Jiexiang had long known that he was ambitious and highly capable. Since Yin Xian’s company was still in its early stages, it was impossible for him to become a hands-off boss. What she could do was support him and supervise his normal routine and meals.

Every day, she would go to work in the morning, and he would wake up at the same time as her to have breakfast.

After sending her to Kindergarten, Yin Xian would go to his own company. His lunch was prepared by Wang Jiexiang the day before, and after eating, Yin Xian would send her a text to report.

At 3 p.m., when she finished work, she would buy groceries and cook. If Yin Xian hadn’t returned by 6 p.m., Wang Jiexiang would bring the food to his company to find him.

By the end of the day, Wang Jiexiang was as busy as a spinning top.

Baking bread at the Kindergarten used to be a relaxing job, but recently, because of Xu Qi, she had a lot more to do.

Ever since that little boy started talking to her, he would often come to the kitchen to bother her.

“姐姐,姐姐.”

He dangled from the window outside the kitchen, grabbing the windowsill with both hands, showing off his two little hair whorls, and greeting her.

Wang Jiexiang was afraid he might fall, so she quickly took off her gloves and ran to the window, opening it.

“Don’t be naughty, go back to class.”

Xu Qi peered into the kitchen. “姐姐, when will the cake be ready?”

She reached out of the window, gently supporting his arm. “Come down from the window first.”

“I don’t want to!” He giggled. “I want to make cake too, can I come in and play with you?”

Wang Jiexiang sternly refused, “No, little kids can’t come into the kitchen. There are many dangerous things here.”

Xu Qi gave her a sideways glance. “If it’s dangerous, why are you staying in the kitchen?”

“I’m an adult, I can avoid danger. I’m in the kitchen because I’m working. You’re a child, so you need to go to class…”

She couldn’t explain it to him, and he pouted, clearly unwilling to listen.

Wang Jiexiang didn’t waste any more time arguing and urged him to leave.

“Xu Qi, if you don’t go back to class, I’ll call your teacher.”

“Hmph.” He let go of the windowsill, landing safely on his feet.

Wang Jiexiang, seeing he was fine, was about to pull her hand back.

“Bang—!” Xu Qi suddenly stood on tiptoe and pushed the window with all his might, trapping her arm in it.

Wang Jiexiang’s expression changed, and she cried out in pain.

Realizing he’d done something wrong, Xu Qi quickly slipped away.

She opened the window herself, and the spot where her arm was pinched turned red.

When Yin Xian came home that night, he smelled the scent of safflower oil.

Wang Jiexiang applied medicine to the bruise on her arm, and he asked what happened. She told him.

He rolled up her sleeve and checked her injury, his brows furrowing tightly.

“Next time, don’t pay attention to him. Lock the kitchen windows and doors, and don’t talk to him.”

Wang Jiexiang threw herself into Yin Xian’s arms for comfort. “Ugh, my arm hurts so much today. That kid is too naughty, it’s hard to relax. How could he be so much like my brother? I really owe them.”

He patted her back. “If he’s like your brother, then don’t pay attention to him. What’s there to worry about? You’re just a dumb Pig Brain, always trying to be a doormat.”

She was venting to him, yet he scolded her.

“I hate you, all you do is say bad things about me!”

“Who’s the doormat Pig Brain? I’m actually very smart!”

Wang Jiexiang angrily pulled away from his embrace and retreated to a corner to nurse her wounds.

Wang Jiexiang was a foolishly warm-hearted person, and this incident, except for her, was known by everyone who had come into contact with her.

One weekend, when she was resting at home, she received a call from an unknown number.

She picked up the phone, and the woman on the other end called her name, then started sobbing softly.

Wang Jiexiang listened carefully for a while, and finally recognized the voice as Jiang Bingbing, an old acquaintance she hadn’t been in touch with for years. They had fallen out at the barbershop, and after Yin Xian helped Wang Jiexiang get her wages back, she hadn’t seen her again. Jiang Bingbing had tried various ways to contact her, and eventually, she got her phone number from her landlord.

