Chapter 77: Ke Zhongyu Asks Her Not to Resign

"So what if it is, so what if it isn't?" Ke Zhongyu glanced at Jiang Lai beside him, her hair slightly disheveled, the tip of her nose reddened by the cold wind.

He stood on Jiang Lai's other side, blocking the wind for her.

Shen Xun's eyes held only anger.

"President Ke, you wouldn't want tomorrow's news to read that the Ke Group president snatched someone else's wife, would you? Even if you don't care about reputation, does the Ke Clan not care either?"

Ke Zhongyu suddenly laughed.

Full of deep meaning.

It seems Shen Xun truly didn't know about the divorce.

To drive a woman to the point of cold‑heartedly slipping away silently, Shen Xun is truly despicable.

"Will Jiang Lai always be your wife?"

As the words fell, Jiang Lai's pupils trembled slightly, and she called out, "President Ke."

"How? Did I say something wrong? The outside world never knew President Shen was married, never knew he had a wife, only knew he had a lover named Lin Shutong; everyone saw them together at the industry banquet that night, everyone knows."

"By comparison, Jiang Lai is my secretary, which is far more honorable than being your wife, President Shen."

"Seeing how intimate President Shen and Miss Lin are, who knows when he might elevate the third sister to main wife." Ke Zhongyu glanced sideways at Jiang Lai, "How could she possibly remain your wife all along?"

A definite tone.

Shen Xun's lowered hand clenched slightly, and he said coldly, "Sorry to disappoint you, President Ke, but Jiang Lai will always be my wife."

"Oh?" Ke Zhongyu laughed provocatively, "And what about the third sister?"

"President Ke!" Shen Xun's breath hitched, "Please watch your words—Shutong is not some mistress; she's my friend, Jiang Lai, you know that."

Shen Xun thought he had concealed it well.

After all, he had kept it hidden for four years.

"I know." Jiang Lai said wearily to Shen Xun, "You're just friends."

Shen Xun let out a long sigh of relief in his heart.

Ke Zhongyu gave her a sideways glance, his eyes icy; even though he knew Jiang Lai wanted to slip away quietly without openly breaking with Shen Xun, he still carried a hint of frustration at her inability to become stronger.

Beneath the anger lay even more heartache.

Jiang Lai had no support; if she hadn't slipped away silently, given Shen Xun's status, it would be too easy for him to hold onto her.

If Shen Xun doesn't want to leave, Jiang Lai can't get away.

Conversely, if Shen Xun wants to leave, Jiang Lai could be discarded like worn‑out shoes at any moment.

"President Shen, I have something here you might want to see." Ke Zhongyu walked over to Shen Xun; although he was a few months younger, he was half a head taller.

Shen Xun met his gaze, only able to look up.

"Do friends also kiss? President Ke." Ke Zhongyu pulled out the video from his phone, speaking in a low voice only the two could hear, "President Shen, your luck ran out—on that industry banquet night you and the third sister were in a corner; I filmed it, and recorded the audio."

Shen Xun's whole body stiffened.

Seeing Ke Zhongyu turn up the video brightness and about to raise the volume, he hurriedly shouted to stop him.

"President Ke, what exactly do you want?"

"Let Jiang Lai decide whether to stay or go, and I'll delete the video." Ke Zhongyu didn't beat around the bush.

Shen Xun didn't understand: "With President Ke's background and ability, what woman couldn't he have? Why fixate on my wife?"

"It has nothing to do with President Shen." Ke Zhongyu's eyes were sharp, "President Shen, you decide."

Shen Xun didn't dare let Jiang Lai know about his foolish deed; taking a deep breath, he said, "Where is President Ke taking her?"

"President Shen has chosen." Ke Zhongyu curled his lips slightly, looked toward the not‑far driver, who immediately nodded, placed a call, and a Rolls‑Royce pulled up before them.

