Chapter 103

Chapter 103

Because Jiang Yiyan hadn't replied to his messages almost all day, Yu Wenlai was distracted throughout the day and couldn't fully concentrate on his work.

He would work for a while, then check his phone. Work some more, then check it again.

His efficiency significantly decreased.

By late afternoon, she still hadn't replied. Yu Wenlai hesitated but decided to send another message.

"Are you free tonight? Would you like to meet up?"

Immediately after, he sent another lengthy message.

"I wanted to have a proper conversation with you yesterday, but unexpectedly, we ended up having dinner together with everyone. If you're free today, let's go out for dinner and maybe catch a movie afterward. What do you think?"

Jiang Yiyan had been busy all day with matters on a certain book platform.

After encountering Yu Wenlai's confession, Jiang Yiyan realized that she might not be able to stay with him for long. Therefore, she decided to seek other opportunities.

Fortunately, the account on the book platform that Fang Fang had been managing for her recently went viral, and there were always smaller hits as well. As a result, many businesses approached her for collaborations.

If she could secure these collaborations... Jiang Yiyan had researched and found that it could bring in a decent income every month.

After finishing her work and taking a break, she instinctively reached for her phone to relax, only to see the messages from Yu Wenlai.

Seeing his messages now, Jiang Yiyan couldn't help but feel a sense of pressure, far from the light-heartedness she used to feel.

After some thought, Jiang Yiyan felt that some things needed to be clarified face-to-face. So, she simply replied with a "Sure."

But this time, the time and place would be determined by her.

Jiang Yiyan's tone was very formal, even slightly distant and polite, unlike the ease and familiarity they once shared.

The perceptive Yu Wenlai couldn't help but notice the change.

Yu Wenlai was also quite nervous; he feared that their meeting tonight might not end well.

But if it didn't end well, should he avoid it?

He needed to clarify his feelings and intentions.

Since Jiang Yiyan had arranged dinner with Yu Wenlai, she told Feng Ma when she came out of her bedroom, "I won't be eating at home tonight, so don't prepare my portion."

"What about Mr. Wen?" Feng Ma asked.

Since Wen Mochuan moved next door, Jiang Yiyan decided to invite him over for dinner, which would give Meimei more time with her father, beneficial for her growth.

"I don't know about him. If he doesn't specifically call to say he won't be back, I assume he'll eat at home," Jiang Yiyan said, showing no concern for him.

Feng Ma paused, realizing that Mr. and Mrs. Wen had divorced.

"Alright, if he doesn't mention anything, I'll continue preparing his portion," Feng Ma said.

"Okay." Jiang Yiyan responded and returned to her bedroom.

Around six o'clock, Jiang Yiyan left.

Not long after Jiang Yiyan left, Wen Mochuan arrived home.

Upon seeing him, Meimei ran over and said, "Daddy, Mommy won't be eating at home tonight. She has already gone out."

Wen Mochuan was taken aback and instinctively felt anxious, but he maintained composure in front of his daughter.

"Really?" Wen Mochuan asked, "Do you not want her to go out for dinner?"

Meimei pouted, "Mommy went out alone without taking Daddy and me along."

Wen Mochuan defended Jiang Yiyan, "Mommy needs her own social circle and doesn't always have to revolve around Daddy and Meimei. Just like how Meimei has friends at kindergarten besides Daddy, Mommy, Feng Ma, and Fang Fang, she also has her own friends."

Meimei thought about it seriously and nodded, "I understand now, Daddy."

Feng Ma brought out another dish from the kitchen, saw Wen Mochuan had returned, and called Meimei to wash her hands for dinner.

Jiang Yiyan had arranged to meet Yu Wenlai at a nearby restaurant. Since she was treating, she arrived a bit earlier.

After arriving, she ordered a few popular dishes and took a brief rest before Yu Wenlai showed up.

.

Seeing him, Jiang Yiyan waved, "Wenlai, over here."

Seeing her, Yu Wenlai's eyes lit up, and he walked over with a smile.

"You're too kind. I should be the one treating you. Yesterday, Mr. Wen beat me to it, and now you're treating me again... It feels like I'm just freeloading," he joked.

Jiang Yiyan responded, "We're all familiar with each other, so who treats doesn't matter." Then she added, "I've ordered these dishes; take a look."

Yu Wenlai scanned the QR code at the table corner and reviewed the menu again, smilingly praising Jiang Yiyan, "You've chosen perfectly. No need to add more dishes."

For two people, four dishes and a soup were enough. They could order more if needed, avoiding waste.

Jiang Yiyan had invited Yu Wenlai out today to discuss something important. Now that he was here, she hesitated for a moment before deciding to speak directly.

"Wenlai, I don't think I'll be working with you for much longer."

Yu Wenlai was utterly surprised and seemed to be in shock for a moment.

After realizing what was happening, he immediately asked, "Yiyan, is there any reason?"

There were some things that hadn't been clarified, so Jiang Yiyan naturally wouldn’t say anything. Therefore, she only looked for reasons within herself.

"Actually, by working with you, you're at a disadvantage because your qipao shop already has many customers and doesn't lack clientele. By working with me, I'm just taking a share of your earnings..."

"How could it be taking a share of your earnings?" If this was the reason, Yu Wenlai would certainly try his best to retain her. "You know, since you started designing patterns for the qipaos, the shop has attracted another batch of customers. Without you, my small shop wouldn't be doing so well now. So saying that you're taking my earnings, I don't agree with that."

Yu Wenlai was a bit anxious and had interrupted Jiang Yiyan earlier.

Jiang Yiyan kept smiling, looking very patient.

"Let me finish," Jiang Yiyan continued. "But at the time, I did indeed need such a job urgently, so I happily accepted it. Over these two months, we've worked together very happily, and I'm truly grateful for the opportunity you gave me."

"But now, I have another opportunity, and I must choose one over the other, so... actually, these past few days, I've been hesitating, wondering if I could balance both, but ultimately, I found that I couldn't."

"Coming to talk to you about this today, I feel very sorry. However, I won't leave immediately. I will definitely finish my work and wait until you have made new arrangements and no longer need me before I go."

When she first came, Yu Wenlai had enthusiastically invited her, and the treatment he offered was quite good.

Now that she was leaving, she couldn't just abandon everything without notice.

She needed to give him some time to adjust.

However, what Yu Wenlai wanted wasn't an adjustment period; he hoped she wouldn't leave at all.

Therefore, Yu Wenlai continued to try to persuade her: "Yiyan, can you not leave? I think we work together very well. I have confidence that if we continue this cooperation model, within two years, our revenue will double. Things will get better and better. Nowadays, women of all age groups are increasingly fond of wearing qipaos."

Jiang Yiyan, however, had made up her mind to leave.

Since she had already decided to go, she wouldn't give anyone false hope.

So, Jiang Yiyan refused straightforwardly.

"Wenlai, I am truly sorry." She explained, "This decision was made after careful consideration, so..." Even without her finishing her sentence, she believed he understood her meaning.

Yu Wenlai's heart sank.

At this moment, the waiter brought their dishes, which helped ease the slightly awkward atmosphere.

"Let's eat first," said Jiang Yiyan.