“Bingbing, what’s wrong?”

Even though they had fallen out, hearing her cry so terribly still made Wang Jiexiang worried.

“Jiexiang, I’m doomed… He doesn’t want me, and I’m pregnant… Jiexiang, I can’t go on…”

Jiang Bingbing’s sobs were barely audible, and Wang Jiexiang held the phone, her heart racing.

“Where are you? What are you talking about? Don’t do anything stupid!”

Jiang Bingbing wouldn’t tell her where she was, crying uncontrollably and apologizing repeatedly.

Wang Jiexiang was frantic, like an ant on a hot pan.

“Can we meet and talk? Please calm down. Can I come over to you? Are you still working at the barbershop?”

“Don’t come to the barbershop,” Jiang Bingbing finally gave her her home address.

Wang Jiexiang quickly took a taxi to Jiang Bingbing’s place.

She was still renting a small apartment with others, just like five years ago. There was a sour smell in the room, and Wang Jiexiang wasn’t sure if it was coming from the room or Jiang Bingbing herself.

When Wang Jiexiang entered, she saw that Jiang Bingbing, though a bit haggard, seemed fine otherwise, and her worry eased.

After asking around, she figured out what had happened: Jiang Bingbing had gotten involved with Brother Hao, a barber at her shop. A few days ago, she had felt unwell, went to the clinic, and found out she was pregnant. Jiang Bingbing asked Brother Hao to take responsibility, but he not only denied she was his girlfriend but also claimed the baby wasn’t his. The whole barbershop staff was on Brother Hao’s side, and now that her pregnancy was obvious, Jiang Bingbing had no money for an abortion or to raise the child. With no one else to help her, she called Wang Jiexiang.

“Let’s go, we’ll demand an explanation from him. How can he treat you like this!”

She took Jiang Bingbing’s hand and led her out of the door to the hair salon.

Jiang Bingbing was unwilling to enter the place. They took a taxi to the salon’s door, but she refused to get out of the car.

Wang Jiexiang thought for a moment, then opened the car door herself: “You stay here and wait for me, so you don’t get too upset and risk the pregnancy. I’ll be back soon.”

Jiang Bingbing hesitated: “Jiexiang…”

Wang Jiexiang said firmly: “It’s okay.”

Once inside the hair salon, Wang Jiexiang no longer felt the fear she once had.

Five years ago, she was just a shy country girl, timidly hiding behind Yin Xian.

Five years later, she stepped forward, opened the door, and ignored the people in the shop.

The man called Brother Hao didn’t even recognize her. Five years had passed, and Wang Jiexiang had undergone such a transformation in both temperament and appearance.

From him, Wang Jiexiang heard a different version of the story from Jiang Bingbing’s.

Brother Hao said that he had indeed slept with Jiang Bingbing a few times. He didn’t take it seriously, and from what he knew, several other men in the shop had also been involved with her. For the past few months, he hadn’t touched her and refused to acknowledge the child. The child could not be born, as he was already married, and everyone in the shop, including Jiang Bingbing, knew that. So, if she was trying to blackmail him, she wouldn’t dare to make it a big deal.

At this point, as an outsider, Wang Jiexiang found it hard to judge the truth of the situation.

The only thing left to discuss was what to do about the child.

Brother Hao’s attitude remained uncooperative: “This child isn’t mine, what does it have to do with me? Whatever happens to Jiang Bingbing and the child in her belly has nothing to do with me.”

She asked him: “If the paternity test proves it’s yours, will you take responsibility?”

“It’s impossible,” he stubbornly refused to give in.

“Think carefully. If the child is born and a paternity test is done, then it will be a living child. If you’re the father, you can’t just say ‘impossible’ and run away from it.”

Brother Hao sat outside the shop and smoked half a pack of cigarettes.