The driver stepped forward and handed Shen Xun a business card: "President Shen, tomorrow just go to this address to pick up the same model Bentley."

"No need." Shen Xun declined the card; he could still afford a car.

He couldn't lose face in front of Jiang Lai.

"Jiang Lai, you really won't come back with me?"

"I won't withdraw the lawsuit, nor apologize to Shen Xi." Jiang Lai glanced between the two men, not knowing what Ke Zhongyu had said, but Shen Xun actually softened.

Shen Xun frowned slightly, hesitated, then nodded: "All right, you can come back with me first."

"I don't want to go back to the Shen family." Jiang Lai refused again.

"Why?" Shen Xun found himself understanding her less and less, "Just come back."

"Mm, I don't." Jiang Lai, fearing he'd keep asking, said firmly, "Not wanting means not wanting."

At that moment, Ke Zhongyu opened the car door, stood beside it, and looked at Jiang Lai.

Jiang Lai is not ungrateful; she knows Shen Xun fears Ke Zhongyu, and realizes that on her own she cannot defeat Shen Xun.

Just like at the research institute, even as project lead, she couldn't refuse the external expert Lin Shutong butting in.

Her current authority only extends to keeping Lin Shutong away from core data; merely for that, she still faces threats from Elder Ji.

Life is bureaucracy everywhere.

Every circle has its own local Brahmin.

Jiang Lai got into the car, Ke Zhongyu followed closely behind, and as the door closed.

Shen Xun's figure receded in the rearview mirror.

"President Ke, I owe you twice over." Jiang Lai bowed slightly to Ke Zhongyu, "One or two meals can hardly repay you; if you ever have use for me, I will do my best."

"Don't resign." That was Ke Zhongyu's only request of her.

Jiang Lai blinked, shook her head: "No way."

As a researcher and secretary she still knows how to choose.

A moment ago she was saying she'd do her best; the next she flatly refused.

Ke Zhongyu kept a cold face and said nothing.

Silence spread inside the car.

In the end, Ke Zhongyu couldn't hold it in.

"Jiang Lai." His tone was very solemn.

Jiang Lai tilted her head, indicating she was listening carefully.

Ke Zhongyu: "You work in the president's office, your monthly salary is higher than A City's average wage level; even if you leave Shen Xun, you can still support yourself, you don't have to be constrained by others."

Jiang Lai's body stiffened slightly.

Her gaze toward Ke Zhongyu changed; her originally dim eyes gained a speck of light.

"General Manager Ke, thank you." Her voice was no longer cold and clear like water, but carried a hint of softness.

Ke Zhongyu: "Don't resign."

Jiang Lai: "I will resign."

Ke Zhongyu: "……"

Spoken in vain.

Heartless thing.

He silently cursed in his heart.

Ke Zhongyu had the driver drive to Cui Zhai, and Jiang Lai quickly said, "General Manager Ke, I'm going to Nanshan Villa today."

That was Professor Cheng's wife's house.

It's still early today; she can go over and tidy up.

"Nanshan Villa?" Ke Zhongyu tilted his head to look at her, seeming doubtful.

Jiang Lai blinked and said, "It's very close."

He certainly knew it was close.

Because he usually lives at Nanshan Villa.

Number One and Number Nine are far apart.

The car drove toward Nanshan Villa; when it reached the guardhouse, the barrier lifted automatically, welcoming the resident home.

Jiang Lai immediately realized that Ke Zhongyu also lived here.

She also realized that Nanshan Villa was not an ordinary apartment building, but Professor Cheng described it with just the two words 'house'.

Fine.

Professor Cheng seemed to have said before that Professor Cheng's wife married down to him.

"Which number?" Ke Zhongyu asked.

Jiang Lai said, "Number Nine."

Ke Zhongyu nodded: "Hmm."

After seeing her off to the gate of Villa Number Nine, watching Jiang Lai enter the code, he immediately called Assistant Zhou.

"Check the household head of Nanshan Villa Number Nine."