Finally, he took out three hundred yuan and handed it to Jiang Bingbing himself.

She took the money without saying a word.

After rolling up the car window, Jiang Bingbing instructed the taxi driver to start driving. As the car pulled away from the street, Wang Jiexiang saw tears streaming down her face.

Unlike in front of her, where Jiang Bingbing cried so hard she could hardly breathe, now she quietly shed tears, her tightly pressed lips formed an anguished curve.

Wang Jiexiang placed her hand on Jiang Bingbing’s hand to comfort her gently.

“Jiexiang,” Jiang Bingbing grasped her hand, her tears still not dry, but now wearing a pleading smile, “Can you lend me some money?”

Jiang Bingbing was in a difficult situation, and even if she hadn’t said anything, Wang Jiexiang would have offered.

“Okay.” She immediately agreed.

Wang Jiexiang didn’t tell Yin Xian that she had lent the money she had saved to Jiang Bingbing.

A week later, he accidentally discovered a large sum was missing from her bank account. After asking about it, they had another argument.

“Did I hear that right? You’re lending money to Jiang Bingbing? The same Jiang Bingbing you stood up for, only for her to blame you? The one who made you lose your job and not get paid, and then sided with the boss?”

Wang Jiexiang gave a dry laugh: “It’s been so long, how do you remember it better than I do?”

“Yes, you don’t remember,” he sarcastically mocked, “Pig Brain wouldn’t remember anything. Pig Brain gets sold out and still counts the money for the one who did it, all while saying, ‘She’s a good person, she’s my friend.'”

Wang Jiexiang retorted: “She is my friend! I came from my hometown to the city and she gave me a hundred yuan. When I started working as a shampoo girl at the salon, I didn’t know anything, and she taught me. She even took me to buy clothes. We used to walk to school together, agreeing that whoever had a bicycle would give the other a ride…”

He interrupted her.

“You remember all the good things about her, but does she remember anything about you?”

“How did she treat you back then? When you were in trouble, she ignored you, as if she didn’t know what kind of life you were living. But now that she’s in a tough spot, she knows how to contact you, even getting your phone number. Do you know why she came to you? Because you’re stupid.”

Yin Xian’s words were too harsh, and Wang Jiexiang’s mouth tightened.

“How long did it take for you to save up that money? Usually, when you spend on yourself, you hesitate to spend even a penny. Wasn’t that money supposed to be for your cake shop? You gave up your dream for an old friend who is obviously trying to take advantage of you?”

“She’ll pay me back.”

Wang Jiexiang raised her chin, still defending Jiang Bingbing.

“You don’t understand her. She’s not as bad as you think.”

Yin Xian didn’t understand: “Why do you always want to see the good in people?”

She retorted: “Why do you always want to see the bad?”

They sat on opposite sides of the couch, turning their heads away from each other.

The atmosphere dropped to freezing point.

Wang Jiexiang was hurt by his words, and after pouting, she said angrily.

“Maybe we really aren’t suited for each other. I must have been out of my mind to chase after you.”

Yin Xian sneered.

“It’s my fault, I must be sick to agree to be with you.”

She couldn’t believe it: Was he serious? His tone didn’t sound like he was just angry!

Wang Jiexiang turned to glare at him: “You better explain what you mean. After five years together, are you saying you regret it now?”

“I don’t regret it,” Yin Xian kept smiling, not backing down, “It’s a fresh experience, having a period in life where you dance with a pig.”

She stood up abruptly, no longer able to endure his personal attacks: “You better tell me who the pig is.”

In the end, his sharp words kept coming.

“Whoever asks who the pig is.”

With nothing left to say, Wang Jiexiang returned to her room, planning to pack her things.

“I have nothing more to say to you. Let’s take a break from each other.”

Yin Xian shot back, “What’s the point of breaking up? Moving things around is too troublesome. In the end, you’ll come back.”

His words were completely right!

This made Wang Jiexiang even angrier.